Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1881-12-31
an AyaIanche of Peat.

When she brief statement first APP
peaIed, a few months ago, that town
in the Falkland Islands had narrowly
escaped destruction by food Of peat,
the story seemed incredible. Anthem
tic details, however, have lately reached
England which leave no doubt OF the
fact. The phenomenon is believed to
be unprecedented, and has served to at
tract the attention Of men of science
once more 10 the archipelago of tieeless
islands which Darwin explored nearly
half a century ago, and which constl-
tute Greet Britain's southernmost colo
NAL possessions.
The Falkland group Is situated some
LLree hundred miles from the eastern
coast OF South America, opposite the
entrance TO the strait Of Magellan. Two
OF the islands, known as East and West
Falkland, are much larger than the
rest, and upon the east side of the for.
mer is Stanley, the chief town. There
seems to be some influence in the climate
peculiarly favorable 20 the production
Of peat, tor, says Mr.. DAWN, almost
very kind oi plant, even the coarse
grass which covers the whole surface
Of tie land, becomes converted into this
substances; scarcely any situqtion checks
its growth; some OF the beds are as
mu n rs twelve feet thick. and the lower
part becomes so solid when dry that it
will hardly burn" Thus, it will be IN
| derstood, n pcaty soil is characteristic
Of the whole country.
Just back of the town Of Stanley, and
about 1900 feet inland, rises a range OF
heights which are surmounted by a
plateau, upon which rests deep bog
of peat. Curiously enough, the thickest
deposits of peat in the Falk'ands occur
on the hillsides or hilltop. In other
places the peat seldom exceeds a few
feet in depth. The subsoil is a dense
yellow clay impenetrable by water. and
in the Stanley bog already mentioned
this is between twenty-four and thirty
feet below the surface.
On Nov. 90, 1873, asoutheasterly storm
OF wind and rain set in ut Stanley, and
the rainfall from that time until mid
night of the 30th is estimated TO have
been tive inches. Then the peat bog
on the heights above the settlement
gave way. THE black oozy mud, :"
writes a naval officer to the royal geo.
graphical society, ROLLED down the hill
with momentum which neither the
iron stanchions around thereservoir nor
the barriers by the sea could Withstand.
1t broke through tie backs Of wooden
houses, inundated the rooms, and Obliged
the inhabitants, rudely awakened from
sleep, TO flee for safety; n few pigs and
calves were swallowed upJn the irresist-
IDLE stream, but fortunately no human
lives were lost" The velocity Of the
stream was not noted at first, but in fhe
morning, after its force was almost ex-
pended, it was still moving into the sea
at the rate OF about half a mile an hour.
DR.. John Mulvany. staff surgeon in
the British navy, was an eye witness of
the phenomenon, and attributes IL to the
action of the heavy fall of rain upon the
peat. He estimates that over SOC, 600
gallons Of water fell into the bog on the
four days preceding the avalanche.
The impermeable yellow clay under.
meath would not permit it to sink
tiIroHgh, and finally this enormous quan-
tity of water. mingling with the peat,
burst the weakest side of the bog and
rolled down the seaward slope Of the
heights above the town in the remark
able torrent we have described.
It has been fshed ont that the first
dentixt in America was Josiah Flagg OF
Boston, who learned from Frenchman
in Rochambeau's army as it was camped
in Rhode Island during the revolution.