Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1868-12-10
Appeal to she Swiss and TO the
Friends of Switzerland In the
limited States. rTFf.srf..- .i..rf 'sffes.

a calamity has befallen the Cantons
of Tessin, Valais, Grisons, st. Gall and
Uri, which, in It's immensity, stands un-
equalled in the annals of Switzerland.
On the 27th of September rain com
menced to fall in torrents along the
northern and southern slopes of the
Alps, and continued to descend, with
but little internission, for eight days.
During all this time; a powerful south
wind ragged furiously amidst the masses
of snow and ice which had lain undis-
turbed for centuries in their inaccessible
Alpine, strongholds. {. ..--,. .,.l
Every mountain rivulet swelled into a
rushing stream, every stream into a tor
rent, carrying appalling destruction in its
course. The rivers of Tessin,, the Rhone,
the Reuss, the Rhine and the Inn, in their
relentless power, obliterated many of the
choicest beauties of nature, impoverished
thousands Of families, and hurried hun
dreds to watery grave. -1 ..l.IL .su9u
rHeart-rending and vainGwas the strug-
gle of human hands against the over
powering force of the watery element.
On it came, in the dead of night, terri
ble in its might, scattering destruction
far and wide, and piling up in the mead
ows the mountain debris of ages. Rocks
weighing hundreds of tons were torn
from their resting-places, and in their
course joined the revelry of destruction.
Whole forests, vineyards, and meadows
stacked with grain, have disappeared,
and, in many places, not a vestige of
roads, bridges, and fences are left ;
houses, mills, and factories are torn from,
their foundations, and even cemeteries
and charnal: houses have been invaded,
and their contents scattered along the
course of the devastation. Thousands
of cattle lie choked in mud, and thou
sands of our fellow beings are reduced
to abject poverty. ~ 5.r.r' H" - u
Along the Rhine, village upon village
lies half buried in mud and debris, and
every article of bedding and wearing
apparel has either been swept away or
! rendered useless in houses where COM
fort, and even plenty, reigned; while
their verdant meadows, productive or
chards and beautiful gardens, are one
mass of grayish mud. 70 -a- t.-e
Sixty millions of francs will fall far
short of the loss sustained. On such
extraordinary occasions it is meet that
unusual measures be adopted to alleviate,
at least in part, the sufferings of our
brethren. The Federal Government of
Switzerland. prompted by a feeling
which it knew would meet with hearty
response from its people, at once dis
patched its President to the suffering
localities, and ordered to the scene of
devastation the various corps of sap
pers and miners to render all possible
assistance. -.I.,4 - ltr7ss-. r
Ere this, one million of francs will
have been appropriated by the Federal
Government, and like sum will, no
doubt, have been contributed by the sew
eral Cantons. Already convention of
delegates from all Cantons have assem-
bled in Berne, and relief associations
have sprung up in every section of the
land, whose offerings will be distributed
by the Central Relief Association, or
ganized under the auspices of the Fed
eral, Government. Many individuals
have given most literally, and the peo-
pie of adjacent countries are also busy,
heart and hand, in the noble work Of re-
lieying want.io Among others, the King
and Queen Of Wurtemberg made at once
remittance, and organized a Relief So
ciety, over which they will preside. III. ,ijs
And we, fellow-countrymen and breth-
rem, shall we stand aloof? Shall we leave
UNDECIDED the cry of distress, the pleading
eve cast over from beloved Switzerland /?
No, no, must be the ready response of
every heart. The painful tidings from
our sorely-visited brethren will find an
echo here in bountifully blessed Amer
lea. A mite from every feeling heart, a
gift from every generous hand, and this