New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1881-10-31
THE DESTRUCTION OF ELM.
OVERWHELMED BY A FAILING MOUNTAIN.

U0RR II - EVERY HOUSEHOLD BEREAyED "A
SCENE OF AWFUL DTsoLAuoN-THIMENDoU
BULK OF THE AVALANCHE.
IrEot Al oCcNtoSAL CORRESPONDENT or TIE TRi2uNEl
ZCucH Switzerland Oct. l.--Elm was one
OF those picturesque Swiss villages visited so fire.
qucatlr by mountain climbers. better specimen
of an old Alpine village did not exist; only recently
q few modern-styed houses Crcpt in to mar the
porlectness Of the oil picture The village was
one Of the highest inhabited points IN the Alps.
TO get there one went up the Linth Valley to
Svaudcn. in Canton Glarus; then turned to The
left ard followed up the steep narrow valley of
the Sernf for about twelve miles, IL where the
valley ends IN q semiclrc!c Of high spOw-c0yercd
mountains. The steep ascent of the Sernf can
scarcely he called a valley; II is 50 very narrow,
leaving barely room most of the way, for the rag
inc torrent to dash down and for tho narrow post
road walled ami terraced above its waters. Elm
was close in the upper end Of the valley, just where
the Pauixer Pass starts over 10 the Rhine. The
| VILLAGE was 3.21S feet above level, and the
almost perpendicular mountains that stood about
il measure from nine to ten thousand feet IN height.
/ Some OF these peaks are constantly mantled with
SNOW and ice The view from their SUBMITS is
! grand. The base OF none of them was much more
! than a mile from the village church, while the
! Tschngelberg stood almost above the rows of
| houses. In this high valley the people lived the
| lives of simple Alpine Villagers. Many were goat
herilers some chamoiS-huntoIs; some kept cattle
and produced butter and cheese a few only TILED
the small bits OF arabic ground in The valley. In
late years the peasants discovered that tie noun
tain nearest them was full of slate and numbers,
together with Italian peasants who had come over
the mountains. opened quarries, and did thriving
business with towns far from their quiet valley.
| Even the schools of Germany were supplied with
states from the little Semf Valley villages. 1t was
| n smple religious peOplo-with few wants, and
those wants tOlerab.y well supplied by its own in
| du>try There were two primary schools in the
VILLAGE and a picturesque little church whose bell
| had been the fcmonitor of all the villagers and
their fathers and grandahers before them. Ii rang
! when the villagers were born, when they married,
| when their children were born, when they made
festivals and when they died. Ii marked the hours
| of the day. it walked the villagers in the morning,
and its familiar sound followed them TO their sleep.
| while the watching shepherd high upon the noun
tains heard it and glad. The peculiar customs
the unique dress, the habits OF the peopIs had not
changed in a hundred years. All were acquainted
with each other. and intermarriagc had made the
villagers almost rs one family. The high location
the pure mountain air and their simple habits made
them a people nOticcaby healthy, large OF body
and pure of heart. They were named among the
fnest-built men Of the Alps. | have myself seen
how tall and strong boned the men seemed, and
how 1.-the and healthy the women. | had rather
have a hand-shake of an Elmer than the written
note of other men, said Glarner man to me once.
This is the reputation of Elm villagers.
High mp on one of the mountain combs hole
through the rock known as "Martlnsoch'
Through this little opening, thousands of feet
above the village. the sun shines six days in the
wear; three days in March and three DAYS in Sep
tember. At such times there high festival
among the villagers Elm an old, old town
possibly even the Romans had a station there;
ANYWAY, centuries have looked down on the old,
nut-brown houses OF the village. Eighty years ago
Suwarrow marched an army over the high frozen
passes to Elm Napolcou's passage of the St. Ber
nard had been chds play to this crossing Oh goat
paths over unknown mountains and ice-helds IN
the dead Of winter. and with willy foe harassing
ank front and rear by yolleys Of bulets and rocks
rolled from lofty precipces. few OF the old folks
Of Elm still relate how children, they wore held
up 10 look at the dread Russian soldiers, who had
dragged cannon and fought battles where none but
chamois- hunters ever trOd before
Long years in shigh, sunless valley, surrounded
by peaks and snOw-ie!ds. had surely made the
Elm villagers acquainted with the danger OF the
mountains. A hundred times they had seen the
Seruf torrent rise and destroy everything in its
path They had seen the terrible avalanche roll
down into their valley every spring AMI had heard
the roar of landslips that carried forests before
them. Their neighbors only. at tho villages further
| down in the valley. had suffered. The Tschingcl-
| berg had stood so long and so solemnly above Elm
| il might stand forever. When the Tschingclberg
should fall then time would be no more. Had it
| not stood Il thousand years above the village until
now 1t was almost worshipped rs q sort Of guardian
| from others get more threatcningi Acc astOmed
to its ncarness, they became needless of its dange
| Only the wise old fogies ever shook their heads
| and whispered alarm. Tho terrific heat Of the
summer of 1851 was followed by floods of rain,
| soaking the earth, filing crcyces and adding ac-
| cumulated weight to the topping mountains In
! August. at Elm stream went dry it's friendly
muImur was missed By the villagers, bat 1T had
only lost IFS way" they said, and wonld come
again Later the worllmen in the slatc-quarries
high up on the mountain, heard strange noises, and
| there were strange signs; the mountain almost
seemed TO be moving little; but nobody bc!icyc ed
| it, H. had stood too long to betray them now.
| The 18th of September was Sunday, wet, cloudy
| day following weeks of rain. As was the custom,
all Elm went the village church, and even as the
| young pastor prayed, heavy stones were heard
| rolling down the mountain side. Still the people
| were not afraid. Too often had they heard the
! avalanche fall harmless and watched the noun
tans almost topple in the storm. 1t was five and
a half o'clock in the evening; the shadows
ALREADY gathering in the valley when terrific
rush OF wind and roaring of mighty thunder,
announced the falling of part OF the mountain.
Half a dozen houses and slate shops in the iarthest
part of the village were buried and ont Of sight.
Many people ran into the Streets few hurried
over the iron bridge the torrent 10 render aid
to their buried relatives; few ran merely to wit
ness the catastrophe. Soon a second gush of wind
and roaring of falling stones; and then there fol-
owed hurricane. and a as of awful battle;
and tie mountain fell. Those in the path OF the
mountains breath were lifted up whirled abOnt as