The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1880-01-21
SNOW rwO HUNDRED FEET DEEP.
The Extraordinary snow Fall IN Cashmere
Two Winters Ago.

The Extraordinary snow Fall iT Cashmere
Two Winters Ago.
The following remarkable account from
the London Times OF enormous snow falls in
Northwestern India, shows Whist a world OF
yepOr is carried inland on the mOnsoOus
from the India ocsan, TO strike against the
loitiest n Ountein chain in the world ara be
precipita ed in such SHOWS and rains s. &C
cur on the middle slopes and foot hills OF
the Hin aayas. About the sources OF some
Of the great rivers OF India occur the beav.
lest rams ever known, and further l. ist, IN
Cashmere, il seems the shows are sometimas
terrific. The London Times says:
Some interesting details OF the extrsordi-
nary snOG ial 10 Cashmere IN 1877 IS are
given 10 paper of the just Issued number
OF the Journal of the Asiatic ciety of BsT-
gal. by Mr. Lydekker Early in the month
OF October, 1877, snow commenced to fall In
the valley and mountains of Cashmere, sno
from that time up 10 May, 1875 there seems
ID have been an almost iDcess2nt snow fail
in the higher mountains aud valleys; IN
deed, Ia places it frequently showed with
out intermission for upward of 10 days at
"a time. At Drss, which has an
elevation of 10000 feet Mr.. Lydekker esti
mated the snow fall, from the native &C
counts as having been from so 20 ~ feet
thick. Tue effects OF this enormous snow
fall we're 10 be seen throughout the cou0-
galow, which has stood some 30tyesrs, was
ent rely crushed down by the weight o!
snow which fell upon it. In almost every
viii ige OF The neighbOriDg mountains more
ar less Of the log houses had fallen, white At
Culinary and Sonomarg, where 10 attempt
was made TO remove the snow, almost all the
huts OF the European visitors were utterly
broke n down by il. In the higher noun
tAins whole hiIlsides have been denuded
of vegetation and s)Il by the enor-
nous avalanches which swept down
toem, leaving vast gaps In the primeval
forests, and closing the valleys below with
the debris OF rocks and trees. As an instance
of the amount of snow which must have
fallen in The higher levels, Mr.. Lydekker
mentions the Z)gi pass, leading from Cash
mere TO Dras which has al elevation OF IL
800 feet. He crossed this early in August
last year. and then found that the whole of
the raviDe leading up TO the pass from
the Cashmere side was still filled with
snow, which he estimated in places to
be at least $50 feet thick. In ordin-
airy seasons this road in the Z)gi pass
is clear from snow some time dur
Ing the month of June. As another instance
of the great snowfall, Mr.. d-ydekker takes
| the valley leading from the town of Dras up
TO the pass separating that place from the
valley of the KishenRunga river. About
The middle of August almost the whole of
"
| 1900 feet. was completely choked with
snow. which in places was at least 200 feet
deep. In the same district all passes over
$1,000 feet were still dep in snow at the
the same seeson of ths year Mr.. Lydekker
/ gives other instances of sDoR lying in places
in September, where no snow had
ever before been observed after
June. As to the destruction of
animal life in the upper Wardwan valley.
large numbers of ibex were seen imbedded
in snow; in one place upward OF 60 heads
were counted, aud ia 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 Tilall
valleys which are ordinarily considered as
sure finds. So, also; the red bear and
the marmot were far less numerous than
usual. Mr.. Lydekker estimates that the de-