AVALANCHE DISASTER

Hokitika Guardian, 5 January 1927, Page 2

AVALANCHE DISASTER

J Australian & N.Z. Cable Association.]

LONDON. January 3

An Englishman, an Englishwoman, and a German have been extricated alive from the Zures avalanche. Two bodies have not yet been recovered. Tbo avalanche descended from the Valluya Mountain, and it was roughly half a mile long, and from twenty to twentv-fivc feet wide.

The two parties of English and German xkiiers, were about a third of a mile apart, wlieu watchers in the valley saw the wall of snow descending upon them, caused by warm south winds. The skiicrs were nearing the summit ot Mount I’allaya (six hundred feet high) when the first avalanche swept them off their feet. Then a second avalanche eight liundrede yards long and fifty yards wide immediately engulfed both groups, some ol them to a depth of t:lii l l\ feet. The noise <>f the falling rocks, stones snow and ice terrified the inhabitants for miles around. One of the rescuers, who were all forced to wear skiies, says that lie first saw the ski of an Englishwoman protruding from the snow, and he pulled her out alive. She was suffering from concussion. Nearby her the arm of a German was also visible, and lie was also rescued. Thereafter it was guesswork to locate the engulfed people. VIENNA, January 4.

The details of the avalanche disaster in the Tyrol have created a sensation throughout Europe. A hank clerk was the only eye-witness. He states that ten tiny figures could he seen climbing the TrittkofL when the mountain side seemed to move, and a huge mass of snow fell like a waterfall, with a noise of thunder, on-a front of half a mile. The spectator says that he involuntarily dosed -his eyes and when he opened them again the ten figures had vanished. and the configuration of the mountainside had completely changed. If trio English party had been given a counle of minutes, it could have sheltered behind a large rock. As it; was, a human hand protruding front the snow was the only clue to Hie scene of the disaster. Later on the tip of a ski led to the rescuers saving Miss Mary Woodward. She was badly bruised about the body, and she was suffering from shock. She is likely to recover. The party made the mistake of going without a guide.