Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1880-10-16
THE EANDNLlPs IN INDIA.
Detailed Accounts of the Terrible
Disaster at the IIill.I0Wn Of NainI


Tai.
Calcutta dispatch to the London Times
says: ''Naini Tai, hill station In the kumaon
district. and the summer headquarters or the
northwest provinces government, was. ON the
afternoon OF the 18th, the scene or terrible
catastrophe. In order to understand the de-
tails 1t Is necessary to explain tnat Ine plac1
differs in one important respect from osher
Himaiayan STnjtOrta. Instead OF oeinS p3rcled
on series of hlltops, like Simla, NJ 1SS0Orle ana
'DarjeeiiIg. Naini Tai lies for the most part In
a small basin the greater pail or which Is &C.
scupied BY a lake aboit mile long. ana which
is Dominated On all sides by lofty mountains.
Iandslips On small scae hi ,, oeen mater Oh
often been pointed oft that many OF the houses
were MOST unsafe. No serious measures, how
ever have ever been taken 10 prevent accidents
and up 10 the end of the week before last the
regular Inhabitants and crowd OF summer
visitOrs continued TO live in a Fools Paradise.
The station has the reputation OF being the
.DTettiest in the UiInalayaS. IL IS the only one
In which lake and mountain scenery Is CON-
bned- Naturally 1t is favoTite resort OF Wis
itors, and Up 70 the moment OF the accident
their numbers were beirg daily increased by
people running up from the plains to spend the
autumn holidays IN the hits. Rain began to
, fall heavily at Naini Tai On the evening OF
ThurSGay, the 10th. and Continued al'n0sr with
out 1nteTnis5iOn Till noon on Sunday, tue 19lh.
IL IS said hat the guage showed fall OF %
inches il 10 hours. On SatuTd ~ m0rntGg the
danger first became apparent even 10 the NOS
careless small lahdsiip occurred near tn e,
Victoria Hotel. carrying away an ouJOui.11g
} the magistrate in charge OF the station. WIFI
BODY OF police and a working party from the
depot, under Capt. BaldeTSJOn 3iCa loot. station
Siaff officer, immediately repaired TO the spot
aid commenced 10 clear away the DEBRIS snd
try TO divert the course OF a tOTr5n5 which
Threatened the motel and some other houses
Tie hotel was full or Visitors, Including Mr..
Justice and Mrs Straight The warning IN the
morning gave them all time 70 seek S1fety else
<"here. but some, unfortunately, sougat shelter
IL The llbrary-a portion OF the assembly rooms
building close 10 The lake. About Ign the great
catastrophe happened. An eye witness thus
describes IT. noise, vision OF parting earth
ard moving trees, a rush o. matter toward the
lake, roar of water and OF falling material
ard then deep brown smoke rising in slow
wreaths through the gloom and furious rain. A
great wave OF water, caused By the precipiJa-
ton OF part OF the assembly rooms and an
immense mass OF earth into the lake. swept
across its length some five feet nigh. IC dashed
over the slUice gates at the entrance OF the
gorge with such power as TO sweep aEay several
persons Standing by them. Sir Henry Ramsay.
commissioner CT kumaon. was all but Carried
away by The Wild rush of the waters
"a correspondent OF the Pioneer gives most
graphic account, which abridged as follows: AT
! O'Clock all seemed Wei, and the working party
were busy at their task at the bottom OF tue
preelpttOuS ascent which oyerhucg the hotel
About 1870 NaiEf Tai was startled by sudden
and sanen roar, louder than the simultaneous
Crash OF heavy guns, followed by prolonged
rJlmDliDg as OF distant thunder, and then by an
ominOuS silence. Vast clouds OF dust rose
heavenward through the murky atmosphere.
ground from the hotel TO Bells shop, and On
ward TO the assembly rooms and the lake. The
whole place shock as though an earthquake had
passed. TIE waters OF the lake rose In mo-
n1ent far above their usual limit. and swept In q
massive wave toward the weir. Then all was
STILL From the top of the lower spur. under
which the Victoria Hotel had stood q minute
before, down TO the edge OF the ket-gr0und
nothing Was TO be seen but a vast eXpalSe OF
loose earth. beneath which lay buried hotel
and garden, road and orderly-room. II
was as though some giant had dropped
half q mountain on the spot, Oloctlny
cut In moment every feature OF the
scene, filling up the hOllows. and reducing to
one dead slope ali that lay below. Deep below
lay the working party. Not q veStige OF them
and dark. Meanwhile, the cricket aud polo
grounds presented a strange contrasG to the
gentle sweep above. Toward the pavilion they
were intact, save tOT the streams OF water pour
Ing In every direction, but on the other side
was simply an enormous mound OF vast extent
and varying height, a tangled mass of broken
walls and roofs, fallen trees, and heapei-up
earth In horrid confusion, with spoilS of the
shop and OrdeTly-ToOm. Saddest of all was the
spectacle OF the few corpseS that were Visible
among the ruins Never was havoc more sud-
den. more ful, or more complete. Without a
moments warning. without a premoniJory
rumble TO awaken suspicion, down came the
enormous iandSlip, buryiDg In deadly embrace
the hotel and the working party behind, en-
gulf1Dg ordefiy-room and shop, assembly rooms
contained. OF the number OF people In the
shop, all save four, OF whom three were women
Were swept away. A Sadder Sceae l never saw.
Ill WAS Wire Than battle field