HISTORICAL NEWS SEARCH - Government of British Columbia

Event type: Spring runoff flooding.
Precipitation: Not applicable.
Source: British Columbian, May 28, 29, 30 and 31, June 4 and 13, 1894; Chilliwack Progress, May 30, 1894; The
Omineca Herald and Terrace News, October 29, 1947; The Daily Alaska Empire, May 29, 1948; News Advertiser,
May 7, 1985; The Cariboo Observer, February 3, 1934; O’Neill 1960; Kopas 1970 (pp. 35-36; p. 251); Orchard 1983;
Dr. A.S. Gottesfeld, pers. comm. June 1, 1994.
The spring of 1894 was cold and wet. Towards the end of May the weather turned hot and sultry (Orchard
1983). Rapid snowmelt caused province-wide flooding. The “Great Flood of 1894” in the Northwest continued for 57
days (The Daily Alaska Empire, May 29, 1948).
In a letter to the Omineca Herald and Terrace News, long-time Terrace resident Harry L. Frank called the
“Great Flood of 1894” being less than the 1936 flood. According to Wiggs O’Neill, however, the 1894 flood was
much bigger than the flood of 1936: “Our high-water of 1936 was a baby in comparison. There has never been a highwater
to equal it since.” The floodwaters of 1894 left drift logs on top of Ringbolt Island and on the walls of Kitselas
Canyon. The steam paddle-wheel boat Caledonia had made it through the Canyon on its way upstream to Hazelton
with a load of freight and a few passengers when the water started rapidly rising. Progress was severely hampered, and
when finally driftwood began coming down, the situation was getting dangerous. Huge trees with their roots intact
began to fill the river. When the vessel got to Kitwanga, within 25 mi. (40 km) of Hazelton, it was not even safe to lay
at the bank of the river. Captain Bonser dropped down river and went up the Kitwancool River. Here the Caledonia
tied up at a sheltered place, marooned for the duration of the high-water period. As the water began to recede, to avoid
being stranded, each day the vessel dropped a short distance down the Kitwancool River. When getting back on the
Skeena River, the flow of driftwood had stopped and the voyage to Hazelton was continued. When the vessel arrived
back at headquarters in Port Simpson, a canoe search party was just being organised to look for the lost steamer. The
vessel had been away well over a month, with no word of her, as there were no telegraph or telephone communications
at the time (O’Neill 1960). A normal round trip would have taken about two weeks, suggesting about two weeks of
extraordinary high-flow (Gottesfeld, pers. comm.).
The 1894 flood was one of the worst to hit the Bella Coola area. Kopas notes in his book “Bella Coola” :
“The colonists saw the (Bella Coola) river rise at a terrific rate and flow past their camp bearing large trees complete
with branches and roots. ‘We don’t have to go up the valley to see our land,’ said one. ‘The river is bringing it down to
us.’” (Kopas 1970). *1)
Near Quesnel, floodwaters reached a spot on Front Street just below Senator Reid’s residence, between the
Abbott house and Cowan’s warehouse. On the west side, the water removed fences and everything that was loose
around Billy Boucher’s house just above Mrs. Boucher’s present (1934) dwelling. (The Cariboo Observer, February 3,
1934).
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*1) Although this was the first recorded flood on the Bella Coola River, oral tradition of the local First Nation people
mention an earlier flood. “Long, long ago, there was a tremendous rainstorm. The rivers flooded and the valleys filled with
water. Almost all the people drowned, and the one canoe load of survivors landed on the utmost peak, this Noosgultz, which
appeared above the stormy waters as a refuge, a solitary post to which to tie their canoe. They looped their canoe around the
peak, but the sawing caused by winds and tides cut loose their craft, leaving the people marooned. Eventually the floodwaters
subsided and the people descended to the village floor, starting this “Great Village,” (as the explorer Alexander Mackenzie
called the original Native settlement) and from here their descendents spread to the rest of the world.” (Kopas 1970).
February 1898
Event type: Debris flow.
Precipitation: Not available.
Source: B.C. Ministry of Energy, Mines and Petroleum Resources 1993; Evans (unpublished data) (Case history 9).
In 1898, near Quesnel a sediment slump-flow (the Big Slide) damaged homes, farms and a highway. (B.C.
Ministry of Energy, Mines and Petroleum Resources 1993).
Evans and Clague (1999) report three miners were being killed at Forks of Quesnelle (Quesnel) near 150 Mile
House in February of that year.
May-June 1898
Event type: Spring runoff flooding.
Precipitation: Not applicable.
Source: Asante 1972 (p. 174); Meziadin Environmental Advisory Team 1975 (Vol. 1, Part II p. 4.11); Dr. A.S.
Gottesfeld, pers. comm. June 1, 1994; John Hipp, pers. comm. Dept. of Fisheries and Oceans, Terrace.
In 1898 a very bad flood was recorded in the Terrace area (Asante 1972). According to local Native Indians
at Terrace, this flood was larger than the 1936 flood (Meziadin Environmental Advisory Team 1975). According to
George Wright, Indian Chief and pilot on the Skeena River boats, Ferry Island near Terrace was under 15 ft. (4.5 m) of
water (J. Hipp, pers. comm.).
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