The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1894-05-02
IN A NARROW BED.
Stream Once a Mile Wide
Tries to Break Its Bounds.
The ST. AIbans Landslide Proves to
Have Been a Terrible Freak ofkature.

ST. ALBAss. p. O., May 2.-Samuel
Gauthier, a farmer; his wife; Joseph
Gsuthier and David Gauthier are buried
under 100 feet of earth by the terrible
landslide of Friday last. Some say that
Nine Gauthier was seen going down into
the ST. Anne river while trying to saSo
herself by running away, but the velocity
OF the moving earth was SO great that she
was carried along with 1t. and, while cry
ing out for help, was drawn into the
maelstron, made more turbid by it's sud
den accession of earth, trees and houses,
and sucked into the raging vortex
The principal scene OF the accident Is Is
miles from the nearest telegraph station,
and this is the reason why news of this
terrible freak of nature was not given
sooner to the outside world. For miles
there is nothing but desolation. Where
the St. Anne river was once nearly a mile
wide, II is now only a narrow stream,
raging and surging in q vain attempt TO
break its new bounds.
Woods, houses, cattle, all are gone, and
nothing is left but barren ground of un-
even height for six miles back. Here and
there the debris OF the ill-fated farm
houses, granaries and outhouses are seen
in little heaps. tangled up with uprooted
trees and carcasses of dead cattle, but
more of 1t has been swept into the river
and carried long since into the st. Law
Eence and thence into the ocean.
Bank Was Honeycombed.
The shores of the river are of peculiar
formation, and rise $50 feet above the
level Of the water. except for mile where
the slide occurred. For almost seven
miles back the earth now has gentle
declivity, and is nearly level with the
river. whose bed has risen at least 90 feet
The lower soil of the river bank is COM
posed of clay. boneycombed by the water
that for years back has filtered through
from the Laurentian mountains.
Ii was 5 o'clock In the evening when
the clay banks caved in, and, with the
hundreds of tons of sand on top, slid into
the river. The farmers were just prepar-
ing for supper The noise was terrific,
but was followed by sudden calm. for
the roar of the falls had been smothered
on the crumbling earth. The ground,
however, kept on vibrating as from an
earthquake, and the farmers for miles
around rushed out of their houses for
shelter, which they did not know where
TO find.
After the first panic was somewhat
allayed they went back. but the river had
slowly risen; snow and ice, which are
still plentiful here, helped to strengthen
its power. The water rose for miles. ft
was fully 100 feet high when the earth
began again 10 move, at first slowly. then
faster. and finally so fast that those who
were fleeing were thrown down.
Might Have Been Worse.
1t is q miracle that no more human
lives were lost. The ground near the river
slvuR he'd off FIRST, aud the house nearest
was that of the GAithiers, which shared
the fate OF the pulp mills far down by the
- -t break in the shore.
There is no doubt hut that all the
Gs4itLier family are dead. When the land
slide started the house was seen on fire,
and even had they not been buried or
sniothered To death they must have been
crushed under the immense quantity OF
e. rth that kept sliding on top of them.
No one is really certain as to the exact |
spot where they were buried. and it is |
possible that the bodies may never be re-
covered.