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THE ASTORIAN • THuRSdAy, JuNE 10, 2021
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IN ONE EAR • ELLEDA WILSON
BALAKLAVA’S MISFORTUNE
T
he Daily Astorian, in the June 10, 1888, edition,
noted the “long and stormy voyage” of the British
bark Balaklava, which finally entered Astoria after a gru-
eling 439-day voyage.
Captain Palmer set sail from London on March 25,
1887. The trouble began after they rounded Cape Horn on
July 29, when they were caught in a cyclone off the coast
of Chile.
The ship was dismasted, 10 of the crew members were
washed overboard and lost, and the captain broke his leg
— which was set by the steward, who created splints from
wooden barrel slats.
Meanwhile, the deck was covered in debris, which was
tossed overboard, along with most of the cargo, “to relieve
the ship.” New masts were jerryrigged and the Balaklava
headed for Ancud, Chile, arriving Sept. 12.
On Jan. 6, 1888, she was towed to Valparaiso, Chile.
Once repairs were completed, and a new crew hired on,
Balaklava sailed for San Francisco on March 23, nearly a
year after leaving London.
But the misfortunes continued, as she was hounded by
storms. Just before she entered the Golden Gate, two more
crew members were lost at sea.
When the Balaklava arrived in Astoria, the captain and
the second mate were the only remaining members of the
original crew.
Sadly, their luck didn’t improve on arrival, either, since
their last port, Valparaiso, had been declared “infected,”
which forced the captain and crew to stay aboard to
“remain in quarantine for the time being.”
Hopefully, they all lived happily ever after.
LOCAL BREVITIES
BARNACLE BILL
n elephant seal, dubbed Barnacle Bill,
became quite popular when he decided to
haul out on multiple northern Oregon beaches over
Memorial Day weekend,” Tiffany Boothe of the Sea-
side Aquarium reported, “filling both visitors and locals
with concern for his well-being.” Her photo of Bill is
shown.
He first showed up on Falcon Cove beach on May
17, acting lively, but looking awful from molting. “The
salt water irritates their open wounds, and they have a
hard time regulating their body temperature,” Tiffany
explained. “Being out of the water allows them to warm
up and get some well-needed rest.
“During this process large hunks of skin will
often come off along with the old fur. This can cre-
ate large sores and open wounds but it is a natural
process.”
Bill’s nickname comes from the patches of pelagic
gooseneck barnacles growing on his back and
flippers.
Next stop, Arch Cape for a few days, then a few
more on Nedonna Beach, before moving to Cannon
Beach to lounge in front of Haystack Rock on Memo-
rial Day weekend.
“Staff from the Haystack Rock Awareness Pro-
gram did a wonderful job watching over him,” Tiffany
said, “making sure people and dogs did not disturb his
peace.”
He completed his coastal tour in Manzanita, where it
was obvious he was starting to heal. On June 1, he bade
farewell to the North Coast.
“Over the two weeks that he visited, we received a lot
of calls from concerned citizens,” Tiffany added, “and
with the help of state parks and the Haystack Rock
Awareness Program, we were able to educate peo-
ple about the natural process of molting … We are so
thankful for all our partners and this wonderful
community.”
‘A
SOMETIMES ON SUNDAYS
he Daily Morning Astorian, on June 11, 1889, reported
that Postmaster General John Wanamaker (1838-
1922) sent a letter to postmasters of 100 of the largest post
offices to find out “the relative importance of mails on
Sunday.”
Early on, the individual post offices decided for them-
selves if they wanted to be open on Sundays or not. The
controversy started in 1809 in Washington, Pennsylvania,
when the postmaster opened on Sundays so people who
only came into town to attend church could get their mail.
His church disapproved of him breaking the Sabbath
by working, and expelled him, starting a skirmish between
the post office and the churches.
In 1810, Postmaster General Gideon Granger (1767-
1822) persuaded Congress to pass the Postal Service
Act which, among other things, kept post offices open,
and mail moving, seven days a week. His concerns were
strictly finance-centered.
The wrangling went on for years. The Sabbath and post
office dilemma became essentially moot when the tele-
graph was invented in the 1840s, and business informa-
tion could be sent and received faster by wire than by mail.
By the 1850s, most mail wasn’t moving on Sundays
anymore, but several post offices were still open, sorting
mail, selling stamps, etc. … Hence Wanamaker’s request
to find out if staying open on Sundays was still a finan-
cially worthwhile endeavor. (bit.ly/SunMail)
T
LISTENING ON THE WIND
id you know there’s a wind phone booth — used to
help people communicate with their loved ones who
are deceased — in Battleground, Washington?
Just pick up the receiver and start talking … the wind
will take the message where it needs to go. Merlinda
Sain, whose son, Bryce, died unexpectedly, installed the
phone “as a place to remember her son.”
