
In 1964 I was 17 y/o myself. I was raised by my aunt Mary Gallagher and she was married to Thomas Gallagher. They owned and operated the Polar Bear Cafe for years, until the tidal wave arrived. My understanding of the circumstances behind my father's fate comes to me 2nd hand, through friends who reported this to my aunt Mary.
Thomas Gallagher was very fond of animals and he had a large herd of cattle on Long Island and Near Island as well. At Near Island he also had pigs and horses. On March 27th my father was with my uncle Thomas at Near Island to feed the cattle and the pigs. It was unusual for my father to assist my uncle in this regard as myself, and my younger brother Thomas, would always assist our uncle in feeding his animals. However, that day they were at Near Island and they used a skiff about 16 foot long with a 25 hp outboard motor. I was told that when the first shock arrived (and it was large) that their outboard motor was flung from their skiff by this jolt. Both my father and uncle had noticed that the water level was rising and they decided to head back to the boat harbor, which was a short distance from their skiff on the beach. They used oars to get themselves back to the boat harbor, and once there, my uncle scurried up to the dock. However, my father, noticing a friend's boat being tied at its mooring and the boat's mooring lines being very taunt from the rising waters, decided to undo the lines of his friend's boat and he attempted to bring this boat to safe waters. My uncle Gallagher told us that he did get the lines undone and attempted to bring the boat to safer waters. He said he pleaded with my father to jump the boat, to let it go, and get to safe ground. He did not listen to my uncle and so he remained on his friend's boat. We only know that he was on this boat and after all had settled down no traces of the boat or my father could be found. Obviously, like many of us at this moment in time, he was not aware of the power a tsunami has, especially the size of the one that hit Kodiak.
It was several days
after the tidal wave action had ceased that the word about my father's
fate had actually reached us. My aunt Mary Gallagher and my father
were very close to each other and I do remember her giving me the news
about my dad. She was standing in our sun room, it was a cold, windy
and rainy day and she was full of tears. She stated that all attempts
to find traces of our father and the boat he was on was in vane.
I don't even remember the name of the boat or the name of the friend my
father new that owned it.
Submitted
by Albert A. Reft Jr.
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I was there in Chenega,
I ran from a 96 ft tidal wave, don't know how I made it. We ran up the
mountain and stayed up their all night cause we heard there was going to
be another quake. We had a fire going. I ran up the mountain
without shoes, so they had a time keeping my feet warm. After the waves,
we were going down to the school and in my heart I knew Mom and Dad and
Joann were gone. My oldest girl Joann, 3½, was with the mom that
raised me, so she died with her and dad. Mom and dad were Willy and
Sally Evanoff. The next morning the mail plane came and picked 15 of us
up at once and later went back and got the others. Twenty seven out
of 87 or so people died that day. There were a lot of good people
in Old Chenega. They found my daughters body on Knight Island two weeks
after the earthquake.
Submitted
by Avis Kompkoff
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Technical Sergeant
Donald McClure, 34 years old, was eel fishing with a friend at the mouth
of the Klamath River, just south of Crescent City, California, when the
tsunami carried both men and the tons of logs and driftwood debris on the
beach about half a mile up the River. My father received "The Airman's
Medal" (posthumously) for his bravery in saving his friend life that night.
He was missing for about a month and his body was finally discovered on
April 26th about 5-1/2 miles north of Patricks Point buoy by fishermen
aboard the boat Sally out of Trinidad Harbor. He was buried May 4th at
the Golden Gate National Cemetery in San Bruno, California. He left
behind a wife and 3 children, the youngest being 3 weeks old.
His father was Thomas Henry McClure of Pikens County, Georgia, and Ethel
Plott of Union County, Georgia.
Submitted
by Doris McClure Andersen
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Airman Gordon Wallace,
his wife Arlene 26 (nee Boyer) and (her) son Jack Leroy Bushor of Greenville,
Pennsylvania, were returning to the Naval base from an outing at Chiniak
when the earthquake struck. The Wallace family was standing outside
of their car when the tsunami hit, knocking Gordon Wallace unconscious.
