Perth Amboy evening news., 1908-04-27
AN AVALANCHE
OVERWHELMS
LITTLE TOWN
People Of Canadian Hamlet
Buried By Mountain Slide
Rain LOOSened Earth.
CANE ON THEM WITH A ROAR

Special by United Press Wire:
Buckingham, Ont, Apr. 27:-Res-
cuers are today digging away tons of
earth and rock in an endeavor. to
save those who have escaped death
when the sliding mountain wiped out
half of the little French hamlet OF
Notre Dame d Salette. The total
dead will number about thirty and
there are instances Of whole families
being wiped out. Many are known
to be buried in their homes which
are covered with tons of debris and
1t Is In the hope of rescuing those
who survive that the rescuers are
working with grim determination.
Physicians and relief parties have ar
rived at the hamlet, but the place is
SO isolated that details are meagre.
The Lievre river winds at the foot
Of the hamlet, and mountain lowered
behind it. Spring rains for days past
have been melting the snow and fee on
the mountain side, and streams have
been coursing down to the river. Part
Of the mountain started to slide toward
the river. It tore a path of death and
destruction for its way, and those who
were not killed when their homes were
tngulfed were left buried under the
mass of rock and earth.
Family of Eleven Wiped Out.
Camille La Pointe's house stood first
in the path of the avalanche. He and
his family of eleven are known to have
persisted. Eight others whose names
have not been obtained are known to
be missing, and in the panic the res
cuers are attempting to find definitely
how many more are missing.
De Salette, like many hamlets Of its
kind, rambles into gardens and little
fields ON the mountain side, so about
half Of It was not In the path Of the
avalanche. The sliding mass rushed
with a roar and spread fanllke over
part of the place and dumped itself In
the swollen stream at its foot. Cut off
from the outside world, messengers
were dispatched to Poupore, the near
est hamlet. Those who arrived first
estimated that at least dozen houses
were crushed in the path of the land
slide Buckingham was appealed to,
but the flight of the messengers across
the spring roads was slow. Those
first on the scene found De Salette in
panic, with the uninjured ones pack
ing their belongings for flight.
Communication Cut OFF.
One house on the west bank of the
Lievre, containing the only telephone
In the hamlet, was the first obstacle
In the path of the sliding mountain,
and in Its wreck communication with
the outside world was cut off. The
slide carried two houses on the west
bank into the swollen river and across
to the east bank and then covered
eighteen houses there. The river was
damned, and those who were not kill
ed In the avalanche were drowned.
De Salette was built on blue clay,
which rested on strata Of limestone.
Five years ago there was a similar
disaster at Poupore, and each spring
the inhabitants along the river live In
fear Of landslides. Poupore then slip
ped gently into the river without loss
Of life.
Landslides along the river are COM
mon each spring with the rains and
swollen streams. The Lievre at De
salette was torrent fifty yards wide.
Occupants Of the houses on the west
bank felt the ground slipping and
made rush for safety, but were car
ried into the river.