The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1877-11-30
NUMBER Al.
1ERRTBLE C4L4HTTTES.
TWO GREAT MOUNTAIN SLIPS IN THE rYIo1.

In 111l a terrible calamity of this nature
befell the little village of Alleghe, situated
on the banks of the river CoIdevole, not
far from the town Of Caprile in The Tyrul.
The district was fertile and beautiful one,
with several scattered villages surrounded
by orchards and cornfelds. and protected
from the fieI ce blasiS of winter by the
range Of high mountains, which were at
once it's safeguard aud its peril A. the
base of one of the lnftiest of this great
range, called Monte Pezza, stood the vii
lage Uf Alleghe.
In the month Of January, when the
mountains around were all covered with
heavy snow. "A charcoal burner Nas at his
work in the woods of Monte Pezza. when
his attention was suddenly arrested by a
distinctly tremuluuS movement uf the
ground, aud by the frequent Iattling dovu
of stones and debris fIom the rocky preci-
pices behind him. These were sufficient
indications of danger to the practiced ear
of the muuutainecr. He knew too well the
poItentS of those Overw hehning CatastrO-
phes that are continually to be dreaded
and on listening more attentively, he be
came convinced that serious pert was i'm
pending. Even as he watched, several
/ large bOuldeis became detached from the
face of the mountain, and rolled down 10
/ considerable distance while at intervals
I atrembling motion of the ground WAS too
evident To be mis- AIKEN.
1t was growing late in the afternoon, and
/ darkness would soon fall on the valley; -
/ hastily quitting his work, be made The best
/ of his way down to the nearest Village. and
with the excitement naturally caused by
/ anxiety and fear, he told the inhabitants
) of the alarming Indications lac had Just
( witnessed, and urged them to make their
! escape without loss Of time from the threat
/ ened danger. Strangely enough, they seem
} TO have at ached no value TO the signs Of
4. & 4.
scrIbed To them and it would appear that
/ ;hey considered the falling debris to be at
tubutable to some accidental SnowslIp,
caused possibly 10y the warm rays of the
uODnday sun.
/ Whatever they may have thought, they
/ paid no heed to the warning, and the char
coal burner having done all he could to
save them from tie threatened calamity,
went on as fast possible to carry hiS :er-
! rible news to thiCe other villages, which
/ were all directly exposed to the like danger.
But they also utterly diSbeleved III 1t, and
laughed at the fears OF the IuoI man,
| whose breathlcss and agitated condition
1 clearly testified to the truth of his cpnvic-
tiOn that very great peril was cluse at
| hand. One aud all they refused To gu-G
| their dwellings, and the charcoal burner,
| having vaiEly endeavored 10 awaken them
to sense of their danger, quilted the spot
himself aId suugh; shelter elsewhere.
ance of any kind taking place, ;he villagers
: concluded the whole thing TO have been a
false alarm, and at night all retired q rest
as usual without apparently "A shadow Of
misgiviug.
Suddenly, in the midst of the silence
| and darkness, a fearful crash of falling,
| rocks sounded far and vide through he
valley, and when the fist rays of the sun
lighted up the mountain peaks. a terrible
scene of ruin aud death wae revealed. II q
] -four little hamletS bad entirely diSa appeared :
two of them, those that lay nearest to the
slopes Of Monte PeZza, were completely
buried under an immense mass of fallen
I earth aud rocks the other two were sub
merged beneath the water Of the river Cor
devUie, which had been driven fiom IT'S
/ course by the a-uuuidIn laH, and had
spiead Uu. int" What : now known as the
Lake of \ ileghe.
None of the unhappy victims had mo-
I menI : time Ton escape, even had est.alss
been possible. The rushing down of the
mountain was instantaneous and buried
them they lay sleeping, and the wat, r
flowed with imPetuous IaPIdity into the Ut
protected villages, not one inmate of which
survived 10 relate the experiences of that
! awful night.
Some months passed, and the first horror
of the catastrophe had a little faded, when
another mountain fall took place. again
y
1 occur ed in the mouth of MaN. and in day
/ light but much smaller loss of life ~ a.
/ The result, though The destruction oi ti,,-
1 perry was even greater than on the pievi-
| Gus occasion.
Owing 20 the tremendous force exeItel
10y the falling debris, the waters of the
. lake, which had never subsided since is
| formation, instantly arose into an enol nous
wave and rushed violently up the valley.
wreckimg houses and farm buildings. de
/ stroyIng the huuflshIhg oIciaI DIS and corn
; hslds aud cailAlug away portion of the
parish church of a village which had been
recalled Alleghe, after he submersiou e
the fiIst of hat name. Tue organ of III
church Was t"icibly swept 10 cunsidela-
ble dIstsuc', aud a tree borne along on a .
mighty wave MAS dashed INTO the up, n
window Of The cures house. while he y .s
I sitting at dinner, tie servant who was AL
( Vending on him being killed on he sl5,.r
Many lives were lost curing he SecuI 4
great helgfA, aud terrible CONSERVATION
Was created ia the minds Of tie inhabitants !
of the dI>ttict, winch seemed to have. been
50 specially singled out for misfortune
Since that Time, however. no other Sc
. rlous disaster has betalien them the hu. q
mountains of the neIg hboI hood have i,s,t
again huiled death aud rum on the snii q
valley AZ their feet and the little lake of
. Alleghc, the piincipa! memorial uf the a.
. ldNll 'phe, i ohiN ah duued beauty To ihe
lovely scenery which surtCunds a. and les
/ there in serene tranquility. all unconscious
of the beating hearts forever stilled ,,,.-
meath its waleIs, of the happy homes Zen
deied daIk an1 dcSolafe 10y it's cold, cruel
waves.
More than a hundred years have passed
since then, many generations of village 8
have lived and dled, aud the iecollrctiau
the great herg-falls Of ga has faded into
mere tradition of The place but Vet.
looking down into tl.e clear depths of Il e
lake. "n day When there - n,, wind Ia
raise nipples on its surface. the outlines of
The submerged villages can be distinctly
traced. Roofs aud walls of houses can yet
be disiihgused ; u IL even said that lie
belfly of the church is visible. fiipbts az
stairs. and many other relies of the Dsst