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OREGON HISTORICAL SOCIETY
1230 SU PARK AVE
PORTLAND, OR 9 7 2 0 5
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VOL. 7 No. 6Va
SPRINS
AAYE—PRIL 1,1982
Dam cracks up,
stress blamed
CRACKED UP DAM
At about 1:00 p.m. March
3 2 , 1 9 8 2 , th e P e lto n
reregulating dam cracked up,
spilling waves of water over the
project and homes along the
river. The hydro electric
project was due to go on line in
June.
Hydro officials had no
explanations for the disaster,
hut thought that the spring run
off may have had something to
do with it causing extra stress
on the structure. One official
was heard saying, “That’s the
breaks.”
Residents living on the
Deschutes River directly below
the dam had no warning that
the dam had cracked and were
forced to put themselves and
what few personal belongings
they could save in rubber rafts
and float to safety downstream.
The White Cross later set up
rescue headquarters at the
Des Chutes Crossing to aid
survivors of the flood.
No lives were lost. However,
all the homes along the river
were destroyed. Most lost all
their possessions. One family
was able to save books, one
entitled, “How to Survive
Floods.”
One survivor was said to
have shaken his head and said,
“1 never thought I’d see the day
when my own house would
beat me down the river,” as he
saw his house floasting past
him while he was in a raft.
Officials are still uncertain
when work will resume on the
hydro project. Employees at
the dam have been laid off
indefinitely. It is expected,
according to one dam official,
that residents along the river
will he hired instead of the
existing crew, to make up for
Their great losses. “Hopefully,
they will forgive us for this
mishap, if we put them to work.
We’re going to give them all the
breaks we can.”
As for the future of the
project, officials can only
speculate. “We’re trying to
come up with alternative uses
for the project now. One
council member has suggested
we open the project as the
Northwest’s greatest amuse
ment center. The waves of
water will make a great water
taboggan ride.”
Governor resigns after returning state to Indians
Former Gov. Victor Atiyeh with Assistant.King
Following weeks of budget
hassles, Orygun Governor
Victor Ah-tee-yah has given the
state of Orygun back to the
Indians. Said Ah-tee-yah, “I
just couldn’t take any more of
the budget hassle. I threw up
my hands and told the
legislature ‘Give it back to the
skins!’ I’ve had it up to here!”
Following negotiations with
Orygun tribes, it was agreed
that the tribes should not have
to pay for the land. Instead, the
now-defunct state will pay the
tribes $3.20 per hour to manage
the new kingdom. “Minimum
wage is all we can afford, now.
Maybe at a later date we will be
able to afford more.” said Ah-
tee-yah.
The capital of the kingdom
will be in Warm Springs and
R udy C lem ents w ill be
Assistant King until elections
are held next month. King of
the kingdom will be Doug “Big
Mac” McClelland, His is a life
time position and will not be
voted upon kingdomites.
Before taking over the state,
the four tribes in Orygun
(Warm Springs, Umatilla,
B urns and S iletz) have
demanded that the western
interior valley be cleaned. “We
can’t accept it the way it is. Too
much pollution, too many
people.” Fifty-percent of the
non-indian residents w in, be
transferred to surrounding
states and to eastern Mongolia.
Asked what he is going to do
now that he is no longer
governor, Ah-tee-yah said he
will be moving to Rajneesh-
puram to become a disciple of
the Baghwan.
A contest will be held in the
near future to determine the
name of the new kingdom.
Look in future editions to find
out details of contest.
Important announcement
Every tribal member age 18-
an d -o v e r is d irected to
assemble in the Community
Center social hall next Monday
at 2 p.m. sharp. T ribal
management has an important
announcement to make.
x Those who are late or fail to
show will be fined or jailed, or
both, unless they can produce a
note from their doctor—or if
they have a valid Oregon
Diver’s License.