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‘A special supplement to the Terrace.Review and Prince Rupert This: Week

The sternwheelers and
the great flood

by Harriett Fjaageaund

. Grandpa’s Stories —
The Sternwheeler. and
‘the Great Flood

"Did I ever tell you about the
time a riverboat saved my life?"
My eyes grew big and round. "No,
grandpa,” | whispered. "Well then,
climb on up here," he said. Eagerly

‘Tscrambled onto his broad lap. He

smelled of pipe tobacco and Vicks
Vaporub,

“This happened long before you
were born, back in 1936. That was
the: year of the great flood.” "You
mean somebody’s water pipes got
busted?" I asked, Grandpa
chuckled. "No, Bobby. The great
flood was when the Skeena River
flooded its banks. The river rose
10 feet in just a few hours.

"It was a terrible disaster. Your
daddy and grandma and I were
living in Usk back then. In those
days Usk was much bigger than it
is now." "Was my mom there,
too?" "No," grandpa said. "Your
daddy was just a baby.

"It was Saturday, May 30th, and
it was like the end of the world
had come, Bobby. There was water
rushing everywhere. 'The church
was covered in water right up to
the settle! Many buildings were
destroyed, and a couple were
swept right out into the Skeena."
"Did your house go in the river,
too?" I asked excitedly. "No, our
house wasn’t quite so close to the
river, but it was badly damaged. I
got your grandma and daddy up
onto higher ground, then I went
back to help our neighbours."

"Did you have to walk through
the water, grandpa?" " sure did.

That river water was so cold |
' . thought all my teeth were going to

fall right out of my mouth! Then a
big board off someone’s house
whacked into me and knocked me
clean off my feet. I must of swal-

lowed half the Skeena before I”

realized I’d been swept out into
the middle of the river, heading
straight for Prince Rupert."

"Grandpa! What did- you dot"
"Well Bobby, I knew I was in big
trouble. The Skeena River is full
of whirlpools and undercurrents
that can drag you down to the
bottom. I saw a man sitting on the
roof of his house go past. He was
too far away or else I would have
climbed up there with him. I tried
to swim to shore but the current
was too strong.

"Just up ahead was Kitselas
Canyon. It’s a very dangerous
place because the canyon divides
the river into three narrow chan-
nels that are full of big whirlpools
and big rocks. It was even more
dangerous right then because of all
the water that had backed up.
Because it’s so narrow, the canyon
acted like a floodgate holding the
water back. | knew I was a goner
for sure if I got sucked in there.

"Then a mightly strange thing

happened. Something began to take:

shape at the mouth of the canyon.
I couldn't see what it.was exactly,
but it kind of looked like a huge

black mouth. And I was heading.

Straight for it! Bobby, your old
grandpa was really scared. I

”
abet ree ef FS teeree oe ttt Pad

:.. Riverboat Days guide 11

RIVERBOATS GALORE plied the waters of the Skeena and a riverboat of another kind taxied
people across Kalum Lake. The paddlewheel of the Mary Anne was powered by horses in 1925.

thought for sure I was about to be
swallowed by a river monster!
"Yes sir, things were looking
pretty bad right then. But just as I
thought I was about to be swal-
lowed in one big gulp, the thing
finally took shape and I saw what
it really was." "What was it,

grandpa?" I whispered.

Grandpa grinned broadly. "Why,
it was the old Inlander, the last
sternwheeler to work the Skeena. I
tell you, Bobby, I grabbed hold of
her side and hauled myself aboard
just as fast as I could. Then I knelt
down and kissed the white plank-

ing on her deck. I knew the old —

girt had saved my life.
"Then that old riverboat sailed
back up the river just as sweet and

easy as you please. Took me right
back to Usk, sailed right up on the
shore and onto dry ground to let
me off." "Wow! What happened
then, grandpa?” "Well, Bobby, I
jumped ashore, but when I turned
around... the Inlander was gone.
Vanished."

"Where did it go? Did it go back
to the canyon?" "Nope. She went
back where she came from. You
see, Bobby, the Inlander was a
ghost." "A gh-ghost?" I gulped.
"Yep. The Inlander left the Skeena

River in 1912. she was pulled up
on shore at Port Essington and left
to rot. It was her ghost that came
back to save me that day."

"Did you ever see the Inlander
again, grandpa?" "No, I never did
see her again." He leaned forward
and whispered, "But I’ve been real
careful to stay away from the river,
Bobby. That old riverboat might
not be so all anxious to save meé a
second time!" Then grandpa

grinned hugely and winked.

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