The Topeka state journal., 1903-05-01
OFFICIAL REPORT.
Number of Dead Is Now Estimated
at EightY-three.

at GlguLY-G0re6-
Vancouver. b. c.. May The follow
ing report has been received here from
William Pearce, inspector of surveys
sent TO Frank by the department of the
interior and constitutes the latest Off
cial news from Frank:
Now that the excitement is partially
over there is no doubt in the mind Of
any one that the disaster was caused by
huge landslides and that there was no
eruption nor explosion. There are So
known dead. of whom Is were women
and IS children. There is no further
danger from floods through the dam
ming of the river. The rock slide is
about 1000 feet long, extending from the
top of Turtle mountain westerly. The
slide extends across the valley for one
and One-quarter miles from the base of
Turtle mountain. The debris is spread
out in fan shaped mass so that at the
extreme end of the slide the mass of
rock Is nearly two miles wide There
IS no trace of the river for one mile
but the water is now going through the
rock as fast as il is coming down
1T is thought there will not be a rep
eution, although rocks and dust contin-
ue to fall from the mountain. The fact
that all the men working in the mine
except two escaped has been confirm
ed"
This yawning chasm stin remains
open, according to reports brought in by
men who have been on the other side Of
the mountain.
In the downward rush of the debris
the other material that was thrown up
by the upheaval, the entire operating
plant of the French-Canadiau Coal com
pany was carried away. The buildings
demolished included the tipple boiler
house, engine house, electric light rail-
way scales. repair shops and row of
coke ovens Seven houses also owned
by the company, We're smashed into
kindling six of them being entirely OBJ
TT
while ten other houses. which were sit
uated i'm the valley east of the town
were also smashed into matchwood The
people living in these houses were also
instantly killed as they were sleeping.
The direct monetary damage viii eX-
Ceed a million and q half. The actual
loss to the mine company viii proba bly,
not exceed 5000, 900. The Canadian Pa
cifc railway loses heavily through
blocking of its track.
The scene of this awful catastrophe
was originally one of the most pictur-
esque valleys in Canada. Through the
center of this beautiful valley ran the
Old Man river, which had its source OF
the eastern slope of the Crows Nest
pass. The total width Of this VALLEY
was little over mile and it was
bou-ded on the southern side by the
Turtle mountain, q sheer wall of rock
which rose to a height of $500 fee.
above the level of the town. The town
Of Frank lay in the peaceful valley. now
scene of deSOlation and chaos. which
was bounded on the other side by a
range ar foothills of the Rocky Noun
tains The Old Man river which flowed
through the valley followed the sids
Of Turtle mountain, close up against the
foot Of which the town of Frank wa
built The mountain wall was. before
this terrible catastrophe SO deep that
even in the longest day in middle of
GUNNER the sun set in the town Of
Frank at o'clock in the afternoon and
after that a twilight ensued until the
usual hour Of sunset. The material
-~om the slip came down with almos,
3 veritable wall Of rock and crossed
che valley a distance of over a mile
end went part way up the foothills on
the opposite side of the valley to q
height far above the highest building
in the town. There once existed coz
homes. fertile farms and stock rancho.
there is now nothing but huge chaotic
p.es Of debris from the mountain
which has all the appearance Of a vol
canic errption.
The land which was once Of grea;
value and was rapidly increasing il
price owing to the known presence c'
natural gas as we'll as coal deposits. +.
now buried many feet deep with waste