U. of O. Library
xa
Storm Darkens Southwest Oregon
VOLUME FOUR, NUMBER XXXXVI.
BROOKINGS,
CURRY COUNTY,
OREGON
THURSDAY, JANUARY 12, 1950
Chetco Harbor Data Gathered By U. S. A. Eng.
AREA WITHOUT ELECTRICITY MORE I
THAN 100 HOURS; BUSINESS HURT
With the fury of wildcats. Monday night, the Pacific coast storm
did untold damage along the entire coast line of western United
States, with southern Curry county having its share of resulting
inconvenience. Power was non-existent for 62 hours, and after
a few moment, again went off for another 18 hours, virtually
stopping all business from Medford westward, including Crescent
City v’ith the Brooking and Harbor vicinities.
Monday evening, the worst
windstorm of many years hit one might expect, by homes, but
the power lines all along the by the various locker plants, in
coast, putting many communi whose vaults were stored many
ties in darkness from a day to thousands of dollars worth of
almost a week, as in case of food. Brookings Market, before
this area, and Smith River, de its danger period had been reach
pendent upon California-Oregon ed, established an auxiliary unit
Power Company whose power to hold the temperature at nor
lines were practically oblitera mal. Freeman’s Chetco Store had
to move all that store’s meat to
ted by the storm.
another spot.
Bandon and the area about
With no apparent let-up in the
Coos Bay was hit hard, and was
storm, a road block was set in
without power Tuesday, but had
Brookings, stopping all north
no further trouble after power
bound cars until a road plow had
service was restored. That area
cleared Carpenterville hill of the
was hampered about a day in
deep snow. Over Oregon moun
all, reports say.
tain, where depths of as deep as
Gold Beach, with its own gen 55 inches were reported, pre
erating plant, had no interrup- sented quite another problem, to
t tion of service.
force many motorists over Hwy
In the vicinity of Cave Junc 101, if traveling north.
tion, silver thaws broke the main
Business Was Non-Existent
power lines to Crescent City and
Aside from groceries and the
Brookings in more than 25 places
businesses which did not depend
Tuesday night. More than 100
upon electricity to operate, all
men were recruited to help re-,
business of this area was pract
store the service. For a time
ically non-existent from Tues
Thursday afternoon, belief was
day morning until late Saturday
held that the job had been ac
afternoon when powef was fi
complished but new storms added
nally restored.
ice to lines and broke service in
Restoration of power relieved
less than a half hour. Friday the
several situations: Candles had
circuit was closed for almost
been sold out, bakery goods, due
two and a half hours.
to shut-down of Williamson’s
Locker Plants Hit Hard
Bakery, were becoming scarce;
Most concern was felt, not as
and those who had electric cook
ing devices, had almost exhaust-1
ed the supply of kerosene as a
substitute.
Assessor's Home
Hit By Small Fire
Power Outage
I ECONOMY OF LARGE SECTION OF
state DEPENDS UPON SHIPPING
suffered terrifically from the
power outage from Monday
to Saturday afternoon, the
Plit was practically “put out
of business.” Not a wheel of
the shop could be turned as
every machine is electrical.
This issue of the paper is
dated for the regular Thurs
day edition, and will be mail
ed to county subscribers on
Monday. Those out of the
county unll find this issue as
a part of the issue of the
week of January 19. Perhaps
some news meant for one is
sue, may apepar in the other.
O. E. S. Installs
Officers For Year
Satellite chapter, O. E, S., in
stalled officers at is meeting, last
week, with Mrs. Finch of Harbor
and Mrs. Jacobson of Smith Riv
er as installing officers and Mrs.
C. Brimm as installing marshal,
Mrs. Roy Hendry as installing con
ductress, Mrs. Roy Weideman as
installing chaplain, seated the
following 1950 officers:
Worthy Matron—Eileen Swan.
Worthy Patron—Bob Swan.
Associate Matron—Mrs. Alice
Rausch.
Associate Patron—Roy Hen
dry.
Secretary—Agda Bickner.
Treasurer—Gertrude Sutliff.
The incoming worthy matron
¿nd worthy patron were pre
sented flowers from their daugh
ters, who were unable to be
present, by Mrs. Rausch. Mrs.
Hendyry, out-going worthy mat
ron presented her successor a
bouquet of red roses.
At the close of the meeting,
Martha Harbin, Minnie Wright,
Hattie Payne, Mary Hanks and
Ruby Harvey were presented to
the chapter as the courtesy girls
for the coming year.
The out-going worthy matron,
Mrs. Hendry, and out-going wor
thy patron, Charles Bickner, re
ceived pins.
Apple pie and ice cream, tea
and coffee were served to cli
max the evening.
