AVALANCHES. 
In all countries where the mountains rise to a great height, and are 
covered with snow, the fall of avalanches occurs more or less frequently. 
These terrible and destructive phenomena consist of immense masses of 
ice or snow which suddenly descend from the upper parts of mountains 
into the valleys beneath with amazing velocity, and with such resistless 
force that every thing is swept away before them, even whole forests and 
villages when such occur in their course. 
There are several different kinds of avalanches to which distinct names 
are given by the inhabitants of the Alps. Those most commonly seen 
by tourists are ice avalanches, or portions of glaciers giving way under 
the influence of the summer's sun. When seen from a distance, these 
masses of ice, breaking into smaller fragments against the rocks as they 
fall, resemble rushing cataracts, and are accompanied by a similar thun- 
dering noise. Such avalanches mostly fall in uninhabited districts, and 
are seldom fatal in their effects : they occur only during summer, but 
are very frequent at that season. 
Earlier in the year, avalanches of a more dangerous character fall 
with considerable regularity, sliding down habitual channels which be- 
come perfectly smooth from the friction which they thus undergo 
from time to time. These regular avalanches are eagerly expected by 
the peasants as the sure tokens of the commencement of Spring. But 
circumstances which cannot be foreseen will sometimes divert these 
avalanches from their usual course, or cause them to fall unexpect- 
edly. They consist of masses of compact snow and ice, which are yet 
clammy and adhesive, so that the traveller may be crushed or suffocated 
in a moment. The masses are sometimes of enormous extent, covering 
meadows and forests with a thick layer of snow, which the heat of 
two or three summers is scarcely sufficient to melt. The instantane- 
ous fall of these snowy avalanches may overwhelm a village in the night 
without the inhabitants being aware of the calamity which has befallen 
them. Such was the case in 1749, when the village of Bueras, in the 
Canton of the Grisons, was buried, and at the same time removed from 
its site. The inhabitants, on awaking in the morning, could not ima- 
gine why daylight did not appear. One hundred of these unfortunate 
villagers were dug out of the snow, sixty of whom were still alive, the 
hollow T s in the snow having contained air enough to support life in the 
more robust among them. 
Another kind of avalanche, and the most destructive of all, is the 
drift avalanche, which takes place in winter after a very heavy fall of 
snow. Yiolent gusts of wind detach large masses of snow from the 
heights where they have accumulated : these, falling on the lower decli- 
vities, force off other masses, so that a volume of loose snow of immense 
extent is accumulated and cast with astonishing force into the valleys 
beneath. These avalanches are greatly dreaded, not more for their own 
violence, than for that of a rush of air which accompanies them, and is 
occasioned by them, and which has been known to carry destruction to 
a considerable distance on either side of the falling masses. This rush 
of air is powerful enough to overturn trees and houses, and even to split 
rocks asunder. These drift avalanches have been known to descend, 
with amazing rapidity, a distance of at least ten miles. Such are the 
sublime displays of power, which impress with awe and reverence the 
mind of the mountain traveller. 
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