r
HEPPNEH GAZETTE
'After it was over. . .it was so silent and dead sounding
Letters Describe Terrors o
'Earthquaked
Granddaughter1
Gives Report
Letters to local persons from
relatives in Alaska reveal ad
ditional details of the damage
and unusual quirks of the earth
quakes suffered there on Good
Friday and thereafter.
Julie Ann Bedford, 10-year old
granddaughter of Mr. and Mrs.
J. H. Bedford of Heppner and
daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Bill
Bedford of Anchorage, wrote of
the quake from a child's point
of view and signed it "Your
Earthquaked Granddaughter."
"We had a terrible earthquake
Friday," she wrote. "I was walk
ing home from my friend's house
and it became so bad that I sat
down. My dad came in his car
to get me after the 5-minute
earthquake. He thought I would
be scared lo death, but instead
I was calmly walking to where
the car was standing. He took
me home to see the messy house.
"As I entered the house I saw
the living room. All our encyclo
pedias were spilled on the floor
and lamps, and coffee cups on
the floor. The binoculars and a
glass ceramic figure that were
on the cedar chest didn't move
an inch. All the other things on
the cedar chest didn't move ex
cept for a lady with fruit, and
her head fell off. Then I came
to the kitchen. Five bottles of
colored water were on the floor.
Store 20 Feet in Ground
"My mom's mirror broke in
lots of pieces and (he house was
in a mess. But it is cleaned up
now. There isn't a crack In our
house, and we all are fine. Our
next door neighbor's store is
down in the ground about 20
feet. Three of the worst things
that happened to Anchorage are
that the Four Seasons building
fell down and it is just a pile
of trash. Penney s had to be
dynamited! There are ditches all
over Anchorage. There is a ditch
down by the park strip that is
200 ft. wide and 50 ft. deep.
Boy! What a mess Seward and
Juneau are in. We have tap
water that we use for washing
our hands. And a five gallon
pan full of melted snow with a
teaspoon of C'lorox. We have elec
tricity every so often. My dad
made an outhouse, and it has
a bunch of tarps around it. The
reason he built it was in case
we didn't have- plumbing.
Bad Friday, Not Good Friday
"We had dad's birthday on bad
Friday not good Friday. I baked
dad a cheese cake and wo had
to eat it after we came home
from the Falkner's house where
we spent the night. Ho opened
his presents and he got Sun Up
after shave lotion from me. A
Hershey bar from Jack that the
rat or dog ate. A comb from Jill
and a bottle of wine from mom
and those were his presents.
"Then Darl came and told us
that there was a title wave. So
we went over to the Faulkner's.
We also stayed all night and had
dinner there the night before. I
will send you some pictures if
I get some. Your Earthquaked
Granddaughter, Julio Ann."
Linda Hamilton Writes
Word of Max and Harold Ham
ilton, brothers of Mrs. Barney
Malcom of Heppner, and the fam
ily of Max came in greater de
tail in a letter from Linda Ham
ilton, daughter of Mr. and Mrs.
Max Hamilton.
"Marlene (her sister) and I
are here in Seward," Linda
wrote under date of March 31
from Seward. "We are O. K but
Mom, Max and Butch are at
Cooper Landing and we have no
means of communication so 1
don't know how they are. How
ever, I heard that Kenai Lake
flooded and the bridge broke and
had to be dynamited. I sure
hope they are all right. Every
bridge between here, Anchorage
and Cooper Landing is down and
the roads are impussable.
"The main earthquake began
at 5:30 Friday afternoon. Mar
lene and I were staying in town
at our house with a friend be
cause the prom was supposed
to he that night. We were cook
ing dinner when it happened,
and did it ever shake! Almost
every dish outside of the cup
board broke. When it had finish
ed shaking we ran outside and
the ground started cracking. Just
then the tidal wave started
coming, and then all the Stand
ard Oil. tanks blew up. Since
we live right next to the water,
we couldn't do anything but
run. Somebody picked us up and
took us out of town.
