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About Medford mail tribune. (Medford, Or.) 1909-1989 | View Entire Issue (Dec. 29, 1963)
3 -u 3 36 aj. Hopkins, By EVA HAMILTON Mail Tribune Slaff Writer "God help a wretched geolo gist whose dam or reservoir fails. These are words of compas sion spoken in Medford by a man who reads of the Vaiont Dam tragedy in the stricken Piave Valley of Italy with an understanding few men share. The man is Maj. Maurice Jayne Hopkins, 80, former as sociate geologist, Rivers and Harbors Division, Corps of En gineers, U.S.A. He has listened for the roar of an avalanche moving down the mountain. He has felt the force of the wind which pre cedes an avalanche on its course; and he has known stark fear for a dam constructed at his location. Also A Linguist In addition to being a retired geological engineer, Maj. Hop kins is a linguist. He speaks six languages. He is a big game hunter, a fisherman and a man of letters. He also is a descend ant of Dr. David Jayne, Ameri ca's colorful patent medicine king of the 19th century. More important, however, in Maj. Hopkin's appraisal of him self, is the fact that he is one of the few surviving members of that team which chose I ho location of Grand Coulee dam, which dwarfs all other concrete or masonry structures in the world. Grand Coulee dam rests on massive granite. The granite is a remnant or the foothills of the Okanogan Highlands, burled in the Columbia lava plateau millions of years ago. Maj. Hopkins was invited lu participate in the 30th Year Celebration of the ground-breaking for construction of the $9B0, 496.000 project last autumn. He had to refuse on doctor's orders. Invitation Is Authorized The invitation was authorized by H. T. Nelson, regional di rector of Ihe United States De partment of the Interior. But it wouldn't have been received, Maj. Hopkins said, if his Med ford friend, Ralph Ettcl, Sr., hadn't informed Gov. Albert D. Roscllini of Washington that he was living and living in Med ford. "The ranks of those who play ed a part in the building of this great project certainly are grow ing thinner," Gov. Rosselini an swered Ettcl's letter. "1 have written to Harold T. Nelson, re gional director of the U. S. Bu reau of Reclamation, the agency planninR the ceremony, In this regard." Later communications reveal ed that extensive research was carried on before Ihe invitation . was issued to the major. It was established that Maj. Hopkins was a member of the Army Corps of Engineers parly which made the original studies on the location of the dam. Then the invitation was authorized by Nelson. It came from Charles Wcnclt, Jr., president of the Cou lee Dam Chamber of C o m merce. Explains Assignment To locate Mich a colossal structure demanded engineers of experience and at least ono geologist of long experience, Hopkins explained his assign ment to Ihe project. Included were Maj. John S. Butler, commander of the U.S. Corps of Engineers, who was 52 years old at that time; and President Herbert Hoover, who launched the project, lie was then 55. Maj. Butler died when he was only 5H Men in their mature years, and maturity was essential to that project, Maj. Hopkins em phasized, "are not too often on the scene 115 years later." With this remark, the retired geolo gist clarified Gov. Rosselini's ltlllrl" lu 1111 ' "tf ui ine r'"'is- several hundred yards down- Ihe tragedy that can result stream on a side hill Othcr from the wrong location of a wise, 1 might have been held dam moved from theory into! entirely responsible for a disas staik realism for Maj. Hopkins; tor rather similar to the Vaiont when he participated In the in-! dam failure in Italy." vcstigalion oi the SI. Francis' "While supervising the con- Thti ddvcrliscnic'O is nul an nflcr to sell or An oHcr to buy .ins Ihe oltcnng is made only by Ihe Prnsncctuv New OREGON Copte of B. W. Prlnsen WAbash 6-5S27 234 Calapooia Albany, Oregon Ellit Byer WAbaih 6-2618 Box 666 Albany, Oregon SUNDAY, DECEMBER 29, 1963 I I ' ' ',' 4 ! ' I'OSES WITH THOI'IIIES Maj. M. J. Hop kins,, a versatile citizen, has a wealth of recollections to draw upon when confined to his apartment. Sometimes memory returns him to the English Channel where he watched from a passenger ship while five British Moni tors fired upon German forts along the Bel gian coast in World Wnr I. Shells from the dam catastrophe in Los Angeles I County, California. There were 400 persons drowned in that 19211 dam failure. It was follow ed by governmental determina tion to investigate all probable dam sites in California, Oregon, Montana and Idaho. This experi ence, Maj. Hopkins explained, undoubtedly qualified him for