POSSIBLE SWISS DISASTER IN SIGHT.

Evening Post, Volume CVI, Issue 85, 20 October 1928, Page 20

POSSIBLE SWISS DISASTER IN SIGHT.

The Swiss moving mountain, Motto 'Afbino, of which the sliding movement has so much increased during the last months, is moving northward, in the direction of the Taglio and Plum Valleys, and orders have been given for the rapid abandonment of all dwellings on Monte Chiara and Monte Monda, while it is considered prudent that later on the houses of Euscada, Arbedo, and Molinazzo should also be abandoned, says the Genova correspondent of "The ,-JTinies." ' Motto Arbino is in Canton Tieino, abo.ut five miles from Bellinzona. It is ' about 4500 ft above sea level and, stands 3600 ft above the Tieino Valley. The instability of the mountain was suspected in 1888, but scientific proof of it was obtained only in 1025, when it ■was found that a signal placed on its top in 1919 had,moved 20in northward. The Swiss Geological Survey then began a series of methodical observations, which led to the conclusion that a mass of rock and earth covering a surface of oi# square mile and a quarter, and fCfming a total volume of 560,000,000 o»bic feet is slowly sliding in the direc.Mon of Val Arbedo. In 36 years, from 1888 to 1924, the summit of the mountain has moved sft 9in and subsided 7ft lOin. There was a further sideways movement of over 18in between 1924' and 1926. In the report made the other day to the Cantonal Government of Tieino the geological experts remark that the sliding motion, as shown by the observation of over 50 marks placed on various points of the mountain, is now about three times what it was a few years ago, and that in some places its velocity is as much as six yards a year. The movement has shown a decided ' tendency to increase since last autumn. The experts are of opinion that if this movement continues—and there is no reason to believe that it will stop—the moving mass will not collapse altogether, but there will be a succession of huge landslips when it reaches the top of a high rock wall* whence it will fall into the valley beneath,