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THE DAILY ASTORIAN • FRIDAY, MARCH 10, 2017
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IN ONE EAR • ELLEDA WILSON
HOT FISH
S
ix years ago Saturday, Japan was devastated by the 2011 earth-
quake and tsunami. One of the most publicized results of the
disaster is the continuing meltdown of the Fukushima nuclear
reactor. In late February, for the first time in six years, the port of
Ukedo in Fukushima, 7 miles north of the crippled power plant,
welcomed back fishing boats, according to The Ashai Shimbun
(http://tinyurl.com/fukufish). A photo of the new arrivals is shown,
courtesy of Yosuke Fukudome.
Even though the ocean waters around the port were contami-
nated with radiation during the disaster, 26 fishing boats returned
Feb. 25 for the start of the kounago (Japanese sand eel) fishing sea-
son in mid-March in waters more than 6 miles from the Fukushima
plant.
“This is the first step to return to my life as a fisherman,” said
Ichiro Takano, 69, a third-generation fisherman. The Ear can’t help
but wonder if he will take a Geiger counter with him.
HOT SURF
T
he surfers never really left the Fukushima area, according to
an Al Jazeera story (http://tinyurl.com/fukusurfer). Their favor-
ite spot, Tairatoyoma Beach, is about 30 miles from the nuclear
power plant; even now, both the sand and water are contaminated
by radiation, it’s in a forbidden zone, and hundreds of bags of con-
taminated soil are piled nearby. Yet they can’t stay away. One die-
hard surfer is shown in a photo by Eric Lafforgue/Al Jazeera.
Some surfers were actually at the beach on March 11, 2011.
“The earth shook, we came back on the Tairatoyoma beach, and a
few minutes later, the tsunami wave arrived,” one said. “None of
the surfers who were on the beach died, as we had time to escape.
Those who were in their homes were taken by the waves by sur-
prise, and they died.”
As far as the radiation exposure threat goes, another surfer
noted, “I put on sunscreen against the sun, but I haven’t found any-
thing against radiation. We will only know the true consequences
of our time in the water 20 years from now.”
IT’S NOT A LOBSTER
‘P
elagic crabs washed up in Newport, Oregon, yesterday and
they are a long ways from home, “ ODFW Conservation
posted on its Facebook page Thursday, March 2. Hundreds of the
little critters landed on Agate Beach, where that huge chunk of
dock debris rolled in, courtesy of the Japanese tsunami, in 2012.
A photo from the Facebook page is shown, courtesy of ODFW
Conservation.
Although they look a bit like crawdads, and are referred to as
a type of squat lobster, ODFW says they are actually more closely
related to the hermit crab than crayfish, regular crabs or lobsters,
and have a larger relative that is caught off the coast of Chile, and
marketed as langostino.
Unfortunately, most of the crabs were dead, probably due to the
cold water. People inquired if they were edible, and ODFW assured
them they were not — and not just because they were dead, either.
These little guys (about 5 inches long) eat algae blooms that have
biotoxins in them, and are unsafe to eat.
“In fact, Newport is likely the furthest north (the crabs) have
ever been seen,” the post continued. “These guys are normally
found offshore of Southern California and Mexico, and are rarely
seen north of San Francisco … Biologists believe that last year’s El
Niño disrupted warm currents enough to push these farther north
than they’re usually found, and storms likely pushed them ashore.”
THE FEARLESS FROGMAN
F
requently the Ear sees a cryptic notice in an old issue of
The Daily Morning Astorian, like this example, from
the March 8, 1889 edition: “Capt. Boynton arrives this
morning. He is the boss swimmer and has made more miles
in the water than any other man living. If he has luck he will
take some seals back east with him.”
Who was Capt. Boynton, and why was he in Astoria,
which was not exactly on the beaten path in 1889? A lit-
tle research revealed his name was actually Paul Boyton
(1848-1924), not Boynton — a common misspelling of his
name, to his great annoyance.
Nicknamed the “Fearless Frogman,” he served in the
Union Navy during the Civil War, and later helped orga-
nize the U.S. Life-Saving Service, a precursor to the U.S.
Coast Guard, according to ConeyIsland.com (http://tinyurl.
com/FrogBoyton).
