Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1903-04-30
IAN AWFUL DISASTER.
A Town In Southwestern Alberta
Overwhelmed by Rock.
ALSO THREATENED WITH 4 FLOOD.
Old Mans River Damned Up with the
Rock Shot Out from Turtle Noun
tain-Bfore Than Hun
dFed Lives Lost.

l. yesterday morning, shortly after fol
e o'clock, and with probably ii2 Of /
It inhabitants killed, almost Instant
l. the little ndning town sof Frank,
q southwestern Alberta, is threatene
with complete destruction by foo,
l. Old Mans river, which flows throug
: the center of the town, is damme
Q up with the fallen rock to th
Q height of nearly 100 feet. The wa
: tiers OF the river are 'danmed UP 10
!, miles and the entire valley above tn
, town is flooded. A big body Of wa
ter is pressing with force upon tn
dam7the only protection the tow
, Of Frank now has--unless the rive
, finds another channel. Should tn
impromptu dam break the entire vii
lage would be swept away. i9if
A dispatch from Frank says:
/ A tremendously loud reyerbera
ton shook. the whole valley Of tht
Old Mans river yesterday morning
at 4:1O o'clock and scarcely half the
Inhabitants of this town awakened
to realization of the impending
danger when from the top Of Turtle
mountain, overlooking the settle
ment, there were hurled millions Of
tons of rock. The Frank mines, oper-
ated 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 thun-
derous shock and before half Of the
town realized what had happened, a
small force Of men had started to
the relief Of the miners, despite the
great risk they ran of being buried
under the rocks which were still be-
ing precipitated from the lofty noun
tain top. The volunteer relief force
was unable to get Immediately to
the mine, but managed to get near
enough to determine that not q, man
at the workings had escaped death.
Many had been fearfully mangIed.
The disaster was merciful to those
men who were employed above
ground in that they must have been
killed instantly, while those men in
the workings of the mine may yet
be alive If they have air to breathe.
The disaster was not confined to the |
vicinity Of the mine alone, for many
Of the dwelling houses in the town
of Frank were demolished by the |
falling rock. Some Of the occupants
Of these houses escaped death, but
many others were instantly killed.
It is conservatively estimated that
the loss Of life, will exceed 100 and
the latest returns place the number
Of dead at liz. Z
4 The shock resultant upon the pre-
cipitation of the millions Of tons of
rock into the valley, while only; ac-
tuslly demolishing D. comparatively |
lew 81 the houses, so shook the
foundations Of the majority of the
IN the town That they are
lnsafe to live in and many. hundreds
u people VIII nave 10 hve IN tne
pen OF unoer sucn temporary snei-
er as may DC procuranie'
The railroad track Tor a distance
4 Two miles or more east OF the
tation Is covered with from ten 70
Q rect Of rock ana the telegraph
'ires to the east are down. All COM
nunication Is being conducted over
ne wire running westward ana TINS
ne line is so blocked with private
lessages and inquiries from the OUT
lde that It Is only with the greatest
lficulty that press matter can be
mt out. ,H r.
It is generally thought here that &
10 disruption Of Turtle mountain Z
as brought about by seismic dis s
lrbance, although there are people b
no claim that the origin Of the up .
laval was volcanic. o
A later dispatch said that most Of y
10 men imprisoned in the mine, q
hose death at first seemed certain, N
IT alive late in the afternoon. "
NNtG NCAt ~ AhACAA uAhC AWOI n