REVIEW SPRING 1987
VOL. 14
1792 MARINE DRIVE, ASTORIA, OREGON 97103
NO. 2
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MODEL OF THE FALLS OF HALLADALE BY LLOYD McCAFFERY The amazing model, only eight inches long, of the British barque Falls of Halladale, depicted above, was made by Lloyd Mccaffery, one of the country's finest professional ship model makers. Examples of his work have recently taken first prizes in international ship model competitions at The Mariners Museum in Virginia and at the British National Maritime Museum. The Falls of Halladale model and one of the Henry B. Hyde were very generously donated to the Museum last year by Mrs. McKee A. Smith of Portland. These joined six other McCaffery models from the collection of the late McKee A. Smith that
were donated back in 1973. Smith was an enthusiastic nautical collector and a good friend of this museum. We also have three miniature models by McCaffery that came from the collection of the late Rolf Klep. Our total of 11 models is one of the largest concentrations of McCaffery' s art, but all the models represent his early work, which has, incredibly enough, been eclipsed by his recent efforts. McCaffery, now in his late 30' s, is a native of California who currently lives in Boulder, Colorado. He fell in love with ships as a child, when he saw pictures of old British Admiralty (continued on page 3)
FROM THE QUARTERDECK
J.H.D. GRAY CORRECTION
May 11, 1987 marks the 25th anniversary of the Columbia River Maritime Museum and the fifth anniversary in our new building. Our founder and first president, Rolf Klep, deeply believed in establishing a museum to exhibit the rich maritime heritage of the Columbia River and Northwest coast. Because of his tenacity and commitment, today we have one of the finest museums of its type in America, visited by 90,000 people last year. In addition to the vision of our founder, our museum has also benefited from the strong leadership of a region-wide Board of Trustees. Through the years, this able group of men and women have lent their wisdom and counsel to chart a steady course of accomplishment and growth. The achievements of the Museum have also been made possible by a dedicated corps of volunteers and a strong membership from throughout the United States. The leadership which has brought the Museum to this point will be the same basis of strength to carry us forward for another 25 years. Under the capable leadership of John McGowan, President of the Museum, we are planning to expand the projects and activities of the Museum, while maintaining the high level of programs currently in place. B.J. Neikes, President of the Museum Auxiliary, and Mary Steinbock, Volunteer Coordinator, are also committed to our very essential volunteer programs. Rolf Klep would be pleased, no doubt, with the manner in which his dream has taken form. Stephen L. Recken Director
I mistakenly wrote in our last issue that J.H .D. Gray (1839-1902) was the first white male born in the Northwest. This statement has been printed in several works, but the Clatsop County Historical Society recently reported that Gray himself wrote that he was preceded by one Cyrus Walker, born in 1838. Two girls were born in 1837: Alice Whitman, followed by Elizabeth Spaulding.
MARITIME WEEK '87 MAY 16-23 Events for Astoria's annual Maritime Week will take place at the Maritime Museum unless noted otherwise. Saturday, May 16 (Jane Barnes Day, Armed Forces Day} 10:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. Rainy Day Bazaar & Open House, Coast Guard Air Station, Astoria. 12:30 - 4:00 p.m. Ship Model Competition (10:30 a.m. entry deadline). All Day: Jane Barnes Day activities. Monday, May 18 {International Museum Day} 7:00 p.m. "The Men & Boats of the Columbia River Gillnet Fishery," presented by the Columbia River Fishermen's Protective Union. Tuesday, May 19 7:00 p.m. "The National Motor Lifeboat School," presented by Gary Walker, USCG, Commandant. Wednesday, May 20 12:30 p.m. Breeches buoy demonstration.
