Thursday, July 16, 1964 (Sec. 1) The Sandy (Ore.) Post
4H CLUB
Sky-Divers Seek Ultimate in
Encounter With Sudden Death -
“ What’ll you do when sky-diving
gets to be dull?” I asked sky-div
er and former Sandyite Joe Brock
way while we were gaining altl-
tue for his 300th-plus jump.
“Guess I’ll take up driving mo
torcycles through brick walls,”
came the reply.
A special breed of men, these
sky-divers. A breed whose ef
forts to find personal exhilaration
in physical danger exceed the ef
forts of all other dare-devils —
of the auto racer, the mountain
qlimber, the trapeze artist. For
the sky-diver’s particular con
frontation with danger allows but
one stake.
That stake is life itself.
One may count on the fingers
of one hand those who have lived
to tell of a chute that didn’t open.
One could see them last Sat-
urday afternoon, floating to earth
as lazily as a dazzling autumn
leaf. It seemed too easy, espe-
daily so when I recalled the ad-
monition given me in my Air
Force days: “Stay with a crip
pled airplane if you possibly can;
use your chute only as a last re
sort.”
It seemed queer that a piece of
emergency equipment of somewhat
dubious life-saving value would
!
give rise to America’s most ex
clusive sport. So I went to Rich’s
airport to talk to these fellows,
to see what they were like, and
above all to wangle a ride with
them.
A few moments later an old
Cessna radial - engined plane
bumped down the airstrip on its
take-off run. It had been modified
for sky-diving: the only remaining
seat was occupied by pilot Bob
Nelson of Portland; to the left and
in back of him yawned the exit
hole, where the door used to be.
There were three passengers:
Fred Morse, in a white flight suit,
a green chute pack strapped on
was going for his 142nd jump; Joe
Brockway, whom I’ve already told
you about, clad in red; and my
self. We began to climb.
At 1000 feet above the terrain,
the pilot banked the plane and we
could see the target -- a 100
foot circle with a white cross
in its center. It looked very small.
We continued the climb to 3000
feet above the terrain. Fred and
Joe had the affected nonchalance
gotten only with the experience
that steels the nerves. Each car
ried a “spare” chute on his chest.
Fastened to this chute were a
standard airplane altimeter and a
Woodland Rambles
1
By JOE KIEFER
Do you want to help to rename
three Oregon mountains?
The Oregon Geographic names
board, has decided to ask for pub
lic opinion on restoring the old
names Faith, Hope and Charity
to the Three Sister peaks in the
central Cascades.
It’s a proven fact that many
of the early settlers in central
Oregon used the name Faith for
what is now the North Sister, Hope
for the Middle Sister, and Charity
for the South Sister.
The proposal to rename the in
dividual peaks, while keeping the
name Three Sisters fpr the group,
came from U. S. District Judge
John F. Kilkenny, a member of
the board.
Another board member, Rob
ert Frazier, from Eugene said
he thinks the proposed names are
nice, but that the present names
are deeply established in moun
tain-climbing literature and oth
er useage and that it would be
presumptuous of the board to try
to change them.
What do you think?
You are invited to submit com
ments on the ideas. They may be
sent in care of the Oregon Hls-
torical Society 235 SW Market
St., Portland.
As for myself, I firmly want to
keep the names of our beautiful
Three Sister mountains as they
are.
About 270 boys are doing a real
job at the Sandy River Oxbow
Park. The boys are constructing
trails, cleaning up an estimated
500 acres, and cutting shakes,
posts and fire wood.
The boys are scheduled to work
until Aug. 21.
Some of the cow towns of the
old West were tough, and one of
the toughest was Dodge City.
The story is told that in those
days, a “drunk” boarded a train
and gave the conductor a handful
of bills.
“Where to?” the conductor ask
ed. “To h—” said the passenger.
“The fare to Dodge City is $2.50”
replied the conductor as he handed
back the change.
Not much of a column this time
folks.
