     |
|
By Molly O'Leary-Howard
Governor John Evans arrived at the Challis airport at 2 p.m. Friday following the earthquake that claimed two lives here and shattered the town of Mackay.
The governor surveyed the damage to Challis and then met with county commissioners Mel Meyers and Frank Marrafio. At 3 p.m. the commissioners passed a resolution declaring a county-wide state of emergency following the quake.
Evans and the commissioners proceeded to Mackay from Challis to assess the damage there. There first stop was the Mackay reservoir.
"I met with Mr. Jensen who is the president of the canal company, and also with Norm Young who is our state water engineer division director and they both assured me that, even though there was some turbid water to begin with coming out from the toe of the dam and it worried them for awhile, it's now cleared up. The flows are uniform and even and it's what they would expect to flow from the toe of the dam," Evans said.
"Mr. Young showed me some of the cracks in the dam itself but reassured me that the dam was constructed many years ago far wider than was necessary and it's completely safe. We're going to have engineers monitoring that dam for the next several days to make sure that everything is all right. So we can assure the people of Mackay and the people of Arco and all of the people of Idaho that the dam is safe and will hold," Evans added.
Although Evans immediately declared the county a disaster area on the state level, he has not as yet asked President Reagan to declare a disaster on the federal level. According to the governor's press secretary Jean Terra, Evans will decide later this week whether or not to ask the president for federal disaster declaration, based on damage assessments presently being gathered.
According to Evans, "There are certain programs that are available in a disaster circumstance even though we don't have a presidential disaster.
"They've changed those Federal Emergency Management Administration rules over a period of time and we're hopeful we'll be able to secure help to these businesses that are going to have to have some borrowing capacity to rebuild a business to get back into operation," Evans said.
"I'm optimistic that it (aid) will be done. I've been predicting that both the SBA and the Farmer's Home Administration would have resources available in this emergency, and our congressional delegation has done everything they can to assure us that they will trigger whatever help is available.
"We particularly worry about our schools because of the critical importance to educate our children," Evans continued. "So we'll be working very closely with the local government and the Federal Emergency Management Administration and I understand they have a team of experts coming in right now to make the assessment of the damages and to determine what can be made available to the people."
[Challis Messenger; November, 1983]
By Molly O'Leary-Howard
Red Cross disaster relief centers have been set up in Challis and Mackay to assist area residents affected by Friday's earthquake.
According to Bob Howard, information officer for the agency's disaster relief effort, a central disaster relief center has been set up at the Northgate Inn on U.S. 93, just north of Challis. In addition an auxiliary center was opened in Mackay on Tuesday at the American Legion Hall.
Howard said they are urging all residents who may need some assistance, financial or otherwise, to get back into their homes to contact the volunteers at the two disaster service centers.
In addition to any immediate help people may need, "We'll work with families to assist them in going through the federal process to acquire whatever aid they may need," Howard said in a telephone conversation Monday.
According to Howard, the preliminary survey figures indicate that as many as 200 area families may require assistance as a result of Friday's quake. The immediate area affected by the early morning tremors is estimated to be 87,500 square miles, he said.
"Because of the vastness of the area," Howard added, "it's very difficult to get a good definitive survey of the damage and the number of people affected. Everything is so spread out we need to get the word out so we can hear from those people who need help."
According to Howard, a multitude of assistance will be available to people and businesses in the area. Federal assistance will be co-ordinated through the Federal Emergency Management Agency. Loans to businesses may be available through the Small Business Administration, and assistance in the form of recovery of taxes paid out in past years may be available through the IRS. Low interest loans may also be available through the Farmers Home Administration.
The Red Cross has been collecting data from area business people and residents in an attempt to facilitate efforts to obtain federal disaster assistance for the area.
The Mackay Red Cross disaster center will be open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. through the end of this week. The Challis center will continue to remain open after that to provide any additional assistance people in the area may need. The number to contact in Challis is 879-2423.
[Challis Messenger; November, 1983]
By Molly O'Leary-Howard
The strongest earthquake to hit the continental United States in nearly a quarter of a century, rocked through Custer County at approximately 8:06 a.m. Friday.
The quake, measuring 6.9 on the Richter scale, left millions of dollars of damage in its wake and two small Challis school children dead.
Killed were Tara Leaton, 7, and Travis Franck, 6. The two were killed instantly when debris from a stone building on the northwest end of Main Street fell on them as they were walking to school.
A Mackay woman, Eleanor Williams, received severe bruises but no broken bones when she was hit by bricks falling from a building in Mackay.
Williams had just parked her car behind the Idaho First National Bank in Mackay when the quake hit. She reported she got out of her car when bricks began showering her vehicle and headed for safety. She was injured by the flying debris which struck her in the back and legs. Williams' car was demolished.
Challis received considerably less damage than Mackay, with boulders from surrounding hillsides wreaking the most havoc.
The northeast corner of the old Challis high school crumbled at the top, sending mortar and stone to the ground. The stone smokestack of the old building received extensive damage when the mortar was knocked loose by the quake. Large cracks can also be seen in the building's stone facade.
Visible damage to the inside of the building amounted to cracked and fallen plaster, displaced ceiling tiles, light fixtures hanging down from the ceiling and broken glass in the trophy case. According to Dr. Donicht, the overall structural damage to the building was extensive.
Several homes in the Challis area received heavy damage when boulders from adjacent hillsides sloughed off with the tremors.
Homes belonging to the Harry James family, Rob and Pam Markley, and the John Austins and Loyd Todds, all built at the base of large bluffs, were struck by airborne boulders. A house rented by Georgia Smith, just across from the Markley residence, narrowly escaped serious damage when a huge boulder landed in the front yard, just grazing the porch. The Bill Yacomella family lost four of their six pigs when a boulder bounced into the pig pen, killing three instantly.
Along with dishes and knick-knacks "jumping" off of shelves in people's homes, a few thousand dollars worth of groceries crashed to the floors in local grocery stores. Estimates of inventory losses alone were $3 5,000 at both Wise Buy and Village Square stores, with the Garden Creek store reporting total losses of between $500-1,000 for both of their locations.
According to Rovetto, three times the normal amount of water has surged into the mine's underground shafts and they have been flying in pumps from "all over" to help alleviate the problem.
Fortunately, no one was underground when the quake hit. According to Rovetto, the crew was running late and would normally have been underground by 8 a.m., six minutes before the tremors began.
A 15 mile long fault along the Lost River Mountain range is testimony to the severity of Friday's quake. Starting at the epicenter of the quake near the base of Mt. Borah, the fault stretches northwest to Willow Creek Summit, and southwest to within approximately 15 miles of Mackay.
The Double Springs Pass road just north of Borah has a 20-foot wide "crack" in it, with a measured displacement drop of approximately eight feet. Geologists in the area speculate that the Lost River Valley may have dropped an average of 10 feet overall. It is thought that Borah Peak, the highest mountain in Idaho, gained approximately 15 feet in elevation as a result of Friday's activity.
In addition to visible changes on the earth's surface such as the fault line, many less visible underground changes occurred as well.
Chilly Butte, located across the highway southwest of Mt. Borah, sprang several "leaks"--initially gushing several feet in the air. Underground artesian springs burst through the earth's surface near the butte causing severe flooding of ranches in the area. That water has since subsided.
In addition to water springing up out of the earth in the Chilly area, a warm springs located on the Will Ingram ranch has completely disappeared into the ground without a trace.
The effects of Friday's quake will be felt by this area for years to come, not just in terms of material damage to homes and businesses which can be repaired, but far more devastatingly in terms of the tragic loss felt by all of two innocent lives.
[Challis Messenger; November, 1983]
By Molly O'Leary-Howard
The lives of two small Challis school children were claimed by last Friday's quake.
The children, seven year old Tara Leaton, and six year old Travis Franck, were killed instantly when debris from an old stone building on the northwest end of Main street fell on them as they were walking to school.
Darlene Coates was on her way to work at the Custer County Bank, just down the street, when the tragedy happened.
"I had gone to City Hall," she said, "and was driving down to the bank. Tara started across the street in front of me and then Travis called her back. I continued on then and got as far as the liquor store when the quake hit and the mountains started tumbling.
"I glanced back and the building toppled and their was nothing I could do," she added gravely. "It happened so fast--it was over before you could think."
Mrs. Coates ran to the bank for help, and others ran out from surrounding buildings after the tremors had quieted.
Clayton Severe, a bank employee, was one of the first to arrive at the scene to help.
"It was a terrible task," he said. "Everything was done without thought except to get to those two kids. It's been very hard on the families--Tara was my niece."
"I thought afterward, when I had time to collect my thoughts, that it was really great the number of people that responded and helped," he added. "I guess that's part of being from a small town--everyone pulls together."
Allen Hardman, a Challis businessman, was another of the many who responded to the fear that the children had been buried by the fallen debris.
"We came out of the building and there was a lady hollering that there were some kids buried there," he said. "Both the mothers were looking for their kids and knew they should be somewhere near because they had just left home."
According to Dave Delimont, who had been with Hardman at Challis Transportation just across the street from the shattered building, 15-20 people ran to the scene and immediately began throwing rocks out of the way. One witness said she was amazed afterwards at the speed with which everyone worked and the size of rocks they moved by hand.
"We were all hoping against hope that they weren't there--that it was all a terrible mistake," Hardman said sadly.
[Challis Messenger; November, 1983]
The Old Rock Building
By Peggy Parks
When does a building cease to be of historical significance and become a public nuisance? The collapse of the front of the old rock building in Friday's earthquake poses such a dilemma.
The owner of the building maintains that the building is registered with the historical society and, therefore, should be preserved.
A local contractor, who was on the scene Friday, maintains that the building violated many contemporary building code standards, and that if the city had a building code on its books, the building would have been condemned and torn down years ago.
The rock building, constructed in 1879, is one of the oldest buildings in Challis. It was first owned by George Shoup, who later became the first governor of the Territory of Idaho. The stones used in the building were quarried from the bluffs north of town. This same rock was used in several other buildings in town--the old high school and the building housing the Challis Museum are two examples.
In 1916 the U.S. Geological Survey placed a survey marker in the left cornerstone of the building marking the elevation at 5281 feet above sea level. This marker is still listed as a reference with the U.S.G.S.
In a special meeting Friday afternoon the city council declared the front of the building a public hazard. This allowed the city maintenance crew to remove most of the remaining blocks from the building's front. It was an action that was necessary to assure public safety in the event that aftershocks knocked more blocks loose.
Twenty to 30 years ago a truck owned by Challis Transportation lost its brakes, rolled downhill and crashed into the west side of the building. A large portion of the rock on that side of the building was knocked loose. Rockwork was replaced, but close inspection shows that the replacement rock was not totally identical to the original.
Fifteen or twenty years ago the rock wall on the east side of the building collapsed of its own accord. The Messenger, which is located next door, formerly had a window in the wall facing the rock building. According to Dick and Lou Swindell who owned the Messenger at that time, rocks and debris came cascading through that window onto the floor when the east wall of the rock building came down. Fortunately no one was hurt in that incident.
After the collapse of the east wall, all of the original rockwork was removed and the entire wall was replaced with cinderblock.
Seven or eight years ago the front room of the building was being used for storage and several freezers were being kept there. The freezers apparently overloaded the circuits of the old wiring and a fire broke out, which gutted the inside of that portion of the building. The inside front room was subsequently remodeled.
Other changes in the building's original state can be noted. A cinderblock addition was built onto the back at some time in the past, and the iron doors that originally were used to cover the doors and windows at night have disappeared. The roof is corrugated steel attached directly to the arch supports. It's unlikely that corrugated metal was around in 1879, so the original roof was probably replaced in recent years.
Now the building stands virtually stripped of its original historical splendor. Most of the original outside rockwork is gone, and much of the interior has been changed.
The rock building is one of the oldest in town, but it's hard to think of it without remembering the old story about George Washington's hatchet. A man claimed to have the hatchet that George Washington used to chop down the cherry tree. Over the course of the years the head had been replaced twice and the handle three times, but otherwise it was the original hatchet.
Several years ago the Idaho Historical Society circulated information to owners of old buildings in this area that told how to get the buildings listed in the National Register. Once listed, the owners were eligible for a 50% reimbursement for money spent to restore the building. In order to qualify for funds certain guidelines had to be followed, and the Historical Society had standards that had to be met before any remodeling could be approved.
