Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1896-08-06
STUDY OF AN AVALANCHE.
SurGed Like 4, Great Sea vav
Against the AIpina CI;ns

Against the Alpine Cliffs.
summary of the report made by
TOTS. Helm, Forell and Chodat On rho
steat Gemmi Pass avalanche of Sem
.eiliper IL, 1896, given in the detailed
description of the results of tho catas.
uiophe made by men of good stand;no in
~ M SCIENTIFIC world, is of great value
III ;;aianche was caused primarily nv
the sspltLlng away of the lower parts of
'h ~, Altels glacier
foot abstract says: sOn reaching the
m 70 ~ az .ne Aitels, the avalanche, which
~ ~ " This point must have consisted of
orn va aHa moving block of ice, measuring
w. aoo,oOO meters 100000 cubic feet}
49,; reduced to fragments. at the same
shne, tnat the heat generated nv the
o cnogk converted these into a semi-f1uid
coa,e .itlon. Among the debris were to be
hut a1he blocks of considerable size,
n ovTu IN diameter With the velocity ac-
n nu IN It's descent, this river of ice
,, usneu across the pasturage and nm the
1onn lern slope of the vaiiey to a height of
W VIZ teet along the rocky wall of the
all, L,Sshushgrat. Not being completely
mass ~ ~, surmount this barrier, the main
, lass came surging back-like a vast sea
fave fave recolllng from the cliffs-with such
nf 1nd mat some of it returned to height
in4 Iou rect up the eastern side. Iso-
a.eu docks. however, were hurled clear
~ tne ridge into the adjoining valley
.he Uschinenthal
r;sa me avalanche was preceded by ter
nhnl plast OF wind which swept away
v.hale1s, trees. men and cattle. as though
is1ey mad been fea Tiers. This is nroyed
ny .he fact that, far above the limit
t uach9d by the avalanche, hundreds of
i iares nave been uprooted and lie in regu-
axoa ,1Ms, indicating with mathematical
- IL
nar1ent Ut These trees are for the most
nalt OF great size. several. indeed, hay
ing trunks l meter in diameter. Such
as were Protected by large rock or
reaerse DIP on the hillside have been
t spared; Others. standing with only half
h bneIf ~ nelght above such hollows, have
nau the exposed part blown off, while the
Subsequent oncoming of the avalanche
mas not succeeded in tearing up what
was left OF them. even when it has en-
veioped their base. This wind produced
verltable bombardment of ice dust
M liked with stones. which has stripped
the roots and branches of the trees laid
low by the wind itself. and which must
nave Killed man and beast before ever
the real avalanche overwhelmed them.
FURTHER away the trees have only been
deluded of their upper portion, the
branches composing which were trans
ported to great distance, and now form
a compact line of debris among the far
OH scattered trees, like the bank of sea-
wreck lett on open coasts after a fierce
storm. Ice bombs, too, round like cannon
balls, but with an average diameter of
one foot. which lay all about in the
nelghborhood of the fallen mass, bore
eloquent testimony to the extreme vio-
lence of the wind. On the way from
the Hotel Schwarenbach, before coming
to the Bernese frontier. the green pas
ture was strewn with these balls like a
battlefield in old muzzle-loading times
THE true avalanche, in its recoil from
the rock wall, has formed an immense
rampant. separated from the rock by
deep trench. On the sides. under the
stress of the enormous power of the
wind, which, like the avalanche itself,
was DETECTED by the Weissfluhgrat,
blocks of considerable size were driven
on the northern edge, to have been
forced back up the slopes of the Altels
toward the entrance of the gorge, leading
to Kandersteg. These different at
mospheric motions were we'll marked
owing to the disposition of the materials
which came under their influence. Near
the Winteregg the trees, shrubs and
grasses were all bent toward the north,
forming an exterior zone, which was
more and more thickly covered with the
dust. ETC., raised by the catastrophe as
the central mass was approached A
second zone, WllHlll tHe uISt, WAS IOullu
to consist of the loose rocks. ETC., thrust
aside by the head of the ice mass as
it dashed up the west slope; the inner
edge Of this zone was itself covered
with layer of ice and snow, represent
ing the matter that Kept pouring off
from the sides of the central body in its
upward progress, and also the results of
the reflux which took place when it's fur
Their advance was barred. Some Of the
ice and stones hurled against the Weiss
fuhgrat had adhered to it, being plas-
tered. as it were, into the assures and
sullies These masses were being con-
stantly detached from their precarious
position. and kept descending IN roaring
avalancheS. Natural Science.