I just have too many irons in
the fire.
stop watch. During the climb, both
jumpers checked their altimeters
frequently against the one in the
airplane's instrument panel.
The purpose of the altimeter and
the watch is this: the sport of sky
diving has two parts to it: the free
fall and the zeroing in on the tar
get. One doesn’t simply jump and
pull the ripcord. While falling,
the diver watches his altimeter to
see how far he has to go before
embracing mother earth.
Suddenly we leveled off. The
target by now looked like a half-
dollar from across a street. We
were about five miles downwind
of it and headed for it. Joe was
the first to jump. He got up from
the floor of the cabin and with his
right hand grasping the back of the
pilot’s seat and his left’ the wing
strut outside, he put one foot on
a rung of the entrance ladder and
pulled himself halfway into the
180 mph slipstream.
Squinting at the target ahead
of and below him, he removed his
right hand from the back of the
seat and extended it to within the
pilot's vision and by pointing in-
dicated whether the pilot should
go to the right, the left, or straight
ahead.
With the course corrected, Joe
climbed slowly out of the airplane,
both hands on the wing strut, both
feet on the entrance ladder. He
was poised like a hawk.
I too was poised — my camera
was ready to catch him as he
jumped. But suddenly he was gone.
Scrambling to the opening and
looking over the edge, I could see
nothing. Then, far down, a red-and-
white chute blossomed in what
seemed a mere Instant. But in that
“instant,” Joe had plummeted an
other 200 feet.
A few moments later we were
lined up for Fred’s run. He was
out there; I was perched on the
edge of the opening, camera to
eye, watching for the slightest
motion that would signal his jump.
A blur, and the camera clicked.
Looking, I could see Fred, al
ready far down, facedown, spread-
eagled, drilling downward with
alarming speed, like Lucifer
plunging into the inferno. When he
seemed about to crash into the
trees, a green chute blossomed
above him.
And he swung in the air as
prettily as a child on a swing,
When we landed, two more di
vers were lolling in the shade of
a tree, awaiting their turn. We
talked for a while, and I remem
ber asking one why he took up
such an eminently dangerous sport.
“Aw, it isn’t dangerous,’’ he
replied. “The way the chute’s
built, it’s just gotta open.’’ Then
taklng a last puff from his cig-
arette, l.e reiterated, “It’s just
gotta!”
Everything about the
Common-Sense Car
appeals to your common sense
FLAT FLOORS, WIDE
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out-not squeeze in and
out.Morehead to toeroom,
more side-to side room
NOT JUST RUST PROOFED,
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every vulnerable part
against rust, corrosion, and
salt damage.
STUDEBAKER'S EXCLU
SIVE HILL HOLDER enables
driver to stand still on
incline, then pull away with
out roll back (Optional.)
The Mt. Hood Jaycees want to
say thanks to all those from the
Sandy area who did so much to
help them in their 5th annual
Gayway Street Dance. The cooper
ation gets better each year, with
almost everyone topping the high
est expectations.
Special thanks are extended to
those who donated trophies to the
go-kart races: Clackamas County
Bank, Mt. Hood Cleaners,
Curt and Del’s Tavern, Dea’s In
and Out, Richardson Chevrolet,
Sandy Rexall Drugs, Mike’s Drive-
In, Sandy Shell Service, Meier
Dairy, Smith Motor Co., Gene’s
Grocery and Market, Moen Mach
inery, Lewis Distributers and
Morgan’s Dlstr.
And to all those living in the
go-kart area who gladly accepted
the inconvenience and nolse--our
thanks.
And thanks to those who donated
parking lots, grounds, prizes, and
good ol’ fashioned help: Glos Ford,
Sandy Lumber, Sandy Fire Dept.,
Oregon Grape Vine Radio club,
Fabians, PGE, Brewster’s Dept.