When he regained consciousness, he frantically searched for his wife and
step-son along the shore. He followed a fence to the Stratman house
where he collapsed. Gordon Wallace was saved but his wife's body
was found in the car and his step-sons body nearby. Arlene and her
son are buried in the Shenango Valley Cemetery in Mercer Co., Penn.
Jack Leroy Bushor, age 7, was the son of Jack Bushor Sr. Upon hearing
of this tragedy, Airman Wallace's father died of a heart attack.
Info
compiled from articles in the Kodiak Mirror, the Greenville Argus (PA)
and Mona Anderson, researcher.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The Art Vosgien family
and the Maurice Curry family were on an outing near Kalsin Bay when the
earthquake struck. The two families decided to head back to the Naval Base
at Kalsin Bay. On the way, the families came to an area where the road
was covered with water and downed trees so they decided to wait for the
water to recede. Twelve year old Richard Vosgien and Maurice Curry decided
to walk 1½ miles to the nearest house, but they didn't make it.
They drowned with the next wave.
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"On the afternoon
train, in to Whittier, were Mrs. Francis Damon, her 16 year old son Larry
from Soldotna, and David Barnes, an employee of the Two Brothers Lumber
Company who was returning from a week's absence. Larry was planning on
helping Lewis Michelson, another employee of the lumber company, to get
his boat ready for the fishing season. The Barnes and Michelsons were friends
in nearly identical situations, both raising three small children, two
boys and a daughter, each being 6 years old and younger, without the mothers.
Both lived in company housing near the waterfront. As the 27th was Lewis
Michelson's birthday, all ten had gathered at his house for a birthday
dinner by 5:30 P.M. Another couple, Leonard Day, a caretaker at the lumber
company, and his wife, Alberta, also lived in company housing. He was retiring
and they expected to leave in a week for the "Lower 48." (Norton and Haas,
1970, P.132). Within 45 seconds of the onset of the earthquake shaking
that had started slowly and quickly became violent, the first oil storage
tank failed as its bottom moved away. About 1 minute after the shaking
started the first wave rose glassy smooth over the bank. A returning breaking
wave flooded the lower part of town to a height of 25 to 26 feet above
lower low water, the water level at that time. Low tide was predicted for
6:16 P.M. at -0.16 feet. About one minute later a second breaking wave
hit at a height of about 40 feet causing great destruction to the railroad
yards. The maximum height reported in Whittier was 43 feet near the small
boat harbor location at that time. A witness reported seeing a wall of
water coming ashore. Offshore the water had the appearance of something
having exploded underneath the canal about 50 yards off shore. A third
breaking wave hit about a minute later with a height of 30 feet. The ten
people at the Michelson's home and the Day's were washed away and never
found. These were all due to local landslide tsunamis. At the time of the
initial shock and first small wave, Jerry Ware, a railroad maintenance
man, was standing at the car barge dock. He drove to his house near the
depot for his wife and six month old daughter. A wave came in the window
and smashed the trailer, throwing Mrs. Ware clear but washed away Geriann,
the infant. Ware was swept through the porch wall and rode and swam with
the porch door. He found his wife in the mud and water clear of the trailer.
She had serious injuries, with pieces of wood embedded in her body, a fractured
ankle and an injured shoulder. She was airlifted out of Whittier the next
afternoon on the first flight out and eventually evacuated to Seattle where
she recovered. Her baby was found alive in a snow bank but died shortly
afterwards. Mrs Ware was the only serious injury from the tsunami or earthquake
at Whittier".
Norton
and Haas, 1970, p. 312).
