Statistics of the 1912 Regina Cyclone
Two funnel clouds touched down at Regina Saskatchewan Canada on June 30th, 1912 at 4:45 pm. The tornado started 11 miles (18 kilometers) south of Regina and created a path of destruction northward in the affluent residential area between Wascana Lake and Victoria Avenue and the business district downtown. Within the city, the tornado continued for an additional 7 ½ miles (12 kilometers) and it lasted three minutes.
The tornado was rated as a F4 on the Fujita Scale and the criteria for this rating is:
- Sustained wind speeds 207 - 260 mph (333 - 418 km/hr)
- Well constructed homes can be leveled
- Buildings with weak foundations can be blown some distance
- Cars may be thrown
- Large objects can become missiles
There were 28 deaths and 2500 people were left homeless. Approximately 500 buildings were destroyed or damaged. The property damage was over $1.2 million and that was based on costs in 1912. In the downtown area, the path of destruction was 12 city blocks long and 3 blocks wide.
Damage Caused by the 1912 Regina Cyclone
- On the railway property, grain elevators were airborne and the Canadian Pacific Railway roundhouse was flattened. Railway tracks were mangled.
- The newly-constructed Carnegie Public Library was destroyed.
- The homes of the Premier of Saskatchewan and the Manager of the Regina Exhibition were demolished.
- The north wall of Knox Presbyterian Church crumbled but it was rebuilt. The stained glass window was salvaged and is now housed in the Regina Plains Museum. The cupola of the Baptist church blew off and rolled for two blocks.
- Over 500 commercial buildings and homes were damaged or destroyed.
Notable People in the 1912 Regina Cyclone
Bruce Langton, a 12 year old boy who was out with a friend in a canoe on Wascana Lake when the tornado approached. As the boys tried to get to shore, the wind picked up the canoe and tossed out Bruce’s friend, Philip Steele who was killed instantly. Bruce remained in the canoe and was found alive in a park hundreds of yards away. He was still clutching the paddle and couldn’t remember what happened.
Another disaster occurred on Wascana Lake. A real estate salesman was in his boat when the tornado hit. The wind picked up his boat and he ended up being driven against the third floor window of a commercial building. Unfortunately, he did not survive.
William Henry Pratt, a British actor was appearing in a play in Regina when the tornado occurred. He extended his stay in Regina for several days in order to help with the rescue effort. Several years later, William moved to Hollywood and changed his name to Boris Karloff.
The Regina Cyclone of 1912 was a real setback for the city. Regina was in the middle of a building boom since its incorporation as a city 8 years prior and recently named as the provincial capital of the province of Saskatchewan. It took over 40 years for the disaster debt to be paid off by the city of Regina.
Sources:
- Collections Canada (has pictures)
- Saskatchewan News Index
- Wikipedia (has pictures)
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