Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1901-08-24
A VILLAGE WHICH MOVES
Unpleasant Tcnturrs of Life In Nieiln. In
the pyrrnrcs.

the ryrrnccs.
Niclla, in the Upper Pyrcnces, has
for some time enjoyed an unenvinbls
notoricty, for 1t has evinced regret.
table determination to leave Its noun
tain iastncsS and to migrate, bag ana
baggage" into the valley below.
For some months now this handful
of modest homes, whore life formerly
passed so uneventlully, has been in
a most critical position. for the en-
tire plain ON which it is situated has
begun to move downward to the val
ley of Bastan taking everything with
it in its descent
The mountains which form this val
ley are Tor the most part OF fissile and
and easily disintesrated shale, that
is channelcd and scored by the
streams which streak the surface.
These are locally known as caves.
In time of flood the crumbling debris
from the hills is. of course washed
down in great quantities and chokes
these torrents. They overflow, and
terrible inundations often occur with
The gave" OF Bastan, which lies to
the north of Niella, is very scourge
in this way and in 1897 1t causedgreat
damage t.stcrre, which is one OF the
first villages passed on the way from
Luz, narrowly escaping complete de-
struction. while the high road was
completely swept away. The waters
greatly disturbed the soil. and 1t was
some months before any thing abnor'
NAL was observed at Niella. About
900 feet to the south of the village
stands mountain known as lie Pene
de Niclla.
On the night of the 1lth and 18th of
April, 1898, the villagers were aroused
from their slumbers by terrihc
noise. There We're rumbling That
suggested earthquake and dread
ful tearing and rending noise.
Frightened almost to death at
the awful sounds so close at hand,
the villagers waited for the dawn, eX-
pectng every moment to be their last
Daylight revealed that great portion
of the mountain to the south had slip
ped away from the main part and had
fallen in the direction of the village.
Broken into fragments with the shock
of falling, this mass OF debris formed
a vast triangular rocky pyramid, COW
ering over two hecthIes OF ground.
It's peak was turned toward the noun
tain and ii stood over hundred feet
high Nothing further happening, the
village settled down once more to its
accustomed rural quiet.
AT the close of the winter of 1893
always an anxious time for places sub
iect to hood-it was observed that the
ground in several parts was gradually
sinking A spring of some volume ap-
peared close to the landslip. With
the thaw the mass of stone was found
to be in motion and soon the alarmed
inhabitants discovered that 1t was ad-
vancing at the rate of over a yard
week, rate of progress that was sur
hcienty great to create consterna'
ton.
During the following summer all
movement again ceased, only, how
ever, to be continued in the same man
ner last winter. Since then the
moving mountain has remained sta.
tionary occupying actually more than
twice the space it did when 1t first
started on its downward career. The
inhabitants look forward to the COM
ing winter with feelings of such dread
as may be imagined.
The whole village has already
moved more than three feet from its
original position. Indeed, it is be.
lieved to have advanced further than
this, but the whole surface of the
ground for the space of nearly mile
being in movement. it is difficult to
say exactly. Certain parts of the VII
lage have suffered more than others.
Quite half the little homes are ruined.
-Pearson's Magazine.