The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1890-12-29

THE COWICHAN FLOODS.
Destruction Wrought by the Element
on Vancouver Island.

on Vancouver Island.
Cowiehan Letter in Victoria Times.
As early as December IL the elements
were at work about the headwaters of Cow
ichan river. preparing material. as it were,
for the fearful devastation to be wrought q
week later at the mouth of the same river.
Cowichan lake, beautiful sheet of water
twenty-one miles in length, and varying
from one to three miles in width, gives
rise to the river of the same name. This
river, after course of twenty-five miles,
enters the Gulf of Georgia at Cowichan
harbor
On Thursday, December II, and on the
Friday and Saturday following, rain felt at
the lake, and the surrounding mountains
gradually received mantle of snow. Sun
day morning two inches of snow lay at
the lake level. During the day and night
snow continued to fal, at intervals. Monday
the temperature changed and the wind,
which had before come from the north
west, veered round to the southwest, and
a warm heavy rainfall was the result. In
twelve hours not vestige of snow was to
be seen about the lake or upon the
mountain tops. The water raised three
feet in twenty-four hours.
All day Tuesday the rain fell in torrents.
Some time during the day an occurrence
took place which was probably not wit
messed by any human being. This is sup
posed to have been a cloud-burst that took
place about four miles down the road from
the lake. A landslide, and broken timber,
three feet in diameter, with smaller trees
torn up by the roots and rocks form all to-
gether pile of destruction twenty feet
high and about fifty yards in extent, di-
rectly over the road.
Two freight teams coming to the lake
from Duncan's reached this obstruction
about darn Tuesday evening. 1t was i'm
possible to advance and almost as difficult
TO return with loaded wagons. The
freight, consisting mostly of Christmas
goods intended to gladden. the hearts of
our community. was unloaded and placed
with care in the hollow butt of burnt-out
cedar tree. 1t remained there in safety
until it was brought in today
The two teams and I've men
turned back to the halfway place and
were obliged to spend the stormy night
in the woods with little shelter. Mr..
Fraser, with q force of men, cleared a
trail around the land slide, and by fe rying
across the swollen creeks where the
bridges were washed away, the goods were
brought safely in. Our Christmas will yet
DC passed with good cheer.
But to return to the storm. The water,
not conhning itself to the creeks, spread
out to sheet in its headlong course to the
river. The river from it's head to its mouth
must receive double the amount of water
that is obtained from the lake. 1t was
well prepared to carry on its work of de-
struction. OF the 100000 feet of timber
awaiting high water to be driven down to
the mill, not more than 100 logs remain
along the upper course of the river. The
result of which was described in last weeks
papers.
The rairr continued to fall in torrents
during the remainder of the week. Gusts
of wind coming in through the mountain
gaps, from the west coast, caused the fall
of many a tree throughout the forest
The lake attained its highest level Satur-
day morning, December 20, when it had
raised nine feet in perpendicular. Cabins
situated near the waters edge were washed
away. At the hotel, one-quarter of mile
from the lake, down the river, the water
has overdowed its banks, and is within a
few feet of the front steps