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The Frank Slide was deadliest to date, occurring in the early hours of . When of rock broke off and slid down onto the town of Frank in what was then the District of Alberta of the , and part of the town of Frank was .
It is estimated that between people were in the slide, however the exact number is as most of were never from the extensive which the victims. It is possible that the was even , as there may have been up to 50 at the of the mountain, hoping to find work.
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[death toll][limestone][killed][April 29, 1903][Canada's][camped][rock slide][higher][the bodies][debris][70 and 90][destroyed][44 million cubic metres][Turtle Mountain][unknown][recovered][Northwest Territories][transients][base][entombed]
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The town of Frank, Alberta, was established in 1901 by Henry Frank and Sam Gebo. They wanted to support their new coal mine in the Crowsnest Pass at the base of Turtle Mountain.
The Frank Slide was the massive landslide that occurred when a gigantic section of limestone broke off of Turtle Mountain and hurled toward the town. The initial block of rock was 1 kilometre (.6 mile) wide, 425 metres (1395 feet) high, and 150 metres (164 feet) deep. The fallen rock spread out in a fan shape and covered over 3 square kilometres of the valley floor below. The colossal amount of rock is still there, creating a historical and geological landmark. The average depth is 14 metres (46 feet), with some areas reaching as deep as 45 metres (150 feet).
There were several causes of the slide. Turtle Mountain was geologically unstable with layers of weak, nearly vertical sedimentary rock sitting atop a major thrust fault. Other factors included the erosion and freeze-thaw cycles that expanded surface cracks, allowing water to seep into the mountain's core and weaken the rock even more. The underground coal mine likely caused further instability to the mountain, leading to the massive slide.
Somewhere between 70 and 90 people were killed in the slide, but exact numbers are not known. Many victims were crushed and others suffocated during the slide. Approximately 12 bodies were recovered immediately, and another 7 were found later during road construction. The remaining victims remain permanently buried in the deep rubble.
The town of Frank was rebuilt, but due to concerns of another landslide, it was relocated to a safer area. In 1979, the town was amalgamated into the Crowsnest municipality. You can visit the site Frank Slide Interpretive Centre to learn more about this amazing event.
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