y6 PHYSICAL GEOGRAPHY. 



farm in 1803, a fire, which not long before had been kindled in its skirts, 

 had spread over an extensive region of the mountains on the north-east, 

 and consumed all the vegetation, and most of the soil, which was chiefly 

 vegetable mould, in its progress. The whole tract, from the base to the 

 summit, was alternately white and dappled ; while the melancholy remains 

 of half-burnt trees, which hung here and there on the immense steeps, 

 finished the picture of barrenness and death." Old Mr. Crawford is said 

 to have been accustomed, about the year 1845, t0 refer to the great fire 

 which reduced Mt. Crawford to its present condition, as occurring some 

 thirty years before. A similar fire, occurring seventy or eighty years 

 ago and burning for several weeks, is said to have produced the barren 

 aspect of Mt. Monadnock, in the south-west part of the state. The 

 time may arrive when the record of these irreparable mischiefs, destroy- 

 ing the vitality of the mountains and leaving only naked and desolate 

 rocks, shall possess a mournful value. 



Several years after this visit by Dwight, the house was built upon the 

 Davies farm by a Mr. Henry Hill, which is yet standing, being familiarly 

 known as the "Willey house," and interesting as a monument of the 

 fearful tragedy which occurred here August 28th, 1826. In the autumn 

 of 1825, Mr. Samuel Willey with his family moved into this house. In 

 the June following, a slide occurred near them upon the mountain, since 

 called "Mt. Willey," which rose at a threatening angle some two thousand 

 feet, with its base close behind the house. This, which was the warning 

 of the impending disaster, at first greatly alarmed the family, and they 

 resolved to remove from the notch. But Mr. Willey, on reflection, felt 

 confident that such an event was not likely to occur again, and was satis- 

 fied with building a place of shelter to which the family might fly, if 

 another slide seemed to threaten their home. Later in the summer there 

 was a long hot drought, by which the earth had been dried to an unusual 

 depth, thus preparing the surface to be operated on more powerfully by a 

 sudden and copious rain. This began to fall on Sunday, the 27th of 

 August ; and on the next day the storm was very severe, especially in the 

 vicinity of the mountains. On the morning of Tuesday the sun rose in 

 a cloudless sky, and the air was remarkably transparent. During the 

 preceding night the Saco had risen twenty-four feet, and swept the whole 

 interval between the notch and Conway. The storm had wrought with 