According to Watts, the state has no funds for restoration projects this year. The Historical Society will probably send someone to Challis within the next week or two to look at the building, but even if they do determine that it is structurally sound and of interest to the society, there is no money available for restoration.
Restoration of a building, if it is to be done right, is expensive--very expensive. Dr. Terrell Donicht, Challis School Superintendent, estimates that it will cost almost as much to repair the damage done to the old high school as it would cost to build a totally new building.
The damage done to the front of the rock building in Friday's quake is highly visible. It is yet to be determined if the rest of the building is structurally sound. I have second thoughts about the remaining west wall, especially considering that fact that the east wall had a fault that caused it to spontaneously collapse a number of years ago.
Whether the building is restored in a manner that would meet the approval of the Idaho Historical Society or just remodeled to meeting 1983 building standards, the project will be extremely costly. Since there are no matching funds available for historical restoration, it is unlikely that the owner will choose this option.
It would probably be cheaper for the owner to just tear the building down and put up a new one. If the Historical Society decided that the building is still of interest to them, the alternative would probably be met with cries of protest from people interested in preserving historical buildings.
More than likely what will happen--what usually seems to happen in Challis--is that the building will either continue standing in its present state and decay further, or at most it will receive a few cosmetic patches.
The owner can if he wishes, put a new front on the building and patch any cracks in the plaster. The City of Challis currently has no building code that regulates either new construction or remodeling. A lot of things can be done relatively cheaply that will improve the superficial appearance of the building, but there is nothing that says that the building must be rendered safe.
There is also nothing to prevent the owner from allowing the building to stand as is. If it is of historical interest, it probably won't be restored because of the expense involved. It may not be torn down either because of its historical interest. Without a city building code, there is no way to condemn the building and require the owner to tear it down.
Preserving our country's history is a noble cause. Things that are part of our heritage, once destroyed, are gone forever. But, allowing a building to stand just because it is of historical significance is a crime. Making cosmetic improvements to an old building without giving any thought to the soundness of the basic structure is also undesirable.
The deaths of the two children when the front of the rock building collapsed Friday were tragic. We were fortunate that more people weren't involved. The tragedy emphasized the need, like never before, for the city to work toward establishing standards that might prevent future accidents of this type.
[Challis Messenger; November, 1983]
By Mal Spooner
It was early Friday morning. The sun had just arisen in the rosy east. The air was still and the town was awakening to a new day.
Then a terrible rumbling and earth-shaking catastrophe struck with the speed of lightning. A large portion of a nearby cliff broke loose and cascaded from on high down into the town. Large boulders tumbled and rolled creating havoc in their paths, and coming to rest amongst the frail homes and some even crushing against the structures.
But the landslide wasn't the worst. A large stone structure shook madly and its heavy facade crashed to the street. Two innocent children, on their way to school, were too near the building, and the falling stones snuffed out their lives in a quick moment.
People rushed to the scene, tore at the stones, trying to rescue the children, but it was all too quick and too late. The scream of the ambulance and the sirens of the police told the townspeople that the earthquake was taking its toll.
In the following hours, people gathered at the corners, or stood mute in the street, exchanging meaningless small sentences of sorrow and compassion.
Then the helicopters, the planes, soaring just overhead, circling, their telescopic lenses reaching down taking the pictures of the disaster scene, the cameramen and television commentators posing and setting their scenic backdrops to prepare news items for the evening news, these new things in this quiet little town caused the shaken citizens to pause and watch, to answer a few questions, to wander off back to their homes to call loved ones, relatives, parents, and children in far away places to let them know they were all right, before the telephone wires got all jammed up with such problems as this nationwide news would generate.
It took a full day for the dust to clear from the air. It took a full day for the first shock of surprise and uneasiness to abate. It took more than a full day for the somber thoughts of the loss of two of our little people to really sink in.
Then Saturday was seen through. People were out looking over their chimneys, checking the foundations and other fragile parts of their homes. Some had little mementoes which now had to be thrown into the trash, too broken from falls from knickknack shelves, window sills, and places of honor. Picture frames needed cleaning of broken glass, and jars and cans had to be set aright in the cupboard.
The grocery store owners thanked the volunteers who came in to help set the myriad items back upon the display racks.
Sunday morning saw exceptionally large groups retiring to their churches to gather in prayer and deep common empathy for the grieved friends and relatives of little Tara and Travis.
When school re-opens two seats will be vacant. Young eyes will gaze at the vacancies and think and think and think.
Challis will go on. We will remember. We will rebuild. We will dry the tears. There was yesterday, and there is still tomorrow.
[Challis Messenger; November, 1983]
By Molly O'Leary-Howard
Long after the aftershocks of last Friday's quake are felt, the silent tremors in people's hearts for the families of Travis Franck and Tara Leaton will linger.
The community of Challis is deeply saddened by the loss of two of our children--our most precious resource. Such a tragic loss is felt by all in a small town like Challis, where family ties know no boundaries.
To all that knew them, Tara and Travis were like any children--full of life, full of laughter, and full of a love they shared with many.
Tara was a second grader at Challis elementary school, and a stranger to no one.
Evelyn Strand, Tara's teacher, described her as "a very special person."
"She just seemed to light up a place," Mrs. Strand said. "She just bounced through life with a smile for everyone."
Travis, a first grader, was described by those who knew him as a peacemaker. He was always the one to settle the disagreements that occurred between brothers and friends.
Travis loved to read, especially about animals. One of his favorite pastimes was to go fishing with his dad. He was a quiet boy, one acquaintance remembers, but one who loved people and was loved by many in return.
There are no words that do justice to the loss shared by all in this community.
One woman echoed the thoughts of many when she said, "My heart just breaks for those parents. There's just nothing you can say that can compensate for the loss. Without a belief in God, it's awfully hard to accept something like that."
Another person summed it up by saying, "You just go crazy trying to answer the question 'Why?' "
No man is an Island, entire of itself
Every man is a piece of the Continent, a
part of the main
If a Clod be washed away by the Sea, Europe
is the less,
As well as if a Promontorie were,
As well as if a Manor of thy friends or of
thine own were
Any mans death diminishes me, because I
am involved in Mankind
And therefore never send to know for whom
the bell tolls
It tolls for thee.
John Donne
[Challis Messenger; November, 1983]
By Molly O'Leary-Howard
The status of the old Challis high school building is still uncertain, but the prospects don't look good, according to District School Superintendent Dr. Donicht.
Brent Bailiff, an engineer with Bailiff and Associates, Pocatello, inspected the building Monday with Donicht, as well as the Patterson and Clayton elementary schools.
Damage to the two outlying schools was minimal. According to Donicht, the Patterson school suffered a few minor cracks, while the Clayton school was damaged by a boulder that left a foot by foot-and-a-half hole in the outside wall. Neither school will require major structural repairs.
The old high school, however, didn't fair as well.
Built in 1922, the building was not up to the shaking and rocking it underwent in last Friday's quake. According to Donicht, the entire stone front exterior is separating from the rest of the building. Fortunately, the two front wing walls were stabilized several years ago with bolts attaching it to the center of the structure. Cracks can be seen on the exterior and the northeast corner crumbled from the tremors.
"The old high school is either damaged beyond repair, or damaged so badly that any repairs would cost a great deal of money," Donicht said. "No matter what we do, the old building will not be used this year," he added.
According to Donicht, Bailiff will prepare some estimates for the district based on Monday's inspection of the damage.
"He's going to give us some estimates on costs to either fix it so it'll be habitable, or to tear it down and replace it," Donicht said.
Donicht estimated that the figures for tearing the building down and replacing it with a 10 classroom facility for Junior High students would be in the neighborhood of $1-2 million.
According to Donicht, "It would probably cost as much or more to restore the building if we had to bring everything up to code."
Asked where the money will come from to either rebuild or restore the structure Donicht replied, "I haven't the foggiest idea."
Donicht attributes the fact that the area has not been declared a federal disaster to a simple matter of dollars and cents. Initial damage estimates were set at $2.5 million dollars--a "drop in the bucket" on a national scale. However, on a local, per capita scale the figure is overwhelming in terms of locally available resources for rebuilding.
Donicht expressed concern that, now that all the national news media have come and gone along with all the attendant excitement, the magnitude of the problem--other than to local people--has also diminished.
"When it was big news, everyone was right here," he said. "But now it's just old news as far as a lot of people are concerned.
"The bottom line seems to be that, just like everything else, the people of Custer County will have to piece everything back together themselves," he said. "But," he added, "I'd love to be wrong."
The high school students had been scheduled to start school in the building on Monday. The old high school was to have become the junior high facility. All of the students are now attending school in the new building, with the exception of two of the classrooms being located in the elementary school nearby.
The transition to the new building was already underway when the quake hit, although the move was far from being complete. Donicht attributed the relatively smooth transition amidst the surrounding havoc to custodial workers and teachers who put in lots of extra hours to get the job done.
"We couldn't have done it without the volunteer help of all the people," he said. "They put in a lot of hours and we're grateful for their help."
[Challis Messenger; November, 1983]
Myrna Austin, Pam Markley, and Mona James all shared a similar experience. They all were either in their homes or had just run out the door when their homes were intruded upon by an uninvited guest--a bouncing boulder.
"Frightening" is the way Mona James described her experience.
"When the power went off I got up and then I could hear the noise. The noise is what really scared me," she said.
"My first thought was fear, and then the urge to run.
"I don't know why I ran out the front door, just instinct I guess. I remember seeing the rocks coming down by the Cyprus building and I ran away from it towards my mother's house."
Seconds after Mona ran out the door on the west side of the house a 6-7 ton boulder crashed into the doorway. Another boulder totalled the James' nearby car.
"It's more scary now as I look back and think what could've happened," she said.
"It's definitely changed my whole way of thinking and looking at the world," she added reflectively.
[Challis Messenger; November, 1983]
By Molly O'Leary-Howard
The dust has settled, the clean-up is done, and the time to assess damages and rebuild is here.
Sounds simple, but for many it's not. Earthquake insurance is practically unheard of in this area and the victims of last Friday's quake are still trying to figure out where the money, if any, will come from to help.
According to Vangie Ingram, they checked the warm water spring at the south end of the ranch about two hours after the earthquake hit.
"There wasn't a drop of water at the source and not even a puddle left on the ground where the water ran," she said. "It seemed to have just gotten sucked right out of the bottom of the creek bed."
The loss to the Ingrams in terms of hay production capabilities and subsequent cattle raising capacity is staggering. Over 1300 acres, three-quarters of their hay production ground is virtually useless.
Although they have some winter stock water from the creek that runs through the ranch from Grandview Canyon to the south, they lose that water right to San Felipe ranches in the spring when hay production begins.
Needless to say, the land's real estate value has decreased accordingly.
Other ranchers in the area downstream from the Ingrams depended heavily on the warm springs water for their winter stock water.
According to Glennis Chivers, whose husband Garth is one of those ranchers, they're not sure what they'll do now for water.
"Probably drill a well if it doesn't come back," she said. "We're just kind of waiting to see what might happen with it." The Chivers run between 450-500 head in the wintertime according to Mrs. Chivers.
According to Ingram, he and three others were preparing to form a corporation to invest in the project on a larger scale. Ingram estimates they would've been able to produce 350,000 pounds of the fish per year. Fortunately, there were only approximately 50 catfish in the ponds at the time of the quake, Ingram said.
According to Mrs. Ingram, they've contacted the University of Idaho, Boise State University, Idaho State Water Resources, the Colorado School of Mines, and the United States Geological Survey to determine what, if anything, can be done. So far, to no avail.
"Other than that," she said hopefully, "you just pray it comes back."
[Challis Messenger; November, 1983]
By Pam Markley
We still have our lives, but the earthquake took more than our home (temporarily or not). That little glow inside me, that sense of "all's right with the world" that was intensified with the birth of my son . . . that wonderful satisfaction with life has been replaced with an almost compulsive pondering of the hand of fate, and wonderment at what some human beings find entertaining.
Now that it's all over, I can't really say that one thing or another sticks out in my mind above all else. What I seem to have is a collection of hazy images that hopefully will sort themselves out enough to someday tell the whole story to my son, who slept through the whole thing.
The first thing I remember is the bed rocking violently. It woke me up and I realized the whole room was shaking. I called to my husband, thinking he was the cause. He came into the room and said, "It's an earthquake. We have to get out of the house. Hurry."