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
My brother Lewis Michelson
and his partner David Barns were living together with their six children
and had for at least a year. The summer before they had built a cabin and
they lived there all summer with the six kids and fished for salmon. That
winter they moved into an empty house in Whittier (I think it was in a
lumberyard).There was a couple living in one of the other houses in this
"camp" as the caretakers of the buildings. The day of the quake, my brother
had returned from being out on the water a short time before the quake.
It was my brother's birthday. Lewis, Dave, 6 kids, and a friend with her
son had gone to the caretaker couple's house for a birthday celebration
when the earthquake came. Someone who was at the base in Whittier wrote
to my mother and gave her this information, she said all that was left
of the house was kindling! My brother was born March 27 on Good Friday
and died 32 years later on his birthday, March 27 and Good Friday! I think
Dave was from South Dakota. Their bodies were never found.
Submitted
by Margaret Basta Montana
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We left Whittier in
the fall of 1964. I was working for Union 76 at the time and I spent the
summer after the earthquake fueling equipment. There was more than one
tsunami. The one that reached the Head of the Bay (by the tunnel) washed
on shore far enough to destroy the Two Brothers Lumber Co. The main tsunami
was directed more at the town of Whittier. It was around 45 feet high.
My wife and I and three kids ran from it because it was coming right at
us. The other saw mill (Columbia Lumber Co. where most of the people were
lost) was located close to the end (tunnel end) of the existing small boat
harbor. Dave Barnes was my wife’s cousin’s husband. Their children had
been at our home many times. I have pictures of Dave and Lewis Michelson’s
children at a birthday party with my kids at our Union Oil Apt. in Whittier.
I also have pictures of Leonard and Daisy Day who worked at the mill and
were lost in the tidal wave.
Submitted
by Dick Osburn
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William “Bill” and
Agatha Clawson owned a tavern called the “Long Branch” in Crescent City,
California.
They, and a group
of friends, were celebrating Bill Clawson's birthday. After the first tsunami
flooding, The Clawson's, their 27 year old son Gary, Gary's fiance Joan
Fields, an employee named Juanita Edwards and her husband Earl, a friend
named M. D. McGuire and the tavern bartender, Bruce Garden all went back
to the tavern to inspect the damage and collect the money from the cash
register. Underestimating what was yet to come, the group decided to stay
at the tavern and have a birthday toast. The next tsunami wave destroyed
the tavern. As Gary Clawson & McGuire swam to shore, the
rest of the party
sought safety on the floating tavern roof. Clawson found a rowboat and
rowed through fires that were floating on the water, back out to the stranded
people. All seven people got into the rowboat and headed for shore. When
the boat was 75' from shore, the water receded as quickly as it came in
and the boat was forced into the Elk Creek Bridge where it broke apart
and everyone was
sucked into the culvert.
Some were trapped in debrie that was in the culvert but Gary Clawson made
it to through the culvert and was carried out to sea (where he was able
to swim back to shore). The bartender saved himself by hanging on to something,
but the other five drowned.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
My grandmother was
Juanita Pearl Edwards and she died with the others from the Long Branch
Tavern
in Crescent City.
This was two years before I was born so I never knew her but she is dearly
missed.
Cheri
Goodwin, Oregon
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
My half sister was
Joan Vey Fields Died in the 1964 Crescent City Tsunami. I remember
Joan as being very sweet and could draw beautiful pictures... She made
me feel special... I was 13 years old when she died in the 1964 Crescent
City Tsunami... I didn't know her well but I loved her very much... After
our father died I never heard from the family at all... I don't know if
she was found or if she has been buried. We had another sister Joan's Sister
Bev I don't know where she is either. Our father's name was Irvin Crawford
everyone called him Jack all his family are from Lassen County. I don't
know to much about Joan's Mom except that my Mom and her were friends at
one time... Thank You for doing this,
Submitted
by Joans half sister Patty.
