New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1878-10-19
AN APPLE GLACIER.
-r,nrl.I CALAMlrY IN MASSACHUSETTS.

TOwN-AwTUL FATE OF A Young Gf"loGIeI
,,pou An occ1.IoNAI CONFECTIONERY oF1HE TRlRUSEJ
AMHERST, Mass. oct. 10.-Ihc condition OF
tlirgs IN the VIPER CoLuccticut Valley Is astonishing
Certainly literal Hood OF apples apd clder sunners'
ing whole villages, Is the lsst thing 10 have been
srrctr,,,d The silence that has been rain
famed IN respect TO the crop IN the region just named
WAS omnous; II the stiffness before an earthquake
snd yet who could have guessed that the people oil that
region had for moment dreamed ofgottHc up corner
In apples by supucssiug all information IN regard 10
the enormous yeldt II unlikely time Tor such
conspiracy ~ tue bearing year. and the excessive
heat and rains Of the have favored great product
iveucss in almost everything. In fact, the strange
weather Of the past Summer has prepared our mlhds
for the Unprecedented catastrophe now nave 10 ue
scribe.
Toget a connected view Of the whole case however
must be promised that the folk OF the Connec
rut about thirty or forty years were
,truck with idea. 1t was one OF those colh'iu'''s
OF thought and Of popular movement as dihcnt 10 OK
plain AS prevalence OF sudden aud widctT'"" 'I
idomic disease due to invisible lnnuehccs. J"
this instance. it the planting OF apple
trccs "Paut-plautw was the mysterious command
heard 10 every ones inner consciousness Ike Inc silent
summons that at once moves whole army OF Ltmnihs
rats across the lakes and mountains OF Norway An"
pant applctrccs they did-especaly In Hampshire ana
Franklin Counties, and farther north. They pah'e"
them all around their houses, and over th'if gar
deus and meadows, and along the loadsiu'S'
and up the hill-sides, and on mountain tops
Tue ornamental grounds Of classical SCHOOLS inc
parks OF mansions, and Wild pastures were alkc lah'u
Every person took il as "a sacred duty TO MeaTth Inc
seeds of every apple he ate that to-day We ma these
rosaceous trees in the most improbable situations-n
vood-patls aud forest eladcs So general and extreme
All impulse could not have come 10y any reasoning tuat
"app,s Is good suited to cur climate and sle ana the
more OF a good thing the better 1t was
plainly the sudden development OF a blind
instinct like thar Of the squirrel who plants forest oil
hickory or chestnut And IL must have been helped on
Nv the initiative instinct Of tie next c'n,rauon' Who
continued plant because tlcr fathers dd, unih every
available square rod occupied, and the '"uutcuCu
River and It's tributary streams ana his became as oh'
huge applc-tIce.
The possible result micht have been forcscou ny any
Ang but unrco,ouiug impulse. Given ah"ilng wear
ana such season as tins, coucurriug within thIF
gcars, CONFUSION Of nature was sure 10 happen II
was reserved for l~7s BY midsummcr the trees were
becoming one couglomeracd mass Of fruit; the lower
Doughs touched Ethe rroundi main limb no"
and then, broke under the weight, though no
Wind was blowing. Every procuTahle STICK or
tail was brought into rcGulsiton for prorp'ng Yet
rack crackl heard. Ike pistol shots, iu the st'st
nights as the limbs gave way. Anxious mothers hcid
heir babes closer in fear Of burglars, and indignant
owners rose rohcd and went forth 10 seek dcplcdaors
IN the orchlrds-as any ono could think OF stealing
apples that supcraboundod The harvest sorts fell,
gigantic and golden, countless bushcls but 10 alarm
glare that pOrtends a volcanic eruption, OF the braSy
hight that heralds tropic hurricane. The fruit could
not be sold and the loyccst sweet Junes. summer
Queens and Belnowers heshy elbow or GIN son. juicy
tender" the mems catalogues say-Wereie d
90 the pigs Soon the Autumn and Winter varlc-
ties prcmaturciy forced by the wonderful
Summer. and too large aud too numerous
60 be retained by the exhausted tree began 20 fan long
before their time. Ihump, thump! they iell momently
everywhere day and night until the increasing pononc
shower became as the drumming ha-sOnes on q roof
only more solemn, thuudcrous. strangely ominous The
cider and vinegar mills Immediately ret TO
work Three cents bushel offered Ia
literal fac! and carloads innumeraDle were
sod OF this price; but the supply was
TOO great; hill Of apples around every mill Ike
lunar crater. and ayaancbes OF fruit intercred with
the work. sun the piles augmented though
cents was now offered for every bushel not brought
the min struggled around and around necEdeep
apples, and disappeared in the mass where so
long the horses not too deeply submerged the
surface movement showed that the brave animals were
painfully going then rounds.
Aud the patent apIlcparer 10 be found in every
New England household wa. brought rapidly into play,
and the comminglng sound all along the valley re-
sembled the click and % vast flight OF locusts IN
desert land. Sliced drying apples covered every roof
and volanda, and strung Ike countless
co,w,ns on every fence ana tree Hogsheads
Of boiled cider apple-sauce" and "apple-butter"
were stored away. Empty barrels for ihe
fresh fruit rose dollar each, and boxes proportion
Atey. Every receptacle falling, the people filled their
cellars the ceiling, then the lower story Of the house
and finally the attic, and the barns also, below and
alo't
BIZ was this final OF insane greed that precip
tated the catacy>m. The immense weight OF the super
incumbent crushed the lower layers of fruit and
In the floors gave way ALSO juice began
10 flow in streams from the lower windows. This gave
seminuidity TO the stratum OF apples that every
where covered ne ground to depth OF
from one TO feet. True, the apples OF
themselves would 1--we finally moved like vast
river down the valley. after sufficient accumulation;
for II Is we'll known that solid glacier Will move
ON a slight slope. and in fact, VIII march along
level OF a billy region. II the mass itself have sur
face slope a. in the Glacial Period and apples
are surely more mobile than ice. In Hampshire
County aud throughout the whole afflicted re-
zion, this movement in progress already
Sheets and streams OF the fruit were sliding
or rolling down dcclyities and the roads, swales aud
streams fast filing and slowly flowing But II was
IN Vermont that the crazy idea of crowdne every build
ing with the crop fret took encct for was there that
The comparatively rapid formation and movement Of
great apple-ga began, helped on by the deluge OF
CIDER 1t is reported filing the narrower
Connecticut Valley there from brm TO brlm,
aud has already advanced into Massachusetts, The rate
Of progress from five ten miles day. and the under
stream Of cider, continually increased by the crushing
and grinding OF the lower mass has already overlooked
the Hatfield ana Hadcv meadows aud the swollen river
IL said TO contain per cent OF alcohol far Middle
town, Conn.
LATER.-snce the foregoing pennod the great ap
peood glacier has appeared in sight from this place.
having arrived at Mt Sugar Loaf the summit OF which
Is barely visible Ike island in the and Is black
with escaped inhabitants OF the valley. II has over
flowed into the DeeIfed Valley, and, with accumu'a-
lions therefrom, reaches from MI Toby to Conway. II
presents sopng wall 700 feet high, and like ice is
Of beautiful green, due TO the prevailing color OF the
frnit with ice-like pnsmatlC TINT. from mixture u