Aside from being a famous showman, world traveler,
adventurer and daredevil open water swimmer (and later
a member of the International Swimming Hall of Fame),
he became famous for wearing a rubber dry suit during
his swimming escapades. Initially designed as a lifesaving
device for ship passengers, it was meant to be used while
floating on one’s back, and came with a paddle.
Boyton owned an aquatic circus, and toured the country
with it, which is probably why he was in Astoria. It is also
likely the reason the seals were mentioned in the little Asto-
rian squib.
In 1895, Boyton opened the Sea Lion Park, with rides,
on 16 acres of land on Coney Island, New York. He secured
his fame for posterity when he and 12 of his sea lions per-
formed in the 1900 silent film, “Feeding Sea Lions.” You
can read his entertaining memoirs at http://tinyurl.com/
BoytonBio
Capt. Paul Boyton was but one of the many celebrities
who visited Astoria. Future stories will tell of others.
THE CURSED SHIP, NEVA
hipwreck and maritime history buffs take note: Archaeol-
ogists have finally found the campsite used by the sur-
vivors of the wreck of the “cursed” Neva, a Russian war-
ship that wrecked in January 1813 off what is now Alaska,
the Alaska Dispatch News reports (http://tinyurl.com/Neva-
Camp). The Neva is pictured, in Kodiak, Alaska.
The Neva seemed doomed from the start. In 1804, during
the Battle of Sitka, a shaman cursed the ship, and everyone
on it, because the Russians attacked the Tlingits. The Neva’s
captain drowned before the ill-fated last trip began, and 15
crew members and passengers died during the voyage to
Alaska.
When the Neva ran aground and broke apart, 32 died.
The remaining 28 got to land and set up camp; two of those
died, and the rest were rescued when, ironically, a Tlingit
boy found them after three harrowing wintry weeks ashore.
But it’s always been a mystery where the ship wrecked, and
where survivors stayed. A recent archaeological expedition
to the ocean-facing side of Kruzof Island, funded by the
National Science Foundation, has confirmed the location of
the campsite.
“The Neva’s one of those sagas that’s almost legendary
in Alaska, and folks have been looking for it for 200 years,”
Dave McMahan, an archaeologist and the expedition’s
chief investigator, said. And it’s no wonder it took so long to
find. “It’s an area that’s very rugged and remote and very dif-
ficult to get into,” he added.
McMahan and others suspected Kruzof Island was the
right spot because they found the remains of cooking fires
and axes in a 2012 expedition. But they could not find the ship
— the metal-detecting equipment was thrown off because all
the rocks in the vicinity are loaded with iron — and it’s prob-
ably in scattered pieces, and unlikely to ever be found. An
expedition in 2015 turned up more fire pits and artifacts, and
this latest one, last summer, found a treasure trove of items
from the camp and the grave of a crew member.
Strangely enough, the Neva’s survivors’ campsite loca-
tion was on a spot considered sacred by shamans. Last sum-
mer, Russian Orthodox and Tlingit blessing ceremonies
were conducted there, providing a peaceful resolution to
their forbears’ animosity.
CAPTION THIS
he New Yorker magazine is no stranger to the North Coast,
especially after Calvin Trillin’s story, “The Magnificent Fla-
vels,” but it’s also well-known for its edgy cartoons.
Did you know The New Yorker has a weekly cartoon caption
contest? Writers can submit their clever captions, which must
be 250 characters or less, online, The New Yorker chooses three
finalists, and then anyone interested can vote for their favorite
online. Anyone age 13 or older can enter or vote. Want to join the
fun? Go to http://tinyurl.com/tnycaption
The deadline for this week’s contest is 8:59 p.m. (our time) on
Sunday. You never know — the cartoon and your winning cap-
tion might even get published.
T
LOCAL BREVITIES
T
idbits from The Daily Morning Astorian, March 12, 1895:
• Clairvoyant: Madam Nelson reads head and palm, also
cards, and tells past, present and future. Consultation on all affairs.
Price, 50 cents (almost $15 now) and upwards. Recommendations
from several hundred persons. 455 Exchange St., corner of 10th
Street (now the address is on a dead end off Fourth Street).
