The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1889-10-15
ALPINE FLOOD.
An Idyl of Love and Death in the
Treacherous Gorges Of the
Mountains.

tains. The snow and ice were gone
from the valleys, but high up in the
peaks of the Alps the glaciers hung,
threatening avalanches. In the bIithe
spirits e~ngendered by the fresh, warm
air, the villagers, whose homes were in
the valley of the Drause, smiled back at
the menacing leer of the glaciers.
There was happiness iii the narrow
valley, happiness due to the promise of
the season, to the mating of young men
and maidens, to the sunshine warming
the geld blood of the old men and wo-
men. The children frolicked in the
towns. A gay note resounded in the
valley and was echoed by the hills; the
voices of all the mo~untaineers were
pitched in a high key, indicative of light
ness of heart.
And amid all the gladness there came
a tone of surprise that deepened into the
graver voice of alarm, apprehension,
"What can it meanf' neighbor asked of
neighbor. The sun shone in their faces,
but could not dispei the shadow of fear.
The Drause had dried up suddenly.
There was no water in the narrow, deep
channel, and up above on the mountains
the snow and ice were melting and run
ming in ever swelling streams into the
river. Floods were usual. The villagers
always smiled at the torrent; for, know
ing the height to which it would rise,
they had built beyond its reach. Neigh
bors would lean out of their windows
and talk to each other in loud tones
above the angry river, and lovers would
hold trysts on the bridges that were
swung across it. No, from the usual
summer food there was no danger, but
the drought p~ortended i'll. Where but
an hour before gladness reigned, terror
was king.
But Franz, the light footed guide, sure
on a precipice as a goat and strong as a
mountain lion, babe the villagers be of
good cheer and he would soon bring
back news from the hills. He yodeled a
farewell to Ilka, his love, and bounded
up the valley, the terror stricken inhab-
itants looking after him in dumb fear.
He was not gone long, and when he
came running down the hill the villagers
gathered about him anxiously.
"They are drowning above while you
are almost dying Of thirst here" he said.
''The glacier has slipped into the river
and formed a gorge that is damming
back the water. 1t is rising and sub
merging the hamlets clinging to the rock
above the dam. Soon the river will rise
above the gorge and break it, or we shall
be swept away"
Cries of horror, groans of anguish,
greeted his story. Helplessly, strong
men looked at each other and at theil
homes, which they could not carry te
places of safety. Women chung to theil
children, while they embraced each other
and wept. Ilka, pale and trembling, but
fearless, stood by her lovers side.
'Franz," she said, and her voice never
was more sweet to him, who loved every
note of it, "you said it was ice, and ice
can be cut"
eyes; it can be cut" Franz replied
embracing her; and the words passed
from lip to lip. at can be cut"
Resolution followed quickly upon the
realization that the only way TO aver
the danger was to cut a channel through
the gorge and thus let the waters escape
gradually. A party of Ak men, Franz al
their head, was formed, and, bidding tbs
women fly to the hills with the children
the rescuers marched rapidly, with axes
on their shoulders, to face the terrible
danger, to engage in combat with it, anG
defeat, if possible, the fulfilment of it,
threat. The hasty gathering together Of
provisions for the ak men had not al
lowed Of farewells, but Franz had oppor
tunity to say to Ilka as she hung a bag
over his shoulder:
slowed one, do not come back to the
valley until / come for you. Promise. y
She sealed the promise with a kiss
and then gave him her 1.-THE strength te
the assisting of the old and feeble to 8
place where the flood could not reach
them.
The ak men went to work with desper.
alton to cut q channel in the solid mass
of ice. They were divided into two par
ties and worked toward each other. The
work did not flag a moment, for when
one man was exhausted, another took
his place. By thus relieving each other
they pushed the work rapidly. Not one
of them faltered or grew weak through
fear, and they all knew that at any mo
ment the dam might break and hurl them
to death against the rocks below.
The two cuttings were approaching
each other and they seemed to be neal
together, when it was discovered that a
mistake had been made in the course,
and that they would pass instead of
meeting. This discovery caused momen-
tary dismay, for the water was almost at
the top Of the dam, and apparently there
would be no time to cut across from one
canal to the other before it o~verfiowed.
But Franz, tireless and full of courage,
ran to the top of the glacier, swinging
his AK and calling to others to follow.
There were soon so many cutting the ice
room for the axes to pass each other in
the air.
Just when the lookout shouted: "Runl
1t is coming! The water is over!' the
cross channel was cut TO the depth of the
other two, and the men fled for their
lives. The water poured into the sluice
they had made, washed out the blocks of
ice they left, and poured in a strong but
not dangerous flood into the bed of the
Drause.
A shout Of joy arose from the Threats
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