Long-time Powell River residents will remember back to February 1975, when 4 rail cars of poisonous liquid chlorine
disappeared from a barge on its way to the local paper mill. The Chieftain III was the tug towing the barge to Powell
River on the evening of Feb 18, in a storm. When dawn broke the following morning the crew noted that the 4 rail
cars were missing. So somewhere in Malaspina Strait, between Glower Point near Gibsons and Powell River,
there still sit 4 rail cars of potentially catastrophic chlorine. Many, many thousands of dollars have been
disappeared from a barge on its way to the local paper mill. The Chieftain III was the tug towing the barge to Powell
River on the evening of Feb 18, in a storm. When dawn broke the following morning the crew noted that the 4 rail
cars were missing. So somewhere in Malaspina Strait, between Glower Point near Gibsons and Powell River,
there still sit 4 rail cars of potentially catastrophic chlorine. Many, many thousands of dollars have been
spent looking for them. In 2004 government scientists said they "might" have located the rail cars, but
they're not sure. After 40+ years of rusting on the bottom there is still no consensus on how
dangerous they really are - estimates run from "very" to "not at all".
they're not sure. After 40+ years of rusting on the bottom there is still no consensus on how
dangerous they really are - estimates run from "very" to "not at all".
These days the Chieftain III is mostly used to haul log booms to the south, in this case, yesterday, to the
bluffs at Gabriola Island, opposite the Harmac pulp mill south of Naniamo.
bluffs at Gabriola Island, opposite the Harmac pulp mill south of Naniamo.
Interesting mystery story. Let's hope that the "not at all" theory is the correct one.
ReplyDeleteThat would be rather disconcerting. Four entire rail cars is a lot to loose.
ReplyDeleteI guess it beats an atomic bomb like they lost in the Pacific in the 50s. - Margy
ReplyDelete