Store, Janz Berry land, Piggly Wig
gly, Carroll Funeral Home, Curt
Lofstead, Bud Pullen, Damascus
Rev ‘n’ Riders—and all others
we may have forgotten ( we hope
there aren’t any!).
If we will have half the cooper
ation next year as we had this
year, our worries will be few
indeed. Thank you.
UNITED STATES BREWERS ASSOCIATION, INC.
Your phone is a branch of our business
office. Use it to order telephone service
or equipment, to get information about
your bill or payments, to handle any tele
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THE COMMON-SENSE CAR
Sff
YOU» STUDEBAKER DEALER TODAYI
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• LOOP
•
Chester Woodka, father of Ellen
Steffi of Ellen’s “Klozet,” Is
visiting his daughter and grand
daughters In Sandy. He Is a re
sident of West Point, Neb.
Though he’s not said how long
he’ll be staying, Woodka is being
put to good use by his daughter
In fixing things up around the
apartment.
In Oregon...beer goes with fun, with relaxation
F uël K idî
9^
Chester Woodka
Visits Daughter
On a hot summer day, a dip in a cool stream can be wonderfully
refreshing. Equally refreshing when you’re relaxing afterwards
with friends is a hearty glass of beer. There’s hardly another bev
erage around that suits what you do for fun as much as beer.
Camping, hiking, or just lounging on a lawn chair—beer brings to
each just rhe right touch of extra good living.
Your familiar glass of beer is also a pleasurable reminder that
we live in a land of personal freedom—and that our right to enjoy
beer and ale, if we so desire, is just one, but an important one, of
those personal freedoms.
Each person in the State of Ore
gon helps pay the cost of forest
fires. No matter where you live
you are affected in some way —
whether it be in the loss of pay
rolls, products, tax revenues, wa
ter or recreation. Your help is
needed to prevent forest fires.
EACH LITTLE DROP,
OUR OIL VJILL MAKE
VOUR HEATER/n
kee,
Clackamas; Keith Ague,
Clackamas, Robin Baker, Park
Place; Larry Black, Oregon City;
Curtis and Roger Brownell, Car
ver; John Curtin, Carver; Lon
Haberlach, Carver; Patrick Hllley,
Milwaukie; Stewart Janes, Mllwau-
iie; Ronald Mltunienwicz, Clack
amas; Anthony Radmilovich, Rhod
odendron; David Ross, Wemme;
Bob Shibley, Wemme, Gary Snyder,
Oregon City; Tommy Richardson,
Milwaukie; Bob Wheeler, Carver;
and Jay Watson, Clackamas.
The jump is made from 3000 feet above the
terrain.
Jaycees Say Thanks
there ' s comfort in
BIG 15 INCH WHEELS
cushion every mile every
bump and stop with more
rubber on the road Con
tribute to longer tire life
The bigger the tire the
safer the ride
NEWS AND NOTES
By Donna McCoy and John Kleaaw
Twenty-six 4-H Forestry Club
members from Clackamas County
attended the district 4- h Forestry
Camp being held at Camp Wilker
son July 13-15.
Camp Wilkerson is located in
Columbia County. 4-H forestry
members
are attending from
counties In Northwestern Oregon.
The camp program is planned
with an emphasis on forestry and
wildlife. Classes are held on var
ious phases of forestry, plants,
wildlife and water life. Instruct-
ors for the classes are from the
United
States Forest Service,
Oregon State Forestry Depart
ment, Oregon State Game Com
mission, Fish Commission, Crown
Zellerbach
Corporation
and
Oregon State University Extension
Service.
Club members attending from
Clackamas
County are Nancy
Adair, Milwaukie; Evelyn Shearer
and Gwen Shearer, Clackamas;
Christie, Marion, Eric and Robby
Hungerford, Clackamas; Marlon
Pack, Rhododendron; Rose Marie
Watson, Clackamas; Jo Anne Dur
Sky-diver Fred Morse stands poised outside
the airplane as he lines up for his 142nd jump,
Company is as close as your phone.
3
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