National Republican., 1879-12-24
MISCELLANEOUS.
Remarkable Snow storms ia India-snow
Two Hundred Feet Deep.


Some interesting details of the exfraordi-
nary snowfall In Cashmere in 1s77-7s arc
given in paper of the iust-issued number of
the Journal of the Asiatc Society of Bengal
by Mr. Lydekker Early in tho month of
October, 1871, snow commenced to fall in tho
valley and mountains Of Cashmere, and from
that time up TO May, 1878, there seems TO
have been an almost incessant snowfall in the
higher mountains and valleys indeed in
places IL frequently showed without intormis-
sion for upward Of thirteen days at a time
AZ Dras, which has an elevation 10000 feet
Nr. Lydckker estimates the snowfall, from the
native account, ns having been from thirty 10
forty feet thick The effects Of this enormous
snowfall were TO be seen throughout the coun-
try. Az Dras, the woll-built travellers bunga-
low, which hnd stood some thirty years, was
entirely crushed down by the weight of snow
which fell upon 1t. In almost every village of
tho neighboring mountains more or less of tho
log houses had likewise fallen, whilo at Gull
marg and Sonamarg, where no attempt was
made 10 remove the snow, almost all the huts
Of the European visitors were utterly
broken down by II. In the higher mountains
whole hiIlsdes have been denuded of vcgota-
G0n aud soil by tho enormous aynlancbcs
which swept down them, leaving vast gaps In
the primeval forests, and choking the valleys
below with the debris Of rocks and trees. AZ
an instance of the amount of snow which
Lydekker mentions the Zogi Pass, leading
from Cashmere to Dras, which has an cleva-
ton Of IL 800 feet He crossed this early In
August last year, and he then found that tho
whole of the rayino leading up to the pass
from the Cashmere side was still filed with
snow, which he estimated in places to bo at
least $50 feet thick. In ordinary seasons this
road in the Zogi Pass is clear from snow some
time during tho month OF June. As another
instance of the great snowfall, Mr.. Lydekkcr
takes the valley leading from the town of
Dfas up to tho Pass separating that place
from the valley of the Kishongunga river.
About the middle of August almost the whole
of the first mentioned valley, at an elevation
Of 1900 feet, was completely choked with
snow, which in places was at least 200 feet
deep. In the samo district all passes over
$4,000 feet were still deep in snow at tho
same season of the year. Mr. Bydekker gives
other instances of snow lying In places in Sop
tyElhSr, where no snow had ever before been
observed after June. As 70 the destruction of
animal life in the Upper W6fdwan valley,
large numbers of ibex were seen imbedded in
snow; in one place upward of sixty heads
were counted, aud in another not less than 100.
The most convincing proofs, however, of the
havoc caused among the wild animals by the
great snowfall is the fact that scarcely any
ibex were seen during last summer in those
portions Of the Wardwan and Tilial valleys,
which arc ordinarily considered as sure finds.
So also the red bear and the marmot were far
less numerous than usual. Mr.. Lydekker
estimates that the destruction to animal life
caused by snow has far exceeded any slaugh-
ter which could be inflicted by sportsmen dur
ing period of at least five Or six years.
Mrs. HANNAH SIMPSON GRANT, the mother
of the General, is now, at the ago of eighty,
living with her daughter, Mrs. Corbin, In a
small retired house on the heights above Jnr.
scy City. She is quiet and digniaed old
lady, with small, straight figure and regular
features. She has bright, dark eyes and u
kindly SMILE and she moves about with un-
usual vsor and activity. Mrs. Grant does
not talk much about her sons reelection.
THE General is not in the habit of giving
himself up TO conjectures," slo said tho other
day to Il writer for the Press of Philadelphia.
when question arises he decides it, and /
do not think that he has given any thought
to tho possibility Of his being nominated
again" ="