The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1903-05-01

Killed.
Vancouver. B. c.. April 29.-The little
town of Frank. situated at the foot
hills on the eastern slope of the Rocky
mountains. was overwhelmed witt dis
aster about 4:3O o'clock this morning.
What was apparently a volcanic erup-
ton on the top of Turtle mountain
overlooking the town scattered an i'm
mense quantity of rock and debris over
the town. stopping a mine, imprisoning
the miners, crushing a number Of
houses and killing 112 people. The tel
egraph lines all went down and news
of the disaster Obtainable has been
mea gre. The entire top of Turtle
mountain was scattered over the sleep
ing village of Frank. Immediately
pieces of rock were thrown high in the
air and descending crushed in the roofs
of houses and stopped up the mouth
of the Frank mme. Most of the build
ings in the town were destroyed and
many of the houses were crushed like
egg shells and their inhabitants in
Stantly killed. The earth was opened
by a gigantic tissue three quarters of
a mile long. The Old Man river, which
runs through the town. was completely
damned up and the railroad track was
rendered impossible for a distance of
two miles.
At 1:45 o'clock this afternoon it IS r.
ported from Frank that masses of rock
and lava are still being thrown from
Turtle mountain.
The number of known dead is now
placed at 112. OF these eighteen men
are imprisoned in the mine twelve
miners working outside the mine were
killed by flying debris and eighty-two
men. women and children were crush
ed tOdeath by the flying rock as they
lay asleep in their beds. The list of
those killed is not yet obtainable.
About sixty of the dead are said to be
women and children.
The survivors at Frank are in a state
of panic and are preparing for flight
and to escape q big eruption tonight
The mountain continues to discharge
stones and lava at intervals but there
has been no repetition of the original
disaster when immense rocks weighing
many tons were hurled down upon the
sleeping town.
An appeal has been made from Frank
to the government and mounted pOlicH
are being hurried to the unfortunate
village. Aid is also being sent from
neighbOring towns but owing 10 the
interruption of the train service and the
mountainous country it will be several
hours before help can reach the Strick-
en- community.
THE EARTH OPENED.
Buffalo. y. Y, April 29-An official
dispatch from the Canadian Pacific
railroad to the Associated Press says:
1.-The latest reports from Frank. y. w
volcanic eruption occurred here al f
a. m today The earth opened up for
three quarters Of mile in length and
millions of tons of rock slid off the top
of Turtle mountain which oVerhangs
the little town.
The coal pit mouth and several build
ings near thereto Were buried It IS
estimated that the loss of life is about
seventy residents of the town. ana in
addition about fifty miners are entDmb-
ed in the mine. The Canadian Pacific
railroad at once arranged for trains to
convey doctors. nurses and hospital
stores. both from the east and the west
to Frank
HORRIBLE CALAMITY.
Van couver. B. c.. April 29.-Over-
whelmed by countless tons of rock. this
morning shortly after o'clock. anC
with probably 112 of its inhabitants
killed almost instantly. the little min
ing town of Frank in Southwestern Al.
berta is threatened with complete de-
structiOn by flood tonight. Old Mans
river which flows through the center
of the town is damned up by the faller
rocks to the height of nearly one hun.
dred feet and the entire valley above
the town is flooded for miles A bis
body of water is pressing with force
upon the DAM the only protection the
town of Frank now has unless the
river shall find another channel. Should
the imprOmptu dam break, the entire
valley would be swept away.
dispatch from Frank says:
"A tremendously loud reVerbratiOl
shook the whole valley of the OlC
Man river this morning at 4:1O o'clocl
and scarcely half the inhabitants o
TINS town awakened to a realization
OF the impending danger, when from
the top of Turtle mountain, overlook
ing the settlement millions of tons o
rock We're hurled
Inc Frank mines operated by tn
French Canadian Coal Company acros
the river from the town were soon t
be buried under hundreds of feet O
rock just as the morning light wa
breaking. Inside of five minutes from
the first thunderous shock and befor
half the town realized what had hap
pened a small force of men had starte,
40 the relief of the miners despite tn
great risk they ran of being burie
Snder the rocks which were still bein