A7
THE ASTORIAN • THuRSdAy, July 29, 2021
CONTACT US
ewilson@dailyastorian.com
(971) 704-1718
COMMUNITY
FOLLOW US
facebook.com/
DailyAstorian
IN ONE EAR • ELLEDA WILSON
LOCAL BREVITIES
idbits from The Daily Astorian, Saturday, July 29,
1882:
• … A company has been formed in San Fran-
cisco with a capital of $26,000 (almost $700,000) to
raise the Edith Lorne, wrecked off the Columbia,
by means of compressed air, and work has already
commenced.
Note: In November 1881, the Edith Lorne, while
outbound, ran aground, and was deemed a total loss of
$74,000 (almost $2 million today). Why they were try-
ing to raise her is a mystery.
• The rock ballast from the Wolfe is being dumped
around the foundation of the Odd Fellows Building on
Squemoqua Street (now Commercial Street).
Note: When sailing ships arrived at a port, ballast
rocks were unloaded to balance the ship’s weight. The
rocks were then used by other ships.
Once steam-powered ships, which used liquid ballast,
started replacing sailing ships, the offloaded rocks from
sailing ships began being picked up by locals and used,
most often, for construction.
• The Standard is waiting for warm weather to start
the boss sea serpent story of the season. At last accounts,
the whole force were drawing on their experience, and
had thought up a “snaik” 900 feet long and 300 feet out
of water, off the Columbia bar. Wonder how many feet
of water he will draw.
Note: Colossal Claude’s great-granddaddy?
• Very many of the seaside visitors, this year,
express a preference for stopping in Astoria, and would
do so if accommodations could be furnished here for
them.
Would it not be well for our people to build their
houses a little larger, and more sightly, so that more
visitors could be accommodated? That road to Clat-
sop Plains, too, from Astoria, should be pushed
immediately.
T
SOLE SURVIVOR
plaque up on Cape Lookout commemorates the
crash of a B-17 Flying Fortress on Aug. 1, 1943,
during World War II, that killed nine of the 10 crew-
man aboard, leaving as sole survivor the bombardier,
Wilbur Perez.
The plane was supposed to be heading to Cape Disap-
pointment at 20,000 feet. The pilot became disoriented
in the fog, and was actually only flying 50 to 100 feet
above the water as he was approaching Cape Lookout,
which is 900 feet high.
When he realized the cape was dead ahead, he tried to
climb, and was still climbing when the plane slammed
into the the top of the cape at 200 mph. They only needed
50 more feet to clear it.
Perez, who was up front in the bombardier bubble,
flew through the trees and wound up severely injured
and hanging upside down from a branch by a shoelace.
Covered in aviation fuel, he managed to free himself,
roll toward the sound of the surf — and off the edge of
the cliff. He landed on a propeller wedged into the side
of the cape, and strapped himself to it.
Hanging there, he could still hear his remaining fel-
low crew members calling out as they gradually died
from their injuries. He was rescued 36 hours later, when
flames were spotted on the cape. A documentary about
the crash is at tinyurl.com/wperezdoc (scroll down).
Perez was taken to Fort Stevens, the nearest military
hospital (pictured), where his surgeon was Dr. Donald
H. Kast. Despite being badly wounded, Perez wanted to
put off necessary surgery until he could deliver his Nor-
den bombsight (inset, left) personally into the hands
of someone from his base at Pendleton. How he man-
aged to get it out of the wreckage, and hold onto it, is a
mystery.
Dr. Kast finally convinced the bombardier to let him
stow the bombsight in the hospital safe until someone
could come and retrieve it. The surgery was successful,
and Perez went on to live a long life, dying at almost 91
in 2009. (tinyurl.com/wperez1)
A
A PLACE FOR GATHERING
n July 10, a dedication of two memorials was held
at NeCus’ Park’s village site,” sculptor and stone
mason Patrick Costello wrote. “The basalt and bronze
memorials speak to the Clatsop-Nehalem village site
and its name … The bronze plaques are set in large
stones, one weighing 9,800 pounds.”
In January 1806, while looking for a beached whale,
the Lewis and Clark Expedition visited this village,
which is on the north end of Cannon Beach, along Ecola
Creek, behind the old grade school at 268 Beaver St.
Visitors are greeted by a 10-foot carved cedar “welcome
pole,” with arms extended, commemorating when the
local tribes used to visit each other.
The inscription on one of the new plaques:
“A place for gathering. For countless generations tribal
people rested and socialized here at NeCus’ before or
after their arduous 7-mile paddle through the turning
ocean around Tillamook Head. They would pull their
canoes to this beach and call out for permission to come
ashore.
“They were greeted by villagers who are accustomed
to hosting and trading with guests from places near and
far. Cannon Beach still hosts travelers from the North-
west and beyond, while the Clatsop-Nehalem people,
including descendants of NeCus’ villagers, still gather
here to share their traditions, stories and songs with vis-
itors from near and far.”