As I sleepily noticed the rumbling noise, he lifted Christopher from the bed and repeated, "Hurry." I grabbed a blanket and wrapped it around me.
I don't remember going down the stairs, but when I reached the living room Robb stuck his head in through the front door and urged me once again to move it. I noticed a mess in the kitchen as I turned to run out the door and paused. "There's a rock in there, don't stop to look," hollered Robb.
When I got outside, Robb's father and brother were there with scared, somber expressions. "Come home with us," they urged. The neighbors were getting into their cars. Everyone had dazed, almost silly looks on their faces. Gee, an earthquake!
Dust was falling, and I heard a siren. I was shaken from my stupor when Christopher began crying. I took him into the house to feed him. Robb went back upstairs to get us some clothes.
Soon we were on our way across town, like countless others, to make sure our friends and loved ones were safe. We came to Main Street and noticed a commotion up by the Messenger office. We had no idea of the tragedy that had occurred.
I spent part of the morning with a friend, listening for the still-scanty news reports on the radio and television. We went to see my mother-in-law. She had been standing in her kitchen on Main Street when she felt the tremor and looked out the window.
As she slowly realized what those rocks tumbling down the hill could mean, Dad rushed in and stammered, "Robb, Pam, Chris." He wouldn't let her go with him. They both feared the worst.
Later, she told me the only thing that held her through those awful moments was a conversation we'd had two nights before, when I expressed my total satisfaction with the way my life had turned out. "At least I knew you had been happy," she said with tears in her eyes.
At noon, I was making sandwiches when Robb's youngest brother came into the kitchen. "There was a reporter and a cameraman in your house a little while ago."
"What?" I stared at him in disbelief. "You're putting me on, right?" Mike is one of the most honest people I know, but it took me fifteen minutes to believe that someone would actually walk into my home without permission. I felt violated, sick, and ashamed that I, too, was a member of that profession. I haven't contacted them yet, but they know I know about it and they didn't use the footage.
I'd been feeling homesick all morning and decided it was time to go home and see the rock in my kitchen for myself. As Robb and I drove up the street, my neighbor Georgia was standing outside her house with a lot of other people--and a 30-ton rock. I honestly don't think I even noticed it earlier in our flight to safety.
We stopped to see if she was all right, and soon I realized that most of the people there were reporters. When they found out that I was the "lady with the rock in her kitchen" they asked if they could come and see it. I was still irate about the earlier intrusion, but I appreciated their asking permission (imagine feeling grateful to someone for asking if it's okay to enter your home!)--and being a newsperson myself, of course I said yes.
So we all trooped up the street. I felt like the Pied Piper with all these people at my tail, but the whole thing was still unreal. The impact hadn't hit me yet.
We got up to the house, and I stopped to talk to someone. I don't remember who. Robb let the news people in. When I got there, they had their microphones and cameras all set up, and for the first time I saw my kitchen.
The cameras rolled as I stared at the mess. Glass on the floor, dishes, pots and pans scattered, food containers spilled, the refrigerator door wide open . . . and a three-foot-high boulder in the middle of it all.
I don't remember my reaction too well. Robb told me the next day that he saw it on the news--me just standing there saying "Oh, my God." I looked up and around at the circle of cameras and microphones. No one said a word, they just looked at me with the tools of their trade pointed at me.
I felt a moment of extreme anger. "What do you want me to do, express my grief at the way my house looks?" That remark didn't make any broadcast that I saw! Then the reporters started asking me questions. Where were you when the quake hit? What were you doing? Is this the cradle where your baby was sleeping? What did you think? And on and on.
I was really, truly embarrassed when I watched the news that night. The camera doesn't lie. One channel caught me blabbering, "I thought it was the Russians!" On another, "I thought my husband was doing jumping jacks!" Thank heaven I didn't see all the news reports, but I heard about them. One friend asked me the next day if my wish had come true. What wish? "Well, gee, on the news you said you hoped another rock would come down and finish off the house!" None of the rocks that fell that day were big enough to hide my embarrassment.
That night I couldn't go to sleep as the many twists of fate kept running through my head. If I'd gotten up ten minutes earlier, I probably would have been standing in the kitchen where the rock came through. Christopher's bassinet could have been in the spot where the television crashed down off the cabinet. The rock that landed in Georgia's yard could have taken out our house with us in it. We were lucky to have been spared, but I kept thinking, why us? Why not Tara and Travis? Why, why, why?
We were told to expect aftershocks for two weeks, and that some could be as severe as the first one. But then, sometime over the weekend, it dawned on me that my uncertainty and insecurity would last a lot longer than two weeks. I realized I'd never feel safe in that house again.
I think of the peace we've known there. We were so proud of the solar house we'd built, proud of the fact that it heated itself by day and kept us safe and warm at night. People used to look up at the mountain and ask, "Don't all those rocks up there scare you?" "Oh, no," we gaily replied. The possibility of an earthquake never ever occurred to us. I felt safe tucked up against that mountain.
We spent Sunday afternoon with Georgia. It felt good to be in our own neighborhood, but by afternoon all the sightseers had worn me down. I could understand the local people's interest, but why would anyone drive all the way from Idaho Falls, or Blackfoot, or Boise, or Twin Falls, or Salt Lake City, just to view our devastation? Wasn't it enough for them to see it on television?
We still don't know what we're going to do with the house. The Red Cross people were up there today looking at it, but couldn't tell us anything. We have to have a structural engineer come and evaluate it. Even if he declares it sound, I feel like I'd be tempting fate to live there again.
But whenever I think that, I realize every time that we can't know what fate has in store for us. My first impulse was to go, anywhere, just to feel safe--but who ever thinks about fate when they're following a normal day's routine?
The intermittent waves of panic have subsided, and I've almost quit thinking about being in the right place at the right time or vice versa. I still believe God loves me and has a special reason for giving me life (so please don't call and tell me about it). I just don't feel really safe yet. Maybe I'll start feeling safe again tomorrow . . . or the day after, or the day after that. Right now I'm just grateful to hold my baby with my husband at my side.
[Challis Messenger; November, 1983]
By Jim Connor
The surface of the planet Earth is in endless motion. The rocks of the continents are made up of lighter stuff than the molten rocks of the mantle on which they float. Great heat and pressure within the mantle, miles below the earth's surface, cause the continents to move relative to each other. This motion seems very slow relative to a human lifetime, less than inches a century but planet Earth has a lot of time.
In places these forces tear the earth's crust apart and the molten rock, magma, moves to the surface from volcanos. Continental masses may collide head on, or bump and slide past each other. There are analogies to be seen in spring break-up of ice on a river or on a lake on a windy day. The ice cracks and breaks, wind causes great piles of ice on the windward shore. Eons ago India and Asia collided, and great heaps of rocks pushed up. We call them the Himalayan Mountains.
Similar forces are at work in Central Idaho.
Rock is an elastic substance. That means it resists being bent, twisted, stretched or compressed. If enough force is applied it suddenly breaks. When this occurs in a huge mass of rock in the earth, an earthquake is produced.
Faults are very common features in mountainous areas. One can easily count 100 faults on the geologic map of the Challis 2° Quadrangle published by the Idaho Bureau of Mines and Geology in 1979. Others are buried and have yet to be found. It is unlikely all these faults are "active" but many of them are. A number of small earthquakes reported from the Stanley Basin, Bull Trout Lake and Lowman areas this summer are the result of movement on faults in those areas.
from Arco to north of Challis, a distance of 90 miles.
This fault has not yet been named but the "Mount
Borah Fault" seems likely. Monday evening Dr. Wood
stated, "A very similar fault exists along the western
base of the Lemhi Range in the Little Lost and
Pahsimeroi Valleys. It is probable this fault is also
active."
Prior to the major earthquake on October 28, 1983,
the Mount Borah Fault was know to be active. Dr.
Wood reports numerous small tremors of magnitude 3
or less have been recorded in recent years. "Such
tremors are common to many fault zones," he said.
They are too common to be used to predict a major
earthquake.
Secondary waves cause up and down oscillation of the ground. These produce much of the shaking sensation people feel. Although many people report seeing ground waves, some geologists doubt they exist. Secondary waves move at the rate of two miles per second.
Two other waves are generated--Love waves, named after mathematician A. E. H. Love, and Raleigh waves, named after Lord Raleigh. Both these are complex surface waves which add to the vibrations felt
Great accuracy in modern seismographs is obtained by mounting a mirror on the pendulum and reflecting a thin laser beam from the mirror to photographic paper on the drum. Modern seismographs are also fitted to a very accurate clock so instruments around the world can be correlated to each other.
A trained seismologist can distinguish the various type waves generated in an earthquake.
A second seismograph placed at another location some distance away produces a second circle. This enables geologists to define two places where the earthquake may have occurred--the points where the two circles intersect. A third seismograph station enables geologists to pick the exact spot--the single spot where all three circles intersect.
With the aid of computers and satellite communications, dozens of seismograph stations may be used in calculating the epicenter, and the location is sent to television stations within minutes.
There are indications storm fronts with changing barometric pressures might trigger some of them. Dr. Peter Isaacson, a geologist at the University of Idaho, speculates heavy rains last summer might have triggered the Mount Borah quake. "Rainfall may have lubricated the fault zone," he said.
Dr. Nick Saum, a geologist from Golden, Colorado, believes the moon plays a role. The same forces that produce the tides act upon the land. Saum believes earthquakes are more likely to occur near new or full moon when the tidal forces are strongest. There seems to be some correlation to that, but on October 28, the moon was at the third quarter.
The Richter scale has no upper limit. In that sense "off scale" is impossible. Near an epicenter the various waves are together, and reinforced echo waves bounce off nearby rocks. A seismograph near the epicenter would have yielded no meaningful information. The seismogram from Mackay would have been a crazed jumble of squiggles.
"Large earthquakes are rare," states Spencer H. Wood, geologist at Boise State University," so some seismographs are set for increased sensitivity. This makes it possible for seismologists to study the small earthquakes that are always occurring. When a large earthquake, such as at Borah occurs, these instruments go "off scale." Other seismographs set at lower sensitivities are not affected."
A common example of the same thing is when a C.B. operator turns down the squelch dial and turns up the volume, he is increasing the sensitivity of his radio. He is trying to receive weaker signals. He also receives more static.
Should an overpowered transmitter begin to broadcast nearby, he would be blasted out of his rig. His receiver would have gone "off scale."
The Mount Borah earthquake has changed the flow of groundwater in many areas. Some will benefit, others will lose. Complex legal question are apt to arise concerning water rights. How does a rancher prove "his" water is producing the new spring on his neighbor's land? How would he get it back? Where did the Ingram Ranch water go? Perhaps it will return. Perhaps studies will find it. Perhaps it will remain a mystery.
The fault area is easy to reach and is not in a heavily wooded region. Access to study will be fairly simple. From these studies geologists will gain more insight into the nature of major earthquakes. Prevention will remain elusive for many years, but prediction of major earthquakes will improve as a result of these studies.
Carolyn Wurts, one of 30 students from Boise State University camped on Doublesprings Road last weekend summed up the scientific importance of the Mount Borah quake, "It's a perfect example to see first hand what happens. It's great! I learned a lot from being here."
[Challis Messenger; November, 1983]
Few People Understand It
Many writers and reporters quote values on the Richter scale just like they understood what the numbers mean. The numbers are an indication of earthquake intensity, but it is not a simple relationship.
A very large earthquake might be 100 million times as strong as a tiny one detectable on a good seismograph only. In order to avoid working with awkwardly large numbers in 1935 a geologist Charles Richter proposed a system which would use small numbers to measure earthquakes of all intensities.
In his system: 10 = 1; 100 = 2; 1,000 = 3; - - - 1,000,000 = 6.
In mathematics this is known as a logarithmic scale. An earthquake of Richter value 8 is not twice the intensity of one with a value of 4, it is 10,000 times as strong. A value of 3.3 is twice as strong as one of 3.0. In this system there is no zero and no upper limit. Some writers incorrectly believe it to be a "ten" scale.
The Mount Borah earthquake measured 6.9 on the Richter scale. An aftershock Saturday measured 5.5. A value of 5.5 would reflect a fairly large earthquake, but it would take 25 of those to match the intensity of the main earthquake the day before.
