Southern standard. (McMinnville, Tenn.) 1879-current, 1880-02-21

itself to us also. Avalanches, however,
givesso signs of approaching, no warn
ing. They are unexpected, as sudden
as earthquakes, and sometimes light
ming is not much more rapid in its work.
When a million tons of ice and snow
slip from the side of mountain they
are not long in reaching the bottom.
The gay procession moved on, The
music and the laughter grew mcrrier.
Even the little postmaster in the blue
cap was engaged in loud guffaw at a
clown marching on stills. had filled |
my pockets with bonbons mt the post,
and we were throwing them to the boys
nearest us in the procession.
Suddenly the music ceased; there was
an awful whizzing in the air; cry of
" Avalanche" Avalanche!" and in
an instant roaring and cracking, as of
falling forests. In ten short seconds an
awful flood of snow, mangled trees, ice
and stones passed the house, like the
swell of \ mighty sea. Every thing
shook. The procession disappeared as
if mgulfed by an earthquake. Houses,
right and left, tumbled over and were
buried in one single ipstant.-.-TIhe air,
cooled for a moment, and, again hot,
was rent with the screams of the man
gled. An awful catastrophe had be-
fallen us; the wrath of the mountain
was upon the village! For moment
we stood paralyzed-speechless. We
had been saved.
My first impulse was to rush to the
street, and to drag my companions with
me; but there was no street. Even the
garden had disappeared in foam of
snow and ice. We thought of the back
window at the cmbankmcnt, but as we
tore it open single glance toward the
mountain told us the horror was but
begun. The forest!" we all shouted
in a breath. 1t was gone, all gone, us
if mown by mighty reaper, and
masses of other snow seemed ready to
slide. The white brow of the mountain
still cleaned in the sunshine and seemed
to laugh at the desolation. Another
whizzing, a roar, and with our own eyes
we saw the side of the mountain start.
Instantly and together we sprang down
the steps into the lower room. There
was a roll of thunder, mighty crash,
and then all was darkness. We were
buried alive beneath an avalanche
What my first thoughts were | am
unable to recall. only remember our
fearful cries for help; how we shouted
separately. and then unitePon one
word, crying together again and again,
our only answer the silence of the grave.
Every soul in the village, probably,
had been killed, or, like ourselves, had
been buried beneath the snow and ice of
the mountain. 1t was only after we
had exhausted ourselves with vain cries
for hel p that we meditated on helping
ourselves. We had not been injured.
We remembered that we were in the lit
, tie sitting-room downstairs, the win
dows only of which seemed broken in,
= and filled with snow, ice and stones.
The stairway was also filled with snow
, and the debris of crushed walls
Above us all was desolation.
, How deep the avalanche lay across
, us we feared even to conjecture. As is
my custom when in the Alps, had q
! flask in my pocket of the best brandy
, | persuaded my companions to drink
and drank myself until the last drop dis
appeared. Possihlyatgave us courage
The furniture in the room seemed al
in its proper place. Weacould move
; about, but it was becoming terribly
cold, and we felt the sleepy chill, thai
dreadful precursor of death by freez
ing, overcoming us. Once we were
certain we heard voices above us, anC
again we shouted to try to tell them W.
were still alive. We listened; thu
, voices were gone. We were abandoned
: to our fate.
;, For hours we had alternately shouted
, and listened, until we sank down il
= despair. 1t must have been midnigh
!, when, in our groupings about the it'll,
chamber, our hands came on wa!
;, candle. In a few moments we haC
light-light to die by.
:, 1t would have been strange sigh
Z for an artist-that buried room, will
. the dim light, the windows filled will
~ snow, and the three inmates Their
waiting death Once | attempted t,
y encourage my companions, though my
self hopeless, by telling of people VIII
;, had been dug out of avalanches SAT-
and well but my words brought onl
e groans. Hours went by. don't know
o whether we were sleeping or freezing
g when | started at hearing voice cry
$ "a light! light" | sprang to m
+ feet, and again the voice cried, ~
II light" In ten minutes three hall
y frozen, half-insane human beings wer
n tenderly lifted from the grave into tn
u gray light of the morning A hundre,
noble souls had labored the long nigh
through, seeking the buried.
lie Every man and woman, from ever,
e village in the whole valley, had hurrie,
a to the scene, and was strainmg ever
1t nerve to rescue those to whom life nigh
y still be clinging. We were among tn
IL last taken from the snow and rocks
W which had lain upon us thirty feet i
~ depth, Did those brave rescuers won
Q der that we knelt to them, and kisse
the hems of their ragged garmentsp
q Beautiful Bleiberg is no more. Hal
y of those whom we saw dancing alon
l in the procession of the carnival, in tn
n bright sunshine, sleep among the violet
IL on the hillside. The snow, and the ice
D and the black powders from the noun
l. tain, and the dark fr-trees, still lie, il
this early summer of 1879, in one mas
it in the valley. We all left as soon as W
Us could travel. went home to I.
re My chief has resigned, and am nov
st acting Consul in his place. Should tn
1t Senate confirm all the new appoint
d ments, expect to remain as Consul
'e Miss Shelton thinks also of remaining
If and when Americans wander to L
n they will find the latch-string of on
d home at the Consulate on the outside O