Floods in the Merano District and Appeal for Donations for Algund and Gratsch

Austrian Monarchy.

Merano, 16 August. A fresh, major disaster struck the district of Merano yesterday. As a result of prolonged heavy downpours, the Adige has swollen to such a terrifying height that it has already swept away three major bridges along the post road to the Vintschgau, namely the Schnals bridge near Staben, the Plima bridge between Latsch and Goldrain, and finally the fine bridge at Forst, one hour above Merano, while inundating the finest fields and vineyards. Particularly dreadful are the ravages caused by the Schnals torrent, and substantial is the damage sustained. In particular, the community of Allgund has once again been severely afflicted by this natural disaster, as the dreadfully swollen Adige breached the stone embankment on the left bank near Forst over a length of more than 20 Klafters, pouring with irresistible force into the fields and lush vineyards of Allgund. Regrettably, a further breach by the Adige is feared nearby, unless strenuous human effort succeeds in warding off this dreadful misfortune. From Tschengels in the Schlanders district, too, the news is very distressing: yesterday morning at 7 o'clock, the local torrent burst with dreadful fury into the local bottomlands, marshlands, and several meadows, endangering even the village of Thschegels itself. Fortunately, no human lives fell victim to the unsparing element.

Communication along the post road to the Vintschgau is completely interrupted and is likely to remain so for several days.

Concurrently with the above, we receive the following communication from

Algund, 12 August. The great misfortune brought upon the two neighbouring communities of Algund and Gratsch near Merano by a cloudburst with hail through a dreadful earth- and rockslide on the night of 6 to 7 July has already been discussed in the public sheets and brought to general knowledge.

It is therefore no longer necessary to describe this horrific scene once more, how in these two lovely villages several houses and farm buildings, along with all the belongings within them, disappeared in a matter of minutes so completely that no trace can be seen of where they still stood the evening before. The livestock, too, could partly not be saved, and nine human lives are even to be mourned. The finest vineyard terrains and the most fertile meadows lie buried over a wide expanse beneath dreadful rock debris, or have turned into watercourses and rubble gullies that can almost never be cultivated again. Giant walnut and chestnut trees are uprooted, broken, and lie stripped of branches like wild blockages far from their original location upon ground once beautiful, now reduced to a wasteland.

The total damage exceeds the sum of 300,000 fl. Viennese currency. Some proprietors have been entirely impoverished by this, some brought to such a state that they can no longer recover without help, and even the wealthier are deeply shaken in their households.

In consideration of these circumstances, and because help is so urgently needed, the Governor in Innsbruck saw fit to grant a collection of charitable contributions throughout the entire Crownland of Tyrol, and the District Captain in Merano has facilitated arrangements for designated communal delegates from Algund and Gratsch to travel throughout the land and receive the donations of benefactors.

These delegates are now on their way to seek out, everywhere in the Tyrolean homeland, hearts of compassion and souls endowed with that heavenly gift, who gladly help as they can and gladly give where there is need.

May all who are asked by these delegates for contributions of support consider how hard it is to have to ask for help themselves now, for those who so often and so gladly gave during the misfortunes of others; may they consider that with their gifts they alleviate great, unmerited misfortune, and may they consider that they thereby assist faltering and shaken households that would otherwise perish and remain merely a burden to benefactors, whereas through the help now donated they themselves can be strengthened and restored to become benefactors once more when others come to ask for aid in times of misfortune. A hailstorm that followed shortly thereafter has brought to these two unfortunate communities a fresh loss of several thousand florins in the vineyards!! (We refer to the appeal at the end of today's sheet).