‘O
GIVE IT TO GARY
GOLFING WITH GOATS
kateboarding legend Tony Hawk, last week on NBC:
“As a kid that was mostly lambasted for my interest
in skateboarding, I never imagined it would be part of
the Olympic Games.”
Well, maybe Tony Hawk didn’t imagine it, but Gary
Henley, The Astorian’s sports reporter, did. In a story
about a Seaside skateboarder that was posted Aug. 7,
2008, nearly 13 years ago, Gary wrote:
“Four years from now, Justyce Tabor could be tak-
ing part in the Olympic Games opening ceremonies, rep-
resenting the United States’ skateboarding team.
“Yeah, we know … skateboarding isn’t an official
Olympic sport. Yet. But with snowboarding already a
part of the Winter Olympics, and BMX cycling an offi-
cial event in the Summer Olympics … it’s only a mat-
ter of time.”
“Sorry, Tony,” Gary noted, after hearing Hawk’s com-
ment, “I’m like, way ahead of ya, dude.”
Gary’s future predicted Olympic sports? “Look for
frisbee golf, beach soccer and kiteboarding.”
S
un rerun: Oregon was the first state to
bring you goat yoga, and is now the first to introduce
the goat caddies, who are at The Retreat, Links & Spa
at Silvies Valley Ranch in Seneca, and in the national
news.
According to the website, goat caddies are 2 to 8 years
old, and full-time caddies usually work about six hours a
day, three to four days a week. They weigh 150 to 210
pounds, and can carry about 20% of their weight, which
usually includes up to six clubs, a dozen golf balls, golf
tees and six cans of refreshment.
The team members are “Mike LeChevon,”
“Peanut LeGoat,” “Roundabout LaDoe” and “Cad-
die Master Bruce LeGoat,” who is pictured, courtesy
of the Silvies Goat Caddies Facebook page. (In One Ear,
5/11/2018)
F
BABY SHARKS
ur sweet female swell shark laid eggs!” the Sea-
side Aquarium posted on its Facebook page. “Swell
sharks are bottom-dwelling sharks.
“Females lay two green/amber colored egg casings”
which are about 6 to 7 inches long. The aquarium’s pho-
tos are shown. “The curly tendrils at the ends of the casing
catch onto rocks and seaweed.
“There is only one embryo per egg casing.
A single yolk sack supplies the embryo with nutrients
while it develops … This is the first time she has laid fer-
tile eggs.”
But you’ll have to wait to see the pups. “It will be about
12 months before they are ready to hatch.”
‘O
A DAY’S
RIDE
rom The Daily Astorian, July 29, 1890,
“In the Nehalem Valley”:
• S. A. Wherry and J. W. Hardison went
to the Nehalem last Saturday on horseback,
the former returned last evening. Between
Olney and Fishhawk, for about 4 miles, the
road was very bad, but all the rest of the way
it was good, considering the late rains.
Numerous improvements were noticed,
and a number of new settlers have erected
cabins on timber claims. The new school-
house at Mishawaka is a neat and attrac-
tive building. Miss Spear, of Knappa, is the
teacher.
A very large barn, about 40 feet by 120
feet, surrounded by cattle sheds, has been
erected by A. J. Wherry, to take the place
of two barns which were burnt last year …
W. A. Wherry, the Mexican war veteran
(Mexican-American War, 1846-1848), now
72 years of age, is hale and hearty, though
quite deaf. Mr. Hardison is his son-in-law,
but had not seen him before in 21 years, and
was so cordially received that he will remain
there a few days.
Notes: The Fishhawk Lake area is about
5 miles southeast of Olney, as the crow flies.
W. A. and A. J. Wherry and had adjoining
homestead tracts in Mishawaka, both applied
for in 1885.
An 1888 description of Mishawaka: “A
country post office on the Nehalem River in
Clatsop County … 20 miles south of Olney,
its shipping point, by water. It contains a
water power flour mill. Population, 25. Mail,
weekly. J.J. Lynch, postmaster and farmer.”
By 1896, 40 men were listed as living in
Mishawaka. The population was actually
much higher, as the names of women and
children were left off the count.
A jaunt such as this one, back then,
would have taken about a day each way on
horseback.
F
MY OREGON IS …
n celebration of The Oregon I Am, we are gathering
stories from across the state that celebrate the depth
and range of experiences of Oregonians …” a press release
from The Oregon I Am, a coalition of land trusts, said.
The stories will become a short film that will launch at an
event in Portland in December.
The focus is on location, and since there are so many
incredible places on the North Coast, coming up with ideas
should be a cinch. Stories can include an Oregon memory
or moment, a taste or smell, an ideal or an idea, or a feel-
ing or an experience.
Interested? Record a 10 to 30 second video answering
the question: “What is my Oregon?” Start with “The Ore-
gon I Am is …” and finish the sentence with your story.
Be sure to include who you are and where you’re film-
ing from. Upload your submission at oregonlandtrusts.org/
theoregoniam
‘I