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THE ASTORIAN • THuRSdAy, July 25, 2019
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IN ONE EAR • ELLEDA WILSON
ANYBODY THERE?
o you wonder if there’s anyone “out there”? Should
we be trying to contact them? The UK Search for
Extra-Terrestrial Intelligence (SETI) folks — who pro-
vided the images shown — want to know your opinion on
the subject at fromafar.world/opinion
Meanwhile, they’re busy at work listening to space,
trying to get some answers. “Today, the Breakthrough
Listen initiative … is conducting the first large, and sys-
tematic SETI surveys using telescopes all over the world
— USA, Australia, South Africa and the UK,” the web-
site says.
“The Breakthrough Listen surveys will be many orders
of magnitude more capable than the early surveys of the
1960s. … In one day, Breakthrough Listen will survey
as much parameter space as all previous SETI surveys
added together. The prospects of a SETI detection have
never been better!”
But is contacting anyone “out there” a moot point? The
National UFO Reporting Center (NUFORC, nuforc.
org) reports that there are already 197 sightings for July
— only one from Oregon — and there were around 10
from Oregon (out of 444) in June. So far this year, there
are 2,371 sighting reports nationwide.
One on June 13 in Scotts Mills, Oregon, was
rather intriguing: “I saw a very shiny round aircraft in
the sky that wasn’t moving at all. It stayed in the same
spot for approximately one minute, then in the blink of an
eye it was on the other side of the sky. It stayed in that
spot for approximately four seconds, then literally
vanished.”
Cue the “Twilight Zone” theme …
A DAY LONG REMEMBERED
D
A HAPPY ENDING
owadays, if we want to go to Youngs River Falls,
we just hop in the car and drive on over. In the
1880s, getting there was a good deal more complicated,
although no less desirable. A writer named ”Rambler”
described a trip to the falls in the Tuesday, July 25,
1882 edition of The Daily Astorian.
First, he boarded the “commodious and comfortable”
steamer Clara Parker in Astoria. There were so many
passengers eager to go to the falls, the captain had to
tow a scow along to accommodate the surplus.
They rounded Smith Point (that little outcrop of land
near the roundabout); headed south for Youngs Bay,
passing an old mill and “delightful little farms”; then
turned into Youngs River, “a fine sheet of water” with
“old Saddle Mountain” as a backdrop.
When the steamer reached Etna Warnstaff’s ranch,
the excited group of excursionists disembarked — car-
rying lunch baskets and fishing gear, with children in
tow. Many rushed to board several small boats awaiting
them for a mile-long trip into the woods.
The final phase of the journey was a quarter-mile
walk (which Rambler said felt more like 2.25 miles) to
the falls, where there was “mist that floats away like a
dream.” A photo of the falls is shown, taken in the early
1870s by Joseph Buchtel, via oldoregonphotos.com
The “dining room” consisted of anywhere there was
shade. “We began the onslaught, and such a demol-
ishing of sandwiches and other luxuries had not been
witnessed in those regions for many a day,” the writer
declared.
After the meal, there were fishing and exploring par-
ties, and some indulged in the sulphur spring water
above the falls. At 4 p.m., it was time to begin the ardu-
ous journey home, which required “considerable time,
patience and ability to get the crowd all safely aboard.”
“No serious accident occurred to mar the pleasure of
the day,” Rambler concluded, “a day that will long be
remembered by those who were fortunate enough to be
there.”
N
D
FOLLOW THE SIGNS
o you know about the Historic Oregon Film Trail
signs? Each one marks an iconic filming location, and
the latest one went up recently at the Hammond Marina,
memorializing the spot in the final scene of the 1993 movie
”Free Willy,” when the orca jumped to freedom. The sign
is pictured, courtesy of historicoregonfilmtrail.com
There are already three signs in Astoria: On the Riv-
erwalk, near 36th Street (”The Goonies,” “Kindergar-
ten Cop”), in Alameda Park (”Short Circuit”) and by the
Oregon Film Museum (“The Goonies” again).
Signs are planned in Ecola Park in Cannon Beach
(”Point Break”), and in several other spots around
the state. Have a suggestion for a sign location? Email
makeit@oregonmade.org
D
hett Mattson was an absolute ray of sunshine, and
he continues to shine even after he has moved on
from this life,” Hannah Gonterman wrote. Thirteen-
month-old Rhett was the son of Anne Mattson, who lives
in Ilwaco, Washington.
“On July 16, Rhett fell into a pond at his grandparents’
house,” Hannah explained. “After he was stabilized at the
local hospital in Astoria, he was life-flighted to Oregon
Health and Science University Doernbecher Children’s
Hospital, where he received the best possible extraordi-
nary care.
“Rhett fought for every second of his life, but unfortu-
nately he was unable to overcome the trauma he had suf-
fered. He passed away peacefully in his mother’s arms
four days later. He is resting in peace, watching over his
momma now.