The wind phone booth originator is believed to be Itaru
Sasaki, of Otsuchi, Japan. Sasaki installed one in his hill-
top garden in 2010 after his cousin’s death. Inside was a
disconnected rotary phone so he could pick up the receiver
and speak to his cousin whenever he wanted to.
After the 2011 devastating earthquake and tsunami
struck Japan, several of his townspeople died or vanished.
He offered the use of his wind phone to the community,
and even added a notebook so people could leave mes-
sages for their dearly departed. The word quickly spread.
Sain’s wind phone booth, at 2311 S.W. Sixth St., also
has a notebook and is open during daylight hours.
“It’s about acknowledging how difficult grief can be
and the intense pain it creates,” Sain posted on the Wind
Phone Facebook page. “My hope is that those who suffer
can find a small amount of comfort inside the wind phone
booth.”
D
idbits from The Daily Morning Astorian, June 11,
1889:
• Many years ago a British vessel called the Scranton
was wrecked on Sand Island. Her hull has now come to
the surface, and some of the men employed there are burn-
ing the old timbers.
Note: The W. B. Scranton, helmed by Capt. Paul
Corno, was driven into the sand on May 5, 1866. Cape
Disappointment’s lighthouse keeper Capt. J.W. Munson
and his men rescued all aboard.
Corno was also captain of and one of the few survivors
of the ship Industry, which also wrecked on the Colum-
bia River Bar in 1865.
• Pacific County, Washington Territory, is going to build
a bridge across the Chinook River.
Notes: At the time there was no road connection
between Chinook and Ilwaco, only water access, even
though Chinook was the home of the county’s first court
and salmon cannery. The bridge was completed in 1891.
A narrow gauge railroad from the former town of Megler
(just east of Chinook) to Ilwaco, was built later but disman-
tled in 1931. (bit.ly/WBScranton, bit.ly/CnookBridge)
T
PIRATES AT BAY
aritime Rerun: Some enterprising Philip-
pine-flagged cargo ship crew members took a more
medieval approach to weaponry while fending off an
attack by pirates in the Celebes Sea, gCaptain reports:
They threw boiling water and oil on the armed attackers
when they attempted to board the ship.
Yes, it worked. The pirates opened fire (but didn’t hurt
anyone) and sensibly beat a hasty retreat. The Philippine
Coast Guard responded to the incident and treated one
man who had cut his hand. The photo, taken shortly after
the attack, is courtesy of Western Mindanao Command.
The ship with the clever crew, by the way, was aptly
named: MV Kudos. (In One Ear, 2/23/2018)
M
FREDDIE’S
PREDICAMENT
area Kuhn has four hanging flower
pots on her porch, which looks out on
her heirloom English garden in Long Beach,
Washington.
About three weeks ago, “two days in a
row, as I watered, a frantic junco bird flew
out of one of the baskets. I looked in and the
most perfect nest was nestled inside with lit-
tle speckled white eggs. Nine days later, they
hatched …
“The parents put up with us sitting on our
porch and created a perfect ledge inside the
basket beside the nest to feed them. They
worked together, reassuring each other by
making clicking sounds as they coordinated
their efforts …
“Freddie was smallest and our obvious
favorite. He was a bit slow and it endeared him
to us. At 12 days after hatching, the parents lit-
erally kicked the kids out of the nest. Three
made their way to the side yard as the parents
led them with offerings.
“Not Freddie. He was content resting in my
flowers, having dad bring him grub. It took
him all day to make it the 20 feet to the deep-
est cinder block in our yard and jump right in.
“… I stressed for hours, his parents
stressed, the father kept feeding him and try-
ing to inspire him to hop out. Freddie hopped
with all his might, making no progress.
“Finally, I told my husband I was going
to move him. His dad was not happy I was
carrying him and clicked so loudly at me as
I scooped Freddie out and placed him near
the others. Dad wasted no time leading Fred-
die with a mouthful of treats towards the tall
grass.”
“What a gift we were given, sharing the
first moments of this family’s life,” Carea con-
fessed. “… I hope they continue to come back
and enjoy our garden as we watch.”
C
BILLBOARD YOUR ART
K, Oregon artists of all ages, here’s your chance to put
your work up on a billboard for all to see — at major
intersections, highways and interstates across the state —
now that the Keep Oregon Green Association Inc. is
holding its first billboard poster art contest.
Yes, there is a theme. The submitted work should “share
(the artists’) vision for keeping Oregon free of wildfire.”
There are three divisions (grades first through fifth;
sixth through 12th; and ages 18-plus). First, second and
third-place winners in each division will be awarded cash
prizes and certificates.
Submit artwork at bit.ly/KeepGreen; the entry deadline
is 5 p.m. Aug. 9, which is, appropriately, Smokey Bear’s
birthday. The billboards will go up in 2022.
O