Dodge City times. [volume] (Dodge City, Kan.) 1876-1892, 1881-11-10
THE MOUNTAINS FALLING.

Iam0-ScOreS OF People SHaIIOvye0 Up
Elm and Dsoty Is Was Dessroyed.
A terrible calamity has fallen upon
this once lovely village Of Elm. Nine
years ago on albright June morning i
saw Elm for the first time. lowell de-
scribe Elm as it appeared on that bright
day would be no easy task, yet even the
dullest pen could not fail to gain some
inspiration from q recollection Of the
scene. No other spot in all the Alps
could boast SO many and such varied
attractions. Three thousand and odd
feet above the level of the sea, it nest
led half in the valley, half clinging to
the hillside in deep basin formed by
great mountain peaks which lowered
above. Just over the village rose the
Plattenberg and Mittaghorn to a height
of from 4, 800 to zoo feet, while be-
yOnd and all about the Piz Segnes, o.
SOC feet high, the Sardonstock. 9.162
feet high. the Hausstock, 1856 feet.
and the Vorab. 9,G75 feet. all crowned
with everlasting snow, reflected the
bright summer sun back into the green
valley far below. Three well-sized
brooks, coming from the glaciers COM
paratively near at hand. united above
the village to form the little River
Sernf. which flowed through it to the
lowlands far away. On its banks broad
fields spread out through the valley.
and, though the season was always
short, so carefully were they cultivated
that the people never wanted for an
abundance of vegetables and fruit. So
situated. so blessed BY nature. the ]. 100
inhabitants of Elm, well housed in
strong dwellings of wood and cement
built after the Alpine fashion. lived in
dustrous, healthy, and contented lives.
The terrible calamity which has over
taken them did not come without
warning. Indeed. the people Of Elm
are, in o measure, themselves response
BILE for the great trouble with which
they have been visited. This statement
and the causes which led to the destruc-
ton Of the village may be briefly ex-
planned. For years past the inhabitants
Of the Sernf Valley have found in the
extensive slate quarries of the Tschin-
gelalp or Plattenberg one of their chief
sources of revenue. As has already
been stated, the berg or mountain in
question rises to height of several
thousand feet just behind what was the
village. 1t is composed. as the event
has proved, Of a loose, scaly material.
exceedingly liable to crack and give
way. Into the base of this crumbling
and treacherous mountain the quarry
men of Elm dug in former wears with
out any regard to the laws of science
or the simplest principles of engineer
ing. Recently they have been more
cautious, but their caution came too
late. In word. they cut away the
foundations of the mountain, and at
last. as natural consequence. it has
fallen upon them. That here was
some danger of landslide from the
Plattenberg has long been known in
Elm. WNhin the past three or four
months slight falls of stone and mud
have been Of frequent occurrence after
heavy rains. yet the people never for a
moment thought of leaving the beauti-
full home to which they were so much at
tached, and even experts who examined
the mountain seem to have had no idea
of the full extent of the danger to which
they were exposed. So, in fancied
security and entire ignorance of the
awful fate which was in store for them.
they lived on.
Meanwhile, the almost unparalleled
rains of summer were slowly but sure
ly completing the work which had been
begun by the thoughtless or ignorant
quarrymen scores Of years ago. The
end came on the evening of Sunday.
September lin the "Saints Calen-
dar." current in some parts of Swift
zerland. marked The Day OF Felix.
saint of luck and happiness During
the early part OF that day, the people
Of Elm went about their usual vocations
in the usual way and without any antic-
ipation Of the terrible calamity which
was so near at hand. The little church
was well attended. hearty dinners were
eaten. and afferXard. as WAS the GUS