Fergus County argus. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1886-1946, 1903-05-06
:.
DEATH AND
DESOLATION
A Mountain Topples Over on the City
Of Frank, Alberta, Killing Men,
Women and Children.
CITY is A MASS OF RUINS
The Death List Numbers Seventy and
the Number Of Wounded Runs
Into the Hundreds.

Frank, N. w. T., April 3O.-It is de.
finitely known that Sc people lost
their lives here before daybreak We'd
nesday by the sliding of the rocky
top of Turtle mountain down upon
the sleeping village of Frank. Be-
sides killing Sc people, the slide de-
stroyed the plant of the Canadian
American Coal & Coke Co., did vast
amount of damage to the mine and
completely devastated about two
square miles Of the finest and most
picturesque portion of Crows Nest
Pass.
1t is expected a majority of the
dead never will be found. Some cab
ins are buried under 15U feet of rock.
Although organized efforts were
made last evening and today to search
for bodies, only 10 have been found
so far. Most of the corpses were
mangled beyond recognition.
The disaster happened at o'clock
in the morning, when sleeping inhab-
itants Of Frank were suddenly awak-
ened by tremendous crash, follow
ed by the trembling Of the buildings.
1t was still dark and for a time the
greatest confusion prevailed. no one
knowing just what had happened. AS
soon as day dawned, ii was seen that
the whole side of Turtle mountain
had fallen away and the valley for a
distance Of two miles was entirely
choked up by rocks and debris piled
to an average height or 60 feet.
simultaneously with the piling of
rocks of Turtle mountain, there open
ed an immense fissure of the earth
on the northern side of Turtle noun
tain. This fissure extended for dis
tance of three-quarters of a mile, and
was many feet in widtL.
The disaster was huge landslide.
There were no explosions whatever.
The avalanche was of such large d.
mensions that the cloud of dust was
was taken for smoke ana minor slides
were taken for inside explosions.
This yawning chasm still remains
open according to reports brought In
by men who have been on the other
side of Turtle mountain. In the down.
ward rush Of the debris. the entire
operating plant of the French-Cana
dian Coal Co., was carried away. The
buildings demolished include the tip
pie, boiler house, engine house. elec-
trio light plant. repair shops and a
row of coke ovens. Seven houses
owned by the company were smashed
into kindling, six of them being OBJ
liberated and their occupants killed,
tryI,t tny pyht elf
ated in the valley east of town, were
demolished. People living in these
houses were killed as they slept.
The direct monetary damage will
exceed s1,500,000. Actual loss to min
ing companies will probably exceed
100000. The Canadian-Pacific lost
heavily through the blocking of its
track.
The scene of this catastrophe was
formerly one of the most picturesque
valleys in Canada. Through the GEN.
ter OF this beautiful valley ran Old
Mans river, which had its source on
the western slope of the Crows Nest
Pass. The total width of the valley
was little more than a mile and a
sheer wall of rock rose to a height
town. Old Mans river. which flow
ed through the town, followed the side
of Turtle mountain, close up against
the foot of which the town of Frank
was built. The mountain wall was,
before the catastrophe. so tall and
precipitous that even in the longest
day in midsummer, the sun set in the
town of Frank at 3 o'clock in the af-
ternoon and after that twilight en-
sued. The wall threw off almost a
perpendicular wall of rock and filled
the valley for almost mile on each
side of the town site. Where there
were many beautiful homes, fertile
farms. and fourishing ranches. there
is now nothing but ruin and desolation
and the valley now has all the appear
ance of a volcano.
The natural gas and coal deposits
are now buried many feet deep under
rock and are now valueless. AS there
is no geological expert resident in the
town, it is impossible to determine
the true cause of the explosion, but
Judging from opinions of those who
have inspected around the outside OF
the mass Of rocks, it seems tnat II
was a landslide or natural gas ex
plosion.
The theory advanced by many OF
the mining men Of the town Is that
the cliff had been undermined by some
subterranean branch OF Old Mans
river.
The general opinion is that the
trouble was not volcanic as at first
supposed. Pieces Of rock are still
falling from the strangely altered tor
of Turtle mountain. These rocks are
in many cases huge masses. weigh
ing hundreds Of tons, and they fall
crashing down with noise like thun
der, and start other PARTICLES Of rocl
in the path, which rush down, bearing
destruction. For that reason 1t is ex
tremely dangerous TO approach the
vicinity of Turtle mountain to make
an investigation into the exact cause
of tho cataafr0nhp