The famous San Francisco earthquake of 1906 is estimated to have had a Richter value of 8.3. Twenty five Mount Borah quakes would match that. The strongest earthquake ever measured had a Richter value of 8.9. Fortunately it occurred in the ocean. That earthquake was 100 times as intense as the one at Mount Borah!
In "Earthquake Country" (a Sunset book) author Robert Jacopi gives, with reservations, these examples of big earthquake power (Richter scale 8, for example): 100,000 atomic bombs, the energy to run a battle ship at full speed for 45,000 years, or the force needed to raise a cubic mile of rock 6,000 feet.
[Challis Messenger; November, 1983]
An Eyewitness Account
By Molly O'Leary-Howard
"We were just in the wrong place at the wrong time." That's how Lawana Knox sums up her unique experience on October 28--the day the worst earthquake to hit the continental states in 25 years shuddered through Custer County.
Lawana and her husband Bill, who live along State Highway 75 between Challis and Clayton, were elk hunting just east of Willow Creek summit Friday morning.
Lawana felt lucky. She'd drawn one of the few available permits for prime elk hunting in the Willow Creek area.
"We'd gotten into the elk," she said, "and I'd shot a few times. The elk had gone up into the mahogany, and Bill went up above to flush them back down towards me."
As Lawana sat waiting patiently, watching some deer through her rifle scope that were feeding on some brush, she heard what she thought at first to be a terrible wind.
"I heard this horrible roar like a really bad wind," she said. "I remember thinking how cold it was already and all we needed was wind.
"I could see the shrubs start to wiggle, and it threw the gun right out of my hand. The power poles started bending and snapping. It felt like it was going to smash my face right into the dirt, so I grabbed a hold of a sagebrush.
"I looked up and I saw the earth start to crack--faster than my eyes could see it. It just kept breaking. I thought it was just going to keep breaking and circle me.
"It looked like someone had taken scissors to a piece of paper and just cut it," Lawana said, still not quite believing she'd actually seen geologic history being made.
"I was so amazed at watching the earth part I didn't have time to think about dying," she said. "I just thought it was going to keep on cracking right around me and if it did, I was going to sink right there."
"I was quite shaken, then I got worried about Bill. It was really quite scary.
"I wasn't scared right at first, but afterwards it hit me. I wondered how everybody else was, and I was worried we wouldn't get out," she said. "And then I was concerned that Challis wouldn't be there," she added.
Both Lawana and her husband reported severe headaches immediately following the quake. According to Lawana, her husband's eyesight was blurred by the quake.
"It made me sick to my stomach," she said. "Like motion sickness--bang!--just like that. Our heads still hurt from time to time, especially when there's aftershocks."
"It's all just like a bad dream now," she said. "I just hope it never happens again. I don't even like going back out there."
The excitement of seeing the earth split open has somewhat paled for Lawana in comparison to the ensuing attention she's received as a result.
"I just can't believe this is really me," she said, "especially when that call came from Australia.
Lawana has become somewhat of a celebrity due to her unusual experience--she's one of a very few to have ever witnessed such an event. She's been tracked by the New York Times; Globe Communications--
publishers of a weekly tabloid with a circulation of 2,000; an Australian broadcasting company; and, of course, the Challis Messenger, to name a few.
"I just can't believe all this--my husband is ready to run away from home!," she joked. "I told him he couldn't leave without me though," she added.
There's really only one thing that truly bothers Lawana, in spite of all the attention and the excitement--she didn't get her elk.
"I demand more time!," she said, with mock seriousness. "I didn't get my elk and I just know I'd have gotten one if it hadn't been for the earthquake."
[Challis Messenger; November, 1983]
By Molly O'Leary-Howard
Long after the last tremors subside, the tales of area residents' experiences during the Quake of '83 will endure as local lore.
Buhl residents Bob and Carlene Thornborrow, and their two year old son, Sonny, were camped at the base of Mt. Borah when the earthquake rumbled through Custer County.
The Thornborrows weren't sure what had happened.
"The camper bounced back and forth about six inches," Thornborrow said. "We didn't know what it was."
"We thought at first maybe the camper was rolling down the hill," Mrs. Thornborrow said. "But it sounded like an avalanche outside.
"I wasn't too scared--until we saw the road," she added.
The ground just below the camper cracked open making the Mt. Borah access road impassable. The Thornborrows were stranded on the other side of the fault.
When Custer County Deputy Darby Hinz 'rescued' the couple, they seemed relatively calm and seemingly nonplussed by their experience. That is until they heard that the earthquake measured a 6.9 on the Richter scale--and a look of astonishment of a similar magnitude registered on their faces.
"We were out hunting in the Anderson mountain area just west of Willow Creek summit," Fisher said.
"I was just walking along and I heard a noise and the ground just left me. I tried grabbing at the sagebrush but I couldn't hang on to anything.
"The ground was swelling up like it was going to burst, and the trees were laying half over and then they'd snap back up. The bluffs just let go as if you'd blasted them, and boulders half the size of pick-ups came down all around us," he recalled.
"It was something I don't want to go through again--I think I aged about 10 years in 5 minutes," he added.
"I was about 200 yards past the Mt. Borah sign on the highway," Wright recalled. "At first I thought something was going wrong with my eyesight, and then I thought my wheels were coming off. I finally stopped and got out and checked my wheels. Then I heard the rocks rolling--it sounded like I was in a huge bowling alley. That's when I knew it was a quake."
Wright chuckled and added, "You know, there was a car right behind me and I noticed they stopped, too. They were out checking their wheels just like me!"
"I was reaching for the pick-up and it moved," he said, "and I landed on the ground. I got right up and thought, 'boy, that was a dandy!' The next thing I did was look to see if anyone was watching me and saw how clumsy I was!"
"My next thought was if the wife and kids were all right, and then I worried that there may have been fatalities somewhere.
"It was a savage thing this earthquake--to take those two kids' lives. It's beyond a man's understanding what awesome power there is in this world," he added solemnly.
"I thought the Russians had come," she said still shaken. "I thought we'd been bombed for sure. An earthquake was my last thought--I'd never felt one before.
"I knew I couldn't get the doors open quick enough to get out so I just huddled down here in the office. It was quite an experience, the lights were off and I could hear all the stuff falling from the shelves and breaking in the store. The noise was really scary."
"I was irritated at first when the power went off," she said, "but then I was sorry I'd said anything."
"The water started to splash and I could feel the ground move underneath me. I thought I was having a fit!" she exclaimed.
[Challis Messenger; November, 1983]
By Sue Villard
As a photographer for a small "hometown" weekly I feel very privileged to be able to work closely with, and get to know many of the people in our community and in the county. I also feel lucky that my introduction to newspapering has been with The Challis Messenger, where accurate reporting, sensitivity, and journalistic responsibility is very important. (Not everyone in the community will agree with that statement, but one of the really neat things about being here is that when people disagree, they let you know--and you can learn from it.)
Last Friday, October 28, I was introduced to what the "real" world calls HOT NEWS. Briefly, I'd like to recap my reactions, which were somewhat typical throughout the county.
It was Friday--at last--it was Halloween weekend, a great one for pictures. I wasn't on ambulance duty, the weekend forecast was great, and I was looking forward to finally planting my bulbs, and some leftover trees.
Suddenly there was a rumble. "Those damn Air Force jets flying over causing sonic booms," I thought. But there was no boom, and it didn't stop . . . I knew what was happening. I had been through it before in California, and it didn't bother me. It would stop . . . But it didn't. My brand new home was convulsing. I could see the ripples . . . Thoughts flashed through my brain--get under a door jam. I fell on my way. I wondered if I had insurance coverage for earthquakes. The south side of the house is all glass, and the windows were bulging with the rolling tremors. I thought of the basement--will the walls collapse? I've got to get out!
I did. I clung to my 1954 Chevy pickup because I trust it. My dog, my best friend, was panicked and was headed inside the house. I finally convinced her to stay outside with me. Feeling secure outside, with my truck and my dog, I looked around the valley, which I have a 360 degree view of. Dust was everywhere. The noise was still loud. It was like there were jets all over, there weren't. And then it stopped.
I saw the dust over town. "Oh, no," I thought, "Pam and her family live under that big cliff." I waited for the emergency call from the sheriff's office for EMTs as I got dressed. It didn't come, so I headed into town. (Later I found out it had been broadcast over the TV. I just missed it.)
I tend to overreact to a lot of things. Driving into town I hoped that I was doing it again. Unfortunately, I found out that it was real, and it was time to go to work--first as a concerned citizen and EMT, and as a photographer a distant second.
I dragged our reporter Molly, also in a state of shock, along with me. We checked on the Senior Citizens' home and walked around town. A report of severe road damage came in, and so we jumped into the cop car with one of the deputies and headed south.
It would take too long to describe all the things we saw after that, but when we finally got a chance to get back to Challis, we took it. We probably should have gone on to Mackay, but we didn't know that at the time. And our publisher-editor had no idea where we were.
When we got back to Challis, it was an absolute madhouse. But not with townspeople--with the press. They were all over! TV cameras, microphones, reporters, and still photographers. I'd never seen so many. It was an invasion. UPI was on our telephone, and I had a message to call Newsweek. Good grief--it had only been a couple of hours!
I should mention that our building is next door to the one that caused the unfortunate tragedy, and therefore was in the middle of all the commotion.
Anyway, we then found out that most of the reports going out across the country were that Custer County had been virtually annihilated.
Now, I'll get to the guts of my letter. Ethics in journalism has been a much talked about subject in the last year. Obviously it's been talked about, but people have forgotten to practice what they preach.
I'd like to know why reports of total destruction made it all the way to Europe. We had frantic relatives calling all the way from Italy wanting to know if their families were alive. Ma Bell reported more calls Friday than during the aftermath of the Teton Dam break.
Overkill is an understatement. Why were there so many press people here? Why was San Francisco, Los Angeles, New York and other far off places here just for an initial report? Why were they asking horrible questions like, "what was it like to unbury two little kids from under all that?" What the hell did they think it was like!
All emergency disaster plans emphasize that one disaster should not be turned into multiple disasters. There were so many fixed wing aircraft and helicopters in the air that everyone was afraid there was going to be an in-air collision.
But worse than that, helicopters were violating the FAA's 500 ft. rule and were flying right next to the already unstable cliffs above the clean-up crews. It was a miracle that more boulders did not come tumbling down on top of the people on the ground.
But, to me, the absolute worst, was outsiders coming in during my friends' time of grief and making things worse than they already were.
I am talking about press coverage of the funerals. I was told that at the first one the TV crews were asked to leave the cemetery grounds and they refused. A photographer and a reporter were at the second. The photographer was asked to leave the inside of the gym, and he did, but continued to take pictures outside. That is, until I heard on the scanner that they were there and went racing down to take a picture of them and expressed my great displeasure with their presence.
We've all been to funerals and have seen pictures of them. As far as I'm concerned, there is no intrinsic news value in them whatsoever. If the big news is that the majority of the town showed up, fine. There were two very simple ways to show that. One was to quietly walk in after everyone had gone inside and take one picture with a wide angle lens. The other was to take a picture of the cemetery from above Peck's Hill. Nobody would have noticed and any good scout could have found the spot.
I was very disappointed that when the "Big Story" was over, everyone left. The damage was not as great as everyone had been led to believe, especially in Challis. The press was bored, so they left. And behind them they left some of the best human interest stories ever. I was glad to hear that some of the press was interested in that angle, because the follow-ups should prove to be interesting as well as very important to people in earthquake prone areas.
[Challis Messenger; November, 1983]
The severe earthquake which struck Custer County and rocked five western states and three Canadian provinces is a reminder that we live in an area where earthquakes are possible.
While natural disasters like floods and windstorms are generally predictable and advance warnings can be given, this is not true of earthquakes.
Still, it is possible to make some advance preparations so the impact of the earthquake can be minimized, says the Insurance Information Institute. Here are some suggestions of what to do before an earthquake strikes which are agreed on by most authorities.
1. Have a family emergency plan and be sure that at least one member of the family has had first-aid training.
2. If you own your own home, verify that it is properly "tied" to the foundation. Extensive damage is often done to homes that shift and slide on the foundation during an earthquake. A contractor can advise you about this, as well as suggest whether lateral bracing of the house walls is feasible.
