The record-union., 1894-05-02
Special to the REcoRD-UN1oN.

Special to the REcoRD-UNIoN.
ST. ALBANs Quebec, May 1.-Samuel
Gauthier, a farmer of st. Albans, his wife
Emily, their sons, Joseph and David
Gauthier, and brother are buried under
hundred feet of earth by the terrible
landslide of Friday last. The principal
scene of the accident is eighteen miles
from the nearest telegraph station, and
this is the reason why news of this terri
| BILE freak of nature was not given sooner
to the outside world.
| For miles there is nothing but desola-
| ton. Where the st. Ann River was
once nearly a mile wide it is now only a
narrow stream, raging and surging in a
vain attempt to break its new bounds.
Woods, houses, cattle, all are gone. and
nothing is left but barren ground of un-
even hight 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 up-rooted
trees and carcasses of dead animals, but
most of it has been swept into the river
and carried long since into the st. Law
renee and thence toward the ocean.
| The shores of the river are of peculiar
/ formation, and rise hundred and fifty
feet above the level of the water except
for mile or so, where the slide occurred.
| Here for almost seven miles back the
earth has gentle declivity and nearly
level with the river, whose bed has risen
at least sixty feet. What the scene must
have been when the earth began to move
can be imagined. The lower soil of the
| river bank is composed of clay honey
! combed by the water, that for years back
has filtered through from the mountains.
1t was stated this evening that these clay
banks caved in, and with thousands of
tons of sand on top slid into the river.
! The farmers were just preparing for
supper when the crash came. The noise
was terrific, but was followed by sudden
calm, for the roar of the falls had been
smothered III 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 is still plentiful here, helping 10
strengthen it's power. The water rose for
miles. 1t was fully 100 feet high when
| the earth began again moving, first slow
| ly, then faster, and finally so fast that
those who were fleeing were thrown
down.
1t is a miracle, indeed, that no more
| human lives were lost. The ground near
the river slipped Off first, and the first
/ house was that of the Gauthiers, which
shared the fate of the pulp mills farther
down by the first break in the shore.
There is not the slightest doubt but the
poor Gauthier family are dead. When
| the landslide started the house was seen
to be on fire, and even had they not been
| buried or smothered to death they must
have been crushed under the immense
quantities of earth 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 the bodies may
never be recovered.
1t is difficult to exactly describe the
state of affairs. The debris of the houses
and the dead animals are situated in
what was before Friday the middle of the
river. Even to-day it is impossible to
cross the river, although an attempt will
! be made to repair the bridge at st. Adams
| this afternoon. All the boats for miles
around have been swept away.
| DUG OUT OF THEIR LIVING TOMB.
! MONTREAL, May IA French evening
paper states that the Gauthier family,
who were buried under the disastrous
| landslide at St. Adams on Friday night
last, were dug out of their living tomb on
Monday, after an imprisonment of three
days and nights.