buried mining town frank alberta canada province alberta created september years slide community incident occurred april million tonnes million tons limestone rock slid seconds eastern edge frank canadian pacific railway line coal largest landslides canadian history remains deadliest town residents killed remain buried rubble multiple factors led slide formation left constant state instability coal mining operations weakened mountain internal structure wet winter cold snap night disaster railway repaired weeks quickly reopened section town closest mountain relocated amid fears slide possible town population nearly doubled pre slide population closed permanently community municipality pass population site disaster remains nearly unchanged slide popular tourist destination designated provincial historic site alberta home centre receives visitors annually background town frank founded southwestern corner subdivision location chosen near base pass coal discovered year earlier named owned canadian american coal operated town created support pair celebrated founding town september gala opening featured speeches territorial leaders sporting events dinner tours planned layout community ran special trains brought people neighbouring communities celebrate event april permanent population reached town featured storey school hotels stands immediately south frank consists older limestone layer folded softer materials sandstone erosion left mountain steep limestone layer long unstable peoples called mountain moves refused camp vicinity weeks leading disaster miners occasionally felt mountain pressure created shifting rock caused supporting shafts crack splinter early morning hours april freight train pulled slowly making way crew heard rumble engineer set throttle speed ahead sped train safety bridge million cubic metres million tonnes limestone rock broke peak section broke metres wide metres high metres deep witnesses disaster claimed took seconds slide reach opposing hills indicating mass rock traveled speed kilometres hour mph sound heard far away kilometres north frank initial reports disaster indicated frank nearly wiped mountain collapse thought triggered earthquake volcanic eruption explosion majority town survived slide buried buildings eastern outskirts frank seven cottages destroyed businesses cemetery kilometre stretch road railroad tracks buildings approximately people lived path destruction located tracks river death toll uncertain estimates range deadliest landslide canadian history largest hope slide possible toll higher camped base mountain looking work residents believed left frank shortly slide way certain victims remain beneath rocks bodies recovered immediate aftermath skeletons additional victims unearthed crews building new road slide initial news reports stated men mountain buried hope survival reality miners working night shift time disaster outside killed slide remaining underground discovered entrance blocked water river slide coming secondary tunnel unsuccessfully tried dig way blocked entrance suggested knew coal reached surface working narrow tunnel pairs dug coal hours air increasingly toxic men energy continue digging broke surface late afternoon opening dangerous escape falling rocks encouraged success miners cut new shaft broke rock protected falling debris thirteen hours buried men emerged mountain miners found row cottages served homes devastated families killed seemingly random found family alive safe makeshift hospital emerged discover wife children died year old working late shift night town boarding house given permission stay overnight time member family survive father working outside slide hit mother siblings buried home men living work camp killed scheduled camp day slide arrived train supposed british_columbia failed pick passenger train heading west saved men rushed rock ground warn train track buried slide falling rocks dust cloud impaired visibility ran kilometres warn oncoming locomotive danger gave letter recognition heroism aftermath early april special train arrived police officers doctors premier arrived disaster site met engineers investigated new formed peak felt limited risk town chief engineer convinced frank imminent danger slide siding ordered town evacuated sent investigate reported slide created new peaks mountain north peak overlooking town imminent danger collapse result evacuation order lifted frank citizens returned reinforced officers arrived calgary kept tight control town ensured cases looting occurred evacuation clearing canadian pacific railway line paramount importance approximately kilometres main line buried slide auxiliary line line cleared rebuilt weeks intent reopening workers opened old works discovered charlie horse worked survived month underground horse eating bark timber supports drinking pools water horse died town population recovered grew census listed population new study commissioned dominion government determined cracks mountain continued grow risk slide remained consequently parts frank closest mountain dismantled relocated safer areas causes factors led study conducted immediately following slide concluded primary cause mountain unstable formation layer limestone rested softer materials years erosion resulted heavy steep cliff cracks laced eastern face mountain underground allowed water flow mountain core local indigenous peoples area oral traditions referring peak mountain moves miners noticed mountain increasingly unstable months preceding slide felt small superintendent reported general squeeze mountain depths metres metres found coal broke said practically mined unusually warm winter warm days cold nights factor water mountain repeatedly weakening mountain supports heavy snowfall region march followed warm april causing mountain melt concluded weather conditions night likely triggered slide crew freight train arrived frank shortly disaster said night winter overnight temperatures falling speculated cold snap rapid freezing resulted expansion causing limestone break mountain concluded mining activities contributed slide facility owners disagreed engineers claimed bore responsibility later studies suggested mountain point small caused existence helped trigger slide quickly opened rock continued mountain coal production frank peaked permanently closed slide created new peaks mountain south peak stands metres high north peak metres believe slide inevitable imminent south peak considered likely fall likely create slide sixth size slide mountain continuously monitored changes stability studied numerous occasions operates state art monitoring system researchers world monitoring stations placed face mountain provide early warning system area residents case slide debated caused slide debris travel distance air theory early hypothesis layer air trapped mass rock mountain caused rock greater distance expected acoustic theory suggests large masses material create seismic energy reduces friction causes debris flow mountain fluid created term debris describe legends numerous legends spawned aftermath slide entire town frank claimed buried town unscathed belief branch buried persisted years bank untouched slide remained location demolished buried treasure legend arose crews building new road pass operated police guard believed supposedly buried bank people telling amazing stories listen passed sole survivor years following slide common tale infant girl said survivor slide real unknown girl called slide stories told escape found hay lying rocks collapsed roof house arms dead mother legend based primarily story thrown home pile hay slide home sisters survived found unharmed collapsed ceiling parents brothers died influencing story survival year old found outside home mud survivor slide died total people path slide survived addition miners escaped tunnels ballad featuring story popular parts canada 1950s slide formed basis songs including mountain came recently frank subject books historical fictional legacy curious site slide day disaster remained popular tourist destination proximity province built turnout accommodate traffic town unsuccessfully sought site designated later designated provincial historic site alberta provincial government designated slide area restricted development zone prevents alteration site memorial plaque erected sight mountain opened museum tourist stop document frank slide region coal mining history site receives tourist visits annually frank recovered slide achieved peak population shortly closure resulted longstanding decline population frank ceased independent community amalgamated municipality pass neighbouring communities frank home residents
Frank Slide