3. Be sure that water heaters and other gas appliances are properly bolted down or supported on the floor or wall.
4. Be sure that all members of the family know how to turn off utilities (gas, water and electricity) in an emergency.
5. Maintain fresh batteries in a portable radio and have at least one flashlight in good working order.
The Institute notes that it is better to know in advance what you are going to do than attempt to think after the floor has begun rolling beneath your feet. A few practical suggestion on which authorities agree are:
1. If you are inside a building, stay there. Stand in a doorway or get under a heavy table or desk. Stay away from windows or other glass that might shatter.
2. In a large store or other public place, almost everyone will try to hurry out, which means that doorways will probably be blocked. Don't add to the jam.
3. If you are outside, try to get into an open space, away from buildings that might have falling glass or cornices or chimneys. Keep clear of power lines that might fall. If you are in a car, stop as soon as you safely can and stay inside it.
When the earthquake shocks die away, there are still some active perils that may come. Broken gas lines or appliances may cause a fire, and ruptured water lines can cause extensive damage. Here are some suggestions for what to do after the earthquake that the Insurance Information Institute has found authorities recommend.
1. First, check to be sure that no one in the family is injured. Start first aid immediately if injuries are found.
2. Check utility lines and appliances for damage. If you smell gas, open windows and turn off the main gas valve. Do not turn on electric lights or appliances until the gas has dissipated. Sparks might ignite the gas. If electric wires are shorting out, turn off the power.
3. Check to see that sewage lines are intact and working before permitting continued flushing of toilets.
4. Check chimneys for cracks or other damage before using them.
5. Stay off the telephone, except to report actual emergencies.
6. Do not spread rumors or go sightseeing. Stay away from beach areas because of the danger of possible tsunamis (seismic sea waves).
7. Be prepared for aftershocks, which are usual after earthquakes.
8. Use your portable radio to get emergency instructions.
[Challis Messenger; November, 1983]
By Molly O'Leary-Howard
A logging truck, freshly loaded with timber, sank through the main road on Big Hill, five miles from Challis, at approximately 3 p.m. Tuesday.
The truck sank through the ground just above a Maranatha Mine underground drift, leaving a hole that's approximately 10 by 8 feet wide and 30 feet deep, according to local Forest Service service coordinator Dale Armstrong.
According to Sharon Bradley, a Forest Service worker in charge of timber sales who was at the scene, the driver of the truck, E. E. Holstein, felt the road start to go when his drive wheels crossed the spot where the road caved in.
"He tried to speed up and beat it, but it caught the back wheels of the trailer," Bradley said.
Fortunately, there were no injuries, although the driver of the truck was understandably a "little shook up."
"If that trailer would've gone through that hole there we'd have had it," Holstein said. "We'd have had that load of logs right on top of us."
Holstein questioned the decision by the Forest Service to allow heavy traffic on the road after the quake. He had been hauling logs from the area for the past week but Monday's trip was the first since the earthquake on Friday. According to Holstein, the weight of the truck with the load was 40 tons.
"It seems to me like the responsible party was kind of lax in letting us haul that kind of weight over the road," Holstein said.
According to Maranatha Mine mill operator Dale Greenwall, "There were a couple of guys underground when the logging truck broke through but they weren't hurt. In fact, they didn't even know anything had happened."
Greenwall estimated there was between 10 and 20 feet of ground still remaining between the hole and the drift below.
The site of the cave-in had been under surveillance by the Forest Service for some time. According to Armstrong, the mine had reported a cave-in in the drift below the road surface sometime last winter. They alerted the Forest Service because it is a main access road to the Challis National Forest and is maintained by that agency.
The mine company retimbered the drift--located approximately 80 feet under the surface--cleaning out the fallen dirt and rock as they went. Although the drift was retimbered and back in operation, the debris from that cave-in apparently left a cavity in the earth above the drift.
According to Armstrong, once the Forest Service was alerted of the potential hazard last winter, they contacted their Geo-Tech engineers and the Federal Mining Safety and Health Administration. After investigating the initial cave-in under the road, their findings were then reported to the University of Utah College of Mines.
The experts agreed that future failure of the site was possible but not imminent, according to Armstrong. As a result, the Forest Service had been monitoring the road regularly and had detected no changes in its stability.
Immediately following last Friday's quake the Forest Service checked the road for possible damage, according to Armstrong. Although none was found, caution signs were posted on either side of the hazardous area to warn traffic of possible road "settlement."
Armstrong feels that the fact that the workers underground didn't detect any signs of the cave-in when it happened Tuesday afternoon, indicates that the apparent cavity that resulted in the road cave-in was already there.
"Most of it had apparently caved in as a result of the earthquake," Armstrong said. "The weight of the truck was just more or less the straw that broke the camel's back."
The mine plans to backfill the hole in the road, but said that their engineers had to look at the situation to determine if their underground timbers in the drift would withstand the weight of the fill. Armstrong said the road probably will not be fixed for a couple of weeks.
[Challis Messenger; November 3, 1983]
By Molly O'Leary-Howard
Governor John Evans officially requested a presidential disaster declaration last Friday, one week after a magnitude 6.9 earthquake rumbled through Custer County.
Although the area had been declared a disaster on the state, county and municipal levels immediately following the quake, the governor delayed asking for the presidential declaration until initial damage assessments were compiled.
Because the state has no disaster relief program or related funds, a presidential disaster declaration is critical to the availability of comprehensive financial aid, according to Brooks.
The Farmers Home Administration, Small Business Administration, Department of Agriculture, Division of Economic Development, and Red Cross have all been in the area and offered what assistance they have but, unfortunately, some of the most extensive damage in the county is not covered by their programs.
"Damage survey teams will stay until all the damage is surveyed," Brooks said. "We need your help--our people don't know where it is unless you show them. We need to paint as clear a picture as we can of the damage to this area."
The federal assistance to public entities would provide a grant from the federal government for 75% of the cost of restoring the damaged property to its original condition. An additional 15% would come from the state level, and the remaining 10% would have to be paid by the public agency making the application. According to Brooks, the 75% federal portion of the grant would be given in advance in order that work on the project could be started.
Brooks advised residents to keep all cancelled checks, receipts, invoices, and photos of damage if already repaired in order to substantiate any claims for aid they may need to make.
"This would be the fourth such declaration in nine years," Brooks said, "and we've never been turned down yet. Besides, from a purely political standpoint," he added pointedly, "it is an election year."
[Challis Messenger; November 10, 1983]
United States Small Business Administration has declared Custer County a disaster area as a result of the recent earthquake, according to an announcement made November 4 by Vern Leighton, Boise SBA district director. This disaster declaration was made in response to a request for assistance made by Governor Evans.
Any Custer County disaster victim who owns property or rents in a disaster area declared by SBA as a result of the earthquake may apply for direct SBA district loans, Leighton said. "These loans may be used to repair or replace damaged or destroyed homes, personal property or businesses."
Leighton said victims may obtain disaster loan applications from SBA officials stationed in each of the temporary disaster assistance centers. These offices are located at the Courthouse in Challis and Idaho First National Bank in Mackay.
Home owners may obtain direct home repair and replacement loans of up to $50,000 for real property damage and loans of up to $10,000 for damaged or destroyed personal property. However, the combined maximum for one borrower may not exceed $55,000. Persons who are renting a home or apartment may apply only for a loan of up to $10,000 to cover damage or destroyed personal property.
Businesses which have suffered physical damage to real property, machinery, equipment, fixture and inventory may apply for direct SBA loans of up to 85% of the verified loss of up to a total of $500,000.
Larry Henderson, Assistant District Director of the Boise SBA office, noted that SBA disaster loans would only cover any damages not covered by an applicant's insurance.
Small businesses may also apply for Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDL) to permit a business to meet financial obligations which they could've met had the disaster not occurred.
"Remember that SBA issues loans, not grants," said Leighton. "Obviously, our first priority is to determine whether the applicant has the ability to repay a loan. After we determine this, then we determine what interest rate will be charged."
The interest rate which SBA charges on its disaster loans for homes, private property and businesses is determined through a "credit elsewhere" test after examining financial information submitted on the loan application. If SBA determines that an applicant is able to obtain funding from other sources they must be charged a higher interest than an applicant who is unable to obtain the funding from other sources.
The interest rates to be charged for assistance are:
Homeowners and private property, applicant able to obtain "credit elsewhere"--12.5%; unable to obtain "credit elsewhere"--6.375%.
Businesses: physical damage, applicant able to obtain "credit elsewhere"--11.00%; unable to obtain "credit elsewhere"--8.00%.
Business: EIDL--8.00%.
SBA disaster loans for homeowners, private property and businesses unable to obtain "credit elsewhere" may be made for up to a 30 year term. However, the actual length of the loan will be determined by the individual applicant's ability to repay. Loans to businesses able to obtain credit elsewhere may only be made for a period of up to 3 years.
Challis SBA representatives will be available at the County Courthouse Monday and Tuesday of next week from 9 a.m. - 6 p.m. Mackay SBA representatives will be available at Idaho First National Bank from 9 a.m. - 6 p.m. every day except Friday, November 11, and Saturday, November 19. Those two days they will be at the new temporary City Hall, located in the old ASCS building in Mackay from 9 a.m. - 6 p.m.
[Challis Messenger; November 10, 1983]
By Molly O'Leary-Howard
"We haven't given up!" Mackay Mayor Oval Caskey vowed Tuesday, in spite of the estimated $1.5 million in damages to the heart to the small rural community from the earthquake a week ago Friday.
Twenty of Mackay's buildings on the three-block stretch of Main Street businesses were extensively damaged by the quake. Eight of those buildings have since been condemned, according to Caskey.
"They had to come down," Caskey said. "They were condemned as a safety hazard by state disaster inspectors sent in by the Governor. We didn't have any trouble getting a release from the owners to tear them down. They were just as concerned as the city was and it didn't cost them anything."
The old LLL Cafe building is also scheduled for bulldozing, Caskey said, but releases by the owners of the old Custer Hotel and the Pilash Tailor and Cleaner Shop are still up in the air.
Officials have been unable to contact the owner of the hotel building, J.J.N.P. Company out of Park City, Utah, to get permission to level the structure, while the owner of the old tailor shop building, Steve Pilash, is reluctant to sign a release, according to Caskey.
Despite the destruction that has dealt a severe financial blow to the community of Mackay, optimism remains.
"We're all still saddened and shocked by the destruction," Caskey said, "but we have hopes of rebuilding. We like to think of our city as up and coming and we haven't given up yet."
[Challis Messenger; November 10, 1983]
By Jim Connor
The earthquake caused extensive damage at the Lost River Trout Farm near Mackay. On Monday, Dick Smith, owner of the trout hatchery, reported 85% of his brood stock of 20,000 rainbow trout were killed. "It's hard to estimate the amount of damage at this point, but it will be near $400,000," he said.
"Initially we lost our water because the upper spring opened up several hundred feet higher. Then gravel, rocks and brush blocked the inlets. Then the pressure broke through the inlets, bringing silt and gravel into the ponds," he related. "By this time most of the fish were dead."
Headgates and screens were damaged.
The weight of the dead fish caused the water to break through and flood new ponds which had not yet been used. Most of the dead fish were deposited there.
"So far we have hauled out four dump truck loads of fish," Smith said. "Volunteer help has been great. People have really helped us out cleaning up."
The Smith home at the hatchery was also flooded, causing damage to it.
The state fish hatchery nearby received some silt, but no loss of fish was incurred.
[Challis Messenger; November 10, 1983]
Fault Splits
By Jim Connor
Much of the energy of the earthquake of October 28 was diverted west into the mountains instead of to Challis, reports a team of geologists. A fault, on which the earthquake occurred, extends from Arco to north of Challis.
The geologists, Drs. Peter Isaacson and Mark McFaddan of the University of Idaho at Moscow, and Dr. Curt Othburg of the Idaho Bureau of Mines and Geology have spent a week studying the earthquake area. They found that the fault splits near Willow Creek Summit and most of the force followed the western arm of it. This is the reason U.S. 93 was so badly damaged. If this had not occurred, the Challis area might have experienced much stronger tremors, they report.
"A hillside northeast of Willow Creek Summit on Sheep Creek Road has been shattered," said Dr. Isaacson. "This is where the brunt of the energy came through," he said. Isaacson cautions hunters and other travelers in the Sheep Creek area that "rockslides will occur on the damaged hillsides. They may be set off by aftershocks, by rainfall, or by freezing and thawing weather."