the Grand Coulee assignment. Why Culled To Study And why was ho called into the Ml f rancis Dam invesliga tion? Probably because of his educational background and his exiorienco in (he French Pyre nees, he believes. In the Pyrenees, Hopkins was employed by the French Mining Company, Socicto des Mines du Couserans, to locate a dam and equalizing reservoir on the head waters of the River Lez. It was about four miles from the moun tain crest separating France from Spain. That was in 1907, three years after he had gradu ated in engineering and geology from the Royal Belgian Univer sity of Liege, where he had spent seven years. Translated into English, his professional rating, the major volunteered, would be "economic geologist." The situation in the Pyrenees was not unlike that of the dam in the Italian Piedmont which failed whole last autumn, hurling a mountainside into the reservoir behind the dam, caus ing a tidal wave that killed everything in its path," Hop kins staled. "My dam." he continued, "had a drop of about 1.000 feet : and produced around 10.000 i horsepower. The equalizing res-1 ervoir, lorlunalely, I Had placed i FREEZE DRY FOODS, INC. COMMON STOCK (Par Value $1 por Share) Price: $1.00 Per Share the Prospectus mjv le obtained trom the olticm listed below: Or. Robert I. Smith Pfaia 3-4119 20S WhilOiido Drive Corvallii, Orogon Robert H. Mikkekon Horb Smith WAbaih 8-3485 WAbash 6-4291 1435 City View Placo 123 W. lit Street Albany, Oregon Albany, Oregon Geologist Who Helped Select Grand Coulee Site Monitors, less than a mile away, showered the passenger ship, Hopkins said, reminding him of Civil War pictures. Other days, Maj. Hop kins is hunting again in Alaska where iic killed the 1,200-pound Kodiak bear and the moose. In his future there is still a lot of fish ing to be done. struction of the dam my crew and I were nearly destroyed," Maj. Hopkins began his report of one of the most dangerous incidents in his life. There have been many brushes with destiny," he inter jected, adding that he is con vinced he has tne hick oi tne Irish or he wouldn't be hero to tell the story with just the aid of crutches. "I had located my diversion dam which was less than 100 fret side along the crest about 50 feet below a large side stream of the River Lez. Both the river and the side stream flowed over steeply inclined beds," Maj. Hopkins described the terrain. "Consequently the roar of the water was almost deafening. We, therefore, did not hear the oar of the huge avalanche which rolled down the bed of the side stream from above us. First Warning tomes "The first warning of the ava lanche came when we were al most blown off our feet by the terrific wind which precedes a large avalanche. Fortunately, the avalanche stopped less than ;100 feet from us. Later I learned that every few years this same avalanche crossed the river just above the dam, without dr- i i straying it. however. My dam," : lie declared with obvious pride, ' is still operating successfully after 57 years. So far, none ut the dams I have located has failed, nor has any of the res ervoirs." It was then that Maj. Hopkins, with compassion dominating his 1.' help a wretched geologist whose dam or reservoir fails. I believe thc geologist responsible for the St. Francis Dam failure died of grief a month after the catas trophe. I am sorry for the geolo gist on the Vaiont dam in northern Italy." Questioned about his relation- any of Verland Ernlson WAbaih 8-8157 1023 W. 37th Ave. Albany, Oregon Hamilton Griffin WAbaih 8-9142 628 S. Ferry Albany, Oregon ship with former President Her bert Hoover, Ma. Hopkins said he mot Herbert Hoover first in London, lie started translating a book, "Principles of Mining," Irom the English into the French for Hoover. Hopkins speaks both Belgian languages, r lemish and Walloon, as well as French. Hoover wanted him to assist in the Belgian relief program. "If I had known then that he was going to be president of the United hln ;, I d have tak en the job," ilopkins stated. Work for Belgian Company Both Hoover and Hopkins had worked for a Bclgain com pany before World War I. In London, Ilopkins recalls, Hoover borrowed two schillings from him to pay for a hansom ride. He still owes mo the two schillings," Hopkins added. During World War I, Hopkins served first with the French in Ihe Red Cross Ambulance de tail. When the United Slates en tered the war he joined the Combat Engineers. Hopkins' half sister was wife of the ambassador to the Court of King Albert. During this per iod he served as a military at tache to Belgium. It was through this position that he met Mrs. Hoover but only be cause ne was translating ner