Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1872-10-16

Burning of the village otzernetz--on ne
Hundred and Fifteen Houses I'm
Ashes .-s-
A correspondent of the London Times,
writing from Samader, in Switzerland
Sept. 6, says: So.
az have lust returned from the piteous
spectacle of an entire village In shoulder
ruin, and it occurs to me that some par
ticulars of the burning of ZerGetz may not
be uninteresting to the very large class OF
your readers who are more or less ac-
duainted with the Engadine Iwrite from
Samaden, the village capital of the upper
Epgadine, which last night presented an
extraordinary scene. The whole popula-
ton of this place was gathered at its lower
! end. gazing with intense interest toward a
spot fifteen miles down the valley, where
/ the Y formed by the mountain sides was
filled with the light mot lurid in this rare
atmosphere, but white) ola hundred burn
| ing houses. --.. ..-r~ -a
Zernetz lies more than 1000 feet lower,
| on the bank of the Inn, than Samaden,
but the winding of the valley ana the In
tervening mountain slopes prevented a
direct view of the fire, yet the fierce glow
of the pine wood flames Lit the mountain
sides to the height of several thousand
feet, and it formed an episode in ones
Swiss experiences not soon to be forgot
to stand among tho crowd and observe
how the intenser or fainter glow sent hope
or despair like wave over these clannish
mountaineers, many of when were sob
bing at the thought of the perishing OF
their homestsads or it might be their rela.
tives themselves. The fire commenced al
g O'Clock last night. and by y the ubiquit.
Gus wire flashed brief and tuching mes
sage for help to the Upper Engadine The
result was magical. 1t was spirit-rousing
to see each village speed its contin gent tc
the spot. Samaden, Celerina, Pontresina
and last, Silva Plana, whose gallant quota
with their little fire engine, galIoped
through Samaden at 10 o'clock
Every imaginable vehicle was pressed
into service-landau, einspanner, berg
wagon, each laden with hardy fellows
who boldly sprang in without the smallest
provision for fifteen miles ride and q
battle with fire till daybreak A little
before 9 the telegraph brought its las
message, announcing that the post dill
gence could not pass through the burn.
ing village, and that the Bureau itself
was On fire. Henceforth for hours came
no news but such as the waning or waxing
glow at the bottom of the valley gave u.s.,
By 4 this morning the return began, and
as rode down the valley it was sad tc
meet carloads of scorched and disbeart.
ened-looking fellows whose errand had
sped SO poorly. The village is as touching
| a q of Rau oh I
while It's ruin was yet fresh saving that
there SIS no loss of life. Commencing at
a house few yards from the en-
trance to the village coming from
Samaden, the fire swept straight
through it, not d single house escaping OF
all that lay On the Tarasp road On the
! Innspruck road there lies branch of the
village ana the old chateau Zone of the
residences of the Plantas) and the church
on knoll between these and the body
of the village interviewed a cornfeld
which saved them-viz, some dozen or
fifteen houses, which are all that remains
of Zernetz but blackened walls inclosine
heaps of fiery ashes. The number Of
| houses destroyed is lis, and although the
pastures all around tho village are dotted
over with the poor remnants of these homes
"a touhing spectacle-the destruction
was so rapid as to prevent much salvage
The whole harvest of these, many of them
poor people is annihilated, and upward OF
400 people are homeless, aud many Of
them ruiued.
By a recent act of the Swiss Parlia-
ment, house insurance has, believe, been
made obligatory, but this regulation has
come but tardily into operation in this
mountain region; and, al IS, many of the
poor Zernetzers are the losers. | will not
say anything one way or the other as to
the incendiary organization in these vii
lAges, whose pine roots after such magni-
fcent weather as we are now ENJOYING
! here are like touchwood, but will close
this hurried letter, which | have not time
to revise, with Il brief reference to the NOR
al impression produced on my own mind
as well as on that of travelling companion
! by our visit to-day Zernetz.