Satellite chapter holds meet
ing on the first and third Tues
day evenings of each month at
the Odd Fellow hall.
GOLD BEACH—Fire broke out P.-T. A. Comes Up With
last Saturday afternoon in the New Male Quartette
chimney of the George ’Sutton
“The Gear Jammers,” quartet
home. Prompt action on the part of P.-T. A. members, composed of
of the fire department held the Bert DeMoss, bass; Fox Bros, ten
damage to practically nothing, as or and lead and Bill Dugan, sang
the greatest damage was done by several numbers at the last P.-T.
a fire department ladder going A. meeting, held at the school last
through a small window.
week, with gratifying results, The
Sunday evening the department group sang their theme song (a
was called again when a motor of parady to “The Caissons Go Roll
the freezer unit at Green Lan ing Along), “The Diesels Go Roll
tern Cafe shorted and burned up. ing Along.
Two films, on safety, were dis
ao damage resulted, other than
to the motor. The fire truck and played, carrying out the program
“Nuts and Bolts,” junior class
Schmidt were at the scene of the of safety, scheduled for the meet-
fire about the same time, as thejing, first of the currenty calender play, was postponed to a date
! to be announced later.
siren sounded.
year.
Col. Burnes, and his assistant, former Col. Hixon, with assistants,
heard, first-hand last Wednesday morning how development of the
Chetco Cove would affect the economy of the entire southwest
Oregon, and how installation would mean increased wealth in
the economy of the entire country, from many angles. Each branch,
of industry, excepting the fishing interest, who could not arrive
in time, were present to state a case for that endeavor.
Kerr Reports For Timber
Henry Kerr, interested in the to that of 1938 when the original
timber and lumbering industry hearings had been held. He told
of the area, told of the annual that the proposed breakwater
cut of the district, and of the at that time would make approx
years that this cut was to be imately a 40-acre harbor (if wa
maintained. His figures were ter area could so be measured).
substantiated and supplemented
George Funk reported upon
by John Porisch, speaking for the floriculture interests of the
the U. S. Forest Department, for county, and what increased rap
Hershel Obye, who was unable id transportation would mean in
to come over Oregon Mountain that endeavor.
due to the storm and deep snow.
A department of the interior
man
reported upon the wealth
Paul Hafner, of Gold Beach,
in behalf of the mineral inter of the area, now being undevel
ests of the area, told of the dif oped because of costly trans
ferent mineral deposits in the portation, and said he could sub
section, substantiating his re mit many facts to substantiate
port by findings of the minerals this statement from records of
division of the department of the the department.
Transcripts were taken of all
interior. In all these reports the
testimony
by reporters, and the
transportation or lack of it was
army
engineers
allowed three or
given as reason for non-develop-
so
weeks
more
time for all in
ment of these properties in the
terested people to submit data
county.
in writing so that the case may
A representative of the barg
be carried to congress at the
ing company of The Dalles was
earliest possible date.
present to report that his com
pany was cognizant of the im
portance of the Chetco Cove de
velopment because this was the
only place between Eureka and
Portland offering sufficient deep
water draft for shipping and the
loading of bigger ships.
Fire, originating in the saw
Charles Echols, as county sur dust pile, and whipped through
veyor, compared the need in 1950 the mill by the high wind, early
Saturday morning, leveled the
Landauer mill despite all efforts
Admitted To Practice In of firemen to save even a part
the structure. Fire was first
U. S. Court of Appeals of
discovered about 2 a. m., then
Ed F. Ackley, local attorney, still quite small.
was, on Dec. 30, admitted to prac
Friday, it has been told about
tice before the United States court town, the wind from the south
of claims. This is the court where kept fanning the sawdust fire to
aggravating proportions, and the
in claims against the United smoke was at times quite dense
States are prosecuted.
in the sawmill. Proper precau
He had previously been ad tions were believed taken before
the mill was left for the night.
mitted to practice before the 9th
All that was saved from the
District U. S. Circuit Court of entire structure, was the green
Appeals; the U. S. District Court chain, near which were several
for Oregon; the U. S. Treasury piles of lumber.
Built in 1947, this mill, located
Department; the Interstate Com
at the mouth of the Chetco, ex
merce Commission and the U. S. cept for a brief lay-off when
Tax court. He is also a member lumber prices were unstable last
of the - Oregon State Bar; the winter, has given employment to
Coos-Curry Bar Association and many men. Reports say that Mr.
Landauer has said he wou d re
American Bar association.
build, although this was not con
firmed at the time the Pilot was
Read Pilot Class ads- it pays’. put to press.
Early Morning Fire,
Saturday, Levels
Landauer Sawmill