Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1896-08-05
STUDY OF AN AVALANCHE.
1t Surged Like Great Sea Wave
Against the Alpine Cliffs.

A summary of the report made by
Profs. Helm, Forell and Chodat on the
great Gemmi Pass avalanche of Sep
TENDER IL, 1895, given in the detailed
description of the results of the catas-
trophe made by men of good standing IN
the scientific world, is of great value.
The avalanche was caused primarily by
the splitting away of the lower parts of
the Altels glacier.
The abstract says: "On reaching the
foot of the Altels, the avalanche, which
up to this point must have consisted of
one vast moving block of ice, measuring
100000 meters 100000 cubic feet)
was reduced to fragments, at the same
time that the heat generated by the
shock converted these into semi-fuid
condition. Among the debris were to be
seen some blocks of considerable size,
but only a few exceeded 2 meters (612
feet in diameter. With the velocity ac-
CURED in its descent this river of ice
rushed across the pasturage and UP the
western slope of the valley to a height of
1900 feet along the rocky wall of the
Weiss1ushgrat. Not being completely
able to surmount this barrier, the main
mass came surging back-like vast sea
wave recolllng from the cliffs-with such
force that some OF it returned to height
or 1OO feet up the eastern side. Iso-
lated blocks, however. were hurled clear
the Uschinenthal
The avalanche was preceded by a ter
rIhc blast of wind which swept away
chalets trees, men and cattle as though
they had been feathers. This is proved
by the fact that, far above the limit
reached by the avalanche, hundreds of
trees have been uprooted and Ire in regu-
lar rows, indicating with mathematical
eXactitude the direction of the aerial
current. These trees are for the most
part of great size, several, indeed, hav-
ing trunks l meter in diameter. Such
as were Protected by a large rock or a
reverse dip on the hillside have been
spared. Others. standing with only half
their height above such hollows, have
had the exposed part blown off. while the
subsequent oncoming of the avalanche
has not succeeded in tearing up what
was left of them, even when it has en-
peloped their base This wind produced
a veritabIe bombardment of ice dust
mixed with stones. which has stripped
the roots and branches of the trees laid
low by the wind itself. and which must
have 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 a great distance. and now form
a compact line of debris among the far
off scattered trees. like the bank of sea-
wreck LETT on open coasts after a fierce
storm. Ice bombs. too, round like cannon
pallS. but with an average diameter of
one foot. which lay all about in the
neighborhood of the fallen mass. bore
eloquent testimony to the extreme vo-
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 winch. ike the avalanche itself,
was DETECTED by the Weissfiuhgrat
blocks of considerable size were driven
around IS in 4 whirlpool, so as, at least,
on the northern edge, to have been
forced back up the slopes of the Altels
toward the entrance of the gorge, leading
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. within the first, was found
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 a 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 ref1ux which took place when it's fur
Their advance was barred Some of the
ice and stones hurled against the Weiss
f1uhgrat had adhered to it, being plas-
nc into
gullies. These masses were being con-
stantly detached from their precarious
position. and kept descending IN roaring
avalanches. Natural Science.