Vals, January 26, 1951
Dear Alfred!
As you have probably heard on the radio and in the newspapers, our dear home community of Vals has been struck by a terrible disaster. In a heavy and sad mood I will try to give you a picture of the horrible devastation that happened to us on St. Sebastian’s Day. In the higher altitudes there were already enormous masses of snow beforehand, and when on Friday and Saturday the white flakes fell without interruption, the population was seized with fear and anxiety. As the first Job’s post, it was reported at noon on Saturday that the avalanche had blown away and buried the upper stable “zur Gretza”. In this stable Josef Castelberg had his livestock. Immediately, courageous men went up to save what could still be saved. Four goats could still be rescued alive, the cow and a goat were dead. One was very sorry for the poor Castelberg. Also around noon, an avalanche rushed down through the Molatobel to the bridge of Valle, but it did not cause any immediately detectable damage. In the afternoon, various endangered stables were evacuated at the greatest risk to life, for example on Madaniel, Soladüra, Zorz and Lussa. Our George was also there, and we were justifiably afraid that the relief crew might be buried, but everyone came home safely in the evening. But the most terrible thing was yet to come. Uncle Heinrich and the Moor family, as well as the residents of the Konsumhaus, were asked to leave their homes, but unfortunately, unfortunately, they could not make up their minds, and doom came in a terrible way. In the evening at 10 o’clock, we had just gone to bed, our window panes rattled and mother said it was a Föhn storm. But I immediately realized that it was the wind pressure of an avalanche, jumped out of bed, looked out the window, and saw that the sunny side of our valley was swept down. The first thing I saw immediately gave me the thought that the house of our Heinrich was delivered. In a short time many people arrived at the scene of the accident, and what we saw cannot be described at all. Everything was even more terrible than we could have imagined. Uncle Heinrich’s house and stable, as well as Hanstöni’s stable and Fritz Hubert’s stable had disappeared without a trace. The Furger house (Konsum) had been reduced to a heap of rubble. Not a living being was to be seen. Immediately the rescue operation was started. But, oh horror, immediately the news was spread that the Adula and the house in Glüs had also collapsed. Imagine the sad situation. The many stables that had disappeared, some with cattle, were hardly noticed in view of the destroyed houses and the buried people.
The crew rushed to the rescue site and worked with great dedication. The first person to be rescued was Pia Tönz, who was in an unharmed condition almost at the bottom of the Rhine. Mother Paulina was able to make herself heard in a pile of wood debris under the snow and was rescued relatively quickly, but in an injured condition. In the Furger house, Fridolin Furger with his wife and their two children and Mr. and Mrs. Decasper were rescued in fairly good condition. Ludwig’s wife could only be rescued fairly well after 3 to 4 hours of work. In Glüs, Mrs. Mathilda and her little daughter were rescued from the rubble after prolonged laborious work. Miraculously, the son of Ant. Casanova escaped with his life, completely unharmed. At the Adula, teacher Phil. Peng was the first body to be dug out. During the night the bodies of our Heinrich and family were still found. At ½ 12 o’clock 5 brave, stout-hearted lads set off with skis to go out, for the telephone and the light no longer worked. Imagine what a dangerous thing that was, because one was not sure for a moment whether new avalanches might not break loose again. The road to Furth had been highly buried in various places.
In Furth, the messengers were able to phone Ilanz and ask for help.
The longed-for help arrived in the course of Sunday, military and civilian. A particularly poignant episode was the rescue of Mrs. Lehrer Peng. She lay buried in snow and stone rubble for 16 hours and was rescued in relatively good condition. It touches one’s heart when one thinks back how men and young men continuously participated in the rescue work day and night in a sacrificial manner. Thus, you can imagine how welcome the outside help was, and also a doctor from the hospital of Ilanz arrived on the scene of the accident and took care of the rescued with a great sense of duty. In the course of Monday and Tuesday, after an enormous amount of work, the bodies of Eugen, the entire Moor family, the children of Decasper and teacher Peng were found. Mrs. Ursula Casanova and her children were found dead on Sunday. A difficult task was the burial and laying out of the 19 dead. From Tuesday to Wednesday the coffins were laid out in the hall of the Alpina. Imagine the great sorrow for those who remained. The wake was held all night, and one’s heart almost wanted to burst with melancholy at the many coffins. On Wednesday morning, the coffins were taken to Our Lady’s Chapel and placed there in rows. What a heartbreaking sight the many coffins were; in the morning at 9 o’clock the requiem was held and in the afternoon 2 o’clock the abdication and burial. There was an unusual crowd for Vals. The rest about the funeral is described quite faithfully in the Bündner Tagblatt of Thursday. With heart-rending songs and presentations, the Virgins’ Congregation, the mixed choir, the men’s choir and the music society took leave of the dear dead. The large mass grave with the coffins closely lined up, offered an eerie unforgettable sight. May the dearly departed rest in peace and share eternal bliss in heaven. On such an occasion, one can best visualize an image of the transience of everything earthly.
The crew rushed to the rescue site and worked with great dedication. The first person to be rescued was Pia Tönz, who was in an unharmed condition almost at the bottom of the Rhine. Mother Paulina was able to make herself heard in a pile of wood debris under the snow and was rescued relatively quickly, but in an injured condition. In the Furger house, Fridolin Furger with his wife and their two children and Mr. and Mrs. Decasper were rescued in fairly good condition. Ludwig’s wife could only be rescued fairly well after 3 to 4 hours of work. In Glüs, Mrs. Mathilda and her little daughter were rescued from the rubble after prolonged laborious work. Miraculously, the son of Ant. Casanova escaped with his life, completely unharmed. At the Adula, teacher Phil. Peng was the first body to be dug out. During the night the bodies of our Heinrich and family were still found. At ½ 12 o’clock 5 brave, stout-hearted lads set off with skis to go out, for the telephone and the light no longer worked. Imagine what a dangerous thing that was, because one was not sure for a moment whether new avalanches might not break loose again. The road to Furth had been highly buried in various places.
