The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1880-02-13
ssow Two HUNDRED rEFr DEEP.


The following remarkable account Of
enormous Snow falls in northwestern
India, shows what "a world Of yspor is
carried inland Oh The monsoOns from
the Indian ocean, to strike against the
iOftieSt mountain chain in the world
and be pTecipitated. in such SHOWS and
rains rs occur on the middle slopes and
foot hills % the HimalayaS About
che sources Of some OF the great rivers
OF India occur the heaviest rains ever
known and further east, III Cashmere,
it seems the SHOWS are some times ter
rife. Some interesting details Of the
extraordinary snowfall in Cashmere III
1ST7-7S are given in paper III the Just
issued number of the Journal Of the
Asiatic Society of Bengal, by Mr..
Lydekker Early In the month of Oc-
tol,er. 1877. snow commenced to fall in
the valley and mountain of Cashmere,
and from that time up to May, 1878,
there seems to have been an almost in
cessant snowfall in the higher noun
talns and valleys: indeed, in places it
frequentlv showed without intermiSsion
for upwards of ten DAYS at 4 time. At
Dras, which has an elevation of ten
thousand feet, Mr. LydekkeT estimated
the snowfall, from the native account.
rs having been from thirty TO fort feet
thick The effects of this enormous
snowfall were TO be seen throughout the
country. At Dras, the weIl-built trav-
eler's bungalow. which has stood some
thirty yeas, was entirely crushed down
by the weight of snow which fell upon
it. In almost every village Of the
neighbOring mountains, more or less.
the log house had fallen. while at Gull
zuarg and SOnOmarg- where no attempt
L. ssIr
all the huts Of the European visitors
were utterly broken down 10y it, In the
higher mountains whole hillsidcs have
1eeud denudedOf vegetation and soil blythe
enormous ayalanches which swept down
them, leaving vast gaps i'm the prlmevai
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. LvdckkeT mentions the ZOgi
Pass leading from Cashmere to Drds.
which has am elevation Of II 300 feet. 49,
He crossed this early in August last
year, and then found that the whele of
the rIEiEe leading up TO the pass from
tie Cashmere side was still filed with
Snow, which he estimated in places to
Ire at least one hundred and fifty feet
thick. In ordinary seasons this road in
times during the month of June. As
another instance of the great snowfall
AIr. Iydekker takes he valley leading
from the town of Dras up TO the pass
separating that place from the valley of
the kishengunga river. About the
middle of August almost the whole of
the first mentioned valley. at an eIeya-
tiOn Of twelve thousand feet, was COM
pietely chOked with snow, whicn in
places at least two hundred feet deeD.-
In the same districts all passes over
thirteen thousand feet were still deep in
snow at the same season Of the year
Mr.. LydCkker gives other instances of
snow lying in PAGES in September.
where no snow had ever before been OBJ
serVed i'm june. As 10 the destruction
of animal lie in the upper Wardwan
valley, large numbers of ihex were seen
imbeuded in snow in one place upward
OF sixty heads were counted, and in an
other not less than one hundred. The
most convincing proofs, however. of the
havoc caused among the wild animals
by the great snowfall is The fact that
scarcely any iJeX were seen during last
summer in these portions Of the Ward
wan and Tildii valleys which are ordfn-
ariIy cOuSid red as sure ieuds So. also.
the red beac and the marmOt Were far
less numerous than usual. Mr. Lydek-
ker estimates That the destruction Ia
anima life caused by snow has exceeded
any slaughter which could be inflicted
by spurtsmgu during a period Of at least
live or SIX years.