The chronicle=news., 1913-05-24
LONG BURIED in SNOW
FAMILY RESCUED AFTER FIVE
WEeke BENEATH DRIFTS.

Weeke BENEATH DRIFTS.
Authentic Record Of Almost MIraeu.
iovs gsesps From Death In an
Avalanche In the Euro
psan Alps.
1T seems. .ineredihle that any human
being could survive for five weeks
under y sn0w.drift; yet ln the year
1855 three Inhabitants Of the hamlet
Of Bergoleito. in the valley Of the
Upper Stura. nj the foot Of the Alps.
did Just that.
During the winter Of that year the
fall OF snow was unusually heavy. On
March 10. the parish priest. on his
way to church. heard . terrifying roar
from the mountain top. Casting up
his eyes. he saw two avalauches de-
scending toward the village. lie gave
the alarm. and then ran back into his
own house.
The avalsnches buried over thirty
houses. twenty-five persons were
missing. including the parish priest
who had given the alarm. The mass
Of snow that lay over the ruined
dwellings was about forty.two feet
deep.
When tho surviving peasants had
shaken OF their terror. they set about
trying to savo whatever life or prop.
crty they could. Peasants from neigh.
boring villages came to their assist.
ancs. But they could do little: the
depth Of the avalanche vas 80 great.
and tho snow continued to fall IN
such quantity. tina, they had to walt
for the warm April winds 70 molt tho
gigantic snow piles.
On April is tho villagers returned
to their melancholy task. They hnd
no hope OF finding any human being
alive. Ono Of them. named Roccia.
whose entire family was beneath the
avalanche. was most active In the
search. By April - he had got 10 far
that. sftsr breaking through six feet
Of Icy SNOW. he could touch tho
ground with = long polo. Three
friends worked with him.
Tho four worked vigorously. and
made their way 1t length into Roc
cia's house. bot no one. dead or living.
vas there. As It was probable that
the victims had sought shelter IN tho
stable. about . hundred feet from the
house.. Roocia and his companions be.
gan 70 dig In that direction. After
they had 6urrowcd for some time.
they rcacAs0-she stable. One Of the
mon thrust . pole through 4 hole In
the wall. and On Withdrawing Il. heard
. hoarss. faint cry for help.
The Wosksrs now toilsd with rc-
doubled activity. and soon they had
ns1e . lofss opsniaS. And there. to
his 10y. Roocaa found his wife. his
daughter. and . 'ai9tsr.ia.law. The
sAree sS6sssrs eouiA NOT move. and
were aAsunksa alnost 70 skeletons.
The men carefully carried them 10 q
nearby hosse. and took usasurss for
revtvin9 them. In Q few days they
had pretty well recovered.
They owed their lives to these cir.
curnstances: They had taken refuge
In the mansar. which. being strong.
had wi'hstood tho weight Of tho snow.
although the root fell In. Fortunately.
tSo goats were near them. and these
animals supplied them with milk
enough to keep them uiivc.
Thoy had. Of course. 10 feed tho
koafs. Over tho uaankcr vas . hole
Into tho hay.ioft Through this hole
ono OF the women was abiu to pull
down fodder into tho rack: and when
she could no longer reach tho hay. the
saEacious animals climbed upon her
shoulders and helped themselves. =
Through tho Whole Of their I'VE
weeks imprisonment they w0ro IN to.
tai darkncss. After the frst nvo or
six days they suffered uttlo from
hunger. although . quart Of goats
milk had 70 sra,oa for tho three.
They suffered Tar moro from tho chill
OF tho melted snow.watef that trickled
over them. and from tho crampcd po-
sitions In which they had to Sit and
lie.-iouth'a Companion.