Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1889-08-17
THE PANGS OF HUNGER

hamlet of Bergoletto, in the valley o
the UPPER Stura, Mt TIE foot of tn,
Alps, near tho fortress of Demonte, il
Piedmont. Three persons survived a,
incarceration of five weeks, II was il
the winter of 1865, When the fall o
snow had heen so heavy that there wa,
Danger that its weight would breal
through the roofs of the houses. On tn.
18th of March, therefore, some Of tn,
people tiled to avoid the danger hy re
moving the snow from their housetops
Among those 50 engaged was MAJ
named RoCcia, and his son, a lad of 10
The village clergyman ,Wes at thi
time leaving his house fUr his church
when he saw two avalanchcs descend
ing. Calling to Roccia and his son, h,
returned speedily to his own dwelling
Father aud son instantly fled TOWARD
the church. They had not run m0ri
than forty Nn,ds when the lAd fcl
close behind his father, who, turning
around to assist his son, was scizet
with horror on seeing that his owl
house and the hou: eS of his ncighbors
were buried beneath an enormous pills
IF snow. His earthly rii was swallow.
ID up--his wife, sister, children, gone
The shock overcame him, al d he faint
ed His son soon recovered, and help
ed his father to the house Of a friend
but he WINS FIVE days before he wa.
sufficiently restored to make any eX
ertions in seeking his lost ones.
When, after five weeks OF inctssant
labor, they were delivered, the impis
)ncd women We're too weak to move
and We're shrunk almost to skeletons
With great tenderness they We're re
moved 20 the house of friend. Whert
they were put to bed and nursed Will
care ard Infection. The daughter re
covered soonest, and the unmarried
woman was able to walk in n week OF
Two; but Roccia's wife, no had beer
IN a more cramped position than the
| rest. was the last 10 regain the use OF
her limbs: and her eyes we've even
affected With dimncss. from being sud
lerly brought out OF her prison into
the light of day.
We give a description of their i'm
prisonment f!om the lips Of Roccia'>
wife. When the dire calamity befrll
| them, she was i'll the stable With hei
sister. They had gone there with some
| ,yc-tour Cruel for one OF the goats.
Roccia' S daughter and Younger son
were with the women, standing in a
'orncr among the animals, waiting fo1
he sound of the bell to go to church.
In the stable were a donkey, six goats
md hat Il dozen fowls Eoccia's wife
vas about to leave the stable to 90 10
ner own house. Scarcely had she
coached the stable door. when she
heard the warning voice of the minis
Ter. Looking up, she saw the descend
ing avalanche, and heard sound as o;
another at some little distance. She
hurried back into the stable and told
her sister and the children.
III 4 few minutes the snow descended
uron the building, crushing in the roof
and art of the ceiling. 70 save them,
selves they got into the rack and
m"nger, the latter being u.der the
main Iosts Of the building, and there
lore able 20 bear the immense pressure.
hey occupied, however, n very I'm,
comfortable posture, clouching ngains!
he wall ii IA space only little more
than yard in breadth. They had es,
,aped instant death, but the moe
ainful AID lingo. ing death by famine
seemed certainly to await them. They
were oppressed with the though: o,
how they could subsi3t under such ci.,
cumstances. The children did not lose
heart: they said they had had break
fast, and could do very well until tn
next morning. The aunt had few
,hestnuts i'll her pocket, AID two eacl
If thee served for their supper, viii
STOW " alter as beverage.
In the bake-Eouse near the stable
was the whole product of Yesterday
GahiAS. They made repeated attempt
10 force their way through the SLOW t.
The bake house, bu. al in vain. 1hel,
was OILY oIc recourse left, and that
was the goat. This supply seemed in
valuable. On the second day they icl.
the pangs of hunger; they divided tn,
temai'ing chestnuts among them. and
also quart of goats milk. The third
day they made another attempt to &c;
to the buke-hnuse: but the weight OF
the snow was too much for them, 81
they gave up all hopes of help f.on
that direction. They were therefore
shut up to the milk OF the one goa.
10 feed the goats was Eow one grea
object. Over the Manager where they
lay was a hole into the hayloft: through
this hole they pulled down the fodder
into the rack; and when they could nC
longer reach it, the saGacious creatures
climbed upon their shoulders and
helped themselves.
At the end of the first week. the DO,
began to sink. He had complained OF
great pain in his stomach. His mother
nurscd him in her lap for a whole week,
when he desired 20 lie his length in the
manager. His hands aud lips were cold,
and his respiration feeble. His mother
put little milk 10 his lips, but he
could rot take it: then. with one ten.
der cry, "Oh. my father in the SNOW I!
Oh. father father" he exrired.
Through the whole of their impris-
onment they We're in total darkness,
For nearly three weeks the growing Of
the cock enabled them to distinguish
night from day; but at the end of this
term chanticleer died, and his compan.
ions followed him one by one. Then
they literally took mo note of time"
The donkey and the goats were rest.
less for some time, but at lcugth they
fell prey to hunger and exhaustion.
The milk of the first goat gradual,
diminished, but the kidding of the sec,