The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-04-30
SOME MINERS ENTOMBED
BUT ALL ARE BELIEVED TO HAVE
ESCAPED EXCEPT TWO.
Accident Probably Due to an Ex.
pIOSiOn of Gas in the Mine
River Damned.

WneiInSu DelOIe uayHSht lo-uty Dy SouHl-
less tons of rock hurled from the top of
Turtle mountain by an eruption, as yet un-
explained. which killed about 100 persons.
Frank. mining town in southwestern AL
berta. is tonight threatened with destruc-
tion by flood. old Mans river. which flows
through the middle of the town, is damned
with the fallen rocks to the height of nearly
1oJ feet. The waters of the river are backed
up for miles and the entire valley above
pressing with force against the dam.
Should the water burst from the i'm
promptu dam the entire village probably
would be swept away. The following con-
servative estimate Of the loss OF life is
made:
Men, women and children killed in their
beds .-...-................. .................. 2
Ainers working outside the mines and
instantly killed ............................. IL
Suffocated in the mine. 2
n dispatch from Frank says: "a tre-
mendously loud reverberation shook the
whole valley Of the Old Mans river this
morning at 4:1o o'clock. and before the in
habitants had awakened to realization of
the impending danger from the top of Tur-
tie mountain there were hurled millions of
tons of rock
OCCURRED AT DAWN.
''The Frank mines, operated by the
French Canadian Coal Company across the
river from the town. were seen to be buried
under hundreds of feet of rock just as the
morning light was breaking Inside of five
minutes from the first thuIderous shock,
and before half of the town had realized
had started to the relief of the miners, de-
spite the great risk they ran of being buried
under the rocks which were still being pre-
cipitated from the lofty mountain top. The
volunteer relief force was unable to get
into the mine. but managed to get near
enough to determine that not a man at the
workings had escaped death. Many had
been mangled.
The disaster was merciful to those who
were employed above ground In that they
must have been killed instantly. Most of
the men imprisoned in the mine, whose
death at first seemed certain, got out alive
late this afternoon There were seventeen
men In the mine. Two died from suffoca-
zion. but the other fifteen worked their
way out uninjured after cutting their way
through thirty feet of debris. One of the
men who escaped went home after emerg-
stroyed and his wife and six children dead.
There Is now plenty of air In the mine
and the inside workings are intact The
disaster was not confined to the vicinity of
the mine alone. for many of the dwelling
houses In the town of Frank were demol-
ished by the falling rock. Some of the oc-
cupants OF these houses escaped death. but
many others were instantly killed
LOSS ABOUT ONE HUNDRED.
1T Is conservatively estimated that the
loss Of life will be near one hundred It is
known that many women and children suf-
fered death. but just how many it is i'm
possible to tell at present"
When reports concerning the magnitude
OF the disaster and details concerning il
began to reach Vancouver from trustwor-
thy men 1t was learned that the earth had
opened for three quarters of mile in
length and for many feet in width and
that the whole northern face of Turtle
mountain had slipped from place. The
shock resultant upon the precipitation of
the tens OF rock into the valley. while ac-
ruaily demolishing few OF the houses. so
shook he foundations OF most of the DWELL
ings In the town that they are unsafe TO
live In. and many people sleep I'm the open
air under such temporary shelter as
may be 2rocurable. The railroad track for
q distance OF two miles or more east of the
station Is covered with from ten to forty
feet OF rock and the telegraph wires are
down. All communication Is over one wire
running west. and this line is so blocked
with private messages and Inquiries from
the outside that IL is only with the great
est difficulty that press matter can be sent
out.
At dusk to-day the rock Is still falling on
fae town from Turtle mountain. and II is