AVALANCHE!
One of the most feared dangers of living in mountainous areas is that of the avalanche.
Mankind can develop some devious way to make life fearful for others, but Mother Nature has the power to do so far beyond any of man's inventions. Think about it: very few people ever survive an avalanche.
I remember being fascinated by reading about one such avalanche in the Andes Mountains in Peru. Looking back and re-reading some items I wrote about it at that time – January 10, 1962. It happened at a place called Ranrahucra, Peru and is estimated to have killed about 3,500 people.
Observers witnessed the entire sequence, too, They were too far away ,of course to make any change in its course or intent.
The highest mountain in the area is called Hukscaran . It reaches 22,204 feet into thin air and is the home of ancient glaciers. A large corner of one such glacier came loose and fell dragging rock and rubble after it. The glacier struck the opposite side of the Valley after covering a distance of nine or ten miles. It slammed into the lifts. The shock wave which resulted from the fall made a noise heard seven minutes later at a point twelve miles away.
` The roiling mass of rock and ice ricocheted off the opposite side and rolled down the populated Valley. It moved at estimated speeds of around sixty to one hundred miles and hour and thinned down to a depth of about 60 feet. When it finally came to rest eleven miles down the Valley to a village called Yungay. Even after flowing ceased swelling blocks of melting ice caused deep pits of mud spitting air and water which made rescue work impossible
It all happed in a time span of just twelve minutes . When we first read about it in 1962 the total loss of live was estimated to be about 3500. Further study of the sliding mass that measured as much as 3,000 wide and one mile long has increased that figure which today stands are 18,000 fatalities.
It was called the “Debris Avalanche” and it proved to be but a prelude to an even more more severe one on the 3lst day of May in l970!
What humans can endure!
A.L.M. April 4, 2003 [c392wds
