Two images on Cutout About Columbia River

Two images on Cutout About Columbia River

Newspapers; Floods; 1948; Columbia River

"2 photographs; 6.5 x 9.5 cm and 4.8 x 9.5 cm.
First image of man looking at Columbia river flood. Second image of large truck coming with supplies to help stop flooding. Text on the front side of image reads from top to bottom and left to right: ""Memorial Day 1948 -- The Columbia. Memorial Day in 1948 was a more exciting holiday than usual for a number of Hanford project employees. The occasion for the excitement was Columbia River which, due to a combination of unusual weather conditions, was rampaging through the Tri-Cities near an all-time-high flood stage. Parts of downtown Kennewick were under water, as were all four of the bridges across the Yakima River between Richland and Prosser Access across the Pasco-Kennewick Bridge was restricted. On that Memorial Day, May 31, the flood neared its crest at an elevation of 359 feet above sea level at Richland, 35 feet above the Columbia's normal level here. The river was flowing past Richland at an estimated rate of more than 5 million cubic gallons per second, 20 times the normal flow. Only night-and-day construction work on a dike for several days preceding prevented flooding that Memorial Day of a number of Richland residences, the city hospital, and several businesses. Many Richland residents pitched in their spare time to help build the dike that successfully held back the river. Paul Beardsley, then a sergeant and now a captain on the ITT/FSS Patrol force, recalls that Air Force cargo planes flew into Richland with loads of gunnysacks for use on the dike. More than 200, 000 sandbags were used along its mile-and-a-quarter length. Planes were used since road access to the city was effectively cut off. The sandbags were taken out to an area near where the Joint Center for Graduate Study now stands, Beardsley recalls. A big crew of workers there filled the bags and loaded then on six or seven flatbed trucks, which shuttled back and forth between the rising dike. Refreshments for the crew were provided by Richland residents. On one occasion, Beardsley provided music for the loaders by playing records through the loudspeaker system on a Patrol jeep. During the construction of the dike, George Washington Way was blocked off from the gravel pit near the Yakima River Bridge up to the area where the dike started, near the present Pancake House. A whole fleet of earth movers many of which were on the project for the construction of DR and H Reactors, roared up and down the street at full speed bringing rock to the dike to try to beat the rising water. The vehicles stopped only to refuel, and the word was that at night their engine blocks glowed red."". More text under the image reads: ""Rising water covered the highway and railroad south of Richland during the May 1948 flood. This photograph was taken from the north bank of the Yakima River looking toward the Richland Wye; The dike which kept the flooding Columbia River out of Richland was constructed within three feet of Jack Heffner's home on Gowen Avenue, the corner of which is visible here at far right. This view looks southwest toward the men's barracks."". Also a small box at the bottom of the page reads: ""ITT/FSS is an equal opportunity employer. We do not discriminate by race religion, age, sex, or national origin in hiring, promotion, or any other phase of our company's operations."". Back side of image reads: ""ITT Federal Support Services, Inc. News; Vol. 6 June 18, 1971 No. 12; Third firm sends representatives here with job offers. The personnel manager and a vise president of Decatur Security Police, Inc., Seattle, were in Richland on Wednesday to conduct job interviews with a number of excess ITT/FSS patrolmen. According to Bud LeVan, manager of ITT/FSS Personnel Practices, Decatur Security is looking for more than 200 security patrolmen by the end of this year. The firm became aware of the availability of ITT/FSS patrolmen through an ad ITT/FSS placed in a trade publication. ""This is the latest of several positive responses to our ads in various trade publications,"" LeVan said. ""This also is the third firm which has thought highly enough of ITT/FSS employees to send representatives to interview weekly salaried personnel primarily."" As of June 4, more than 60 ITT/FSS employees in status had either been placed with other Hanford contractors or off-site firms through the efforts of Personnel Practices. Attendance Awards; Another 24 ITT/FSS weekly salaried employees recently became eligible for awards under the Company's Attendance Recognition Plan: 15 Years: W.S. Porter, Patrolman; J.H. Atchison, Patrolman; 14 years: J.D. Quinn, Storekeeper B; 12 Years: F.L. Mathiowetz, Patrolman; E.E. Thornton, Bus Driver; 11 Years: J.O. Ellison, Auto Mechanic Jryn.; L.C. Trousdale, Clerk-Spare Parts; 10 Years: E. Parham, Laundry-Asst. Pro.; D.W. Nelson, Patrolman; 9 Years: R. Stephens, Patrolman; J.h. Kohl, Patrolman; 8 Years: M.E. Heyl, Patrolman; 7 Years: J.M. Shibly, Patrolman; 6 Years A.T. Poor, Bus Driver; 5 Years: G.E. Lewandowski, Storekeeper A; C. Rodriguez, Trackman; 3 Years: E.R. Evans, Clerk-Files; A.H. Lee, Fireman Platoon; 2 Years: L.J. Linddell, Switchboard Operator; 1 Year: E.A. Johnson, Financial Clerk; S.C. Williams, Painter, Jryn. N.D. Richardson, Reproduction A; V.J. Beutelschies, Serviceman; E.B. Lee, Clark-Rec. Files""."

Hanford History Project, Washington State University Tri-Cities

For permission to publish please contact Washington State University Tri-Cities' Hanford History Project (509) 372-7447.

image/ tif

English

RG1D_4B_0625

2017-06-02

2018-12-05

For permission to publish please contact Washington State University Tri-Cities' Hanford History Project (509) 372-7447.

2 Photos

6.5 x 9.5 cm and 4.8 x 9.5 cm