The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1903-05-06
TOWN BURIED By AVALANCHE.
terrible Disaster 10 Frank, In British
Columbia.
Top of Turtle Mountain Drops
on the Little Town---Houses
Crushed Like Egg Shells.

Vancouver. 3. c., April 29.-Over-
wheImled by countless tons OF rock,
This mornineS shortly after o'clock
and with probably 112 of its inhabit-
ants killed almost Instantly, the little
n;nino, town of Frank, in Scuthwes-
tern Alberta, is threatened with com
n.ete destruction by food tonight. Old
Mans River, which flows through the
center of the town, is damned up py
the falling rock to the height OF nearly
100 feet, and the entire valley above
the town is flooded fer miles. A big
body of water is pressing with force
mon the dam, the only protection the
town of Frank now has, unless the rlv-
ershall find another channel Should
the impromptu dam break the entire
village would be swept away.
A dispatch from Frank says:
g A tremendously loud reverberatlon
shook the whole valley OF the Old
Mans River this morning at 4. 10
O'Clock, and scarcely had the IN
babirants / Of this town awakened to a
realization of the impending danger
when from the top of Turtle Noun
tain, overlooking the settlement, mil
lions Of tons of rock we're hurled.
The Frank mines, operated by the
French Canadian Coal Company,
across the river from the town, we're
seen TO be buried under hundreds OF
feet of rock Just as the morning light
was breaking. Inside Of five minutes
from the first thunderous shock and
before half the town realized what
had happened small force OF men
had started to the relief OF the miners.
despite the great risk they ran OF oe-
ing buried under the rocks, which
were still being precipitated from the
lofty mountain top. The volunteer
relief force was unable to get into the
mine, but managed to get near enough
to determine that not man at the
workings had escaped death. Many
were fearfully mangled.
The disaster was merciful to those
men who were employed above ground,
in that they must have been killed IN
stantly, while those men in the Work.
ings Of the mine may yet be alive Il
they have air to breathe. 1t all the
air shafts to the mine we're closed uI
under that awful avalanche all the
men must have died by this 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. It is conserva
lively estimated that the loss OF life
will exceed 100 and the latest returns
place the number Of dead at III.
ANOTHER ACCOUNT.
Buffalo, N. Y, April 29.-Ar
Official dispatch from the CANADIAN
Pacific Railroad to the Associated
Latest report from Frank, N. W
T., via Macleod, N. ". =, says
volcanic eruption occurred there at 4 g.
M. The earth opened up for three
quarters of mile in length and mil
lions of tons of rock slid off the top o
Turtle Mountain, which oyerhang!
| the little town. The coal pit mouth
and several buildings nearby wer'
buried. It is estimated that the los
OF life is about seventy residents o
the town, and in addition about MT!
| miners are entombed In the mine
The Canadian Pacific Railway at once
arranged for rains;to convey doctors
nurses and hospital stores, both from
| &be easf and west. to Frank.