“We have started a GoFundMe account, the Rhett
Mattson Memorial Fund, to help aid her in the costly
medical expenses and in the funeral.” You can help at bit.
ly/RhettM. If you feel uncomfortable donating on a web-
site, you can contact Hannah directly at lilsmiles114@
gmail.com
“Any and all donations are greatly appreciated,” Han-
nah added. “We love you beyond words, Rhett!”
‘R
CLARA PARKER’S
LONG GOODBYE
on’t try this at home: Several weeks ago, James Wil-
liams plopped a pile of fish heads and guts on the
beach at Haida Gwaii, British Columbia, to attract some
eagles and ravens. Nearby, he set up his Go-Pro camera; he
was interested to see how the birds would behave, CBC.ca
reports (bit.ly/GoProeagle).
After a few minutes, things got a little too interesting.
First one eagle tossed a pile of fish guts at the lens, then
another snatched up the camera in its talons and flew off
with it.
Amazingly, in mid-July, a neighbor’s guest found the
camera on the beach, dinged up a bit, but the SD card was
intact; about a minute’s worth of ”eagle cam” footage was
saved. A screen shot is shown, courtesy of CBC and James
Williams.
“I’ve been debating going to buy a lottery ticket with
this good luck,” he told CBC.
BEYOND WORDS
hat 1882 nostalgic trip to Youngs River Falls inspired
an urge to know more about the sternwheel steamer
Clara Parker.
She was built and launched in 1881, in Astoria, for
businessman, politician and former Clatsop County sher-
iff (1856 to 1859) Hiram Bliss Parker, who named the
vessel after his youngest daughter.
The 107-foot Clara Parker offered freight, towing
and passenger services on the lower Columbia and Wil-
lamette rivers in the 1880s. Parker’s obituary claims
he “established the first independent steamer service
between Astoria and Portland.”
In 1890, the Clara Parker was condemned for a weak
hull, and pulled out of service. She was rebuilt (to 142
feet), and renamed Astorian. Back in service in 1891, she
reportedly became known as one of the faster boats on
the river, which was crucial, profitwise, due to rate wars
the steamboat companies persistently waged with each
other.
In 1892, Astorian would have sunk, if not for the inge-
nuity of her master, Capt. Eben Parker. She hit a snag,
then a rock, and a hole was torn in the hull. Parker ran
into the hold, stuffed the hole with blankets, used timbers
to hold them in place, then steamed on into Astoria.
During yet another rate war, in 1894, Hiram Parker
was paid by his competition to take Astorian out of ser-
vice. She was removed from service again in 1896, for
the same reason. Ironically, her owners probably made as
much money not running her, as they would have resum-
ing the route.
In 1903, Astorian was bought by the White Collar
steamboat line, and was back to work for a short while.
Jacob Kamm, a competitor, bought her that same year
and took her out of service. Again.
By 1908, Astorian had been sitting at a dock in Port-
land for five years. Her boilers were removed in April
1908, but left on the bow. She sprang a leak, and with
the extra weight on the bow, sank to the bottom the next
morning — a sad and ignominious end for one of Asto-
ria’s most popular steamboats. (bit.ly/StmrClaraP, bit.ly/
HBParker)
T
SOLD … OR NOT
ell, the auction results are in for Lot 0736, “A Cen-
tury at Sea,” at Guernsey’s in New York, which
included the Peter Iredale ship’s bell and Titanic first
class passenger (and survivor) Ella White‘s battery-pow-
ered lighted cane. Both items are pictured, courtesy of
Guernsey’s.
It’s quite disappointing to note that the bell
(bit.ly/IredaleBell) didn’t attract any bidders. The min-
imum bid was $5,000, and it was expected to fetch
from $15,000 to $25,000. On a happy note, this means
the 10-inch bell is possibly still available for some
avid Iredale shipwreck fan, should it pop up in a future
auction.
The lighted walking stick (bit.ly/ellastick), which Ella
White waved to use as a beacon for the other lifeboats and
the rescue ship Carpathia, also under-performed at the auc-
tion. The suggested opening bid was $100,000, and the
cane was expected to sell for $300,000 to $500,000. Sadly,
there was only one bid, and it sold for $50,000 (plus quite
substantial auction fees). Mrs. White would no doubt be
quite vexed at the outcome.
W
VAMPIRE GIRL
innish Astorian Maila Nurmi (1922-2008), an Astoria
High School graduate, went to Hollywood to find fame
as the ghoulish character she created, Vampira.
Aside from her wasp waist (rumored to be
17 inches), her gig hosting horror movies on TV, and
her lawsuit against younger horror movie hostess Elvira
for copyright infringement (bit.ly/VampElv), Vampira is
probably best known for her nonspeaking role as “Vam-
pire Girl” in what is often referred to as “the worst film
ever made,” director Ed Wood’s “Plan 9 from Outer
Space.”
Speaking of which, Vampira’s Facebook page noted
that Monday marked the 60th anniversary of the release
of the movie (July 22, 1959). You can grit your teeth and
watch it at bit.ly/Plan9ugh. Or, if you just want to watch
her scenes: bit.ly/Plan9Vamp. As truly abysmal as the film
is, Vampira still shines.
F