"We're staying with some
friends until we can get home.
There are about 20 people in
one house. We have no electric
ity or water or heat. We are
melting snow for drinking water
and cooking. The fire in Seward
is still burning and tanks of
oil are continuing to explode.
Everyone has been evacuated
from the city.
Thankful To Be Alive
"A few houses also burned. I
think one of Harold's houses that
he had rented burned. Right now
everyone In Seward is out of
danger as far as fire is concerned.
The tidal wave has destroyed
a numbir of houses and the
streets are just filled with boats,
houses and other debris. Help
has been sent and emergency
areas are being set up at the
grade school and high school. So
far only three have been found
-TIMES, Thursday, April 9, 1964
dead in Seward and 20 are miss
ing. Right now our only prob
lem would be a food shortage
and supplies will probably be
sent in soon. But despite all this
we are all O. K. at least as far
as I know. I'm sure Max, Mom
and Harold and Butch are fine.
This has been quite an Easter
but I guess we can be thankful
for just being alive. Many were
not that fortunate. Love, Linda.
"P. S. The 30th small quake
in the last 24 hours just occur
red. I'm getting used to them
now. Butch just walked in and
everyone at Cooper Landing Is
O. K."
'Good Lord Took Care'
Another note was received
from Max Hamilton from Cooper
Landing to the family here, say
ing, "All is well and the Good
Lord took care of us this time.
The most horrible thing I ever
experienced. The bridge at Kenai
Lake, a short distance from here,
fell and broke all to pieces.
Seward has been hit hard and
Marlene and Linda are in there.
We have not seen or heard of
them but believe from whore
they were staying are O. K."
(Editor's Note: Since some of
the family was in Cooper Land
ing and some in Seward, neither
knew for a time how the others
made out, as the letters from
each place state.).
Ginger Brown Writes
From Ginger Brown, daugh
ter of Mr. and Mrs. Hillard
Brown, Heppner, teacher at Fort
Richardson, near Ancho rage,
came this graphic account:
"Horrifying, shocking, fright
ening, to say the least, for a lot
of people. I had planned a quiet
week-end in Homer with the
Greenes and it did start out that
way. I had a most relaxing flight
down. At 5:J0 we walked over
to the Kachemak Food Cache for
groceries. We got inside. The
lights blinked out and we notic
ed some Drano cans doing a
little jig on the shelf. Then it
felt like we were on a little boat
in an ocean storm. The building
started rocking and with it the
shelves. Someone yelled for us to
get down and we tried. A man
was able to grab Mike and get
out of the store. Josio, Patty and
I got down on the floor, Patty
practically underneath us as we
didn't want her to get hurt. The
cans, jars, bags and everything
else started falling, rolling and
flying through the air. When it
ended all the shelves were emp
tied. We were surrounded by
cans, 50 lb. bags of something
and an odor of soup, pickle juice,
Purcx and what have you.
"We started home and met
Bob en route who had been in
the trailer. Here, lamps, toys,
cosmetics, coffee and everything
loose was on the floor. After a
quick survey we drove to Anchor
Point to check out Bob's school.
We crossed many cracks in the
road and fortunately no damage
was done to his school. We stay
ed with friends in Anchor Point
who owned a gift shop and
found most everything there on
the floor.
'Glued to The Radio'
"We returned to Homer and
put the kids to bed but stayed
up ourselves glued to the radio
until too tired to hold our heads
up. Needless to say, we had been
really scared in the store. It
took us awhile to realize that
Homer wasn't the only place hit
and what a surprise to hear the
extensive damage done to the
rest o the state."
Back at Fort Richardson, Miss
Brown wrote on March 2!), de
scribing Anchorage and Ft. Rich
ardson, "The airport is a mess.
The control tower fell onto part
of the airport building, killing
one man. No traffic was allowed
downtown, armed guards block
ing the road. On the trip back to
post we saw quite a bit of dam
age, many places were part of
the earth had slipped, including
wide areas in the road. Buildings
were cracked and split. The dam
age to Anchorage is too extensive
for me to even try to cover."