The geologists have discovered that a similar earthquake occurred in the same place several thousand years ago. It was similar in magnitude. They add that it is impossible to predict when, or if ever, another earthquake might occur in the Mount Borah area. "Aftershocks may occur for months, but they do not indicate, in any way, another large earthquake is coming," Dr. Isaacson emphasized.
The University of Idaho geologists plan to return to the earthquake site in the spring and continue their research.
[Challis Messenger; November 10, 1983]
By Jim Connor
"Water began to flow from one of our warm springs on Friday," reported Vangie Ingram. "On Sunday a second spring began to flow. We now have one quarter of our water back, and it seems to be a little more each day."
The Ingram Ranch, near Challis, depends on the water from its warm springs to irrigate over 1300 acres of hay and pasture ground. The springs had totally dried up after the earthquake on October 28.
[Challis Messenger; November 10, 1983]
On Thursday, November 10, 1983, National Service Officers Virgil Barnett and Tom Niehoff from the Disabled American Veterans office in Boise, ID will be at the American Red Cross Center in Mackay to provide some financial assistance to any service connected veteran and widows of any disabled veteran, who have suffered damage to their home due to the earthquake. Damage to homes must be verified no matter how slight.
Membership in the Disabled American Veterans is NOT REQUIRED. All members of the DAV are requested to bring proof of current membership.
[Challis Messenger; November 10, 1983]
By Molly O'Leary-Howard
The October 28 earthquake that convulsed through Custer County may go as high as a 7.1 on the Richter scale once all the data is in, according to Charley Langer, an assistant branch chief with the United States Geological Survey.
(Langer, a former resident of Custer County, is the son of Charley J. Langer who lost his life in a plane crash April 5, 1943. The senior Langer had been on a rescue mission searching for survivors of a downed bomber. Langer was the Stanley ranger for the Challis National Forest at the time. Ruffneck Peak, the site of the crash, was renamed Langer Peak in his honor.)
In a meeting sponsored by the Forest Service last Thursday, Langer sorted out fact from fiction concerning the October 28 quake, in an attempt to dispel the many post-quake rumors circulating about.
According to Langer, the recent Custer County quake was similar in nature to the 1959 Hebgen Lake, Montana earthquake. Both of those quakes resulted from concentration of stress in the earth's upper crust. The release of that stress in the form of an earthquake in turn resulted in a Northeast--Southwest extension of the earth's crust in both cases.
Although there is a considerable amount of continuous seismic activity in this area on a smaller scale, major remodeling of the earth's surface is unusual. This is, geologically speaking, a young area and likely to experience "growing pains" from time to time, according to Langer. However, it is not likely that any major terrestrial facelifting, that normally takes centuries upon centuries to occur, is suddenly going to start happening over night.
"There won't be another one of that magnitude along Mt. Borah for some time," Langer said. "It's done its thing."
"The fault slip may not have adjusted enough or may have adjusted too much," Langer said.
According to Langer, the largest aftershocks expected are statistically one order of magnitude lower than the main shock. The duration of the subsequent tremors is directly related to the magnitude of the original earthquake. In other words, aftershocks following a magnitude 6.9 earthquake would endure longer than those succeeding a magnitude 5.5 quake. Langer predicts that aftershocks will still be felt here for several weeks to as long as a month or more.
Asked by several in the audience why aftershocks are felt more frequently and with more intensity up the river from Challis than elsewhere, Langer gave a couple of possible explanations.
One of the reasons, according to Langer, is that there may be secondary faulting in the area. "The main fault was not the only one activated," he said. Another explanation could be that residents along the Salmon river and other water drainages are sitting on soft alluvial material which is considerably less stable than bedrock and therefore more sensitive to movement in the earth.
"The aftershocks help us define the zone of seismic energy being released, can help us further map the fault beyond what the surface scarp shows, and otherwise help us find out things we can't normally determine from the records of the main shock," Langer said.
As to the ability of what one person called, "the popular press", to predict future tremors and their exact time and magnitude, Langer remarked, "If whoever was publishing this information really knew what they were talking about they wouldn't be working for the press--they could make a lot more money elsewhere!"
At the conclusion of his presentation, Langer suggested that people with further questions write them down and give them to the Forest Service, who will forward them on to him. He also requested that people stop by the Forest Service office and pick up a questionnaire form and fill it out. Information attained from the people who witnessed the quake may help geologists piece together a more complete picture of what it all means.
[Challis Messenger; November 10, 1983]
By Molly O'Leary-Howard
The hill on the northwest edge of town that sent boulders sailing into people's homes and yards during the earthquake a week ago Friday, may not be through doing damage.
According to Earl Olsen, regional environmental geologist for the Forest Service, parts of the hill are still unstable. Olsen reported his findings at a public meeting Thursday with USGS geologist Charley Langer.
According to Olsen, more rocks may be sloughed off in the spring from the freezing and thawing that may disturb their present anchoring. Olsen suggested that residents who have homes beneath the hill should prepare for possible future failure of the rocky slopes above them.
According to Forest Service Resource Coordinator Bill Paddock, who surveyed the hill with Olsen, some particularly threatening rubble is hung up on the talus slopes just above the Hillside Motel and the McGowan residence.
The most drastic solution would be to ban any residences at the base of the hill. Of course, that is hardly possible given the number of homes already built there. Another suggestion would be to prohibit any future residences being built in that area. Olsen suggested that using the area for something with a lesser concentration of people--horses, a cemetery, agriculture--than a residential area would reduce the danger to lives.
Other measures suggested by Olsen are digging a large barrier trench and filling it with rocks to deflect any future bouncing boulders, or putting up a wire mesh fence to arrest the rocks path of destruction.
Olsen emphasized that the residents themselves will have to decide what degree of danger they feel still exists and what they, collectively as a community or individually, do or don't want to do about it.
[Challis Messenger; November 10, 1983]
By Roy Taylor
Extension Agricultural Engineer
University of Idaho
Wood is a forgiving construction material. With only a few exceptions the wood-frame, log, and post beam portions of houses have ridden the earthquake well. Wood construction has a high capability to absorb shocks, brief overloads, vibrations and oscillations. It can do this because it is not completely rigid. It can give a little and then return to its normal configuration.
Unfortunately, the plaster walls of houses do not have the same capability. Impacts and other distortions can cause the cracks that appear immediately or shortly thereafter. These cracks usually occur at the corners of wall openings, doors and windows, and are usually not indications of structural weakening of the house.
Many of the houses in Custer County have suffered plaster cracks in walls and ceilings. There are three reasons these occur: the movements directly associated with the earthquake or its aftershocks, tensions being released that have built up over the years in the structured lumber as it cured, and foundations that have broken or settled.
The last 2 of these reasons explains why plaster cracks can continue to grow even during periods when there is no seismic activity. The length and width of cracks should be measured and dated so that any change is documented.
An important thing to remember is that plaster cracks of up to inch wide very seldom indicate any change in the structural strength of the house.
An important thing to do is stabilize the foundation of the house as soon as possible before more serious misalignment occurs. This can be done by installing an interior post-and-beam wall on the immediate interior of the existing foundation wall or basement wall. In areas where ground extension has occurred, where earth cracks have opened up, the post and-beam wall should be checked regularly and either rebuilt or shimmed up to compensate progressive earth settling that may occur. Severe aftershocks should also prompt rechecking.
Vertical cracks in foundation or basement walls probably have not significantly decreased the bearing strength of the wall unless; the concrete was of poor quality to begin with, the vertical cracks are less than 10 feet apart, the top of the wall was not bolted to the house structure above, or the wall is no longer nearly vertical. Horizontal or diagonal cracks are more serious. Grouting and sealing of cracks before winter sets in will reduce the likelihood of more damage from frost action.
Water infiltration to basements and crawl spaces is almost inevitable where wall fractures have occurred. Sump pumps may be needed for houses where high water conditions occur. Excavation around the wall and the installation of drain tile and exterior waterproofing may not prevent all water penetration but can minimize it. Waterproofing methods applied to the interior sides of walls are usually considerably less effective.
Contact the county agent's office for more information.
[Challis Messenger; November 10, 1983]
Custer County Agent Jim Hawkins stated Monday that he and Roy E. Taylor, University of Idaho Agricultural Cooperative Extension Service Engineer, have been observing earthquake damage and would like to offer the following comments and/or suggestions concerning the damage related to the earthquake of Custer County that occurred on October 28, 1983.
The post-beam method may be used for stabilizing broken basement walls or foundations.
This method consists of installing a bearing wall on the immediate interior of the existing fractural wall.
It is most practical under the following conditions: walls with only a few vertical breaks, with at least 10 feet between breaks; walls of stable non-deteriorated concrete or of concrete-filled masonry block with solid mortar; structures on high ground with well drained soil that will have minimum ground water problems; or structures adapted to practical water control measures.
It is not recommended, except as a temporary emergency repair, under the following conditions: walls with considerable fracturization, particularly with horizontal or lateral cracks and showing hair-line deterioration in addition to the main fractures; walls of poor quality deteriorated concrete or of weak, broken or loose masonry block; structures located at sites where ground water problems occur and where those problems cannot be corrected expediently by the use of external wall surface treatments, perimeter drain tile, interception trenching or other methods.
For details on post-beam wall construction contact the county agent's office.
Under normal conditions, chimneys can be stabilized or even re-aligned into position by careful excavation around their footings, by the use of heaving jacking systems, and by pouring extended footings beneath the existing mass. However, the condition of the earth in those areas where "extension" has taken place is not known. Consequently it is not known whether efforts to stabilize or re-align these chimneys would be effective.
2. Where accessible, inspect exterior of the chimney for damage and deterioration. Chimney surfaces are often exposed where the chimney passes through an attic, basement or crawl space.
3. Inspect chimney interior for blockage and debris by the use of a light. An electric light lowered into the flue is preferred to a flashlight. CAUTION: Do not let a light bulb remain in contact with creosote deposits.
4. If extensive debris is present, remove through clean-out door at base of chimney or by snagging or bucketing from the top.
5. Clean the chimney interior with a good chimney brush of the proper size and shape, or have the chimney professionally cleaned. It is not advised to clean the chimney with a weighted sack as this can fill cracks and mortar voids with soot and leave them undetected.
6. Inspect the interior of the chimney, using a light, to check for damage and deterioration. A mirror, suspended at a 45° angle and lowered into the chimney, can be helpful in examining the condition of the walls.
7. Another method that can be effected in locating chimney cracks is the smoke test. Plug the top of the chimney tightly with a wet blanket, then burn tar paper or other smoke producing material. The trapped dense smoke, seeping out through cracks, can sometimes pin point their location.
Minor problems can also be solved by installing a stainless steel flue liner into the existing chimney. It should extend to a point just above where combustion gasses enter the chimney. The liner should be solidly mortared into the chimney at the bottom and at the top. Space between the liner and the chimney wall can be filled with cinders. The availability of commercially manufactured flue-liner kits can be determined by checking with wood-stove distributors.
Glazed brick, layered with cement mortar, should be used to replace chimney tops. The upper course of existing brick should be cleaned and free of old mortar before starting repairs. A tapered cap should be mortared atop the uppermost brick course. Refer to codes and suggestions, items #1 and #2 for a mortar recipe and a guide to chimney height.
1. Cement mortar can be purchased, or made using 1 part Portland cement, 1 part hydrated lime and 6 parts clean sand.
2. A chimney should rise at least 3 feet above roof contact and be at least 2 feet above any object within a distance of 10 feet.
3. Chimneys made of stone should have walls at least 12 inches thick.
4. Chimneys of brick or reinforced concrete, when inside a structure, need walls 4 inches thick; where exposed to weather walls should be 8 inches thick. NOTE: 4-inch chimney walls inside a building must be expanded to 8 inch walls before the chimney penetrates the roof structure. (Building code recommendations)
5. Chimneys with 4 inch walls are required to have 2 inch clearance from wood surfaces. Eight inch chimney walls require only inch clearance.
6. Flue liners of vitrified (ceramic) fire-clay, at least inch thick, should be used in all chimneys. Flue liner sections should be solidly mortared together.
7. Chimneys with 4 inch thick walls should have flue liners mortared in only at top and bottom. Space between liner and chimney walls can be filled with cinders.
8. Chimneys with 8 inch thick walls can have flue liners mortared in solid.
9. Chimney flues for home heating systems should have a minimum dimension of at least 8 inches.
10. Where stove or furnace flues penetrate through the chimney wall, holes should be lined with fire-clay or metal thimbles. Air tight sealing can be accomplished using boiler putty or cement putty.