(Note:
Joan Vey Fields was at the Long Branch Tavern at Crescent City, celebrating
the 54th birthday of her future father in law. Five people from the
saloon died including Joan and her future in-laws. The only survivor
was Joan's fiancé, Gary Clauson.)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Mrs. William Wright,
who lived on Highway 101, Crescent City, California lost her two children
to tsunami waves. Her 10 month old son William and her 3 year old daughter
Bonita were pulled from her arms by waves.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Lavella Hillsburg
of Hammond Hill Road in Crescent City, California...left her home and drove
to a friends house to warn them of the coming tsunami. When the group tried
to leave in Hillsburg's car, the wave stalled the car, so the three people
tried to evacuate on foot. Lavella didn't make it, and drowned.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The McKinzie family
of Tacoma were sleeping on the beach at Beverly Beach State Park in Oregon
when the first tsunami hit. The parents were able to gather up the children.
The second wave brought logs and debris and knocked the mother unconscious.
All four children, Louis 8, Bobby 7, Richard 6 and Tammi 3 were drowned
as was the family dog. Only one body was recovered.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
If you would like to add your family story to this page, please contact me:
| LOCATION IN ALASKA | DAMAGE DONE BY 1964 EARTHQUAKE | ||
| KLAWOCK, ALASKA (wave
15' tall)
|
DOCKS AND BRIDGES DESTROYED | ||
| SITKA, ALASKA (wave 7' tall) | DOCKS DESTROYED | ||
| PELICAN, ALASKA | SOME HOMES DAMAGED | ||
| HOONAH, ALASKA | MINOR DAMAGE | ||
| LYNN CANAL, ALASKA | MARINE CABLE BROKEN | ||
| CORDOVA, ALASKA (wave 13' tall) | BOAT, DOCKS AND HOMES DAMAGED | ||
| POINT WHITSHED, ALASKA | CABINS DESTROYED, ONE DEAD | ||
| WHITTIER, ALASKA (wave 43' tall) | TOWN BURNED FOR 3 DAYS, 13 DEAD | ||
| PORT NELLIE JUAN, ALASKA (wave 49' tall) | DOCK DESTROYED, 3 DEAD | ||
| POINT NOWELL, ALASKA (wave 39' tall) | BUILDINGS DESTROYED, ONE DEAD | ||
| CHENEGA, ALASKA (wave 89' tall) | VILLAGE DESTROYED, 23 DEAD | ||
| PORT OCEANIC, ALASKA (wave 36' tall) | DOCKS DESTROYED | ||
| WHIDBEY BAY, ALASKA (wave 49' tall) | LOGGING CAMP DESTROYED | ||
| SEWARD, ALASKA (wave 30' tall) | FIRES AND PARTS OF TOWN DESTROYED, 12 DEAD MANY HURT | ||
| PERL ISLAND, ALASKA (wave 29' tall) | CATTLE DROWNED | ||
| SELDOVIA, ALASKA | BOAT HARBOR DAMAGED | ||
| AFOGNAK, ALASKA (wave 11' feet tall) | TWO BRIDGES DESTROYED, MOST OF VILLAGE DESTROYED - LATER RELOCATED | ||
| KODIAK, ALASKA (wave 25' tall) | 200+ BUILDINGS DESTROYED, 9 DEAD | ||
| WOMENS BAY, ALASKA (wave 25' tall) | NAVAL STATION BADLY DAMAGED | ||
| KALSIN BAY, ALASKA | SIX DEAD, CATTLE DROWNED | ||
| SALTERY COVER, ALASKA | RANCH DESTROYED CATTLE DROWNED | ||
| SHEARWATER BAY, ALASKA | CANNERY DESTROYED | ||
| OLD HARBOR, ALASKA (wave 30' tall) | VILLAGE NEARLY DESTROYED ONE DEAD | ||
| LARSEN BAY, ALASKA | CATTLE DROWNED | ||
| KAGUYAK, ALASKA (wave 30' tall) | VILLAGE DESTROYED - 3 DEAD - VILLAGE ABANDONED AFTER EARTHQUAKE | ||
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