The Red Cloud chief., 1880-03-18
Lost In the Snow.

Lost In the Snow.
Among the dangers OF the winter in
the Pass Of st. Gothard is the fearful
snOw-storm called the '' guyeten" by the
Germans, and the tourInente or "tor-
menta" by the Swiss. The mountain
snow differs in form, as well As in thick
ness and specific gravity, from the star
shaped snow-flakes on the lower heights
and in the valleys. |, is quite foury,
dry and sandy, and therefore very light.
When viewed through a microscope it
assumes at times the form of little pris-
matte needles, at other times that Of in
Vulnerable small sik-sided pyramids,
from which, as from the morning star,
little points jut out on all sides, and
which, driven by the wind, u through
the air with great speed. With this fine
ice dust Of the mountain snow, the wind
drives its wild game through the clefts
Of the high Alps and over the passes,
particlarly that of St. Gothard. Sud
denly it tears up a few hundred thou
sand cubic feet of this snow, and whirls
1t high into the air, leaving it to the
mercy of the upper current, to fall to
the ground again In the form OF the
thickest snow-storm, or to be dispersed
at will like glittering ice-crystals. Al
times the wind sweeps up large tracts OF
the dry ice-dust, and pOurs them down
upon a deep-lying valley amid the
mountains, or OF to the summit
of the passes, celebrating in a
few seconds the laboriously
excavated mountain road a,
which a whole company Of rutners have
toiled for days. All these appearances
resemble the avalanches of other Alps,
but can not he regarded in the same
light As the true snow storm, the tor,
menta or guxeten. This Is incompara-
bly more severe, and hundreds on hum
dreds of lives have fallen sacrifices To
its fury. These have mostly been trav-
cling strangers, who either did not dis.
tinguish the signs Of the coming storm,
or, i'm proud reliance on their own pow
er, refused to listen to well-meant warn
ings, and continued their route. Almost
every year adds a large number of vic
tins to the list of those who have fallen
a prey to the snOw-Storms.
History and the oral tradition OF the
mountains record many incidents of ac-
cidents which have been occasioned by
the fall of avalanches. During the
BellinZona war, in l47S, as the confed.
crates, with a force of ten thousand
men, we're crossing the St. Gothard, the
men of Zurich we're preceding the army
as vanguard. They had just refreshed
themselves with some wine, and were
marching up the wild gorge, shouting
and singing, in spite of the warnings OF
their guides. Then, in the height
above, an avalanche was suddenly
loosened, which rushed down upon the
pad, and in its impetuous torrent buried
sixty warriors far below in the Reuss, in
full sight of those following.
On the 18th of March, 1S4S, in the
so-called Planggen, above the tent OF
shelter al the Matelli, thirteen men who
were conveying the post were thrown
by a violent avalanche into the bed OF
the Reuss, with their horses and sledges.
| Three men, fathers of families, and nine
horses were killed; the others were
saved by hastily summoned help. But
one of their delivercrs, Joseph Mueller,
of Hospenthal, me- a hero's death while
engaged in the rescue. He had fastened
to help his neighbors, but in the district
called the 'sHarness" he and two
others were overwhelmed by a second
| violent avalanche and lost their lives.
In the same year the post going up the
mountains from Airola was ovcrtaken
by an avalanche near the house Of shell.
ter at Ponte Tremola. A traveller from
Bergamo was killed the rest escaped.
History tells of a most striking rescue
from an avalanche on the st. Gothard.
In the year 1928 Landamman kasper,
of Brandenburg, the newly-chosen Gov
ernor of Bellenz, was riding over the
St. Gothard from lug, accompanied by
his servant and u faithful dog. At the
top of the pass the party was overtaken
by an avalanche which descended from
the Lucendro. The dog alone shook
himself free. His first care was to ex-
tricate his master. But when he saw
that he could not succeed in doing this,
he FASTENED back to the hospice, and
there, by pitiful bowling and whining,
tudt All dCCAuCit h"u hoP
pened. The landlord and his servants
set out Immediately with shOvels and
pickaxes, and followed the dog, which
ran quickly before them. They soon
reached the place where the avalanche
had fallen. Here the faithful dog stop.
ped suddenly, plunged his face into the
snow, and began to scratch it up, bark.
ing and whining. The men set to work
at once, and after a long and difficult
labor succeeded in rescuing the Landam'
man, and soon 'afterward his servant
They we're both alive, after spending
thirty-six fearful hours beneath the
snow, oppressed by the most painful
thoughts. They had heard the bowling
and barking of the dog quite plainly
and had noticed his sudden departure,
and the arrival of their deliverers: they
had heard them talking and working,
without being able 10 move or utter 8
sound. The Landamman's will ordained
that an image of the faithful dog should
be sculptured at his feet on his tomb
This monument was seen till lately in
st. Oswald's Church, at Zug.-Harpes's
To,suD pooU1e