MINIATURE SHIPS TO COMPETE Amateur ship model builders from throughout the Northwest will gather on Saturday, May 16th to compete in the Maritime Museum's Fourteenth Annual Ship Model Competition. All of the entries will be publicly exhibited from 12:30 to 4:00 p.m. The model competition, as in the past, is open to all amateur entrants and to models of every sort of watercraft. No entry fees will be charged. The entry deadline is 10:30 a.m. on May 16th. A substantial trophy will be awarded for the best model in the show. Certificates and ribbons will also be given in both adult and junior classes for six categories of models: scratch-built scale display models, ships-in-bottles, wooden-kit display models, plastic-kit display models, operating radiocontrol models, and purely decorative or fanciful models. Awards will be determined by a panel of expert judges. Past competitions have drawn entries from as far afield as Nevada, Idaho, and British Columbia, while last year's contest attracted 59 models by 39 different builders. The event provides an excellent opportunity for ship modellers to get acquainted, compare notes, and display their efforts to admiring visitors, who get a chance to see work that is not normally available to the public. For further information, contact Larry Gilmore at (503) 325-2323.
Thursday, May 21 11:00 a.m. -1:30 p.m. Columbia River Maritime Museum Auxiliary fundraising luncheon. 12:30 p.m. Breeches buoy demonstration. 7:30 p.m. "Shipwreck: Is It the Isabella?" Lecture by Lt. Michael Monteith, USCG, & Larry Gilmore. Friday, May 22 (National Maritime Day} 12:30 p.m. Breeches buoy demonstration. 7:00 p.m. "Literature & Folklore of the Sea," program by Prof. David Bezayiff, Fresno State University. Saturday, May 23 10:00 a.m. Boat race "Lower Columbia Row-In," (entry 9:00-9:45 a.m.). 10:00 a.m. - 4:00 p .m . at Maritime Museum: Rope-making demonstrations by Bill Barrett. Calliope concert by Betty Phillips & Len Vernon. Maritime music by Professor David Bezayiff. Coast Guard helicopter/boat rescue demonstration. Canoe building demonstration by Ft. Clatsop National Memorial staff. 4:00 p .m. Breeches buoy demonstration. 7:00 p .m. - 10:30 p.m. Dinner cruise on sternwheeler Columbia Gorge (reservations required) .
MUSEUM PUBLISHES POSTERS
In honor of our 25th anniversary, two color posters are being published. The first is from a watercolor illustration (on display in the Museum) of the S.S. United States by the late Rolf Klep (1904-1981). It originally appeared in Life Magazine, soon after the United States' record-breaking maiden voyage in 1952. She is the largest U.S. passenger vessel, 990 feet in length, and the fastest liner ever built, with a 36-knot service speed and a maximum speed of over 45 knots. Retired from scheduled transatlantic service in 1969, the United States still exists and is to be converted to a cruise ship. Rolf Klep was a nationally known technical illustrator, whose work appeared in many important magazines and several books. Born in Portland, he grew up there and in Astoria before studying art and architecture at the University of Oregon. He became a successful free-lance illustrator in New York, pioneering use of the air brush in commercial art. Rolf always wanted to go to sea and had a life-long passion for maritime subjects, leading to many advertising
comm1ss10ns from shipping companies. In World War II, he directed illustration of manuals for Naval Intelligence, and became a commander in the Naval Reserve. Klep retired to Astoria and realized a longheld dream in 1962 when the Museum was established. He served without pay as director for many years before his death in 1981, only months before our present building opened. Our second poster reprints K. McBean' s "The Columbia River Entrance, the Wrecks and a Marine History of its Development," compiled in 1936 at Astoria. It charts the position of local shipwrecks (up to 1936), changes in the shape of the Columbia's mouth over the years, and includes capsule histories of early exploration. Rolf Klep did the lettering, cartouche, and borders. The master copy was donated to the Museum in 1968 by Mrs. James W. Jarvis. List price of each poster will be $6.00 (less 10% for Museum members). We expect delivery from the printers about the end of June. Please direct purchase inquiries to Patricia Longnecker, Shop Manager.
