Belt Valley times. [volume] (Armington, Mont.) 1894-1977, 1923-12-06
500 DIE IN FLOOD
WHEN Dixie BREAKS
WHOLE FAMILIES PERISH IN
WAKE OF WATERS FROM
GLEkO LAKE IN ITALY
THREE VILLAGES DESTROYED
Restraining Dam Gives Away Under
Overload of Continued Rainfall; so
Square Miles Area Desoiate

Bergamo, Italy.-six hundred
dead, three villages destroyed and
so square miles made desoIate, is
the toll of the flood from Gieno
lake when the great dixie guarding
1t collapsed, releasing the water,
which carried all before II. II
swept over the hiIJS and down into
the valleys for 4 distance of IS
miles to Lake IzoN which checked
the momentum OF the va ST stream.
Beraamo valley Is nothing but a
barren waste of mud and water
a veritabIe lake in which II is dan
gerous to venture, for In some
places 1t is over a mans head. In
this sogoy mass, the bodies of the
victims lie tangled among fallen
trees, telegraph poles, buildings
and bridpes- The homeless are
counted In thousands, most Of
whom are mourning for lost rela-
tives, or searching for their bodies.
Relief parties from Milan and Bres-
ella are on the scene. while all avail
able troops have been mustered to aid
the shelterless. The bishop OF Berga-
NOR asked donations from the pope
for the purpose of undertaking imme-
diate extensive relief.
There is great fear among the sur
vivors of other dams breaking, espec-
Tally as Sunday was the feast Of the
st. Bibbfana, on which, according to
popular superstition, II 1t rains, II will
for 40 days and 40 nights.
lie three villages almost completely
destroyed were Dezzo. Gonna and
Dueggio. OF the coo inhabitants of
only three survived. The dis
aster threatens to be one of the great
est Of Its kind, because of the vast
amount of water let loose on the coun-
1t destroyed hundreds Of
put ven realizing the tragedy which
overwhelmed them. The dixie, situated
miles from Dezzo, was an ira-
nense structure, four miles long and
30 yards thick. II served as a dam
Tor the artificial lake, situated about
5000 feet above sea level and con
10 million cubic yards of water,
he source of which was chiefly the
Of Gleno mountain. This
basin measured about four miles by
-wo, and cost 80 million lire.
Apparently the dixie yielded through
he immense pressure of the water AT
he two ends where the masonry was
mbedded In the mountainslde. Tor
entail rains are now occurring, rem
Iering the disaster more menacing for
he homeless and hInderlng relief
The cold Is intense.
Thus far, the dead are estimated at
90, but 1t has been impossible 10
scertain the exact number, for whole
antilles are missing. The neighbor-
lg lakes and rivers have been raised
) to 20 feet. and OF their surface float
odies. some of which travelled many /,
lies from an altitude OF 1000 feet, /,
lrried by the awful deluge. ,
Corna was practically buried. only !,
barracks and the church standing. :
he parish priest, Bernardo, saved j
mself by climbing to the dome OF the /,
lurch. Though injured In the foot, !,
: soon organized relief work he col !
cted bodies taken from the flood and :
'ad burial services over them In the
church.
The royal engineers relief corps al
ady Is beginning the construction of r
'ldges across the flooded valley to aid h
e villages of Schilpario and villa I
aggIorre, which are surrounded by l.
lter and their inhabitants In danger p
starving. h