Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1889-08-16
THE PANGS OF HUNGER.

Perhaps the most remarkable in
stance of imprisonment in the snow OF
a descending avalanche occurred in the
hamlet of Bergoletto, in the valley Of
the upper Stura, at the foot of the
Alps, near the fortress of DemOnte, in
Piedmont. Three persons survived an
incarceration of five weeks. 1t was in
the winter of 1755, when the fall Of
snow had been so heavy that there was
danger that its weight would break
through the roofs of the houses. On the
18th of March, therefore, some of the
people tried to avoid the danger by re-
moving the snow from their hOusetOps.
Among those so engaged was man
named ROccia, and his son, lad of 10.
The village clergyman was at this
time leaving his house for his church,
when he saw two avalanches descend
ing. Calling to ROccia and his son, he
returned speedily to his own dwelling.
Father and son instantly fed toward
the church. They had not run more
than forty yards when the lad fell
close behind his father, who, turning
around to assist his son, was seized
with horror on seeing that his own
house and the houses Of his neighbOrs
were buried beneath an enormous pile
of snow. His earthly all was swallow
ed up-his wife, sister, children, gone! !
The shock oYercame him, and he faint
ed. His son soon recovered, and help
ed his father to the house of a friend !;
but he was five days before he was
sufficiently restored to make any ex-
ertions in seeking his lost ones.
When, after five weeks Of incessant
labor, they were delivered, the impris-
Oned women were too weak to move,
and were shrunk almost to skeletons.
With great tenderness they were re-
moved to the house of a friend, where
they were put to bed and nursed with
care and affection. The daughter re-
covered soonest, and the unmarried
woman was 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
affected with dimness, from being sud
denly brought out Of her prison into
the light of day.
We give a description of their i'm
prisOnment from the lips of ROccia's
wife. When the dire calamity befell
them, she was in the stable with her
sister. They had gone there with some
rye-hOur Cruel for one Of the goats.
ROccia's daughter and a younger son
were with the women, standing in a
corner among the animals, waiting for
the sound of the bell to go to church.
In the stable were a donkey, six goats
and half dozen fowls. ROccia's wife
was about to leave the stable to go to
her own house. Scarcely had she
reached the stable door, when she
heard the warning voice of the minis
ter. Looking up, she saw the descend
ing avalanche, and heard a sound as of
another at some little distance. She
hurried back into the stable and told
her sister and the children.
In few minutes the snow descended
upon the building, crushing in the roof
and part of the ceiling. To save them
selves they got into the rack and
manager, the latter being under the
main posts of the building, and there
fore able to bear the immense pressure.
They occupied, however, a very IN
comfortable posture, crOuchiDg against
the wall in a space only a little more
than a yard in breadth. They had es-
capped instant death, but the more
painful and lingering death by famine
seemed certainly to await them. They
were oppressed with the thought of
how they could subsist under such cir
cumstances. The children did not lose
heart; they said they had had break
fast, and could do very well until the
next morning. The aunt had few
chestnuts In her pocket, and two each
of these served for their supper, with
snow water as beverage.
In the bake-hOuse near the stable
was the whole product of yesterdays
baking. They made repeated attempts
to force their way through the snow to
the bake-hOuse, but all In vain. There
was only one recourse left, and that
was the goat. This supply seemed in
valuable. On the second day they felt
the pangs of hunger; they divided the
remaining chestnuts among them, and
also a quart Of goats milk. The third
day they made another attempt to get
to the bake-house; but the weight OF
the snow was too much for them, sc
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. Over the manger 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 1t, the sagaciOus creatures
climbed upon their shoulders anC
helped themselves.
At the end of the first week, the boy
began to sink. He had complained o
great pain in his stomach. His mother
nursed him in her lap for a whole week
when he desired to lie his length In tn,
manger. His hands and lips we're cold
and his respiration feeble. His mother
put a little milk to his lips, but h,
could not take it; then, with one ten
der cry, ooh my father in the snow
Oh, father, fatherl" he expired.