The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-05-01
80 DEAD IN GREAT ROCKSLIDE
TOWN or FRANK DESERTED NY
ALL ITS RESIDENTS.
Miners Entombed by the Fail Of Rock Cut
Their way Out--Houses Buried $50
Feet Decp-One Theory That Rock
slide Was Caused by Gas Explosion.

snoe WAN Ssuseu W wy TApOs'oH'
| VANCOUVER, B. c., April 8O-At
Frank, tho scene Of yesterdays greet
rockslide, tho shower OF rock con-
tinued throughout yesterday, depositing
| millions Of tons on that which had come
before. Last night all the residences OF
the town OF Frank were deserted, the
whole population removing to Bairmore.
two miles distant.
A special commissioner Of the Dominion
Government and force Of mounted police
have arrived at Frank. The valley below
the mountain Is now choked for two miles
! having spread mile since the first shock.
| Turtle Mountain was all Of limestone,
| $500 feet high. Old Man River runs along
side the mountain, and the town Of Frank
! which is laid close against the foot. where
| once there were cosey homes, fertile farms
and stock ranches, Is now nothing but
desoation.
There are two theories OF the disaste or.
| The miners on the spot say that Old Man
River undermined the mountain Of rock
F, during the course Of centuries and caused
collapse Of the mountain. Another
theory is, and this one is widely accepted,
that there are numerous caverns in the
mountain filed with gas, and the gas in one
OF these caverns exploded and blew up
the mountain
The seventeen miners entombed by
the rock while at work escaped. The
rescue party gave up all hope Of tunnelling
through the rock for them, but the men
inside fought their way out inch by inch.
| They had their tools and used them to
advantage. Their escape is looked upon
as wonderful.
The houses Of Frank In reach Of the rock
slide were buried $50 feet. The known
number OF killed is sixty.
! MONTREAL, April 80 Canadian Pacific
officials have given out the following state
ment'
The trouble on Crows Nest Pass branch
at Frank was caused by huge rockslide.
There was no explosion, but the slide WAS
dust were taken for smoke and minor slides
coming down were taken for inside ex-
The whole east end of the mountain,
extending from the mouth of the Frank
mine, has slid into the valley and blocked
it for about three-quarters Of a milo wide
and a mile and half long, A waterway
is being cut so as to avoid flooding.
WINNIPEG. Man. April so.-A spsoial
despatch from Frank says the relief, train
arrived there this morning at 4 o'clock
from Calgary, bringing William Pearce,
Inspector Douglas and ten Northwest
mounted police.
The party made their way through the
pitch dark over the mass of rocks thrown
down by the explosion. For two miles
they travelled over loose masses OF rocks
which have buried portions Of the town
100 feet deep, filed in the river and blocked
, the railway
Eyewitne sses assert that they saw several
distinct explosions take place, but mining
engineers derry this. stating that 1t was
only gigantic rockside.
The killed are: Alexander Leitch, wife
and three sons; Charles Ackroyd, miner.
wife and two children; John McVeigh.
railway contractor; J. j. Scott. printer and
accountant; Joe Britton. foreman for Nc
Weigh James Graham. rancher, wife and
two children; Alexander Graham. rancher.
and wife: j. Vandusen, contractor. wife
ard two children; G. Williams, miner, wife
and three children; j. Dawes, miner; W. j.
Watt, stable foreman; F. Rochelle, assistant
in stable; T. Heap, engineer; A. Clark,
miner wife and four children; A, Toshgain,
coal weighcr; ". Madigan, miner: Mrs.
Wamin gton ard family OF seven; J. Senota.
miner; 4. Grissack, Joiner; Ben amin Cunes,
miner, wife and four children; F; Voucher,
miner; Charles Rice. miner; Frank Bachon,
bookkeeper; Joe Graham, miner; Jack
Graham, miner; six miners from Lancashire
nemes unknown; Fred T. Anningta,. miner;
G. Foster miner; two unknown Welshmen
miners; Charles Minnie, foreman; nine
unidentified miners, and six unidentified
Rms siap Poles