The Washington times., 1905-11-05
TIE WASHINGTON TIMES. SUNDAY. NOVEMBER s. 1905,
HVF>eCF1GAT TnL IyETt1ER lIt oEENTTF,"
F1 F1.EIT)FES T1A(IGARTO

towering volcano were hidden from US
by an Intervening ridge that seemed to
be pierced by a single narrow gully, to-
ward which VIC headed
Between us and the mouth of the gull
~ rose, or rather sank, an absolutely
sheer precipice that seemed to be three
or four. hundred feet in depth, and at
its foot we could hear the sound of
water
So we turned to the right. and
marched along the edge of the preci-
pice till, a mile OF so away, we came to
a small glacier, of which the surface
was sprinkled with large stones frozen
into it's substance. This glacier hung
down the face of the precipice like
petrified waterfall, but whether or no 1t
reached the foot we could not discover
AT anv rate, to think of attempting its
descent was out OF the question. From
this point onward we could see that the
nreciDiCe increased in depth, and far as
the eve could reach was absolutely
sheer.
So he went back again, and searched
TO the left Of the road. Here the noun
tains receded. so that above us was
mighty. dazzling slope of snow ana De-
eulf. AS the light began to fade we
,,erce,ved half a mile or more in front,
"a hara-topDed hillock of rock, which
stood on the verge of the precipice. and
hurried TO It. thinking that from It's
crest we might be able to discover de-
scending path.
When at length we had struggled to
the top. it was about a hundred and
fifty feet high; what we did discover
was that. here also, as beyond the GA
c!er. the gulf was infinitely deeper than
at the spot where the road ended so
deep. indeed. that we could not see its
bottom. although from It rose the sound
, of roaring water. Moreover. 1t was
quite half a mile in width.
While we stared around US the sink
ing sun vanished behind mountain,
and. the sky being heavy. the light went
out like that of a candle.
Unloading the yak we pitched our
tent under the lea of the topmost knob
OF rock. and ate a couple OF handfuls
/ of dried fish and corncake. This was
/ the last Of the food that we had brought
with us from the lamasery. and we re-
/ hected with dismay that unless we
/ could shoot something, ot- commissar-
lat was now represented by the carcass
Of our old friend the yak. Then we
| wrapped ourselves up in our thick
rugs and fur garments and forgot our
miseries in sleep.
It cannot have been long before day
light when we were awakened ny
sudden and terrific sound Ike the c. ack
OF a great cannon, followed by thou
sands OF other sounds. which might be
compared to the fusillade Of musketry.
Great Heaven. What is that?''
said.
= crawled from the tent, but as yet
coa.- see nothing, while the yak began
to Low N a terrified manner. But II we
. could not see we could hear and feel
I The cracking had ceased. and was fol-
lowed by soft, grinding noise, the
. most sickening sound, I think. to which
I ever listened. This was accompanied
by a strange, steady, unnatural wind.
which seemed to press upon US as wa
ter presses. Then the dawn broke and
We saw.
The mountain side was moving down
on US IN a vast avalanche OF snow.
OH What a sight was that. On from
the crest OF the steep slopes above, two
miles or more away, it came, a, living
thing, rolling, sliding, gliding; piIing
itself in waves. following itself into
valleys. like tempest-driven sea, while
above its surface hung a powdery cloud
OF frozen spray.
AS we watched, clinging TO each other
terrified, the first Of these waves struc1
our hiIl causing the mighty mass OF
solid rock to culver like a yacht beneath
the impact OF an ocean roller, or an
aspen in a sudden rush OF wind. It
struck and slowly separated, then with
a majestic motion flowed like water over
the edge of the precipice on either side,
and fell with a thudding sound into the
unmeasured depths beneath. And this
was but a little thing, a mere forerunner,
for after t.. with a slow. serpentine
movement. rolled the body of the ava
laEche.
1t came IN waves. it came in level
floods, It piled itself against our hill,
yes to within fifty feet OF the crest
Of it. tin we thought that even that
rooted rock must be torn from its foun-
dations and hurled like a pebble 10
the deeps beneath. And the turmoil Of
TT all! The screaming of the blast
caused by the compression Of the air.
the everlasting thudding OF the fall
OF millions Of tons Of snow as they
rushed through space and ended their
journe, in the gulf.
Nor was this the worst of It, for as
the deep SHOWS above thinned, great
powders that had been buried beneath
them perhaps for centuries, were Ioos-
ened from their resting places and be
gan 70 thunder down the hill The
bowlders hurtled over and past us;
one Of chem fell full upon the little
peak shduterinS its crest and burst
/. ing INTO fragments, which fed away,
each singing its own wild song. We
were not touched, but when we looked
behind us it was to sec the yak, which
had risen in it's terror. lying dead and
/ headless- Then in our fear we lay
still. waiting for the end, and wonder
ing dimly whether we should be buried
. iu the surging snow or swept away
with the hiII, or crushed by the flying
rocks, or lifted and lost in the hurri-
cane
How long did 1t last2 We never