The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1894-05-16
"A FATAL LANDSLIDE.
SIX SQUARE MILES SLIP INTO
A CANADIAN RIVER.

of Their Homes-A High Water
fall Wiped Out-Immense Damage
to Property.
Canada has never known such landslide
as that which occurred at an early hour, q
few mornings ago IN the little village OF St.
Albans. The district Is far away from rail-
way or telegraph stations.
St. Albans IS aboat eighteen miles north Of
st. Anne de Ia Parade. Its citizsns were
awakened by terrific noise, as If an earth.
Quake had taken place. The ground beneath
the hoIse shook until windows were shat
terei. The cause was soon discovered-six
square miles Of land had actually slid away
from It's foundation.
To say that panic ensred Is to use mild
term. The citizens went Wild. Farmers ran
out to avoid being buried under the ruins OF
their homes, as they believed the ground was
going to give way beneath them.
At the upper end OF the village, three miles
from the parish church. Is curve formed by
the River st. Anne, and close to the curve is
a waterfall $50 ieet IN height. The ground
Immediately staying the formation OF the fall
on the right side gave way. an the earth and
rocks filled the deep gap Of the falls, burylnS
a wood pulp mill. which was situated under
meath, and blocking the course fthe stream.
The stream, which was very rapid on ac.
count Of the melting snow on the mountains
and adjacent valley, spread over the adjoin-
ing farms, and thus brought over badly
undermined embankment, causing the latter
to slide under It and roll into the bed otthe
river, filling it up.
The huge powders and earth crashed
down on seven houses, completely buryinS
them. The residents In the netghoorhood
said that only one house was occupied, but
some declared that three OF them contained
families. In one house the family OF Mr..
Gauthier, we'll to do farmer, was asleep.
Gauthier, his wife and two children and a
farm hand were crushed or burnedto death.
The latter Is thought to have been the case,
as smoke was seen to ascend from the rocks
where the Gauthier house was buried. Very
little earth fell, and the rock now on top OF
the bodies is only about fifty feet deep, but
Is In blocks It Is likely that the building,
which was OF wood, took fire, and the entire
family was cremated.
This second and fatal slide occurred three
hours after the landslide at the waterfall.
Whole farms have been destroyed, with
their stock and fapn produce. The old bed
of the St. Anne River is now levelled, and
the river runs miles from where Its course
lay before. The St. Albans, St. Casimir and
st. Anne bridges were carried away.
The district is very wealthy In numbering
operations. The actual loss is very hard to
determine, but II will not be less than s60o,-
600.
Immense tracts OF land have been shifted
as far as five hundred yards without In the
least disturblngthe trees or vegetation, while
within few hundred yards earth has been
turned over as If by mighty plow.
Thousands Of carcasses OF cattle, sheep
and horses foated down the St. Lawrence
River from St. Anne's to Quebec, and the
banks, even In out Of the way places were
lined with persons almost frantic with fear.
The booms and wharves owned by ]. A.
Rousseau were carried away and were float
ing down the ST. Lawrence. These, with
thousands Of trees and lumber aggrsgattn9
S75, 900, caused great excitement IN shipping
circles.
The rush Of water from the Laurentlan
feared fer many years, but no one ever
dreamed OF such calamity as this. Busi-
ness came to standstill in all the towns and
villages. This was caused By the carrying
away OF the three bridges. They connect
townships and municipalities, and the water
rushed down the rivers at such speed that
the most daring would not attempt to re-
build the bridges OF even TO put up tempor-
ary ones.
OtQ residents SalQ CuaC tuo uhulbSo WOUtu
reach at least 81. 900 900. at Deschambault,
Pont Neut County, eight dwellings, barns
and stables were buried under the masses OF
rock aud earth. Several acres Of wood dis
appeared under the ground, or were uproot-
ed. This part OF the country Is now entirely
changed, and, DO one could recognize 1t.
There was waterfall $50 feet high and the
banks OF the river below were very steep.
Now the fall has vanished and large field
has appeared In Its place.
The farms and land which were totally
ruined belonged to Prosper Darveau, Joseph
Audy, David Gauthier, Samuel Gauthier,
Onesime Groleau, Olessime Tester. Joseph
Sauvageau, Philip Leveque, Pierre LavlSne
and Antoine Grothe.
One OF the saddest incidents in connection
with the affair Is the death Of Prosper Oar.
veau. With family, consisting OF his wife
and ten small children, he reached safety,
after hard struggle over the spot between
the slide and terra frma. His farm was near
the line from which the earth broke, and the
little ones, aided by their father and mother,
ran for the further fields.
Here in the darkness and cold they spent
the night. Darveau showed signs OF weak.
ening Of the brain early In the morning and
rapidly became so nucn affected that ne LAID
down, and In few minutes he died. The
plight OF the family was terrible.
The disaster means an entire change IN th9
map OF the county, no less' than six miles OF
roads and the courses Of three rivers betn;
SO changed that 1t is impossible to place
them.