Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1906-11-13
Benjamin oIazier Wiley.
AND HIS BOOK ON THE WHITE MOUNT.
AIMS.
"At morn the men Of Conway fel.

cat morn the men Of Conway felt
Some dreadful thing had CHANGED that n ght
And those by Breton Woods who dwelt
| Observed the mountains altered height"
In the letter from East Sumner in the
Democrat of Oct. 8, "Slocum" speaks Of
having in his youth received from Rev
Benjamin Glazier Wiley the story Of
the destruction of his brother Samuel
Willey's family and two hired men by
the avalanche, or slide, of Aug. %, 1925,
but be makes no mention of the fact tina,
detailed printed account Of that catas
trophe is to be found in book entitled,
"Incidents in White Mountain History
which was written by Mr.. Wiley, and
which was published In Boston in 1856,
"a new edition, slightly revised by Fred.
erick Thompson, and with one chapter
omitted, was published in New York
City in 1901 This book is surpassed
by none in its description and history oil
the White Mountains and of the region
circumjacent. Chapters 8, and 10
(pages 110-148) Of the book treat Of "The
Slides" (the tragical slide of Aug. %,
1926, was preceded by harmless one
which occurred in the previous June or
July) and the account which these three
chapters give of the second slide, since
known as 1.-THE Wiley Slide," Is by far
the fullest and best description of that
catastrophe to be anywhere found in
print.
The books preface, which is dated at
"East Sumner, Me-, Sept. 1856, says:
almost invariably the question is asked
me, on an introduction to stranger,
Are you connection of the family de-
stroyed at the White MountainsP and,
on learning that l am, the question Is
almost certain to follow, What were the
facts in regard to their destructionp' "
The preface says that the frequency of
this inquiry and the interest with which
people listened to Mr.. Willey's account
of the catastrophe constituted one of the
inducements which caused him to write
the book.
think that it would interest the
readers of the Democrat IL "Slocum"
would give them the account as nearly
as he can recOllect it, which Mr.. Wiley
gave him of "The Wiley Slide"
l have read many accounts of that
slide, but there are certain points as to
which they do not agree, and perhaps
"SlOcum" can throw some light upon
the discrepancies. In some accounts it
ia stated that those of the victims of the
slide whose bodies were recovered
there were three children whose bodies
were never found) were dressed in their
night clothes, and in some accounts 1t is
stated that they were partially clothed
as though they had risen from their
beds but had not had time to fully dress
themselves. What is "Slocum's" recOl-
lection of what Mr.. Wiley told him in
this regardp If those who lost their lives
were in their night clothes when found,
that fact would seem to indicate that the
slide occurred after they had retired for
the night, and the same is true if they
were partially dressed when found.
Does "Slocum'' remember whether Mr..
Wiley stated whether the appearance of
the beds as they were found in the Will
ley house after the slide indicated that
the beds had been occupied by the in
mates the night when the slide occurred9
In Mr.. Willey's preface to his book he
says, after acknowledging his obligations
to various persons who rendered him
assistance in the getting up of bis book:
my son, S. T. B. Wiley, has also been
Of great assistance to me in arranging
and writing much of the book" Is this
son of Mr.. Wiley still living?
SCRUTATOR.