The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1903-05-05
The Story Of the Disaster,
(Ry the Associated Press.)

Vancouver, B. c., April
whelmed by countless IONS Of rock this
morning shortly after 4 o'clock, and with
probably 112 of it's inhabitants killed al
most instantly, the little mining town of
Frank, in southwestern Alberta, is
threatened with complete destruction by
food tonight Old Mans River which
flows through the center of the town, Is
damned up by the fallen rocks to the
height of nearly 100 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 has, unless the river shall
find another channel. Should the i'm
promptu dam break, the entire village
would be swept away.
A dispatch from Frank says:
"A tremendously loud reverbration
shook the whole valley of the Old Mans
River this morning at 40 O'Clock and
scarcely half the inhabitants Of this town
awakened to a relaxation of the impend-
ing danger, when from the top of Turtle
Mountain, overlooking the settlement
millions Of tons of rock were hurled.
1.-THE Frank mines, operated by the
French Canadian Coal Company across
III V SlC IO"h SlS oC0A " ~
buried under hundreds of feet of rock
just as the morning light was breaking.
Inside Of five minute from the first thun-
derous shock and before half 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 precipitated from the
1~fI-x 4n NJ - .nIInf
forces were unable to get into the mine
but managed to get near enough to de-
termine that not a mar at the workings
had escaped death. Many miners had
been fearfully mangled.
'The disaster was merciful to those men
who were employed above ground, in that
they must have been killed instantly,
while those men in the workings of the
mine may yet be alive. If they have air
to breathe. If all the air-shaftS to the
mine We're closed up under that awful
avalanche, all the men must nave died
b ythis afternoon. The disaster was not
confined to the vicinity of the mine alone,
for many of the dwelling houses in the
town of Frank were demolished by the
falling rock. Some of the occupants of
these houses escaped death but many
others were instantly killed. 1t is con-
servatively estimated that the loss of life
will exceed one hundred and the latest
returns placed the number of dead at 112.
AT noon today it was impossible to ar
rive at any accurate estimate of loss of
life, as owing to the excitement and hur-
ry and rush Of people on the streets, no
che could say who is missing and who is
not. There are no records available that
will tell how many men We're working in
and about the mine at the time of the
disaster. 1t is variously reported that
there We're from eighteen to fifty miners
underground. 1t is known that many wo-
men and children have suffered death, but
just how many it is impossible to tell at
present.
When reports concerning the magnitude
of the disaster and details concerning it
commenced to come in from reliable men
who had been out prospecting for news,
it was discovered that the earth opened
for three quarters of a mile and many
feet in width, and that the whole north
ern face of Turtle Mountain slipped from
its place.
The shock resultant upon the precipita-
ton of millions of tons of rock into the
valley, while only actually demolishing
comparatively few Of the houses, shook
the foundations Of a majority Of the
dwellings in the town, SO that they are
unsafe to live in, and many hundreds OF
people will have to live in the open or
unde such temporary shelter as may be
procurable.
The railroad track for a distance OF
two miles or more east Of the station is
covered with from ten to forty feet OF
rock and the telegraph wires are down
All communication is beng conducted
over one wire running west. and this one
line is SO blocked with private messages
and inquiries from the outside that it is
only with the greatest difficulty that
press matter can be sent out.
At dusk today the rock was still being
thrown on the town from Turtle Mountain
and it is impossible TO venture within
half a mile of the mine workings. IT k
now certain that eighteen men are buried
in the workings. All hope for them ha,
been abandoned. The stroots are crovdat
with the relatives and friends of thos,