March 28, 1964 Gulf of Alaska Tsunami - Seward Narrative
Passage from Lander (1996):
"At the time of the earthquake, the tanker Alaska Standard was at the
Standard Oil Company dock taking on petroleum products. Harold Solibakke was
the captain. One seaman, Theodore Pederson, was on the dock on hose watch when
the earthquake hit. The tide was near low and predicted to reach minus 0.7 feet
at 6:08 P.M. Stove oil, and two grades of gasoline had been loaded and diesel
fuel was being loaded. The ship was connected with the dock by five hoses and
seven mooring lines. The shock was followed in about 30 seconds by the ship
heeling sharply to starboard (bay side).
An observer on shore reported seeing the Alaska Standard disappear from
sight (Lantz and Kilpatrick, undated) probably due to the drop in water level
and the roll.
Captain Solibakke (1964) reported that the ship first heeled suddenly and
dangerously to starboard then rose, breaking the hose connections or pulling
them out with the risers, pipelines, and pilings. Fire followed almost
immediately, as did the slump-generated tsunami. Fourteen storage tanks were
completely destroyed by the slumping and ensuing fire, and four more were badly
damaged, leaving just five of the twenty-three tanks intact.
Although the Civil Defense team arrived quickly, there was little they could do
as the water lines and power lines were cut. They were forced to cut a hole in
the ice at First Lake a mile away for water for their pumper trucks. The fire,
a fairly common secondary hazard from tsunamis, was mainly confined to the water
and waterfront area. There was an 80-car train on the railroad tracks ready to
leave but it was caught in the wave and fire. The last 40 cars were filled with
petroleum products that exploded serially toward the Texaco tanks. Tank cars
and boxcars were moved as far as a quarter of a mile from the track by the
tsunami. A 75-ton switching locomotive overturned and moved 300 feet. A
120-ton locomotive was carried 100 feet and left sticking up in the rubble
(Petticoat Gazette, April 2, 1964). The Texaco tanks continued to burn
for two days. Emil Elbe, an engineer for the Alaska Railroad, died of a heart
attack while running from one of the waves."
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