NEW MEMBERS, INCREASED SUPPORT(*), JANUARY 1 - MARCH 31, 1987 PILOT Mr. R. Hollis Lasley, Salem• SUSTAINING Mr. Stan Allyn, Depoe Bay Mrs. J. Irwin Hoffman, Portland Mr. & Mrs. William Leahy, Jr., Plano, TX* Mr. Kenneth Lewis, Portland* Mr. & Mrs. Michael Lynch, Portland* Mr. & Mrs. Robert C. Macdonald• Mr. & Mrs. David C. Meyer, Sherwood* Mr. Robert L. Mitchell, Portland* Mr. & Mrs. Bruce C . North• Mr. & Mrs. Dee Thomason, Warrenton
SUPPORTING Ms. Joan L. Battuello, Phoenix, AZ• Mr. & Mrs. Albert H. Mott* Mr. & Mrs. Richard Tevis* CONTRIBUTING Ackroyd Photography, Portland• Mr. & Mrs. Darryl Bergerson Mr. & Mrs. Darrell Crawford, Forest Grove• Miss Vicki L. Durst• Mr. & Mrs. John D. Farrelly, Longview, WA Mr. Tim Fastabend • Mr. & Mrs. James Jarvis, Jr.
Mr. & Mrs. Curtis Johnson* Mr. & Mrs. Carl Henry Labiske* Mr. & Mrs. Rick Sistek Mr. & Mrs. Harry M. Steinbock* Lt. & Mrs. Jack A. Strange Mr. & Mrs. Arnold C. Swanson• Mr. Doug Sweet/Kathleen O'Leary• Mr. John]. Tachouet, Lake Oswego* Mr. & Mrs. Travis Tyrrell, Arch Cape
ANNUAL Ms. Joyce Ruff Abdill, Roseburg Mr. LeRoy Adolphson Dr. Lewis H. Carter, Hoquiam, WA Mr. James Charlton, Portland Mr. & Mrs. Dale Curry
NEW MEMBERSHIPS (CONTINUED) Ms. Mary Ann Dukich, Portland Mr. & Mrs. Roger G. Fear Mr. Leonard Haga Mr. & Mrs. Joseph M. Herman Mr. & Mrs. E.P. Hoskinson, Lincoln City Mr. John M. Houle, Portland
Ms. Kathryn Klinger, Mission Hills, CA Mr. & Mrs. Don Link Mr. Eugene Majerowicz, Los Angeles, CA Mr. & Mrs. George Mansfield, Warrenton
Mr. & Mrs. Jack Mitchem, Portland Mrs. Polly McKee, Seaside Ms. Euna V. Nichols Mr. Mike Puckett, Seaside Sunset Empire Amateur Radio Club Mr. & Mrs. Terry P. Thompson, Portland
• MEMORIAL CONTRIBUTIONS, JANUARY 1 - MARCH 31, 1987 CLIFFORD W. ANET Mr. & Mrs. Carl Angberg Mrs. Robert G. Braun Mrs. Helen Caspell Mr. & Mrs. J. Cauduro & Family Mr. & Mrs. Arnold B. Curtis Mr. Gilbert V. Kamara Mr. & Mrs. Don Link Mr. & Mrs. William Malmberg Mr. & Mrs. Viekko Manners Mr. Jim McCallister Sander, Perkins & Co., P.C. Mrs. Dorothy J. Sarpola Mr. John Seeborg Mrs. Patricia Simonsen Mr. & Mrs. Fleming Wilson CAPT. ARTHUR W. BELL/ DAISY L. BELL Mr. & Mrs. B.G. Eheler FAYE MARIE BLENIO Mrs. Vieno H. Hansen Mr. & Mrs. John Kemmerer THOMAS F. CLARK Mr. & Mrs. Carl Bondietti Mr. Andrew Carlson Buddy Hoell/Rae Goforth Mr. & Mrs. Sigfred Jensen Dr. & Mrs. Robert Niekes Portland Steamship Operators Assn. Capt. & Mrs. Stanley Sayer Sunrise Shipping Agency IVAN "SKIP" DAHLGREN Ms. Evelyn Abrahams Mr. & Mrs. Bill Cunningham Mr. & Mrs. Donald Fastabend Mr. & Mrs. Cecil Geier Mr. & Mrs. Bob Gustafson Ms. Ruth Gustafson Mr. & Mrs. Art Hebert Mr. & Mrs. John Holland Ms. Sue Klinz Ms. Donna June Langdon Capt. & Mrs. Reino Mattila Mr. & Mrs. Bert Mattson Mr. & Mrs. Moze Meeker Mr. & Mrs. Cecil Moberg Mr. & Mrs. Curtis Olson Ms. Ethelyn Reneke Mr. & Mrs. Tony Robnett Ms. Joyce Schoonmaker