House Was A 'Mess'
As to her living quarters, Gin
ger said, "Julie had warned me
but hearing about it and looking
at it were two different things.
The large mirror, 3 ft. by 2 la ft.,
fell on the floor, as did some
cosmetics, and, of course, broke
into thousands of pieces. The
television fell off the 'frig' onto
the desk. The desk got dented
and the TV, although in one
piece, has lots of rattles. The re
frig, door flew open and food
fell every which way as did
everything on my book case,
desk and dresser. The floor was a
mess of articles. I had to throw
my slippers away as the glass
wouldn't all come out.
"Julie's furniture all moved to
the center of the room. Nothing
broke in her room but there are
many wall cracks. She was in
my room, trying to keep from
being thrown when it all hap
pened. "All these words. It can't and
doesn't explain a fraction of it;
the continual dull ache for the
homeless, loss of lives, injuries,
hard work, etc. It doesn't convey
the constant fear with every new
tremor and there have been
many. It doesn't tell the help
that everyone is giving, the iso
lated feeling felt by all, the de
sire to call home. I've tried
many times but it is impossible.
Tomorrow the teachers go to
school in work clothes no stu
dents, so I'll try to write more
later on in the week. By for now
and I love you both, Love,
Ginger."
'We Shake For Hours'
To Mrs. Maurice Groves came
this report from her daughter,
Mrs. Mark Musgrave, from Anch
orage, written April 2:
"Don't think that we will ever
be the same. Any little noise or
shake of the ground and our
hearts jump to our throats and
we shake for hours. I ate for the
first time last night and finally
have gotten some sleep. What a
horrible nightmare this has been.
We are quite thankful just to
have a bad case of nerves. This
town is really a complete sham
bles, but I am not about to go
anywhere and see it.
"Our house and belongings
came through with little dam
age. The broken dishes, which
everyone has, but very little
else. One crack in the floor, and
I really don't know what else.
We haven't lived there since be
cause we have no heat. No stove.
No hot water. Beginning to think
they will never get the gas on.
"I thought of you often and
got a letter off as soon as possi
ble but with no phones there
wasn't much we could do. You
probably know that the bank
was open at the time (Mrs. Mus-
graves was employed in the
bank), and we didn't get out.
We stayed in there and rode it
out. Every single plate glass
window crashed down along
with everything else except for
the walls and ceiling, which
were separating. But even at that
not a person in the bank was
hurt not even cut with the
glass. I have a heart attack
evcrytime I think of it.
Business As Usual
"The bank is open for busi
ness as usual which 1 don't ap
prove of at all. Must not think
about that any more, have to go
to work in ten minutes. This is
a rumor, that all military per
sonnel with 90 days or less will
be sent home immediately (Mr.
Musgrave is in service). Doubt
that it means Mark. The reason
they are talking about sending
people off is because of the lack
of housing.
"We are quite all right. If it
would just quit snowing! Much
love to all, Barb and Mark."
Ankers Send Letters
Mr. and Mrs. John Anker of
Spenard have sent two letters to
her parents, Mr. and Mrs. Rees
Morgan, of Irrigon.
The first, written March 27,
from Mrs. Anker (Jo), said, "We
are sitting here by candlelight
and thanking God that we are
safe and sound. When I first
felt the tremor starting, I took
the China cups out of the win
dow; then it started getting
worse, and I laid down with my
self covering the kids and we
sweat it out.
"Jack was in his office x (He
is credit manager for the five
Sears stores in Alaska). There
the girls crawled under their
desks. The big lights fell and
papers and letters went every
place. We were surely glad to
see him come home, after about
an hour.
"Things were falling over and
dishes fell out of the cupboard,
and the hanging light fixture
was swinging so hard that it hit
the ceiling. The only damage to
the house so far is the chimney
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MATT HUGHES
f Alaska Quake
fell over. We aren't cold; we
have our camp stove and camp
light, and we filled every utensil
with snow. We have food in the
store room and plenty of snow
to melt, and plenty clothes for
a while. No one is hurt.
