The Londonderry sifter. (South Londonderry, Vt.) 1883-19??, 1891-01-29
WORK OF A CI.0UDBURST
THE COMPLETE TRANSFORMATION
OF A LOVELY VALLEY.


a. v,,. ,,,. an. go c.
-,
'" ""'S' " ~ "'' '''
y" ""'"'"'s 'e'"r' wan o' n"'"'"s'
Roaming water
Here between the fir covered sides Of
the parallel ranges of mountains. ia /.
valley half n mile wide AMI ten miles
long its uppcr end beoinn;po far mn In
the grim hills. II winds about like a
river. and here and there II ia crossed NV
n creek which seems n thread of silver
trailing along the oreen prass
A Garnet of grass and flowers-bere
and there n prove-birds living mn and
down-a warm and gentle sun mourning
down from ont Of n clear June sky. AS
we look down mon this valley we are
reminded of paradise. Never scene on
earth more peaceful. One swinging In
a hammock under one of those green
trees beside the brook would find him
self as near to the peace and quietness
Of heaven as any spot on earth affords.
There is herd of buffaloes grazing
afar up the valley. There are deer in
the groves Three or four wild horses
are standing in the brook, while others
are lying on the grass few yards away.
Hares scamper to and fro in playful
mood, and there is nothing to brighten
the most timid. The peaceful influence
is so powerful that we. hush our voices
as we look down.
In some awful CONFUSION Of nature
these grim mountains were heaved up
from the bowels of the earth-grim,
sterile, Observation-Disclosures of n mighty
conflict Of elements. At the same time
nature created this valley as an offset.
On the mountain are desolation and de-
spair; here are beauty and contentment.
Look there!"
,HE BLACK CLOUD APPROACHING.
Away ND among the dark hills we see
a black cloud rising up into the clear
skies. But for its blackness one might
believe it a signal smoke made bv the
Indians. = It is a cloud irving to lift it.
self over the mountain from the east
side. It began forming fifty miles away.
the windings of rivers and creeks, and
exacted tribute from ponds and lakes:
drops gills, quarts, barrels, tons of
water have been absorbed and lifted IN
as the cloud travelled, and the desolate
mountains were magnets which attracted
it from its first formation.
The cloud lifts itself mn and I'M, and in
it's struggles it SWANS like balloon. As
it nears the mountains the yapors are
condensed and become heavier. and rs
the weight increases the struggle be-
comes fiercer. There is no bypIay of
thunder and lightning; only a black
menacing cloud fighting itself.
Tn, Tn! I'm,
All! Heaven help them! There is
nothing but animal life in the valley so
far ms we can see. but every on locker
utters a groan of DESPAIR as he sees tbe
cloud suddenly fall out of sight behind
the peaks. What does that signify? It
means that the cloud could not lift itself
high enough to clear the mountain. and
that when its lower edge hit that tall
peak on line with us there came a
clondburst. The tons of water held in
that big cloud fell TO earth with a force
you can scarcely conceive Trees were
made into matchwood Rocks weighing
thousand tons were whirled about.
Bowlders which hundred horses could
not pull from their beds were sent flying
down the mountain side like marbles.
Every handful of earth, every tree, sfirub,
vine, flower, every stone, rock, and
bowlder which could have been moved
only by the blast of a hundred pounds of
powder is swept in one awful avalanche
into the mouth OF the valley!
We hear the crash. We feel the
mountain culver under us. We are
warned of what is coming. Every liv-
ing thing below us has heard the crash
and felt the culver. Instinct tells them
what has happened and warns them to
flee. In ten seconds every living thing
in sight in the valley is rushing down its
length. Here and there deer turns to
the right or left and finds place where
ne can ascend, and big wolf scrambles
up the almost perpendicular bank at our
feet, and there lies crouching and whin-
ing in terror
WILD RUSH FOR LIFE.
Look ND the valley. No man will
ever see such a sight twice in his life
time. There is a wall across the valley
"a wall of roaring tumhl;pg saatbino
foomino w,ters Jts ba;obt 10 a;aht ~
ten feet and its speed is that Of a rail
road train Tho bnffaloos ,yaro tho f,r
- Il, -, W -,
.hes' up 'ne valley Watcn tnen COIL
ing. ne he,o numbers ABOUT n1ty, ana
efery ai,iiiiai runs ior MS me NO"
o'naio' ueer' wcii' morse ana mare are
coming ~ = VIVA moo ana close Dehind
.lie.ii 1hat loa,l crested wave OF death.
as !. leacies inc Trees tney melt away
AS II Years along tue sioes OF tne valley
great rocks are ioosened ana earned
along
Inc rush is leo oy a sorrei horse-his
VOC