HELEN LOUISE DANGERFIELD COE Dr. & Mrs. Richard Kettelkamp ALICIA DUGAN Mr. & Mrs. John Kemmerer Mr. & Mrs. Carl Labiske ROBERT FELLMAN Mr. & Mrs. Frank E. Ross HAMKIN B. FIEHLE Mr. & Mrs. John S. McGowan Mrs. Tom Sandoz TOIVO FILBY Mr. & Mrs. Arnold Swanson ED FRIEDMAN Mr. & Mrs. George Fulton CAPT. FRANK GILLARD Mr. & Mrs. Arthur E. Gillard BARBARA HALDERMAN Kay McGowan Garvin MARJORIE Mr. & Mrs. Mr. & Mrs. Mr. & Mrs.
J. HEATER Trygve Duoos Eugene Knutsen A.J. L'Amie
BERTHA HENDRICKSON Dorothea J. Handran JACK JOHNSON Dr. & Mrs. John Parpala DANNY 0. JONES Mr. & Mrs. Eugene Knutsen Mr. & Mrs. A.J. L'Amie ADOLPHE J. KERBEL Mr. & Mrs. George Abrahamsen Mr. & Mrs. Toivo Kuivala Mr. & Mrs. A.J. L'Amie Mr. & Mrs. Ruben A. Mund Mr. & Mrs. Frank E. Ross Frances M. Straumford Yergen & Meyer MARY HILJA KIISKI Mrs. Berenice I. Baker Mr. & Mrs. Wenzel Luthe
Mr. & Mrs. Ruben A. Mund Mrs. J.E. Niemi PATRICIA MARIE KUCKENBERG Mr. Mark M. Gill, Sr. ALFRED LAWRENCE Mr. Ernest Kairala Mr. & Mrs. John Kemmerer Mrs. Georgia L. Maki Mr. & Mrs. George Siverson JAMES G. LINEHAM Capt. & Mrs. Kenneth McAlpin MAXINE M. McKILLIP Mrs. Helen Caspell Mr. & Mrs. Trygve Duoos Mrs. Dorothea J. Handran Mr. Howard Tihila ANNA O'BRYAN Ms. Noreen K. Buck Mr. & Mrs. Stewart M. Butler Ms. Betty C. Denison Ms. Vernita Van Fleet Mr. Warren D. Johnson Mr. & Mrs. Donald Leslie Mr. & Mrs. William H. Lowe Ms. Janis E. Sander TYNES. PARPALA Mr. & Mrs. Trygve Duoos Mr. & Mrs. Frank E. Ross DR. & MRS. WAYNE PARPALA Mr. & Mrs. T.S. Filby Dr. & Mrs. John Parpala Mr. & Mrs. Norman Saarheim CAPTAIN WILLIAM PIERSON Mr. & Mrs. Harold Hansen THOMAS F. SANDOZ Mr. Jon C. Cosovich ED WESTERLUND Mr. & Mrs. Andrew Rosenberger WOODROW C. WILLSON The Danish Society JOHN YANCEY Mr. & Mrs. Harley W. Grayum
SHIPWRECK UPDATE
BUMBLE BEE INVENTORY BEGINS
Last fall we reported the discovery of an old wooden wreck, thought to be that of the Isabella, lost in 1830 near the present town of Ilwaco, Washington. Weather and visibility conditions on the site do not permit diving operations during the winter and early spring, but exploration will probably resume in late June. Meanwhile, documentary research on the Isabella has continued, with the aid of volunteers Charles F. Cardinell, from Milwaukie, Oregon, and John McKesson, of Brownsmead, Oregon. Several useful pieces of information have come to light, as a result . Photocopies from old volumes of Lloyd's Register of Shipping, provided by The Mariners Museum (in Virginia), show that the Isabella was built at Shoreham, a small port on England's Channel coast in the County of Sussex, in 1825. The information about the place of construction provides a starting point for further inquiries aimed at obtaining any extant building plans or specifications for the Isabella, which might permit positive identification of the wreck. The registers, intended for insurance purposes, also provide some useful details about the Isabella's physical characteristics. For example, we learn that she had one complete deck, a loaded draft of thirteen feet, and that her bottom was sheathed in copper to protect it from the boring of shipworms. She held Lloyd's highest rating for quality of construction and maintenance. Microfilm of a list of articles