Accidents > Awful phenomena of nature -- snow storms, third of March and twenty-third April, 1827

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itselt over the neighbouihood; and all die
friends and relations of the sufferers, with many
others, to the amount of three hundred, forked
of their own accord from the adjacent villages,
to give their assistance on this melancholy
occasion.
Joseph Roccia, notwithstanding his great
love for his wife and family, and desire to recover
part of what he had lost, was in no condition to
assist them for five days. In the meantime the
rest were trying, by driving iron rods through
the hardened snow, if they could discover any
roofs : but they tried in vain : the great solidity
and compactness of the valanca, the vast extent
of it in length, breadth, and height, together
with the snow that still continued to fall in great
quantities, eluded all their efforts : so that, after
some day’s labour, they were obliged to desist
until! the valley should assume its pristine form,
by the melting of the snow and ice, from the
setting in of the warm winds, which continued
to blow from the end of March till about
April 20th
On the 18th of that month they began to
resume their interrupted labours. All the per¬
sons that were missing, were found dead except
those of Joseph Roccia’s family. Assisted by
the two brothers-in-law, and son, be at length
penetrated to his house, but found no dead
bodies in it.
Knowing that the stable did not lie 100 feet
from the house, they immediately directed their
search towards it, and having got a long pole