11. Metal roof flashing should be anchored between brick courses to provide water proofing around chimney.
12. Metal chimneys require ventilated metal thimbles, fire clay thimbles, or special insulated chimney mounts where they pass through ceilings or roofs.
More information can be obtained from the Custer County Extension Agent.
References: USDA Farmers Bulletin No. 1889, Fireplaces and Chimneys; University of Idaho CIS No. 485, Wood Stove Installation and Safety; University of Idaho CIS No. 487, Fireplace Safety.
[Challis Messenger; November 10, 1983]
By Molly O'Leary-Howard
Amidst the swarm of experts that descended upon once 'remote' Custer County as the dust was still settling from the October 28 quake, there was one quiet, unassuming gentleman--John Ainlay.
Ainlay, like countless others, packed his gear and headed out to the scene of the worst earthquake in the continental states in 25 years. Unlike the others, however, he did not come to study the great "crack" in the earth, or steal pictures of grieving people, or make headlines with sensational predications. Instead, he came--all the way from Chicago--to see if he could help.
According to Ainlay, no problems with underground gasoline tanks in the area have arisen as a result of the quake. Ainlay attributes this in large part to the fact that none of the tanks used by local dispensers are fiberglass.
According to Ainlay, fiberglass tanks were at one time considered the answer to the problems incurred with old, corroding metal tanks. Unfortunately, they are not as strong as metal tanks and don't withstand pressure and stress.
"Galvanized steel tanks go through earthquakes with good results," Ainlay said, based on research he's compiled. "Fiberglass tanks don't fair as well. They're like an egg--thin and brittle."
Had there been any possibility of a leak at any of the places contacted by Ainlay, he was prepared to test their tanks for free.
"I have a patent on a tank tester," Ainlay said. "If anyone had any suspicion at all of a leak, I would have tested their tanks for nothing."
[Challis Messenger; November 10, 1983]
By Peggy Parks
Putting out a small weekly newspaper is much more difficult than most people think. Some seem to think that all there is to producing a newspaper is taking pictures and writing stories. But, taking notes and photographs is just the tip of the iceberg as far as getting it all together and into print is concerned.
Material gathered has to be organized, stories written and film developed. Stories have to be edited and the pictures that will accompany them chosen. Material must be typeset, proofread, and corrected. Pages are then laid out, and the headlines and picture cutlines are written and typeset. Photographs have to be made and reproduced as PMT halftones.
Finally the copy, headlines, halftones and cutlines are pasted up and photographed. The full page negatives are opaqued, stripped into flats and plates are burned. These plates are put on the press and the paper is printed, one four-page signature at a time.
Hours after the initial process is begun--many hours later--the paper is ready to be put through the folder-collator, addressed and bundled for mailing.
The work involved in producing a small weekly paper is a lot more involved than most people realize, but it's easier than it used to be. I'm the only person left on the staff who was here in the "good old days."
In the letterpress days the work was hard, dirty and never-ending. The transition period from letterpress to offset was even harder. It was common practice to work until midnight Tuesday nights, then all day Wednesday until the paper was printed and ready to be mailed. Sometimes Wednesday turned in to a 24-hour shift that continued without end into Thursday afternoon when the last mail went out.
I thought my staff was soft. They have it easy compared to what we had to do in the old days. That is, until last week.
Nobody asked how we were going to cover it all. Everybody just got to work.
Pam Markley, who was in the process of recovering from finding a rock in the middle of her kitchen, called Sunday evening to see if she could help. Her offer was immediately accepted and she was put right to work chasing down and interviewing city council candidates. She also wrote her own story about her experiences during and after the quake.
Jim Connor, our pressman who also writes "Mountain Transitions", has more than a passing interest in geology. I suggested that he cover that aspect of the earthquake. He immediately plunged in and put in several marathon days researching, interviewing geologists and writing. He did an incredible job of presenting the information so that we laymen could understand what the earthquake was all about.
After putting aside his note pad on Tuesday, he donned his printers' apron and put in a full day and a night-long shift on Wednesday shooting page negatives and doing a press run that was twice that of the normal paper. He was still at it when the girls came in at 6 a.m. the next morning to start folding and mailing the papers.
Thank goodness for Robb Markley, who showed an interest in the workings of the press and stayed through the night to help Jim. That gave me the luxury of being able to go home at 3:30 a.m.
Jim was back again on Sunday to print the special edition that had to be run to meet the demand for issues. This time Barbara and Johnny Hammond gave up their Sunday for the "cause" and helped him with the press run and the folding chores.
Sue, as usual, had taken loads of pictures and had hundreds of impressions filed away in her mind about all that she had seen the day of the quake and the weekend after. She had to put it all on the back burner for a day or two while she worked on selling ads and laying them out. After all, that is what pays the bills. More about that later.
After the mundane ad chores were done, she began developing film and made proof sheets. She pored over them and marked the ones that her expert eye told her were the best photo possibilities. After the photos to be used were selected and their sizes determined, she put in many long, long hours making prints and halftones. We counted 50 pictures in last week's edition. In her spare time she also wrote a story about her experiences with the out-of-town press. She was back again on the weekend to make some extra pictures and halftones that were needed for the special edition.
And what would I ever have done without Molly! Her energy and enthusiasm seemed limitless. She interviewed, sorted, and sifted through material and wrote--and wrote and wrote and wrote. I teased her about taking a pen name for some of the bylines so people would think that we had at least one more reporter on the staff.
After her job for that week's issue was finished she still had enough energy left to come in Thursday morning to help the girls fold papers and to cover two important meetings that day. Later in the day she also took time to interview a gentleman who is an expert on underground gasoline tank leaks. He wandered into the office and asked her if she would "like a little news."
Peg, who normally only works on Mondays and Tuesdays, worked her regular shifts and had to go out of town Wednesday, so she missed out on that day's "excitement."
Betsy usually doesn't work on Wednesdays either, but she answered a frantic call for help and gave up a day with her new grandson to pitch in. Both she and Donna, who do the folding and mailing chores Thursday morning, got to go home relatively early Wednesday evening. They still worked very late considering that they had to be in at 6 a.m.
Donna didn't hear me tell her to go home and worked an extra two hours longer than she should have Wednesday evening. I was so busy that I didn't notice she was still here until at least an hour later, and it took another hour to get her out the door and on her way home.
During that week the crew worked together as a team like never before. The hours were long and everyone was tired. Tempers could have flared but didn't. The spirit of cooperation was never better. They were at their finest.
I feel that I now have a team of seasoned veterans on the staff. I can already hear the "war stories" they will tell in the future. The next time a neophyte to the Messenger staff remarks about how hard a particular week has been, they will say, "You think this week was bad, you should have been here the week after the earthquake . . . We put out three papers that week . . ." They've paid their dues, and they're entitled to their stories.
Everyone's still a little tired. There wasn't much time to rest between that issue and this one. But even after there has been time to relax a little, and after the last trace of fatigue has gone, there will still be a warm glow of satisfaction that will last for a long, long time.
[Challis Messenger; November 10, 1983]
By Molly O'Leary-Howard
Masonry buildings fifty years old and older in the Challis and Mackay area should be destroyed, according to University of Idaho Geophysicist Dr. Ken Sprenke.
Sprenke was one of the many scientists that flocked to the area following the October 28 quake. While here Sprenke looked at the damage to buildings in the area. Sprenke attributed the minimal structural damage in Challis in comparison to the magnitude of the quake, to the fact that most of the structures here were either wood or of prefabricated mobile home-type construction.
Two stone buildings in Challis were severely damaged by the tremors, while 80% of Mackay's downtown suffered extensive fracturing. All but two of the eight Mackay buildings condemned by state inspectors were of brick and cinder block construction, according to Mackay mayor Oval Caskey.
Although the old Challis High School building has not been officially condemned, it has been declared unsafe and uninhabitable in its present condition. The Shoup building at the northwest end of Main Street, whose facade tumbled down on two small children during the quake, is also in unstable condition. The stone building located just behind the Shoup building and occupied by Custer Cycle and Snow has also suffered severe structural damage.
All three of the buildings were built out of the same stone, quarried on the hill on the northwest edge of town. Each has historical significance. Each would take considerable amounts of money to restore them as certifiable historic sites.
According to Don Watts, urban planner with the society, the team came to Challis to survey the damage, record the buildings' locations, and hopefully talk with the individual owners about their plans for the buildings.
The historical society team consisted of Fred Walters, a preservation consultant, George Siekkinen, an architect with the National Park Service, and Watts. None of the team had any engineering expertise, and they were not able to make determinations concerning the overall structural soundness of the buildings.
According to Watts, although the state has an historical society and a register for historic buildings, there is no money available to help owners restore and renovate significant sites. The state has no funds of its own and once available federal grant money has dried up.
According to Watts, the owners have several choices concerning the historic buildings. They can restore the building structurally and cosmetically, tear it down and start all over, or renovate and restore the building to its original historically significant condition. Unfortunately, the most practical choice appears to be to tear it down and start over.
Local school superintendent Dr. Donicht has estimated that it would cost as much if not more to structurally restore the old high school building, than it would to tear it down and start all over. Restoring it to its original condition for historic purposes however, would be extremely costly, as is the case with most old buildings.
"Things can be repaired," Watts said. "But it's a trade off--is it important enough to the community to warrant the expense?"
One such tax deduction is for an easement by the owner agreeing not to structurally alter the exterior of the building. The easement essentially decreases the value of the building, because of the restrictions concerning its alteration. The amount of the depreciation then determines the easement's value and can be recovered in the form of a charitable tax deduction.
Investment tax credits of from 10-25% are also available for rehabilitation costs incurred by the owner. Accelerated depreciation of a building's real estate value is another type of incentive allowed, as well as a five year amortization of certain rehabilitation expenditures.
Watts suggested that anyone who would like to know more about the federal income tax incentives for preserving and restoring historic buildings should contact him at the state historical society in Boise.
[Challis Messenger; November 17, 1983]
School Board members reviewed a final construction "punch list" on the new high school building with project architect Gary Wallace, and agreed to withhold 5% of the total contract amount until all work is satisfactorily completed.
Classes began in the new building November 1, however, according to school board chairman Rose Johnson, several minor aspects of the construction project remain to be finished.
The Junior High was scheduled to be held in the old high school building once the high school students moved into their new facility. After the quake severely damaged the building, the Junior High students have had to double up with the older students at the new school.
As of the school board meeting a week ago last Tuesday, it still was not known whether or not any federal aid will be available to the district to help restore or rebuild the old facility. According to Dr. Donicht, until such information is available, the district can not make plans one way or another on the future of a Junior High facility.
The parents were concerned that rocks on the hill directly behind the school will continue to slide off into the school yard. One large boulder brought down by the quake knocked a foot by foot and a half hole in the outside wall of the school building. Other rocks have come down off the hill since the quake.
The board sympathized with the parents' concerns and Dr. Donicht agreed to consult with a highway engineer to find out what methods they use to stabilize hills against rock slides.
[Challis Messenger; November 17, 1983]
The Salmon District of the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has announced its intention to close the Herd Lake Road above the lake overlook to all motor vehicles. The closure has been prompted by the earthquake of October 28.
The road, which was built on a landslide, has been failing in recent years and the earthquake accentuated the problems. There are areas where parts of the road have caved off, making the road very narrow and hazardous to vehicular traffic. Don Smith, Challis Resource Area Manager noted, "Both our geologists and engineer have looked at the road and they consider it to be extremely hazardous to travel. The road is very expensive to maintain at best, but now with the earthquake, the cost of maintenance is prohibitive."
The campground facility at the end of the road will remain in place, Smith said, for backcountry users going in on foot or horseback.
If snow conditions permit, a crew will be out the week of November 21 to close the road. If the snow is too deep, the closure will not occur until next spring.
[Challis Messenger; November 17, 1983]
Guest Commentary
By Governor John Evans
I have had some visible & dramatic proof in the past few weeks of the awesome power of nature and of the need to be prepared to deal with emergencies.
I'm speaking, of course, of the earthquake which centered in Idaho's Lost River Valley between Mackay and Challis.
In seconds, nature opened a rift in the earth that stretched along more than 20 miles. It lifted mountains and lowered valleys. It toppled buildings in nearby populated areas, changed waterflows and was felt throughout a seven-state area.
