HISTORY OF DERRYFIELD. I9 



more terrible effects of land-slides choking the mountain gorges 

 until the gathering waters burst the mighty barriers, carrying 

 everything before them. That almost inconceivable havoc was 

 not infrequently caused by these agencies our torn and ravaged 

 plains attest. The White Mountains afford evidence of ancient 

 land slides in many places. The Willey slide, though not large, 

 became widely known from the loss of life which accompanied 

 it. The great slide in VVaterville was the most extensive ever 

 known in this region. An immense mass of loosened earth and 

 rock was precipitated to the valley from the steep western slope 

 of Tri-Pyramid mountain, the material covering acres in extent 

 and reaching as far as Mad river. The writer has personally 

 visited and examined the scene of this great land-slip. Within 

 quite recent years a considerable slide occurred on Cherry moun- 

 tain, to which excursion trains were run to enable the curious to 

 witness the unaccustomed sight. 



But by far the most striking and picturesque slide ever occur- 

 ring in New Hampshire took place in the town of Albany, in 

 the county of Carroll, only a few years since. The north side 

 of Passaconaway mountain was cleft from peak to base, laying 

 bare the solid granite bed for the entire distance. The slide is 

 narrow at the top, gradually widening as it descends and comes 

 down in a straight line until the foot-hills are encountered. 

 Here the mass was sharply deflected to the west and forced in- 

 to the valley of Downs's brook. The north slope of Passacona- 

 way is uncommonly steep and is densely wooded to the summit. 

 But every tree and rock, inclusive of every inch of the soil, was 

 carried down, leaving the very core of the mountain as clean as 

 if swept with a new broom. The brook-valley was completely 

 choked up with earth and stones piled with trees in inextricable 

 confusion, rising many feet in height, and for nearly three miles 

 the banks of the stream were lined with the blackened trunks 

 of great firs and spruces. The water rose incredibly and finally 

 forced its way through, but a splendid trout stream was ruined. 