Keep Night Vigil
"This is a nightmarish night;
Jack Is trying to get some sleep
and I am keeping vigil. We are
still getting tremors now and
then. I think the big rumble is
over; it was really a rumble too,
and we are surprised this old
house held together, but we are
told the older frame houses held
together better than the new ce
ment and steel structurs. Not
much sleeping here; our little
boys are still pretty scared little
guys. Please don't worry, Love,
Jo Jack and boys."
The second letter, dated April
2, said, "Things are getting back
to normal around here now, but
everyone is real busy cleaning
up the rubble and ruin in the
downtown area. Our friends, Mc
Lains, lost their camera store;
it was in the section that sunk
30 feet. Sears didn't lose much
in the quake, but stand to lose
a lot of credit in accounts that
can't be paid, and in helping
people that need to buy and
can't pay.
"Fancy Mansions' Tumble
"We are about two miles from
the downtown business section
and IV2 miles from the Turn
again area that was destroyed.
The Fourth Avenue section was
on a bluff, overlooking Cook In
let. The soil there is soft and
made up of silt. This is also true
of the Turnagain section. It gave
way and crumbled toward the
inlet. All of the fancy mansions
were in Turnagain ($100 to $200
thousand homes). Several lives
were lost there and several
downtown. There is still danger
because the inlet is covered with
a layer of gasoline, but extra
precautions are being taken.
"After it was over we went out
side; it was so silent and dead
sounding. I walked to the alley
and saw some neighbors who
asked if we were all right. Every
one was so stunned, and no one
realized what a big area of de
struction this was. We started
getting radio messages on the
car radio. We were ordered to
stay home and keep listening to
the radio, unless we had civil
defense duties or important rea
sons for going out. We were
obedient and only went out on
Sunday afternoon to get our
typhoid shots and to take an
Easter basket of candy eggs and
two packages of caribou saus
ages to the American Legion.
They are still housing and feed
ing some homeless and provid
ing meals to the people working
in rescue work. Some of the
churches had services Sunday
and said, 'Come as you are,' but
attendance was very small. Min
isters expressed disappointment,
but I'm sure that many many
thanks to God were given. Many
prayers were given and the spirit
of helping others prevailed."
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Times. RENTALS
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PH. 676 S418
" - . . '', '
if . " :
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MR. AND MRS.
Joan Brubacher Weds Gary K. Bertsch
In Church Candlelight Ceremony in Idaho
The marriage of Miss Joan
Elizabeth Brubacher, daughter of
Mr. and Mrs. Wayne A. Bru
bacher, Heppner, and Gary Ken
neth Bertsch, son of Mr. and
Mrs. Gideon Bertsch of Meridian,
Idaho, was solemnized at a
double ring ceremony on Satur
day, February 29.
Vows were exchanged in the
sanctuary of the First Baptist
church in Ustick, Idaho, with the
Rev. Richard Birdsall officiating.
Decorating the altar were two
large baskets of pink roses,
white chrysanthe mums, and
gladioli, banked by two large
candelabra with pink ribbon
bows in the background.
Given in marriage by her
father, the bride chose to wear
a floor length gown of white
cotton brocade, fashioned with
an empire waistline accented
with a belt and bow and long
fitted sleeves, pointed at the
wrist. The cabrini neckline was
trimmed with tiny seed pearls.
Her bouffant elbow length veil
of white nylon net was held by
a headdress of tiny lilies of the
valley. She carried a bridal bou
quet of pink and white rose
buds. Attending as maid of honor
was Miss Margaret Brubacher,
sister of the bride. Two other
sisters, Misses Barbara and Linda
Sue Brubacher, attended 'as
bridesmaids. Each wore floor
length empire styled gowns of
pink cotton brocade, with match
ing shoes, pink rose hats and
white gloves. Each carried a bou
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RAY AYERS
GARY K.
BERTSCH
(Creason Photo)
quet of pink and white roses.
