The semi-weekly messenger., 1903-05-05

Frank, n W. T, April 30.-It is def
nitely known that fifty-six 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.
Besides killing fifty-six people, the
slide destroyed the plant of the Cana
dian-American Coal and Coke Com
pany, did vast amount Of damage to
the mine and completely devastated
about ten square miles of the finest and
most picturesque section of Crows nest
pass.
Many of the bodies Of the dead never
will be found. Some cabins are buried
under $50 feet of rock. Although or
ganized efforts were made last night
and today to search for bodies. only
nineteen so far have been recovered.
Most of the corpses were mangled al
most beyond recognition.
In the downward rush of the debris
and other material that was thrown UP
by the upheavel the entire operating
plant of the French Canadian Coal
Company was carried away. The
buildings demolished included the tip
pie, boiler house, engine house, electric
light plant railway scales. repair shops
and row of coke ovens.
Seven houses also owned by the COM
pany were smashed into the kindling
wood six of them being entirely OBJ
|Iiterated and their occupants killed.
while ten other houses which were sit
uated in the valley east of the town
were also demolished. The people liv-
ing in these houses We're also instantly
killed as they slept.
The direct monetary damage will ex-
ceed a million and a half dollars. The
actual loss to the mine company prob
ably will not exceed 5000. 900. The Ca
madam Pacific railroad company'S loss
is heavy through blocking of it's tracks.
The scene of the catastrophe was
originally one Of the most picturesque
valleys in Canada. A sheer wall Of
rock rose to a height of $500 feet above
the level of the town. The Old Man
river followed the side of Turtle noun
tain, close up against the foot of which
the town of Frank was built The
mountain wall was, before this catas-
thrope 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 afternoon and after that
a twilight enSued. The material from
the slide came down in almost verti-
cal wall of rock and crossed the valley
q distance of more than nile and
went part way up the foot hills on the
opposite side of the valley to a height
far above the highest building IN the
town. Pieces of rock are still falling
from the strangely altered top Of Tur-
tie mountain. These rocks in many
cases are huge masses weighing hum
dreds of tons, and as they fall crashing
down with a noise like thunder, they
Cta rf fra ont of in ho
path Of the slide, which rush onward
bearing destruction. For that reason
it is extremely dangerous to approach
the vicinity of Turtle mountain to
make Investigations into the exact
cause Of the catastrophe.
DISTURBANCE CONTINUES.
Seattle, Wash, April 3O-A special
from Frank, n. W. T., says:
The slide from Turtle mountain
continued throughout yesterday and
last night at intervals, depositing mil
lions of tons of limestone on that which
had come down. with the result that
the inhabitants, becoming panic strick-
en-. have fled for safety. But two res
licences in the entire town were used
last night, and those not be thei- own
erS, but by persons less timid, who de-
cided to remain and take chances. In
response to an appeal from the local
board Of trade the dominion govern
ment was sent William Pearce to act in
its behalf Mr.. Pearce conferred with
the citizens today and decided as to
the steps for clearing away the OBJ
struction from the river so as to avoid
a flood which would entail further de-
structtOn of life and property and from
which there is imminent danger. Ac-
companying the government agau-, the
government today sent a force of
mountain police by special train to
protect the district as thieves had COM
menced to operate.