Iowa voter. [volume] (Knoxville, Iowa) 1867-1874, 1870-08-04

but Tcm Robinson, who had no TASTE
| for the supernssaEsl stood mp. glass in
hand, and broke the silence With
Then, hOys, let's drink TO the health
of Doctor Fsustus, and 20 TO bed The
more we Glsep TO night the better We
shall climb tomorrow" -
After this We retired n good order.
The next morning, alter IN early bteak.
fast, We started Of il high ppirits on oul
way up the mountain, laughing and chat
| ting together, and occasionally hating IL
silent admiration OF the magnificent pan
Dramas which were bseught 70 view a.
| we ascended from one cliff 70 another
! About neon we lad reached q very con
siderable height, and, after passing through
a grove Of frs, came ia sight Of a scene
Of de7aststion just above US. Il was the
remains Of an avalanche, q vast Snow slide,
which had come laundering down from
the peak above, and now lsy as il resting
from Ito tremendous leap and gathering
flesh power. Yet eth the huge mass
seemed threatening another rush from the
top OF the cliff IN which 1t lay, over a
precipice q short distance below, and tG
the edge Of which ii extended. We stood
watching 1t Tor some time, almost expect
ing 70 see the pile move before our eyes
and hurl itself into the abyss hundreds o.
feet deep Our guide informed us That II
would be unsafe 10 attempt TO Cross ovel
| II, or even TO approach very near; that
this was the avalanche Of which our host
mad told ua the night before. thad G0iAt
down from above and lodged here; tEt
SHOWS Of the past winter had been graau
ally increasing its weight, and now ths
weather had become so warm thatit nigh
at any moment Glide over the cliff We
therefore so: down where we were, un
| loaded our provisions from the knapsacks
and proceeded to lunch for which meal
our mornings climb had given us a most
excellent preparation. After lunch, In
| spite Of the rcmonstrances of the guide,
we resolved 10 90 on as near as possible
10 the fallen northumberland 50 forward
we marched, the guide bringing up the
rear. We had advanced so far that we
stood close by the side Of the snow-wbite
| pile when the guide shouted In avoice OF
horror: BackI back / IL u morning"
| Round We wheeled, and double-qu
dashed away from our perilous station,
| leaping from rock to rock, tumbling down,
rolling ard sliding down 10 escape the
threatened rush, until st length we gained
our former stopping place; and then with
painting breath we turned about TO witness
the following spectacle:
Over the edge Of the cliff we're tumb-
ling great Jumps of snow, and slOwly fol-
lowing them came the great heap behind.
Faster and faster Ii moved, and the clia
was now hidden by the cloud Of snow,
which broke into pieces at Its edge, and
apgrIy dashed itself over into the abyss.
AT length It's velocity became tremendous,
and awe struck we stood epeechlcssly
gazing upon the terrific scene. Huge
masses Of snow were hurled into the air
the tall frs were snapped In two, and
went whirling along ia the general chaos,
amid noise which reverberated among
the cliffs like the minxling Of thousand
thunderstorms. Our senses were con-
fused--we became unconscious OF the
lapse OF time, and, when the whole was
over, we could hardly form an idea OF
how long the phenomenon had lasted.
The noise gradually subsidized; while now
and then bOon down in the valley an
nounced that pieces were still falling
But after while silence reigned again,
and we began TO recover our scattered
senses, and to notice the wonderful change
before us. Where lay that monster but
little while before was now nearly q Level
field OF broken snow, trunks Of broken
trees here and there protruding, and bowl
ders which had resisted the power Of the
avalanche. A considerable distance of,
at that part Of the avalanche which had
| been the last to move, we noticed some
thing which appeared like the ruins of q
building. Az II was now perfectly sale tc
advance, We went towards this spot--and
on reaching 1t, there sure enough VIZ
| found broken. down chalet. 1t was .
small building, although very stoutly
| built, and had probably been used by Tho
chamoig hunters NJ sleeping place. A
large rock stood Just behind 1t, ovei
which the avalanche Of the year befOr,
had passed, completely burying the hut
That il was not carried along by the snow
this time was due to It's situation. Had i
been flty yards farther down the slope, Y
must have been torn up and Its shattered
beams hurled over the precipicc; but a
II was, the snow had Slid away and left
standing. The root was stove In, and tn,
upright beams forced apart In various di
rections, and snow was piled In heap
around II, completely blocking up tn.
doorway. OF course we were filed witt
curiosity as tn what might be inside, ant
we waded around IT, cndcavoring to oh
tain view Of the interior. One ut longtl
succeeded in mounting TO tho top Of III.
snow bank, and pecped In through rif
In the side of the building.
Anything theres" we asked.
He turned without speaking, his fac'
pale and full of horror, and came stagger
Ing down to where we were standing.
"Wbat 10 III" we anxiously inquired.
IA coypse," he whispered, ais sitting
therew A
For moment or two we stood speech
less, with kind Of awe at the thought @
that lonely prisoner dying there withou
"A . human being near to hear his call TO
help, and now 10 wonderfully oxhume.
In our presence by the mighty power Q
Nature. But then, Tom, who was med
ical student, and Injured To the companion
ship OF the dead, reused us by propose
to clear the snow nom tho doorway ant
get inside. After the hrst shock hat
passed away we agreed to bis proposition
and eagerly cot 70 work with sticks and
hands TO get away enough snow to allow
US q passage; II was . long and tediou
labor, but was at length accomplished
and the entrance stood partly open. Will
an indehnable sense of horror we enterct
the hut, Tom taking the lead. And there
sitting upon rough stool, the head ben
down and f0otinn uDOn An Oaken table