The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1875-02-16
A SNOW AVALANCHE.

The Quebec Chronicle or the 4th inst.
gives the following account OF a strange ca
lamity in that city: Nesting under the
promontory of Cape Diamond are number
less homesteads OF the hardy, industrious
people OF whom Quebec Is justly proud.
Many of these houses are Of wood, protected
from the fall of gravel and shale by wooden
uprights, and, pefhaps, safe enough in
their way. Examples have occurred TO
show that no dependence whatever may be
placed upon such safeguards, and it is plain
enough now that they afford no protection
against snow. The storm which set in the
night before last, and increased in force YES
terday, served to pile an additional
load upon the tremendous heap be-
hind the house of Nicholas Hsber-
the Mariners chapel. Like many
of his neighbors, he had never paid much
attention TO the constantly accommodating
load, nor would he, nor any one else in the
neignborhood, have bothered about it
without warning of some very shocking
character. Strangeto say, last year this
house was moved by landslide. So far as
we have been enabled TO learn, the lower
portion of the house, a tWo-storY wooden
structure, was occupied by the family OF the
owner, Nicholas HRberlend, and his family of
four souls. The upper fiat was rented by
of his wife and five children, and in the
attics was Mr.. Haberlsnd's mother, a bed
ridden woman of 20 years of age. \ sudden
crash about 9 O'Clock was the signal OF the
impending catastrophe, for a huge mass
of snow had fallen in the rear of the
house. The old woman tried to give
an alarm, and John GIbson's voice
was heard calling 20 his wife, who had Just
entered the house from visit to q neighbor
across the road. Nearly everybody was in
bed at the time, but HsbeTland and his wife.
who, were forum ately saved, with their
children. Soon there was another crash,
and this was the crack of doom for the in
mates of the house. The enormous masses
of snow poised on the almost perpendicular
face OF the cliff came down with p
| furious force, and for a moment there was
nothing but a whirl of feecv white and "a
storm of scattering Uimbers. The house was
wrecked in flash, as it were, and its unfor-
tunate inmates
BURIED IN A LIVING GRAVE.
There was no time for preparation for their
dread fate for them, in a moment, in the
twinkling of an eye, they were involved
in destruction. The neighborhood was
speedily aroused, and few min
utes after the wreck of the house there were
hundreds busy with spade and shovel try
ing TO extricate from the mass OF debris
EpICun dCIOeS tIt SlIbSJ VIC DOUlSS OF the In
mates of the house. For nearly an hour
there was hard work with the constantly in
creasing crowd pressing around, but the po-
lice soon interfered and enabled those who
were IN earnest 20 work unimpeded
The Hsbsrland family, father, mother
and three children, were taken out alive
and well. They were Immediately con-
veyed into the grocery store of Mr.. Man
ming, opposite, where they were Hospitality
accommodated, and in the meantime the
search went on. John GiosOn's body was
next found, and taken into Manning's and
laid on lounge. His face was placid, and
he bore no appearance of pain, bur from the
state OF his clothing we should say that he
made fearful struggle with death. A little
girl was next recovered from the ruins and
laid On the floor in the kitchen. Then
there was found sticking through the snow
a portion of the clothing of MIR. Haberland's |
mother-in-law, and she was shortly after |
ward recovered, but in frightfully mangled |
condition in consequence of the chimney
having fallen on her. Mrs. Gibson was next /
found. She had evidently been dead about |
an hour and was still warm. Her death |
seemed to have been attended with suffering. |
they looked, with the exception OF little Kate,
just as peaceful as when they were
put to bed. Finer children il would be hard |
To fluid than the little bodies lying on either |
side OF their mother on the floor OF Mrs. |
Manning's Kitchen. The dead are: Johanna
O'Keefe, wife of the late Patrick Haberland, |
aged IS years; John Gibson, laborer. aged |
80 years; Mary O'Brien, his wife, aged SO
years. heir children, John Francis, aged |
81 Mary, s; Richard, g. Catherine, 4, and |
Eliza Ann, the baby, whose body was not |
recovered when we left at 3 o'clock this |
morning, aged year. A terrible death-roll |
indeed.