salvaged from the Isabella in 1830 was lent from the Hudson's Bay Company Archives in Winnipeg. This showed that the vessel carried quite a varied cargo, including an impressive array of textiles and finished garments, as well as trade blankets, muskets, ammunition, beads, cooking pots, nails, tools, paint, stationery, medicines, tobacco, tea, and preserved foods (including 400 pounds of gingerbread!). Unfortunately, the list also revealed that some 75% of the cargo was recovered in 1830, along with the Isabella's cannon, small arms, navigating instruments, stores, and much of the rigging. From an archaeological point of view, it would be much better if all this material had remained aboard. We very recently learned, in response to letters of inquiry, that the Washington State Historical Society holds a thick file of manuscript material pertaining to James Scarborough, who was second mate of the Isabella when she was lost. Scarborough remained in the Northwest in the employ of the Hudson's Bay Company and rose to command the Cadboro. He later retired to a farm on the present site of Fort Columbia State Park in Washington, across the river from Astoria, and occasionally served as a bar pilot (one of the earliest in the area). John McKesson will be journeying to Tacoma to examine the Scarborough papers and determine whether they contain anything about the loss of the Isabella. The story of the shipwreck's discovery and investigation will be presented by Lieutenant Michael Monteith, commanding officer of Cape Disappointment Coast Guard Station, and Larry Gilmore, Curator of the Museum, at 7:30 p .m. on May 21st in a public program at the Museum. There is no charge for attending.
The daunting task of sorting, inventorying, and properly storing historic corporate records of the Columbia River Packers Association (C .R.P.A.) and its successor, Bumble Bee Seafoods, commenced April 15th under the grant from the William Randolph Hearst Foundation that was announced in our last issue. Irene Martin, a resident of Skamokawa, Washington, has been hired to carry out the project on a part-time basis, due to her unusual combination of appropriate training, practical experience, and knowledge of local fishing history. Mrs. Martin holds a master's degree in library science from the University of British Columbia and worked for several years as a professional librarian. She is currently a free-lance writer and researcher who has written an impressive number of published articles on historical, fishing, and library topics. Working with her fisherman husband, Kent Martin, has provided Irene with personal experience as a gillnetter. Two of our trustees are retired executives of Bumble Bee Seafoods, and they should be able to offer invaluable information and advice in assessing the purpose and importance of certain documents. Allen V. Cellars was a Vice President of Bumble Bee, while John S. McGowan, current President of the Museum's Board of Trustees, spent most of his adult life working for C.R.P.A./Bumble Bee and became President of that corporation.
