A HOUSE BURIED IN SNOW.

IN the year 1755, a family, consisting of a man named Joseph Rochia, his wife, a sister, two sons and a daughter, resided in a cottage at the foot of the Alps. One morning, in the spring of that year, Joseph, and his eldest son, who was a youth of fifteen, were on the roof of their house, endeavouring to clear away the snow, which had fallen without any intermission for the three preceding days. Perceiving a mass of snow rolling down towards them from the summit above, they had but just time to retreat from danger, before their house was overwhelmed by an Avalanche twenty yards in height. Believing those who were most dear to them to be buried beneath the ruins, and having no doubt that they were crushed by the enormous weight of the snow, they were so much distressed, that it was five days before they were sufficiently recovered to be able to work. At the expiration of that time, in company with two of their friends, they endeavoured to find the exact place under which their house and stable were buried; but, though many openings were made in the snow, they could not find the much-desired spot. However, after a few weeks, the weather being very hot, the unfortunate man was again encouraged to use his best endeavours to recover the effects he had in the house, and to bury the remains of his family. He therefore made new openings in the snow, which was now softened by the heat of the sun. In a few days it was greatly diminished, and he conceived better hopes of finding his house. He broke the ice, which was six feet thick, with iron bars, and, observing the snow to be softer underneath the ice, he thrust

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down a long pole, and thought it touched the ground; but the evening coming on, he desisted from his work. At length they made a sufficient opening to lead them to the house they searched for; but, discovering no dead bodies in the ruins, they sought for the stable, and having found it, they heard the unexpected cry of Help, my dear brother!" Delighted and encouraged by these words, they laboured with great diligence, until they had made a large opening, through which they immediately went down, and found the wife, sister, and daughter, still alive. The little boy only had ceased to breathe. They were carried to a neighbouring house, put into warm beds, and had suitable nourishment administered. The wife of Joseph Rochia was in a very helpless condition for a considerable time, being quite unable to rise from her bed, or use her feet, from the intense cold she had endured, and the uneasiness of the posture she had been in, during their imprisonment in the stable; the sister could walk with some difficulty, and the daughter needed little attention, being soon quite recovered.

Fortunately for them, they were not necessitated to endure the pangs of hunger. On the morning of the sad catastrophe, these cottagers went into their stables to see some goats, and to give one of them, which was ill, a little gruel. In a few minutes after their entrance, the building was overwhelmed by the Avalanche: the roof, and part of the ceiling, yielded to the weight, and immediately fell in, with a loud crash. Very fortunately, the manger, into which the poor creatures retreated upon the approach of danger, was under the main prop of the stable, and resisted the weight of snow. As soon as they had a little recovered from their terror, they thought what they had to eat the sister had, in her pocket, five chesnuts; and they remembered there were thirty or forty loaves in a place near the stable: but, after using great exertion, they found themselves unable to get them. Upon this they

A HOUSE BURIED IN SNOW.

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called loudly for help but nobody heard them, and they were soon convinced that they must rely upon their own endeavours to procure food. They ate their chesnuts, and drank some snow-water. All the goats, excepting five, died; and with the milk of the survivors, they preserved their lives. They then resolved to take all possible care to feed the goats, which they were able to do, as, very fortunately, over the ceiling of the stable, and just above the manger, there was a hay-loft, which was well stored at the time. With this hay they fed these valuable animals, until they could no longer reach it; and then the goats climbed upon their shoulders, and reached it themselves.

On the sixth day of their confinement, the little boy became very unwell, and shortly after died.

The survivors remained in their dismal situation about five weeks, and, during all that time, they were obliged to remain in the manger, which was only three feet four inches broad; and this occasioned them more pain and uneasiness than the melted snow which fell upon them.