Alpine Avalanches.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVI, Issue 131, 7 June 1904, Page 4

Alpine Avalanches.

An avalance broke away from the Spitzhorn between one and two on Tuesday morning (April 9th) and swept away the whole hamlet of ■ Muenibach, consisting of three houses and three mills. Out of the" 20 inhabitants, who were surprised in their beds, Vi perished. Other accidents are feared, tht snow having accumulated in enormous masses on the mountains. In the commune of Pragelato, Turin, an avalanche destroyed some huts occupied by miners, of whom 1(10 were overwhelmed. Twenty-five managed to save themselves. Six Innsbruck tourists had recently a miraculous escape, says a Vienna telegram. The party, which included two ladies, started from Innsbruck on Easter Sunday, intending to ascend the Grieskogel, in the I pper Inn Valley. They spent the night at the Peter Anich Hut, and early next morning attacked the mountain by the west ridge, keeping fixed distances apart. Suddenly, with a roar like thunder, a mighty avalanche was upon them. Three succeeded in springing aside, but the other three were whirled away over the precipices and rocks 2500 ft down (he mountain side. Their companions began to search without loss of time, and were rewarded by the sight of a hand and part of a face. Working with feverish energy, they extricated two victims, a gentleman and a lady, and, wonderful to tell, quite unhurt. The third tourist, Frit?. Mueller, had disappeared without leaving a trace, and (hough two relief expeditions have been out he lias not been found. He lielonged (o Culinbach, in Bavaria, and had served on (he China Expedition with the Ist Bavarian Infantry. The avalanche was nearly a thousand feet long, a hundred and lifty broad, and twenty-five deep.