The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-11-14
THE WHITE TERROR OF THE ALPS.
A Good Story Retold-The Destructive Ava
Ianche of BergoIetto.

prlSonment IN an avalanche occurred in the
hamlet of Bergoetto in the valley of the Upper
Stura at the foot of the Alps near the fortress
of Demonte in Piedmont Three persons sur
vived an incarceration of FIVE weeks 1t was in
the winter of 1856, when the falls of snow had
been so very heavy that there was danger that
its weight would break through the roofs of the
houses On the 10Th of March. therefore, some
of the people tried to avoid the danger by remov-
ing the snow from their house'tops. Among
those so engaged were man named Roccia and
his son, lad of fifteen. The village clergyman
was at this time leaving his house for his church
when he saw two avalanches de-
scending. Calling to Roccia aud
his son, he returned speedily to his
toward the church They had not run more than
forty yards when the lad fell close behind his
father, who turning round to assist his son. was
seized with horror on seeing that his own house
and the houses of his neighoors were buried be-
meath an enormous pile of snow. His earthly
all was swallowed up-his wife his sister, his
children, gone The shock overcame him and
he tainted. His son soon recovered himself, and
helped his father to the house of a friend; but
he was five daYs before he was sufficiently re-
stored to make any exertions in seeking his lost
ones. Thirty houses were destroyed, and TWEEN
ty-two persons were missing, among them the
clergyman who gave the alarm. The snow lay
over the village to depth of more than forty
feet. and extended its destruction some ninety
yards in length by twenty broad.
The news of tho disaster brought more than
three'hundred men from the neighborinR valleys
With iron rods they sought to discover where
the houses were, and then they commenced dig
ging vigorously; but the depth of snow was sc
great (another heavy fall coming on) that they
could make little or no progress, and were COM
PEELED to desist after toilng for several days.
No hope could they entertain of any one being
preserved alive and, as the warm winds were
pected to set in in less than month, they re-
solved to wait until the mass should be partly
melted
On the 18th of April the men returned to their
sad task Roccia was among the most active OF
the workers. Though he had no hope that he
should ever see any of his dear family alive yet
he labored diligently. assisted by his son and a
brother-in-law After six days they advanced
so far that by breaking through two yards OF
ice they could touch the ground with long pole.
On the following day they joined by an
other brother of his wife, who had been led to
come and assist by dream which he had, In
which he saw his sister alive, begging of him to
help her. Setting to work with new vigor the
four rescuers may their way into Roccia's house,
but it silent and tenantless. Think
ing that those they sought might
have taken refuge in stable
which stood in a sheltered position some thirty
yards from the house, they renewed their ener-
gies in that direction After burrowing through
the snow for some time one of them thrust q
pole through an opening On Withdrawing 1t
they heard faint voice say; Help. dear hus-
band! Help dear brotherl" They now worked
away with redoubled industry. and soon made
considerable opening, through which one Of the
brothers descened. The spot was totally dark,
and he could see no one. ANY one hereY" he
cried. His sister answered in trembling and
broken accents: st is l, dear brother. My sis
ter-in-law and my daughter are alive, too.
l have always trusted in God that He would send
me relief and He has been graciously pleased to
preserve me and deliver me-"
Her husband and other brother also descend
ed; and there were Joy. and tears and thankful.
ness beyond expression.
The imprisoned women were too weak to
move and were shrunk almost to skeletons
With great tenderness they were removed to tina
house of a friend. where they were put to bed
and uursed with and affection. The daugh-
ter recovered soonest, and the uumarrid woman
able to walk in a week or two; but Roccia's
wife, who had been in a more cramped position
than the rest, was the last to regain the use OF
her limbs; and her eyes were ever afterward af-
fected with dimness from being suddenly brought
out of her prison into the light of day
We give description of their imprisonment
from the lips of Roccias wife. When the dire
calamity befel them she was in the stable with
her sister They had gone there with some rye
-four Cruel for one of the goats, which, on the
evening before, had brought forth two dead kids
Roccia's daughter and younger son were with
the women, standing in corner among the ami
mails. waiting for the sound of the bell to go to
church. In the stable were donkey six goats
and half dozen fowls. Roccia's wife was about
to leave the stable to go to her own house.
scarcely ldU Su6 redCueU the SldDl0 QOOr WQ6n
she heard the warning voice of the minister
Looking up she saw the descending avalanche,
and heard sound as OF another at some little
distance. She hurried back into the stable
and told her sister and her children In few
minutes the snow descended upon the building,
crushing in the roof and part of the ceiling. To
save themselves they got into the rack and man.
ger, the latter being under the main posts of che
building, and therefore able TO bear the immense
pressure. They occupied, however, a very un
OfOrto oh a TNnot I1rn VI
in space only little more than yard in
breadth. They had escaped instant death, but
the mere painful and lingering death by famine
seemed certainly to await them. They were OPP
pressed with the thought of how they could SUBJ
sist under such circumstances. The children
did not lose heart; they said they
had had breakfast and could do very we'll until
the next morning The aunt had few chest
nuts in her pocket, and two each of these served
for their supper, with snow water as beverage
Ia the hakehouse near the stable was the whole
produce of yesterdays baking. They made re-
peated attempts to force their way through the
snow to the bakehouse but all IN vain. There
was only one resource left and that was the
goat which had recently brought forth two dead
kids This supply proved invaluable. On the
second day they felt the pangs of hunger; they
divided the remaining chestnuts among them
and also quart of goats milk. The third day
they made another effort to get TO the bake
house, but the weight of snow was too much for
them, so they gave up all hopes of help from that
direction. They were, therefore, shut up to the
milk Of the one goat.
To feed the goats was now one great object.
Two of them were near the manger-the one al.
ready yielding milk: and the other. being with
young, might be expected soon to do 30, if they
could only supply them with food. Over the
manger where they lay was hole into the hay
loft through this hole they pulled down the fod-
der into the rack and when they could no
longer reach it the sagacious creatures climbed
upon their shoulders and helped themselves.
At the end of the first week the boy began to
sink. He had complained OF great pain in his
stomach His mother nursed him in her lap for
whole week when he desired to lie his length
in the manger His hands and lips were cold,
and his respiration feeble, His mother put a
little milk to his lips, but he could not take It;
and then with one tender cry, 20 my fathers
he expired
Throughout the whole of their imprisonment
they we're in total darkness. For nearly three
weeks the Growing of the cock enabled them to
S;st;c0,,ish NIGHT from dav INIT AT tha end Of