husband's book, he added. Hopkins was Ihe lowest rank ing officer, he related, at a din ner party at the American Em bassy. He sat by Mrs. Hoover's secretary. Was Dry Dinner "It was a dry dinner," he commented. "No wine was served because the United States was then enforcing pro hibition and the embassy had to follow suit." Hopkins was introduced to Mrs. Hoover after someone told her he was translating her hus-' Band s Hook. "Unfortunaltelly." he lament ed, "the translation was never finished because I was sent to Africa." I "In later years, after the St. Francis Dam disaster, it was j President Hoover," Hopkins! noted, "who ordered an invest igation of foundations as well 1 as abutments and the reservoir walls and bottom by ail Rivers and Harbors Divisions of the Corps of Engineers." The St. Francis disaster, ac cording to Maj. Hopkins, result-1 rd from a faulty geological sliidy. The geologist overlooked Police Investigate i Alcohol Deaths i riiiLADKLrniA turn - Twenty skid row deaths from wood alcohol poisoning in the! last three days were reported ' Thursday. ' j City Medical Fxaminer .loseph i W. Spelman. who reported the! deaths, said hospitals also had a number of persons being treated for wood alcohol poison ing Spelman said an investigation into the source of the alleged illegal wood alcohol has been stalled by his office in cooper-! atiou with the police. ) MEDFORD MAIL TRIBUNE, MEDFORD, OREGON the presence of gypsum under the foundations. The gypsum gradually dissolved and caused a lesion under the dam founda tion and the dam collapsed. Maintains Seattle Office Hopkins was living on Bain- bridge Island at the time and maintaining a consulting geolo gist's office in Seattle. He at tended the reserve officers' luncheons in Seattle and there met Maj. John S. Butler, com mander of the U. S. Corps of Engineers. Needing a geologist, Maj. Butler asked Hopkins if he would serve under him on this investigation. If any of the 10 or 12 dams recommended failed for geolog ical reasons, Maj. Hopkins re called, he was to be held "total ly responsible." Both Maj. But ler and Hopkins were subject to military law, and could be court martialed for insubordination. "Actually, we were later threatened with a court martial for not keeping our mouths shut, as ordered, when we ad vanced the superiority of the Grand Coulee project over the Spokane river project," Hop kins recalled in recounting the early days of planning for the giant self - liquidating project. "But how right we were. The Spokane river project would have irrigated a mere 200,000 acres instead of the eventual 1.4 million acres in the Grand Coulee." Work on Locating Dam The actual work of locating the Grand Coulee, which is three times the size of the Great Pyramid of Gizeh, which for 7,000 years loomed as the world's largest man - made structure, was assigned to Hop kins. Maj. Butler lull the organ izing of the dam and reservoir investigation to Hopkins. He spent two years on the investi gation. He knew you couldn't build a dam on basalt and that the four miles of granite in the canyon was the only place for Study of Glue Sniffing Reveals Uniform Pattern By DELOS SMITH DPI Science Editor NEW YORK (UPI) - A thorough scientific study of the child s intoxicating vice of glue sniffing turned up a surprisingly uniform personality pattern among the addicted sniffers. Their pattern was marked by failure to find suitable outlets for aggressive and sexual drives which all children have and which normally are expressed in harmless ways. This, said the scientists, "was probably because of the lack of a dominant male figure in the home with whom they could identify. The sensations induced by glue sniffing often serve as a means of alleviating the anxi ety associated with these drives. "Most of these children were similar psychologically to adult alcoholic patients, and it seems not unlikely that many of them will substitute alcohol for glue as they become older." First Scientific Approach The study made use of the relevant scientific disciplines physiology, chemistry, psychi atry, psychology and sociology. It was believed to be the first broad - based scientific ap proach to an ever - spreading and deepening juvenile menace, particularly in cities. It was undertaken by Ihe Uni versity of Colorado Medical Center in Denver. The subjects were 25 boys and 2 girls 10 to 16 years old who had come to attention of authorities because of law-breaking and frequent in toxication tfrom glue sniffing) in classrooms or on playgrounds. I I A Tribute to ... . Medford Postoffice Workers ... Trm Christmas season saw the Med ford poslofficc and substations set new high records for