Fayetteville observer. [volume] (Fayetteville, Tenn.) 1850-1966, 1872-04-18

than two hundred feet high. Ths
loud report, to. which I have re
ferred came from this spire, which
was going to pieces. It did no
topple over but went down as il
the foundations of the earth were
| giving way, and the spire was dis
appearing into the depths below
The effect was magnificent be,
yond description. 1t did no,
sink. instantaneousiy, but lasted
for at least quarter of a minute
The crumbling spire-was quickly
euvelopedina great cloud oi spray,
in the midst of which the sum,
NIT vanished, and was seen nc
more. =.
Meanwhile other portions Of
the glacier were undergoing sim.
liar transformation, induenced, no
doubt, by the shock which had
been communicated by this frst
disruption. Other spires less per
feet 10 their form, went down in
the same manner. and great scales,
from all parts of the front where
there were no spires, split of, and
fell with e prolonged crash and
hiss, ioa9L ga.s 4ssai
Out from the midst of this din,
and at length drowning it com.
pleiely, came peal compared to
which the loudest thunders of
the heavens would bs but a fee.
BILE sound, The whole glacier
was enyelopeG in cloud, which
streamed up and along the icy
wall, as one sees the mists rising
from the abyss below Niagara, and
receiving the rays of the sun,
1helda rainbow lowering over this
vortex. Out of this cloud rose a
great white mass-at first slowly.
then with a bound--and from out
of the foam and mist wave of
vast proportions rolled away in a
widening semi-cirele. s z
Until this moment Ihad watched
every action Of the glacier with.
close attention. but now the in
pulse of curiosity was divided
with that of safety. The wave
came down upon US, with the
speed of-ths wind, and the In
stinct of self-preservation drove
me to seize the first firm object /
could lay. my hands upon, and
graspsit withall my strength
The wave occasioned by an earth
quake only can compare with it
in magnitude and force. 1t rolled
beneath our ship, lifted her upon
its crest, tore her from her an.
chorage, and hurled her, as if she
had been the seriest toy, toward
the rocks. | had no doubt, SO far
as there was time to think at all,
that she would be stove to pieces
or landed high and dry.
But there was little time for
reflection, While the vessel was
yet on her beam ends, and we
were all clinging. to aomething or
other for safety, deluge of wa
ter fell laundering upon the deck,
and the ship was half buried.
: We escaped, seemingly by a
miracle The anchor had brought
US up yithiDgtwo fathoms of the
abrupt shore, against which the
huge wave broke, and rolled back
upon US with asblow that. caused
some ipjdIy, but did not seriously
hurt anybody. kAB 4Es
K < Through the mercy of Provi-
dences we had been saved ! but
where were our comrades who
had just landed on the shore,
and those.in the boat? This was
our first thought. The boat
proved to be albright. She had
got head on to the wave, and far
enough from the rocks TO ride ca
silly but tile people on the shore
could not escape the whole fury
of the waters. Seeing the wave
they had clambered up the hill
side as far as they could; but
finding they would be caught,
they flung themselves fat upon
the ground, and, clinging to each
other and to the rocks. they pre-
vented themselves from being car
ried off or seriously hurt. One
had been, however, lifted and
hurled with much violence against
the rock ; but. with the exception
of few bruises, he was net in.
jured, and with great fervor he
thanked Heaven that it was NO
worse. = He had, indeed, abundant
cause. Had mol the party been
favored by the rocks--which were
of such formation that they could
readily spring from ledge to ledge,
they must inevitably have all per.
ished. The wave, before it reached
them, had expended much OF ita
force. Had they been upon the
beach and received the full force
of the blow, they must have been