Gary Pitkin of Meridian, Ida.,
was best man for the bridegroom
and Ron Arnold and Jim Ihli
also of Meridian, served as ush
ers. Kevin and Jeff Taylor, neph
ews of the groom, were ring
bearers. Organist was Mrs. Car
olyn Pierce, who also accompan
ied Miss Cheryl Cone, soloist.
For her daughter's wedding,
Mrs. Brubacher chose a gold and
white brocade sheath dress with
short jacket, white and gold hat,
matching accessories and a yel
low orchid corsage. Mrs. Bertsch,
mother of the groom, wore a
pink crepe afternoon dress with
matching accessories and a pink
orchid corsage.
The couple now reside at 430
North 7th Street, Pocatello, Ida.
Mr. Bertsch is a sophomore at
Idaho State University, majoring
in political science, is a mem
ber of Sigma Nu fraternity, and
plays the position of end on
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390 V-8, Cruisomatic, light blue.
1961 Falcon 2-door $1299.00
170 Engine, standard trans., radio, white.
1960 Volkswagen $1199.00
Beige, radio.
1960 Thunderbird $2299.00
3-speed, overdrive, Sahara Rose, radio, P. S.
1959 Ford 2-door $1099.00
2-door, brown, radio, 6 cylinder, standard trans.
1959 Ford 2-door Custom $1199.00
Radio, V-8, Fordomatic, white.
1959 Ford4-door $1199.00
Radio, V-8, Fordomatic, blue and white.
TRUCKS
1948 International KB6 $1199.00
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ft. grain bed.
1950 Chevrolet Pickup $499.00
Extra sharp.
1952 Ford Pickup $599.00
V-8, 3-speed, clean.
1952 Chevrolet Pickup $599.00
Very good condition.
1957 Ford Pickup, styleside $899.00
Automatic trans., red and white.
Ask For Dave or Wayne
at
Heppner Ford
124 N. Mean
Four to Attend
State FBLA Meet
Four business students from
Heppner high school will par
ticipate April 10 and 11 at Ore
gon State University in the 16th
annual meeting of Oregon Fu
ture Business Leaders of Amer
ica. Planning to attend are Bill
Sherman, Bruce Thomson, Jean
Stockard and Barbara Blake.
Highlights of the session will
include discussions on new de
velopments and career opportun
ities in business along with an
nouncement of win n e r s of
awards for this year. These will
include selection of the state's
outstanding business boy and
girl, announcement of the win
ner of the college FBLA scholar
ship for next year, and compe
tition in spelling, public speak
ing, and parliamentary proced
ure. Gail Hoskins is president of
the Heppner high school FBLA
chpater. Faculty advisor is Mrs.
Bernice Struckmeier.
Royal Arch Plans
Dinner, Degree
Heppner chapter No. 26, Royal
Arch Masons, will entertain the
Pendleton chapter of Royal Arch
as guests Saturday at 6:30 in the
Heppner Masonic hall. The Roy
al Arch "widow's degree" will be
given on the fun night.
The Heppner chapter lost an
attendance competition, with
the Pendleton chapter and is ob
ligated to entertain them at this
meeting.
All members and wives are in
vited. Additional Help
Offered Taxpayers
A. G. Erickson, director Inter
nal Revenue Service for Oregon,
announced today that additional
assistance will be provided in
Pendleton for taxpayers needing
help in completing their 1963
Federal income tax returns.
The office at 611 S. E. Emi
grant in Pendleton will be open
from 8:00 a.m. to 4:45 p.m. on
April 14 and 15, 1964. The tele
phone number to call is 276-3825.
the school's varsity football
team. After graduating from
Wallace, Ida., high school, where
the family lived before coming
to Heppner, the bride attended
Idaho State University.
A contingent of Sigma Nu fra
ternity brothers entertained with
a selection of fraternity songs
during the reception hour.
Money receipt books in dupli
cate and triplicate are on sale at
the Gazette-Times.
Ph. 676-9152