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• McCAFFERY MODELS (CONTINUED) models of sailing men-of-war. Although he built models as early as 1964, McCaffery studied art at Oregon State University, and his early efforts concentrated on marine painting. He tried various media to express his feeling for ships, but none really satisfied him until McKee Smith commissioned him to build the miniature models now owned by the Museum. McCaffery has said, "Ships are man's most beautiful creations, and to see one reduced with absolute fidelity leaves me enthralled. It is my destiny to create the finest ship miniatures possible-to raise their status to fine art, comparable with painting." To achieve historical authenticity, he must combine the skills of detective and historian with those of a master jeweller. The size of his models ranges down to a mere three inches in length, but are built plank-on-frame in the manner of real vessels, with each plank (which may be only 11100th inch wide) accurately cut and individually fastened. No manufactured parts are used (or even available for such tiny scales) . To really bring his subject alive, McCaffery has recently begun depicting vessels with crews of individually sculpted figures and with one side of the ship cut away to reveal a completely detailed interior. Each model takes from three months to a year to complete. Lloyd McCaffery builds for a clientele of specialized collectors, yet his work is in great demand and commands rapidly rising prices. Articles about him have appeared in such national magazines as Sea History, Connoisseur, and Wooden Boat.
Sign On!
*
AS A MEMBER OF THE
COLUMBIA RIVER MARITIME MUSEUM
*
*
SPECIAL GIFTS JAN. 1 - MARCH 31, 1987 Mr. Darryl Bergerson Mr. Dennis Bjork Ocean Beach PTSA Mr. Henry J. Principe
D Life
$1,000 single payment
D Supporting
$50 per year
D Sponsor
$500 per year
D Contributing
$25 per year
D PILOT
$250 per year
D Annual
$15 per year
D Sustaining
$100 per year
D Student
$7.50 per year
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ROW-IN
COLUMBIA GORGE CRUISE
Bring your boat! The Lower Columbia Row-In will once again be held as part of Maritime Week, starting from the Museum at 10:00 a.m. on Saturday, May 23rd, rain or shine. Registration begins at 9:00. There will be classes for all forms of human-powered craft (rowing, paddling, sculling, etc.). Two course options are available: The long course (3 miles) will run from the Museum to the East Mooring Basin, thence to the Chevron Dock, and back to the Museum. The short course (1.5 miles) extends from the Museum to the East Mooring Basin and back. There is no entry fee. Ribbons will be awarded to all participants, and Row-In T-shirts will be available at cost. Contact Bruce Weilepp at the Museum for full registration, launching, and rules information. The Museum wishes to thank Darryl Bergerson and Dennis Bjork of Bergerson Enterprises for donation of crane services to clear obstructions from the bottom of the cove at the east end of the Museum grounds in preparation for the Row-In. This will make it much easier to launch light boats there without risk of damage.
On May 23rd, members will have an opportunity to take a delightful evening cruise on the sternwheeler Columbia Gorge, while she is at Astoria. The vessei is a modern excursion boat, built a few years ago at Hood River, in the style of the old Columbia River packets, for the Port of Cascade Locks. Live music and a buffet dinner, offering a choice of salmon or beef, will be included in the price of the cruise. There will be a nohost bar available. Boarding will commence at the Museum on Saturday, May 23rd at 7:00 p.m., and the Columbia Gorge will depart at 7:30, returning at 10:30 that evening. Reservations and adva~ce payment are absolutely required, due to the vessel's limited capacity of 200 persons. There may still be a few openings available when you receive this. The price is $25 per person for members, or $35 for non-members. Call (503) 325-2323 for reservation information.
LARRY GILMORE, EDITOR
COLUMBIA RIVER MARITIME MUSEUM 1792 MARINE DRIVE ASTORIA, OREGON 97103
ADDRESS CORRECTION REQUESTED
ISSN 0891-2661
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Non-Profit Organization U.S. POSTAGE PA ID Astoria, Oregon Permit No. 209