The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1903-05-01
Valley al Frank Filled With |
BOuIders TO a Height
Of 50 Feet
YAWNING CHASM IN THE \
MOUNTAIN REMAINS OPEN
AS Vet No One Has Been Able to Ex-
plain the Cause of the Disaster at
Turtle Mountain in Canadian
Mining District.

Frank. N. w. T., April 0.-It is def
nitely known that hfty-six persons lost
their lives here before daybreak Wednes-
day by the sliding of the rocky top OF /
Turtle mountain down upon the sloping
village of Frank
Besides killing ffty-slx persons. the =
slide destroyed the plant of the Canadian
American Coal and Coke company, did
vast amount of damage to the mine and
completely devastated about ten square
miles of the finest and most pieturesS1lsn
section of Crows Nest pass
Many of the bodies of the
never be found. Some cabins 5.
under $50 feet of rock. Although -
ized efforts were made last evening and
today to search for bodies, only nineteen.
have so far been recovered Most of the
corpseA. ere mangled beyond recognition.
The zhAaster occurred at o'clock in
the horrNhg when the sleeping inhabi-
tanGs of Frank were suddenly awakened
by9 Ia tremendous crash followed by a
ataking of the buildings 1t was still
Eark and for time the greatest con-
fusion prevailed, no one knowing just
what had happened As soon as dawn
1t was seen that the whole sitis of Tur-
tie mountain hadN fallen awg1 and the
valley for a distance of two miles was
entirely choked up BY rocks and debris
piled to an average height of sixtyS feet
simultaneously with the piling of thl
rocks on Turtle mountain there opened
immense fissure in the earth on the mort
ern side of Turtle mountain. This flssu
extended for distance Ct three-quarte
10 md anf In, xxdf
Chasm Still Open.
This yawning chasm still remains opi
according TO reports brought In by ~
who have been on the other side I tpzzs
lie mountain. (Nf#
In the downward rush OF the debriS tFe 6
entire operating plant Of the issHcp4
Canadian Coal company was caff8a
away The buildings demolished inchN34 7
the tipple, boiler house. engine hoNyf}x
electric light plant. repair shops aud z 5
row OF coke ovens. Seven houses Owned
by the company were smashed inta ktH7
ding, six of them being obliterated eH1
their occupants killed. while ten otnfr
houses which were situated In the YAH<{
east of town were demolished. The pe{<
pie living In these houses were inet4u{ITz
killed while they slept. 4
The direct monetary damage V1Iift@z
ceed 81 100000. kAfs
The actual loss to the mine company
probably will not exceed 100000 The
Canadian Pacific railroad loses heavily
through the blocking Of its track.
The scene of this catastrophe was orig
inally one of the most picturesque val i
leys In Canada. Through the center OF
this beautiful valley ran the Old MAJ
river. which has It's source on the
ern slope of the Crows Nest pass.
total width of the valley was III
more than a mile. and sheer wall
rock rose to a height of $500 feet abo
the level of the town. Old Mans rive
which flowed through the valley, fol
lowed the side of Turtle mountain, clost
to which the town of Frank was build
under the immense precipices.
Vertical Wall Of Rock
The material from the slide came down
In almost vertical wal. of rock and
crossed the valley, distance Of over a
mile and went up the foothills on the
opposite side Of the valley to height far
above the highest building in Frank.
Where once existed cosy homes fertile
farms and stock ranches, there is now
nothing but huge chaotic piles Of debris
from the mountain, which has all theX
appearance of volcanic eruption.
The land which was once of great v9(
and was rapidly increasing in pricf
account of the known presence of nal
gas. as well as of coal deposits, Is
buried many feet deep with waste mat
and is valueless.
As there is no geological expert resi-
dent In the town, 1t is impossible to as 4
certain exactly the true character Of theV
force exerted, but. Judging from the evil
dences, now brought in by many whqA
have secuted around the outskirts OF
waste of rocks and debris, many -
clined to the belief that 1t
mountain slide caused by an
or subterranean explosion Of
Trouble Not volcan
Turtle mountain is composed 1SfI
limestone rock. A theory advane
many of the mining men Of the tow
that the limestone cliff had been unda
mined b. some subterranean branch
Old Mans river. The general opinion
that the trouble was not volcanic, as
first supposed.
Pieces of rock are still falling froI
the strangely altered top of Turtle noun
tain. These rocks are In many cases hug.
masses weighing hundreds of tons. AM
as they fall crashing down with a moi
like thunder they start other pa
of rock laying In the path OF the
which together rush onward bearing
struction. For that reason 1t is extreifa@
ly dangerous TO approach the vicinity Of
Turtle mountain to make an investigation
into the exact cause of the catastrophe.