American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1880-10-09
A Fatal Landslip.

In the northern part of Bengal is a cool and
sequestered resort called Mama Tai 1t is
perched up among the hills and has long been
a special refuge during the sitting heats of the
Hindostan summer for Englishmen 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 beauti-
full lake tempers the atmosphere hard by.
AT Mama Tai some of the most romantic cpl
sodes of Indian life have had their beginning
and their end, and more than one novelist has
chosen the place a scene for picturesque
incident and description. Such are some OF
the associations of Mama Tails past; but that
its history will be embellshed by similar pas
sages in the future is scarcely probable. The
village, as we just learn by telegraph, has been
absolutely overwhelmed; and it is even likely,
II fears now expressed confirmed, that
Mama Tai will be obliterated from the face of
the earth.
The fate that has come upon this remote
Bengal settlement, while a rare one, is by no
means without precedent. memorable ex-
ample has been known in this country and
the name of Franconia suggests its sad par
ticulars- There is some likenes between the
two cases. But instead of lying at the foot Of
one or two mountains Mama Tai was sur
rounded by them. 1t might be described
lying in a cup or basin; and was liable from its
typographical position to sudden inundation.
1t was due, doubt, to great rush of
water that Mama Tai was destroyed. But the
flood was only the Indirect cause of destruc-
ton. 1t appears that rain began falling heavi-
ly there, read the dispatches, on last
Friday morning, and that it continued to de-
scend in prodigiouS torrents until Saturday
afternoon. The gauge by that time showed a
rainfall of twenty-five inches in forty hours.
The neighbOring lake swelled to threatening
height. The river had become a cataract.
Soon after twelve o'clock there was u suilen
roar and rumbling, followed by vast clouds of
dust, and the whole place shook The lake
rose in u moment far above its usual height
and swept in a massive wave toward the river,
when an enormous mass of land came down,
buryfng the hotel and the band of rescuers."
1t appears that some of the visitors the ho-
tel had taken alarm in season and fled. Later
on when the rest were in Imminent danger, q
party was organized to save them; and these
were the "rescuers'' who, with the remaining
guests, were thus smothered by the
lanche Some thirty natives and an unknown
number of visitors were included among the
victims: and by the last advices the flood had
not subsidized but was devastating the whole
surrounding country.
The most terrible feature about this disaster
has apparently lain in it's unex pectedness. In
parts of Italian Switzerland in the high val
Briel, In Valais, where avalanches of snow
have already occurred, 1t may be said that a
danger signal is always flying, and people know
what they have to look for. AT any point ly-
ing below and near to a possible glacial frac-
ture such a chance of catastrophe is ever i'm
pending, and those who encounter it do SO at
their own choice and peril. Where, however,
no such evil has heretofore been known its
coming is more awful, in the degree that it 10
unlocked for, and that its victims are totally
unprepared either for flight or for any other
means Of protection.
In the case of Mama Tai the fatal mischief
has obviously ut the first thought been i'm
puted to II catacysm merely; but it may be
suspected that tho tremendous rush OF earth
that buried the village was partly of II volcanic
origin like the many minor earthquakes which
during the current year have been xpcrienced
at SO many points of the globe in both its
western and eastern hemisphercs.-N Y
EUehfng Post.
DIR. HASTINGS, of Boston, in speak
ing of religious joy and of singing as
being the natural expression Of that
Joy, remarked that some congregations
had so little of it that they had to hire
people to do their singing. "Why,"
says he, ~ would as soon think of hil
ing a man to eat my breakfast
The Chinese agriculturalist does his
hair up in q French twist because he