volume of mail handled ... and a record for the speed and efficiency in which the mountains of greeting cards, gift packages and all types of mjtl were dispatched to the people in this area. We are glad to salute Postmaster Al Bradford and his staff for a job well done! Medford Pharmacy I 101 North Central, Corner 6th 772-6253 We Salute Our Town! ; the construction. He didn't waiver in his conviction. Looking out the windows of Rogue Valley Manor, where Maj. and Mrs. Hopkins now make their home, he enjoys the view but memory's eyes pro vide him with more varied scenes. He has traveled throughout the world and lived on many continents. Australia, he said, is the only one he has missed. Hopkins and his twin brother were born in Geneva, Switzer land. His mother was injured during a visit there in an acci dent when carriage horses ran away. She was, as a result, un able to leave Switzerland until after the birth. Although definitely Ameri can, the Hopkins family had deep roots in Europe. Maj. Hopkins' father, W. A. Hop kins, founded the first Ameri can Morning News in Paris and he also had an interest in Le Matin in Paris. The morn ing newspaper was later sold to Gordon Bennett, who converted it into the Paris edition of the New York Herald. Lc Matin went through sev eral sales. Unfortunately, Hop kins reveiwed the history with regret, the editor during the German occupation of France collaborated with the Germans and was executed with Mon sieur Pierre Laval, who be came premier of Vichy France in 1942. Le Matin vanished at the close of World War II, he said. With this journalistic back ground, it is not surprising that Maj. Ilopkins has done consid erable writing. Five hundred copies of his "Fishing In the North Pacific," were distribu ted to the Navy, and 500 copies of another publication, "Secrets of Sea Fishing," were distribu ted to the Army. Both were il lustrated with Hopkins' own drawings, another evidence of his versatility. Explaining the crutches he is Physical and chemical exam inations of the children revealed no abnormalities which could be attributed to their addiction, and the scientists concluded that it "probably is physically harmless to most children." fsychiatrically the boys ex hibited some degree of chronic depression, and all related tn peers and authorities in a pas sive-aggressive manner, and scientists reiwrtcd. "The intoxi cation produced by glue sol vents was considered to have helped the child avoid the anxi ety that would otherwise have accompanied his hostile or sex ual impulses. Anti-Social Acts "Most of these children had been involved in anti-social acts ranging from truancy and shop lifting to attempted homicide while sniffing glue, and tended to blame the resultant intoxica tion for their delinquent be havior." Nearly all the boys were from Denver slum areas. The scien tists found a direct connection between the addiction and de linquency. But "because of fam ily disorganization, residential area and gang participation (al- 1 ready) delinquent children are j more likely to become initiated i and inhabituatcd," they said, i In their view, "glue sniffing appears to be a new symptom of an old disease social and ! emotional deprivation of child ren." They recommended legis lative action without specify ing the action to "control" juvenile addictions. The reporting scientists were required to use, the enthusiastic angler and big gams hunter said they were a souvenir of 20 years in the saddle. During his many days of horseback riding, Maj. Hopkins added, he received re peated injuries. Upon several occasions his horse stumbled into a badger hole, fell and roll ed on him. Every year for five years Hopkins went into Alaska. It was in the Yukon that he bagged the big game trophies that deco rate his apartment an Alaska black bear, a Kodiak bear, a moose and a caribou. The bears, he revealed, were shot for the government in a project which revealed another facet of his versatile back ground. He was collecting para sites from fur bearing animals in a scientific study ordered by a team from the Bureau of Entomology to study the Mos quito menace of 1932. Again, it was an experience in Spain which qualified Hopkins or me jod. ne naa carried on a similar project there for the Institute of Te Rul. Asked if he had hunted big Three Accidents Reported in Area A car driven by James Jones, 16, Medford, went out of control on the Little Switzerland Road on Roxy Anne Friday night and rolled over, according to the Jackson County Sheriff's depart ment. The driver and passenger were wearing scat belts and re ported no injuries, sheriff's dep uties reported. They told depu ties that the power