Ashtabula weekly telegraph. (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1880-1886, 1880-10-08
A Fatal LandsIip.
Tribune.

In the northern part of Bengal IS n cool and
sequestered resort called Mama Tai. II Is
perched up among the hills and has long been
spesial refuge during the stihing hents of the
Hindostan summer for Englshmen Of both
the civil and military service Many such
residents have been wont to fly with their
families on the approach of the parching
weather Of the extreme season and to find an
asylum In the moist shades of Mama Tai. A
considerable mountain stream passes the spot
on its course toward the plains, and a beauti-
ful lake tempers tho atmosphere hard by.
At Naina Tai some Of the most romantic cpl
Bodes of Indian life have had their beginning
and their end, and more than one novelist has
chosen the place as d scene for picturesque
incident and description. Such are some OF
the associations of Naina Tails past; but that
its history will be embellished by similar pas
sages In the future is scarcely probable. Tho
village, as we Just learn by telegraph, has boon
absolutely overwhelmed; and 1t h even likely,
IL fears now expressed are confirmed, that
Mama Tai will be Oblteratod from the face of
the earth.
The fate that has come upon this remote
Bengal settlement, while rare one, is by no
means without precedent A memorable eT-
ample has been known In this country, and
tho name of Franoonia suggests its sad par
ticulars. There is some likeness between the
two cases. But instead Of lying at tho foot Of
one or two mountains Mama Tai was sur
rounded by them. IL might be described as
lying In cup or basin; and was liable from It's
Typographical position to sudden inundation.
It was due, no doubt, to a great rush Of
water that Mama Tai was destroyed. But the
flood was only the indirect cause Of destruc-
ton. IL appears that ruin began falling heavi-
ly there, ~ We read the dispatches, on last
Friday morning, and that II continued 20 de-
soend in prOdgious torrents until Saturday
afternoon. The gauge by that time showed a
rainfall Of twenty-five inches in forty hours.
The nelghboring lake swelled to a threatening
height. The river had become a cataract.
Soon after twelve o'clock "there was a sullen
roar and rumhling, followed by vast clouds of
dust, and the whole place shook. The lake
rose In moment far above Its usual height
and swept in massive wave toward the river,
| when an enormous mass of land came down,
| burying the hotel and the band Of resouers"
| IL appears that some of the visitors at the ho-
tel had taken alarm in season and lied. Later
| on, when tho rest were in imminent danger, o
party was organized to save them; and these
| were the "rescuers" who, with the remaining
guests, were thus smothered by the ava
lanohe Some thirty natives and an unknown
number Of visitors were included among the
victims; and by the last advioes tho Hood had
/ NOT hNhalNNA hhN WNn hoNAaAAAAhk AhN "aNaN
| surrounding country.
The most terrible feature about this disaster
has apparently lain in It's unexpectednoss. In
| parts of Italian switzerland, N the high val
| leya OF the RhOne, or at spots like the Ate Of
| Briel, In Valais, where avalanches Of snow
have already occurred, 1t may be said that d
danger signal is always flying, and people know
what they have 20 look for. At any point ~
ing below and near TO possible glacial frao-
ture such a chance Of catastrophe is ever i'm
pending, and those who encounter II do 30 ai
their own choice and peril. Who're, however,
| no such evil has heretofore been known III
coming ia more awful In the degree that 1t II
unlocked for, and that its victims arc totally
unpropared either for dight or for any Other
means Of protection.
| In the case Of Mama Tai tho fatal mischief
has obviously at the first thought been i'm
| puted to a cataolysm merely; but It may bC
| suspected that the tremendous rush of eartt
that buried the village was partly OF n volcani,
! origin like the many minor earthquakes which
| during tho current year have beeu experienced
a. so many points Of tho' globe in both IL
western and eastern hemispheres.-M 7
EUening Post.