• Gertie Dow, a confirmed opium smoker, yesterday forfeited
$5 (about $146 now) in Judge Osburn’s court.
• Mr. D’Ella and Mr. Carlson have made some much-needed
improvements in the way of substantial walks in front of their resi-
dences on Scow Bay (where Columbia Memorial Hospital is now).
• W.F. McGregor is having telephone connection established
between his office and his new residence near Alderbrook.
• I offer for sale my seining grounds near Pillar Rock (deeded
from state of Oregon) with dock 100 by 40 feet and house 26 by 56,
newly built; six horses, two seines and boats, everything complete
for seine fishing. Address Sam Oliver, care of Astorian.
S
TUNNELING TO SAFETY
lans to start building the world’s first full-scale ship tunnel
through a narrow point on the Stad Peninsula sometime after
2018 are under way in Norway, and the financing is in place,
gCaptain.com reports (http://tinyurl.com/nortunnel). An illustra-
tion of the project is shown, courtesy of the Norwegian Coastal
Administration.
The Stad Ship Tunnel isn’t expected to be a time-saver, and in
fact, probably won’t be. More importantly, it’s needed to bypass a
very dangerous area along the Norwegian coast where the North
and Norwegian seas meet and the weather, currents and waves
are known to be treacherous.
Expected to be about a mile long, 121 feet high and 87 feet
wide, creating the tunnel will require blasting out almost 4 mil-
lion cubic yards of rock, and will take three or four years. Or per-
haps as long as a decade. Besides the safety factor, officials hope
to make the tunnel into a tourist attraction, perhaps even adding
an overhead bridge for the public.
P
COMMUNITY NOTES
SATURDAY
Lower Columbia R/C Society
— 8:30 a.m., back room at Uptown
Cafe, 1639 S.E. Ensign Lane, War-
renton. Local Academy of Model
Aeronautics (AMA) chartered radio
control model aircraft club meets for
breakfast and business. All model
aircraft enthusiasts are welcome.
For information, call 503-458-5196
or 503-325-0608.
Angora Hiking Club — 9 a.m.,
Sixth Street parking lot. Nehalem
Bay cleanup. For information, call
June Baumler at 503-368-4323 or
Tami Christner at 503-805-8458.
Chinook Indian Nation Coun-
cil — 11 a.m., Scarborough House,
Fort Columbia, Chinook Point,
Washington. Annual Story Gath-
ering and Potluck Lunch follows
meeting, which is open to all tribal
members. Attendees are reminded
to bring a potluck item.
Clatsop County Genealog-
ical Society — 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.,
Church of Jesus Christ of Lat-
ter-day Saints, 350 Niagara Ave.
Park in rear of church. The program
is “Using Technology to Find Your
Family Heritage.” All are welcome.
For questions, call Carol Wamsher
at 503-298-8917 or Sali Diamond at
503-325-1963.
Columbia Northwestern Mod-
el Railroading Club — 1 p.m., in
Hammond. Group runs trains on
HO-scale layout. For information,
call Don Carter at 503-325-0757.
Spinning Circle — 1 to 3 p.m.,
Astoria Fiber Arts Academy, 1296
Duane St. Bring a spinning wheel.
For information, call 503-325-5598
or go to http://astoriafiberarts.com
SUNDAY
National Alliance on Mental
Illness (NAMI) Support Group
— 2 to 3:30 p.m., Seaside Public
Library, 1131 Broadway. Family to
Family Support Group, for anyone
with friend or loved one suffering
from a serious brain (mental) illness.
For information, contact Myra Kero
at 503-738-6165, or k7erowood@q.
com, or go to www.nami.org
Line Dancing — 5:30 to 8 p.m.,
Seaside American Legion, 1315
Broadway. For information, call
503-738-5111. No cost; suggested
$5 tip to the instructor.
— 9 to 9:45 a.m., Astoria Senior
Center, 1111 Exchange St. For in-
formation, call 503-325-3231.
Scandinavian Workshop —
10 a.m., First Lutheran Church, 725
33rd St. Needlework, hardanger,
knitting, crocheting, embroidery
and quilting. All are welcome. For
information, call 503-325-1364 or
503-325-7960.
MONDAY
Chair Exercises for Seniors
See NOTES, Page 2B