The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1903-04-30
MINERS ARE ENTOMB'lE:,D[.'' !.
4 BEYOND HOPE OF RESCUE.
The River Damned BY the falling
N Earth, Rises and Threatens TO En-
gulfthe Little Mining Town Of
l Frank, il British Columbia.
Houses Are Crushed
and Many Killed.

(By Associated pre.s.)

" u e. q
E VANCOUVER, Il B. c.. April 29.-Oyer-s
whelmed by countless tons OF rocks this
morning shortly after 4 o'clock, and with
probably 112 Of It's Inhabitants killed
almost instantly, the little mining town
5of Frank, In Southwestern Alberta, u iDa
threatened with complete destructlon by
flood tonight. E$ 10y Vs. 3t.8 ss " III
FL Old Mans River, which flows through
the center OF the town. Is damned up by;
the fallen rocks to the height OF nearly
one hundred feet, and the entire valley
above the town is flooded for miles. "a
big body OF water is pressing with force
upon the dam, the only protection the
town OF Frank now has. unless the river.
shall find another channel Should the
simpromptu dam break the entire village
would be swept away. .S y
a dispatch from Frank says:
"a tremendously loud reverberation
shook the whole valley Of the Old Man $
River at 4:1o o'clock. and scarcely half
Z the Inhabitants OF this town awokA to the
Impending danger. when Turtle Noun
$taing$ opened and Thousand dsf4, 2ot VI; tons of
rocks were hurled upon the town. The
mouth Of tho Frank mine and many
houses seemed to be buried hundreds Of
feet under the rocks. which were still
being precipitnted from the lofty moun-;
tain. The volunteer force were unable
+ to get into the mine, but got near enc.s!:
to ascertain that not a man In the mine
had escaped death. hnnyfof the miners
had been fearfully mangled. The disas-
ter Was merciful to those men who were
employed above ground. as they must
have been killed instantly, while some Of
those men In the workings OF the mine
AZ oil 1,nva al n
breathe. The air-shafts in the mines
we're closed UP by that avalanche and
sall the men must have died from SUI
location. 5si t
HOUSES CRUSHED: $ MANY KILLED
@i The disaster was not confined to the vi
8cinity Of the mine, as many houses in the
town were crushed to pieces and inmates
killed. A conservative estimate Is that
the loss OF life will exceed 100, while other
returns place the dead at IL. It Is dif-
ncult to ascertain the exact loss OF life.
as owing to the excitement and rush OF
people on the streets no one could say
who IL missing and who is not. There
are no records available that will tell
how many men were working In and
about tho mine at the time OF the dlsas-
ter. It5is yariously reported that there
were from eighteen to fifty miners under
ground. It Is known that many women
and COlluEen tIldNe oo''s
lust how many 1t Is impossible to tell at
present. e
TOP OF MOUNTAIN SLIPPED.
gNhenqreports$ CONCERNING the magnitude
of the disaster and details concerning
1t commenced to come In from reliable
men who had been out prospecting for
news, 1t was discovered that the earth
opened for three-quarters OF a mile and
many feet in width. and the whole north
ern face OF Turtle Mountain slipped from
its place The shock, resultant upon the
precipitation Of the millions of tons Of roe z
into the valley, while only actually demol-
fishing comparatively few Of tho houses.
shook the foundations of "a majority OF
the dwellings In the town, SO that they
are unsafe to lyein, and many hundreds
or people win have to live In the open or
under such temporary shelter as may
be prpcurnble.
Tho railroad track for distance OF
r. Z 2 d