HISTORICAL NEWS SEARCH - Government of British Columbia

Muddy Gulch and the terminal, the Bear River rose until, in many places, it was over the road to a depth of 3 ft. (90
cm).
A logjam formed on the road 2.5 mi. (4 km) downstream from American Creek. According to D.W. Kimball,
water in American Creek was not as high as during the previous spring; the greater force of water seemed to come
down the main Bear River. The heavy rains melted all the snow off the roads at the lower elevations, enabling cars to
go to Premier and to the Half-way on the Big Missouri on bare ground. In Stewart, many basements flooded and some
crossings were impassable. During the evening of November 11, some half dozen slides were reported on the Salmon
River Road between the Premier mine and Stewart, by men walking in from the Big Missouri mine. These slides,
consisting of snow, mud, and trees, greatly impeded travel for a few days. The slides on the Alaskan side of the
Salmon River were expected to be repaired in four to five days. The wingdam sustained some minor damage. The
government telegraph line went down, interrupting all communications with the Upper Salmon. The Northern B.C.
Power Company experienced difficulties and swung onto the diesel plant. Motor transportation as far as the Premier
mine was expected to be resumed by November 14. The exceptionally wet weather considerably delayed the shipment
of ore that Sam Deschamps was taking out of his American Creek property.
In Prince Rupert, heavy gales were reported on November 12 and overnight November 17-18. Many trees
were blown down, interrupting telegraph and other services. During the stormy weather on November 10-11, the
Princess Norah was forced to return to Ketchikan. The ship arrived in Prince Rupert on November 16, one day late.
On November 17, a boat was found overturned near Bella Coola. Two people were missing and feared dead. During
the November 17-18 storm, the S.S. Anyox encountered difficulties. It was later found safe at Cape Cook.
The stormy weather over the Gulf of Alaska grounded three planes at Cordova and delayed shipping. The
Coast Guard cutter Morris had to lay-to at Hoonah before crossing the Gulf for westward sections. On November 14,
the Princess Norah was delayed for 12 hours by fog and bad weather. The M.S. Estebeth reported encountering a
“mighty rough passage” and southwest gales along the coast of Chichagof Island and in Icy Straits. The M.S. North
Star damaged its rudder and iced down in a northwest gale on November 14.
Ocean Falls reported heavy rain for about a week. The big dam was overflowing, even with all the outlets
opened. Long-time Ocean Falls resident Erik Gustav Herman remembered the 75 in. (190.5 cm) snowfall: “You
couldn’t find the roads, or the railway or a fence.” (E.G. Herman In: The Informer, November 20, 1976).
On November 21-22, heavy flooding in the Bella Coola area washed out five bridges, wrecked numerous
culverts and inundated many miles of highway. Bella Coola, with a population of 800, was saved from flooding by
dynamiting a bridge, just above the town. Other bridges were carried away and communication with Hagensborg, a
town of 250 people, 10 mi. (16 km) east of Bella Coola, was cut.
The flood was described as “larger than the 1934 flood” (Tempest 1974). The Skimlix, Casperson and
Canoe Pass bridges and two others unnamed washed away. The Sorenson bridge was badly damaged and another
bridge was regarded unsafe. The Bella Coola River backed up and changed its course. The river rose 20 ft. (6 m) above
its normal level. Floodwaters swept away the swining bridge that crossed the river from the “white” village on the
south to the Native Indian village on the north side of the river.
The removal of the bridge also cut off the water supply to the Indain village. This was because the main from
the water intake at the Chief’s Ledge on the Tatsquam River was suspended under the swinging bridge (Kopas 1970).
Gillet, the Government Agent, and the Native Indians decided to move the whole village, including the
Emmanuel Church across the river to higher ground. The church, which was 56 ft. (16.8 m) long and 28 ft. (8.4 m)
wide with a 15-ft. (4.5 m) ceiling, was floated across in 1938. *2)
Juneau reported a record rainfall of 21.86 in. (555.2 mm) between November 1-28. Prompted by recent
excessive rains on November 23, a landslide occurred on Mount Roberts near Juneau, Alaska, killing 15 people.. It
wiped out two apartment houses, a lodging house, and a store. This was the second serious landslide in Juneau in
1936. Powerlines were cut and telephone and U.S. Signal Corps communications disrupted. The slide came down
across South Franklin Street, crushing the Nickinovich and Peterson apartments and Gus Erickson’s house. It also
damaged the Matson apartment house and the Wahto boarding house. The mass of mud was 100 ft. (30 m) wide and
20 ft. (6 m) high. Around December 1, the ground on Mount Roberts gave indications of moving again. Mayor
Goldstein ordered all houses in the area still occupied to be vacated.
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*1) Most bridges in the Remo district were built on mudsills and floated off with each high water. All these bridges
required pile driving.
*2) To avoid the cost of future flood damage, the provincial government decided in 1925 to abandon the white settler’s
townsite on the banks of the Necleetsconnoy River on the north side of the valley. It surveyed a piece of property on
the south side of the Bella Coola River and offered to make an exchange of lots. In 1926, the non-Native settlers
moved their townsite to the south side of the river. The Native Indian village with its community hall, church, and
many homes, was situated on higher ground closer to the Bella Coola River. Since it had not been exposed to the
freshets coming down the Necleetsconnoy River, it decided not to move.
February 23, 1937
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