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10 Facts About Frank Slide

View of the Lower reaches of Frank Slide.

The Frank Slide was a historic massive rockslide that completely buried a section of the mining town of Frank in the District of Alberta, North West Territories, Canada.

The Frank Slide took place on 29th April 1903 at around 4:10 a.m. The Frank Slide was majorly due to a limestone rock that slid down Turtle Mountain.

Approximately 44 million cubic metres (110 million tonnes) of the limestone slid. It took 100 seconds for the rock to reach up the hills.

The Frank Slide obliterated the eastern edge of Frank, the Canadian Pacific Railway line and the coal mine. This was one of the largest landslides to be experienced in Canada and remains the deadliest.

At least seventy (70) to ninety (90) people who were residing in the town were buried alive in the rubble. The Frank Slide was caused by several unavoidable factors.

Let’s take you through the ten facts about the Frank Slide, relax and enjoy:

1. Deadliest Landslide to Happen in Canada

Frank Slide.

The Frank Slide was among the largest landslides to ever be experienced in Canada. It is believed to be the deadliest landslide to have occurred.

More than 70 people living in Frank Town were buried alive by the slide. It occurred in the wee hours of the morning which could not pave way for more escapes and rescuing.

2. The Frank Slide Caused by Multiple Factors

Frank_Slide_-_Turtle_Mountain.

The slide was majorly caused by limestone rock that slid down Turtle Mountain. However, other factors led to the deadly Frank Slide.

The formation of Turtle Mountain left the area in a constant state of instability which was one of the causes of the Slide.

The area was known for its coal mining operations. The extensive coal mining might have weakened the mountain’s internal structure.

This weakening of the Mountain contributed to the slide. Wet winter and cold snap which were experienced on that night also contributed to the disaster.

3. The Slide Happened Two Years after the Frank Town was Founded

View of part of the town of Frank, Alta., and the East end of the slide.

Frank Town was named after Henry Frank who was among the entourage of coal miners in this region.

On 10th September 1901, Frank and his friend Samuel Gebo celebrated the founding of Frank Town. There was an opening gala and various events took place.

By 1903, the population at Frank Town had risen to 600. The town also had a two-storey school as well as four big hotels. Later in the year 1903, the Frank Slide took place burying the people in their houses.

4. Freight Train Engineer and Crew Survived the Landslide

Turtle Mountain.

In the wee hours of 29th April 1903, a train crew managed to survive the Frank Slide as they were headed to the town.

The freight train had pulled out of the mine and was headed towards the Frank Town. Suddenly, the crew and engineer heard the deafening rumble from behind them.

The experienced train engineer set his train to full throttle and sped off to safety saving the lives of his crew and himself.

5. Seventeen Miners from the Coal Mines Survived the Slide

Before the disastrous slide, Turtle Mountain is in the background. The street was named Dominion Avenue. Buildings on right, from right to left: Alberta Mercantile company and post office; —?; Union Bank of Canada; Imperial Hotel; —?; Frank drug store; —?

On the night of the Frank Slide, twenty miners were working during the night shift. Three men were outside during the disaster and were killed instantly.

The remaining seventeen were still underground and discovered that the entrance was blocked and water from a nearby river was flowing in.

Their effort to dig through the entrance was unsuccessful. One miner directed the others to a seam of coal that led to the surface.

The men worked out in pairs and threes as they cut through for hours. However, the air became intoxicated draining the energy from the men.

Three who had retained their energy managed to cut through to the surface. They never managed to escape through this opening due to the falling rocks.

The miners worked through an outcropping rock that protected them from falling rock. This led to their success and survival from the disaster.

6. Only 18 Bodies were Recovered from Frank Slide

The exact number of Frank Town residents who were buried in the disaster was not known well. However, it is believed that 50 people had left the area to seek new jobs shortly before the slide.

Several people were buried in the town that was left entombed beneath the rocks. Only 12 bodies were managed to get recovered immediately after the Frank Slide.

In 1924, a crew that was building a new road in the area managed to unearth six additional skeletons of the victims of the slide.

7. 128 Men Saved from the Frank Slide

The Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR) was recruiting more men before the disaster took place.

12 men who had previously arrived and worked at the camp were killed. 128 more men who were scheduled to arrive at Frank Town were saved from the slide.

The train that was to take the men from Morrisey, British Columbia did not show up to pick them up. The failure to arrive on time saved the lives of the 128 men who might have been disappointed for not being picked up.

8. CPR Brakeman Ran for 2 Kilometres to Save Passenger Train

Not many people were aware of the Frank Slide when it occurred. There was a scheduled passenger train that was heading west from Lethbridge but was saved.

A Canadian Pacific Railway brakeman identified as Sid Choquette had to run for two kilometres to warn the passenger train of the impending danger.

Through falling rocks and impaired visibility, the man ran and managed to warn the train which halted their journey. He was later on rewarded handsomely.

9. The Site Turned Out to be a Tourist Destination

The story of the slide reached out to several people across their neighbourhood. On the day of the disaster, several curious sightseers flocked to the disaster site.

This site turned out to be a popular tourist destination that many people frequent. A roadside turnout was built to accommodate the traffic.

10. Frank Town’s Population Restored

After the Frank Slide, several residents of Frank Town were scared of the turn of events. Some decided to relocate due to fear of reoccurring the disaster.

Presently, the Frank Town is home to about two hundred people as some relocated after the closure of the mines.

The Frank Slide is among the worst disasters to have happened in Canada, but this was a lesson to many on how they would escape such incidents.