brakes lock ed on the front wheels. A car driven by Tsutomu Shi mozato, 27, Seattle, Wash., struck a divider guardrail Fri day at the Crater Lake exit on Interstate 5, but only minor damage resulted. Shimozato hit his brakes and attempted to avoid a car park ed on the exit roadway, he told state police. Cars driven by Elton Percy Taylor, 38, Grants Pass, and Richard D. Landis Jr., 17, of Route 4, Box 45 A, Medford, collided on U.S. 99 Friday at the entrance to Jackson Hot Springs, police said. Food Mixers Most Duplicated Gilt LOS ANGELES (UPI) - The most duplicated Christmas gift this year: electric food mixers. ! The most duplicated toy gift: bow and arrow sets. ! The least wanted Christmas present: silver candle snuffers. That's the essence of the . post - Christmas communique from Gift Exchange, an organi-! zation which specializes in swapping unwanted gifts for 20 j per cent of the gift's retail ! value. ! I Tirt niiynr N Mncvnnnuln Helen H. Glasor, Robert E. Le Lievre, J. B. Dodds, and Mary E. Klock. They reported to the New England Journal of Mcdi- cine. please care ... So others may eat every SI delivers a Food Crusade package to hungry people across the world More tit an half ihr people on eurlh do not hnvc enough to ml. Through (..-REs Food Oumtc ou help fevi mil tint id of thr hungry no! for jut a mm) or two. hul long mouh lo ftiw thrnt iirrnRth lo help llntntehr. From our farm n bund mire, thr X.S. HnntWr Food for Ponce. CARE arid other Mnplc. p.irk various units to match country nerd. F.ery SI you give dclirr a park a ice ,diipncd to nourish srhnnl rhihlrrn. infant, orphan rrfu ct, dtniifttrr victim, drftitntr fit mil in. F.vrrv packugc you provide hrar your ttamr and AihlrpM. o thai thr recipient know their friend in America. CARE' American taff in each area upervi.ie delierir to hne ho need help most. SI. $10. MOO nr ul.at 1 TV game in Africa, the major said his plans there were disrupted by a bout with malaria. Although European-educated, Hopkins is proud of his Ameri can heritage. His mother's an cestors landed in America in 1663, he said, and settled on Long Island. His father's an cestors landed in Boston in 1710 and settled in Vermont. He was one of a family of 11 children and because of his f a t h e r's business ventures in France was raised with a "retinue of ser vants," most of them French peasants. As a result he knew French better than any other language. The young Hopkins was sent to England, however, for his schooling. He was the o nly "Yank" at Charterhouse, class ed with Eton and Harrow in that "esteemed trio of English public schools." "That's where I got my Eng lish accent," he pointed to the Charterhouse heading. "People are always taking me for an Englishman." Maj. Hopkins was in Brussels when Germany entered World j War I. He narrowly escaped be ing snot tor a spy wnen he in sisted upon going through the German lines. Germany had oc cupied Brussels as it did again in World War II. It was in an effort to get his money out of the Brussels bank that Hopkins pushed through the line. Joins Ambulance Corps His family in Brittany lived next door to Baron Rothschild, who talked Hopkins into joining the ambulance corps. It was operating out of the much pub licized Grand Hotel. CRATER FINANCE I J) Cascade Shopping Center j White City-826-2721 Don't Get Bogged Down With Monthly Payment! CONSOLIDATE J CRATER FINANCE S 135 PINE cepno!nrtal 664-1273 Et& . k . j I As near as The Hollar 'mi r-tul In RK hrini mir prrtnmtl lirlp tn the n-cv in nlli-r land. Ynr Food trude lift, jou may rhoo my of hee drliiifltinrtt Af;h.iimun Mritili Honduras Co!mhii F prm (irfr. H-tn knnj Mil I'" lulv J"t'l,jn Kor? t Marati Mfviro. I'lki.Un Poland Nerri I fan TuniMj lurUy Wmim u(olnn you ran! j i, s (MW rhfk. Nnme A.l.lrr T Jf "r'M I j l VltK t MEDFORD When the United States enter ed World War I, Hopkins en listed in the Combat Engineers. Viewing the international background and the rich experi ences of this man, the interview er couldn't resist asking: "What do you find of interest in Jack son County, Oregon?" Before the sentence was com- i pleted the probable answer came in the Major s invitation. "Let's all go fishing soon, very soon," he urged. "I do like to go fishing." Especially appropriate to answer those last minute Chris.. naa card's you receive! Swem's 217 E. MAIN ST. YOUR LOANS Let ut put you on Top of the Wonderful World of Money. Just giv us ring and tell ui how much you need. Ont Loan One Convenient Monthly Payment. A Handy Hundred or More From Crater Fin ance. Money From Crater Finance Is Like Money From Home. vour mailbox InaA tTUMilf . I I ("r .vM - 10 i:kf.. in-) i MAIL TRIBUNE