In Furth, the messengers were able to phone Ilanz and ask for help. The longed-for help arrived in the course of Sunday, military and civilian. A particularly poignant episode was the rescue of Mrs. Lehrer Peng. She lay buried in snow and stone rubble for 16 hours and was rescued in relatively good condition. It touches one’s heart when one thinks back how men and young men continuously participated in the rescue work day and night in a sacrificial manner. Thus, you can imagine how welcome the outside help was, and also a doctor from the hospital of Ilanz arrived on the scene of the accident and took care of the rescued with a great sense of duty. In the course of Monday and Tuesday, after an enormous amount of work, the bodies of Eugen, the entire Moor family, the children of Decasper and teacher Peng were found. Mrs. Ursula Casanova and her children were found dead on Sunday. A difficult task was the burial and laying out of the 19 dead. From Tuesday to Wednesday the coffins were laid out in the hall of the Alpina. Imagine the great sorrow for those who remained. The wake was held all night, and one’s heart almost wanted to burst with melancholy at the many coffins. On Wednesday morning, the coffins were taken to Our Lady’s Chapel and placed there in rows. What a heartbreaking sight the many coffins were; in the morning at 9 o’clock the requiem was held and in the afternoon 2 o’clock the abdication and burial. There was an unusual crowd for Vals. The rest about the funeral is described quite faithfully in the Bündner Tagblatt of Thursday. With heart-rending songs and presentations, the Virgins’ Congregation, the mixed choir, the men’s choir and the music society took leave of the dear dead. The large mass grave with the coffins closely lined up, offered an eerie unforgettable sight. May the dearly departed rest in peace and share eternal bliss in heaven. On such an occasion, one can best visualize an image of the transience of everything earthly.
Furthermore, I can tell you that our whale house has been badly damaged, because you can see from a distance that the roof has disappeared. The Stubli should still be standing What other damage has occurred in the Wali, can only be determined when an inspection is possible. An avalanche has also raged in the Moos above. For Guido it has collapsed the large stable and killed all the livestock with the exception of a calf. The old Geisställi was totally destroyed. Our double stable was also horribly damaged. Today Hermann and Georg went up with 5 other haymakers to collect the hay and transport it down. Therefore it is impossible to “langsen” in the moss next spring. The lower barn of Morizi was also thrown in a heap and Heinrich Furger-Gartmann lost his cattle. Only a few head of cattle could be saved, the others lay dead under the debris of the barn. Our Morizeistall did not suffer, although we were afraid for my brother and his cattle. Among other things, it also totally destroyed the Rotahärdstall with the cattle of Peng Andreas. Another big avalanche also came down through the Volchtannatobel and broke the outer, old Kartürastall and damaged the sand stables. In the upper Lussa, Jakob Joos also lost all his cattle and only a few could be saved. The Mittlegada lower Wali also no longer exists. Furthermore, the following have disappeared: the Rischeili stables together with ours, the upper Bühl stable, Schneggegädemli, Studagädemli, Schluascht, Bidasaschg. To the latter had Seb. Furger to feed. All his cattle were buried in the avalanche. These are only the main damages. It can be assumed that a lot of damage, which is not yet controllable, will only come to light when the snow melts. For a long time we were anxious whether the Horn avalanche would also fall to the valley. The Zameia houses up to the Alpina were evacuated for a couple of days. We hope that the main danger is over. If there should be another heavy snowfall, the danger would be very great again.
May the Lord God spare us and protect us from even greater misfortune. So you see how our dear, sweet home valley, our Vals valley, was terribly afflicted. In the whole of Switzerland, no community has been registered with so many dead as our Vals. There is a sad mood. Although we have hope that the material damages will be covered to some extent by the generous gifts of our fellow citizens throughout Switzerland, the sad thought that our dear dead can no longer be replaced does not leave us. But it is still a pleasant sign to experience such a great willingness to help and compassion. On such an occasion, one has the feeling of belonging together as Swiss and Confederates. On the whole, a large number of condolences had come to Vals. If this cannot change anything in itself, it is a consolation. We had to close the schools until further notice, because we had to make the schoolhouse available to accommodate the relief teams. The two classes of Philipp Peng blessed we distributed to teacher Tönz and Adolf Schmid.
Aunt Paulina and Franziska Peng-Stoffel were transported to the hospital in Ilanz as soon as the road was opened, and they are said to be quite well under the circumstances. Imagine the mental suffering these poor women and mothers must go through in addition to the physical pain; words cannot describe such suffering. The Lord God, who has loaded the cross, also gives the strength to carry it. Next week we are expecting the military so that the cleanup can be accelerated. I have to add that the former Hotel Piz Aul also looks like a heap of rubble.
I have written you a long letter, but this is only a brief summary of the shocking events that we have experienced during these terrible days.
We must submit to God’s will and endure every trial in patience and surrender. Pray a devout Our Father for the poor buried people here and there. I would be pleased if you would also give this letter to your brother Mark to read, because it is too much trouble for me to write the same thing to him. Let also aunt and uncle read the letter, because they have surely also interest and sympathy in the sad events. If it would be possible for you to visit Aunt Paulina in the hospital in Ilanz, it would be a great comfort for her in her bitter sorrow. Write to us a little more often and always remain a good boy. So greetings from all of us from Zameia to the Peilertobel, but especially from your
Father
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