.Prof. Silliman 07i cm extraordinary Avalanche 301 



and many of great size, such as would fill each a common 

 apartment ; the slide took every thing with it, down to the 

 solid mountain rock, and being produced by torrents of water, 

 whicli appear to have burst like water spouts upon the moun- 

 tains, after they had been thoroughly soaked with heavy rains, 

 thus loosening all the materials that were not solid, and the 

 trees pushed and wrung by fierce winds, acted as so many 

 levers, and prepared every thing for the awful catastrophe. 

 No tradition existed of any slide in former times, and such as 

 are now observed to have formerly happened, had been com- 

 pletely veiled by forest growth and shrubs. At length, on 

 the 28th of June, two months before the /^to/ avalanche, there 

 was one not far from the Willey house, which so far alarmed 

 the family, that they erected an encampment a little distance 

 from their dwelling, intending it as a place of refuge. On the 

 fatal night, it was impenetrably dark and frightfully tempes- 

 tuous ; the lonely family had retired to rest, in their humble 

 dwelling, six miles from the nearest human creature. The 

 avalanches descended in every part of the gulf for a distance 

 of two miles ; and a very heavy one began on the mountain 

 top, immediately above the house, and descended in a direct 

 line towards it ; the sweeping torrent, a river from the clouds, 

 and a river full of trees, earth, stones, and rocks, rushed to 

 the house and marvellously divided within six feet of it, and 

 just behind it, and passed on either side, sweeping away the 

 stable and horses, and completely encircling the dwelling, but 

 leaving it untouched. At this time, probably towards mid- 

 night, (as the state of the beds and apparel, &c. showed that 

 they had retired to rest,) the family probably issued from their 

 house, and were swept away by the torrent ; five beautiful 

 children, from twelve to two years of age, being of the num- 

 ber. 



Search was, for two or three days, made in vain, for the 

 bodies, when they were at length found, in consequence of the 

 swarms of flies which, it being hot weather, were hovering 

 over the places. The bodies were evidently floated along by 

 the torrent, and covered by the drift-wood. A pole, with a 

 board nailed across it, like a guide post, now indicates the spot 

 where the bodies where found, and we saw remnants of their 



