of Part oflhe Rosen' erg Mountain. £11 



liule population: — a fertile plain i? at once converted into a 

 barren tract of rocks and calcareous earth, and the former 

 marks and boundaries of property are obliterated. The main 

 road from Art to Schvveitz is completely lilled up, so that 

 -fenother must be opened, with great labour, over the Rigi. 

 The former channel of a large .stream is choked up, and 

 its course altered ; and as the outlets and passage of large 

 bodies of water must be affected by the filling up of such 

 a portion of the lake, the n'.ighbouring villages are still 

 trembling with apprehension of some remote consequences, 

 against u hich tbev know not how to provide. Several hun- 

 dred men have been employed in opening passages for the 

 stagnant waters, in. forming a new road for foot passengers 

 along the Rigi, and in exploring the ruins. The different 

 cantons have contributed to the relief of the suffering canton 

 of Schweitz, and every bead is at work to contrive means to 

 prevent further disasters. 



The number of inhabitants buried alive under the ruin of 

 this mountain is scarcely less than 1500. Some even esti- 

 mate it as high as 9000. Of these, a woman and two chil- 

 dren have been found alive, after having been several days 

 under ground. They affirm, that while they were thus en- 

 tombed they beard the cries of poor creatures who were pe- 

 rishing around them for want of that succour which they 

 were so fortunate as to receive. Indeed, it is the opinion 

 of many well informed people that a large number might 

 still be recovered ; and a writer in the Piihlici^te of Paris 

 goes so far as to blame the inactivity of the neighbouring 

 inhabitants, and quotes many well-attested facts to prove 

 that persons have lived a long time buried under snow and 

 earth. This at least is probable in the present case, that 

 many houses, exposed to lighter weight than others, may 

 have been merely a little crushed ; while the lower story, 

 which in this part of Switzerland is frequently of stone, may 

 have remained firm, and thus not a few of the inhabitants 

 escaped unhurt. The consternation into which the neigh- 

 bouring towns of Art and Schweitz were thrown, appears, 

 indeed, to have left them incapable of contriving and cxe- 

 O 3 outing 



