The national leader., 1889-09-28
A FATAL LAND Slide.
Part of the Heights of Quebec
Fall on the Houses Below.
Many Homes Demolished and
People Killed and Injured

A landslide occurred at Quebec from tn,
face of Cape Diamond, below the Citadel,
at twenty minutes past seven in the evening,
crushing the houses beneath it and imprison.
ing the inmates below the debris, which was
piled to height, in some cases, of twenty tc
thirty feet over the houses which were stand.
ing below.
Two fearful days of rain and flood succeed
ing month of dry weather filed the crew.
ces of the soil Immediately below and beyond
the southern extremity of Dufferin Terrace
and an enormous mass was detached from the
cliff, and hurled as with the noise of MANY
thunders, slowly and majestically at first,
but rapidly increasing i'll momentum through
its slide of couple of hundred feet, over the
retaining wall, pushing half dozen houses out
of its way and crushing most of them beneath
Its weight as though they had been so many
paper boxes. Some of those who saw the
slide were standing at the doors of their
houses, and were too paralyzed to move out
of its way. Others ran to place of safety
The debris OF rock filled up the narrow
street to the depth of some thirty feet and cut
off all communication between the portions
of the city north and south of it. On the
whaTves behind where the houses had stood
scattered timbers and the earth and rock that
partly covered them were mingled with huge
piles of coal that left little passageway be-
tween them ana the river.
The river policemen, whose station is close
by, and the city police from Champlain Market
were among the first to rush to the relief of
the imprisoned, the wounded and the dying
sufferers. As soon as an idea was OBJ
tanned of the extent of the dis
aster the whole force of municipal
police was turned out to render assistance,
and Chief Colonel Vohl applied to Battery
at the Citadel for assistance. A strong force
military nnHnr md of Mo- ior
Wilson, turned out to aid in the removal of
the debris. Fire broke out almost immediate.
ly in some of the ruins, but the brigade when
summoned soon eXtinguished the flames and
set to work to assist in the search for the dead
and dying.
Nearly all the doctors of the city were in
attendance and did all that was possible for
the relief of the sufferers, for whom, in the
absence of the Mayor from the city, stimu-
lants were promptly obtained IL the name of
the city.
Quebec's famous promenade, Dufferin Ter
race, has been fearfully shaken by the slide
especially that portion of it lying nearest the
Citadel, which almost overhangs the cliff
whence the land slide fell Between the two
last kiosks it has parted so much from the
rock to which it clings that it has been con-
demned and closed to traffic by order of the
City Engineer there being also a wide rent
in the rocks between it and the Citadel
The mass of rock detached from the cliffs
side left vacant space of extraordinary di-
mensions, The houses in that locality were
built of stone and brick, and inhabited by
ship laborers. etc.
The officers and men OF the Royal School
of Cavalry and the Redemptorist Fathers
went to the rescue with ropes, picks and
shovels. About 600 men were put to work
The damage is estimated at 800, 900, and
the killed and injured at about fifty.