The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1903-04-30

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An Awful Crash.
A tremendously loud reverberatiug
crash shook the whole valley of the
Old Mans river this morning at 4,l0
O'Clock, and scarcely half the inhab-
itants Of this town awakened To re-
dhzation of the impending danger
when from the top of Turtle mountain,
overlooking the settlement, there were
hurled millions OF tons of rock.
The Frank mines, operated by the
French-Canadian Coal company across
the river from the Town. were seen 10
be buried under hundreds of feet OF
rock Just as the morning light Was
breaking.
AS one of the main supports of the
town of Frank are the mines, nature
ally the major portion OF the pOpua-
ton felt anxiety for their relations and
friends ia the mines. Inside of i've
minutes from the first thunderOus
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 being precipl-
tated from the lofty mountain top.
Not One Found Alive.
The volunteer relieg force was un-
able 10 get Immediately to the mines.
but managed 20 get near enough TO
determine that not a man who was
around the workings or underground
had escaped death Many had been
fearfully mangled.
The disaster was merciful TO those
men who We're employed above ground
i'm that they must have been killed M
stantly. while those men I'm the work
iugs Of the mine may yet be alive W
they have air 10 breathe, lf all the
air shafts 10 the mine were closed up
under that awful avalanche. an the
men must have died by this afternoon
The disaster was not confined 20 me
vicinity Of the mine alone for many
of the dwelling houses iu the town OF
Frank were demolished bv the falling
rock. Some of the occupants of these
houses escaped death. but many others
were instantly killed.
10 Is conservatlVely estimated that
the loss Of life will exceed 1o0, and the
latest returns place the number of dean
at IL.
No Names Available.
At noon today il was impossible TO
arrive at any accurate estimate OF the
loss Of life. as owing 10 the excitement
and the hurry and rush of people 90
the streets. no person can say who IS
missing and who is not There are no
records availa bic which would tell how
many men were working Jon and about
the mine at the time of the disaster
1t is variously reported that there were
from eighteen to fifty miners under
ground. 1t is known that many Wo-
men and children have suffered death.
but just how many il is impossible 10
tell at present.
When reports concerning the magni-
tude Of the disaster and details con-
corning il commenced to come 10 from
reliab BILE men who had been out pros
pecting for news. il developed that the
earth opened up for three quarters OF
mile In length and many feet IN
width, and that the whole northern
face Of Turtle mountain slipped from
place.
Survivors Live in Terror.
The shock resultant upon the precipi-
tation of the millions of tons OF rock
into the valley. while only actually de-
mOlishing a comparatively few Of the
houses. so shook the foundations Of the
majority Of the dwellings In the town
that they are unsafe to live I'm. and
many hundreds Of people viii have 20
live ia the open or under such tempo
rary shelter as may be procurable be-
fore nightfau.
, The railroad track for "A distance Of
two miles or more east of the station
is covered with from ten 90 forty feet
of rock, and the telegraph wires 10 the
east are down. All communication is
being conducted over one wire running
westward. and this one line is so
blocked with private messages and in