Tragically, it caused the deaths of two young children, crushed by debris from a falling store front.
As in the past, when tragedy has struck, Idahoans responded promptly. Local and state governments quickly mobilized rescue forces to clean up the debris, check remaining buildings for safety and provide whatever emergency assistance was needed.
Damage estimates are not complete but based on present information repairs and reconstruction will cost more than $12.5 million.
The Small Business Administration has designated Custer County a disaster area, making low-interest loans available to help finance rebuilding of commercial structures.
The Idaho Housing Agency will make low-interest loans to homeowners to assist them in repairs and rebuilding.
The quake caused damage to schools in Mackay, Challis and Arco and caused officials to close the high school building that serves the State School for the Deaf and Blind in Gooding, because of fear for its safety.
No existing state or federal programs cover such losses or losses to the agricultural community. Accordingly we are asking disaster designation for all of Idaho by the federal government, thus making the state eligible for assistance from the Federal Emergency Management Administration.
Preliminary estimates indicate repair costs of $2.2 million for schools in Custer County and $1 million in Butte County. Cost of replacing the Gooding school is put at $3.6 million.
Damage to private homes is estimated at more than $1 million in Butte County. Cost of replacing the Gooding school is put at $3.6 million.
Damage to private homes is estimated at more than $1 million with similar losses to business establishments. Agricultural losses are estimated at around $2.3 million.
Any loss of life is, of course, a tragedy. But we can be grateful that deaths were limited to two, for if the epicenter of the quake had been in a heavily populated area the result could have been disastrous.
Again Idahoans have demonstrated that when there is the need, they respond quickly and willingly.
[Challis Messenger; November 17, 1983]
Dear Editor:
Two segments of our small community of Challis did such a commendable job when the earthquake hit, Oct. 28, 1983.
Those two being the press and staff of the Challis Messenger and the police department.
Losing my daughter, Tara, was hard enough, but sitting and listening to the planes, seeing the photographers with their cameras, and the reporters knocking on the door and calling seemed to compound the grief. I would pick up papers as far away as Washington, D.C. and read of the tragic event. The facts were outrageously wrong. They were written for sensationalism, instead of factual reporting. Sensationalism is fine when tempered with empathy, but this was not. After reading "The Quake of '83" in the Challis Messenger, I felt a great relief--these people knew Tara and reported accordingly. Not one of them called or came over, yet the facts were reported with accuracy and between the lines were the feelings. I realize the press that came from all over the country had a job to do and were only trying to accomplish it. Yet they did not need to be at the services--that is not news. Saying good-bye to someone is a private, personal heart matter and no one should be involved unless the feelings are true.
I really did not understand what was happening until I went down to the Church before the Rosary. I needed some private time--what I saw was a press man just leaving. I was horrified and did not understand what he could possibly gain from all this. I went straight to the police, told them my wishes and they complied. They did a tremendous job, without them the funeral would have been photographed and reported. One reporter did go inside and reported a few sentences the priest spoke of concerning Tara's death. That is his job I guess--each to their own.
One small word of thanks is not enough (not by far), but maybe, just maybe, we will appreciate these two agencies a little more in the future.
I know I will always appreciate the way they handled the tragedy with professionalism, ethics and most of all with understanding.
Sally O'Keefe Leaton
[Challis Messenger; November 17, 1983]
By Molly O'Leary-Howard
Custer County residents have one more thing to give thanks for this Thanksgiving--a presidential disaster declaration.
President Reagan announced Friday afternoon that Custer County is eligible for federal disaster relief following the October 28 earthquake. The long-awaited decision came two weeks after Governor John Evans officially requested the declaration. Reagan's approval of the request will get the federal assistance "ball" rolling.
The federal disaster declaration opens the door for assistance to individuals and public entities that would otherwise have not qualified for financial aid. The state has no disaster relief funds of its own.
The state itself will qualify for federal assistance in repairing damaged roads, as will the county. The public schools will now be eligible for Department of Education assistance in repairing or rebuilding their facilities. The city of Mackay will be able to receive grants to replace their city hall and city jail. Grants to make damaged homes habitable once again will be available to the individual homemakers.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) will be co-ordinating the efforts of the various state and federal agencies that will offer disaster assistance. The personal disaster aid field offices in Challis and Mackay will have representatives from nine different agencies on hand to offer assistance to individuals. A few of those that will be represented are the Internal Revenue Service, the Small Business Administration, the Farmers Home Administration, the Department of Employment, and the Department of Agriculture.
According to Doug Jones, State Bureau of Disaster Services, some people may get frustrated by all the paperwork involved in applying for the aid but he urges them to be patient.
"It is taxpayers' money that is being made available so it's necessary to see that it's properly managed," Jones said. "Agency representatives will be on hand to help people with the application process and make it as smooth as they can."
For the individual there are home repair grants available to make a home habitable again. These grants have a ceiling of $3,000, and can be used for structural repairs only. There are also low-interest loans available for damage to homes or personal property. Costs of repairs or losses may also qualify for income tax rebates.
According to Jones, the FEMA people will help individuals wade their way through the options open to them to get the aid best suited to their needs.
"That's the whole function of FEMA," he said. "No two disasters are alike. FEMA has a great deal of flexibility because of the very nature of the beast they're dealing with--disasters."
The FEMA office in Challis will be set up in the Challis Elementary School media center. The Mackay headquarters will be located at the American Legion Hall, while the main FEMA field office will be at the ASCS office in Arco. The centers will be open from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. beginning Wednesday, Nov. 23. They will be closed Thanksgiving day but will remain open this Friday, Saturday and Sunday. The offices will continue to operate locally as long as there is a need for their services.
[Challis Messenger; November 24, 1983]
Feast Or Famine
By Molly O'Leary-Howard
Everyone knows, "It's not nice to fool with Mother Nature," but unfortunately she is not always as considerate in return. The recent earthquake that rumbled through Custer County is proof of that.
Just as people were beginning to accept her latest prank, Mother Nature pulled another one. This time, the unfortunate subjects of her wrath are wondering about getting flood insurance.
The warm springs water on the Will Ingram ranch that mysteriously disappeared October 28 as a result of the earthquake has just as mysteriously reappeared. According to Tim Ingram, the water began coming back a little at a time ten days after the quake.
Needless to say, the Ingrams--to whom the water is their life's blood--were thankful for its return. What they hadn't anticipated was that over a period of two weeks the water has practically tripled its pre-earthquake volume. According to Dick Whitehead, U.S. Geological Survey records show that on September 19, 1979, the warm springs was flowing at 2700 gallons per minute. The flow was remeasured by the USGS on November 14, and recorded at 7580 gallons per minute.
What had only days before looked like financial famine, turned into a feast of the local equivalent of liquid 'gold'--but not without a price.
Although everyone affected by the increased water flow agrees that something needs to be done, the suggested solutions are as numerous and as varied as the people involved.
Several of the ranchers and landowners present declined to sign the agreement, citing vagueness in wording and uncertainty as to future resulting liabilities.
Instead, it was agreed that the threatened property owners would arrange a meeting with Federal Emergency Management Agency representatives to first determine what, if any, federal assistance may be available to correct the problem. Once the FEMA people are made aware of the problem, it is hoped they can steer the group in the proper direction to solve the matter.
Time, however, is not on their side. According to the subdivision developer Allen Getty, "The ditches are brim full now. If we get a good freeze and more water, we're in trouble."
"From the looks of things," Burstedt said, "you folks need to get the ball rolling now."
"One choice we don't have," Getty emphasized, "we can't just go up and shut the water off. I think we should work towards a common goal," he added, "and forget the petty personal squabbles that stand in our way."
[Challis Messenger; November 24, 1983]
By Molly O'Leary-Howard
A race against Mother Nature and Jack Frost is still underway in the Challis Hot Springs area.
Although Ma and Jack appear to have won the first couple of heats, State Bureau of Disaster Services representative Paul Massey has once again come to the rescue with some possible upset maneuvers.
According to Massey, "It's a very touchy business when we start using federal money on private property."
Massey told the group that the county board of commissioners must declare that an emergency situation exists and, in effect, sponsor the project. If the county agrees to do so, then 75% funding by the federal government can be made available, with 15% coming from the state level and the county footing the bill for the remaining 10%, according to Massey.
At that point, everyone in the room--ranchers and subdivision homeowners alike--jumped into the discussion.
The consensus of the public present was that the county doesn't have a choice concerning their involvement because county roads and, as a result, services--such as fire protection, ambulance, mail, and school busing--are as equally threatened by flooding as is personal property. In addition, the threatened property represents a tax base of approximately $450,000 to the county.
The idea of those personally affected sharing the cost of guaranteeing the county's 10% portion was tossed out for consideration. Many indicated they would be willing to contribute but only if the cost was shared proportionately by all.
As tempers flared, and prejudices and personal grievances amongst the gathering were added to the confusion, the talk of lawsuits and injunctions was tossed onto the fire.
Local rancher Will Ingram, whose ranch the warm springs is on, threw water on the entire furor by saying, "I think you'd better file an injunction against God!"
By Monday afternoon the concerned parties met again at the county commissioners' meeting to discuss developments over the Thanksgiving weekend.
Jack Bills, supervisor of the Challis National Forest, was present along with some of his staff, to discuss what conclusions they had been able to come to over the weekend as to what needs to be done.
Roland Leiby, a hydrologist, and Lewis Curry, a civil engineer, both with the Challis National Forest, recommended that approximately three miles of the east side channel of the warm springs be enlarged to a width of 12 feet by 1 feet. In addition, they suggested placing rip-rap along the severe turns in the channel to reinforce the bank, as well as the construction of nine stream crossings with three, 30 inch by 20 foot culverts placed at each. The total estimated price tag came to $50,800.
It was decided by those in attendance that the next logical step was to wait and see if the Corps of Engineers would become involved.
In the meantime, whichever way the situation may be resolved, the unanimous agreement and cooperation by those involved is still considered to be the major stumbling block in the road to resolution of the problem. As the old saying goes, one sour apple can spoil the barrel.
[Challis Messenger; December 1, 1983]
Whether to "repair or replace" is the question local school board trustees hope to have answered by early December.
The old Challis high school building was severely damaged by the worst earthquake in the continental states in a quarter of a century and has since been declared uninhabitable. The facility was to become the junior high school once the senior high students moved into the new high school building.
The district delayed making plans concerning the damaged building until it was known whether or not federal aid would be available as part of a presidential disaster declaration. That declaration was made November 18.
"At that time, hopefully, it will be decided how much of the work can be financed, and whether or not we have to repair the old building or tear it down and start over," Donicht said.
According to Donicht, he personally doesn't believe that the school district will be advised to repair the damaged high school.
"I don't think there'd be a whole lot of confidence with the present structure no matter what we did," he said. "I think it would be kind of fruitless to pour $2-3 million into the building and end up with what we had. I think parents would be a little hesitant to send their kids there," he added.
According to L. H. Balliff, Associates, an engineering firm in Pocatello that inspected the building at the district's request, it would cost approximately $1.8 million to tear down the old structure and replace it with a new 10-classroom junior high facility. A new school building would include a small resource room and office space, according to Donicht.
"To my knowledge," Donicht said, "it's an outright grant of 100%. They (DOE) give you 75% of that to begin with to get started and the rest upon completion of the project."
Should the money to rebuild become available, Donicht estimates that February or March of 1985 would be the earliest a new facility could be finished.
Donicht said he feels the presidential declaration and the resulting aid to the school district is really a boon to Custer County residents.
"It's really good for the people here," he said. "They've already footed enough of the bill for our expansion and operation."
[Challis Messenger; December 1, 1983]
After a week's worth of interviews, the disaster relief field offices set up by the Federal Emergency Management Agency in Challis and Mackay have been closed.
According to State Bureau of Disaster Services official Mike Sweeney, 118 interviews were conducted with earthquake victims in Mackay, while the Challis office processed 48. The demand for interviews and applications for federal assistance has tapered off in both cities, thus the decision to close the field offices. However, FEMA engineers are still in the area and will continue to be present as long as reported damage needs to be inspected.
The main FEMA disaster relief headquarters in Arco at the ASCS office will continue to remain open until January 16, according to Sweeney. Anyone who has questions concerning damage and possible assistance can call the FEMA hotline 527-3778 collect, Sweeney said.
[Challis Messenger; December 1, 1983]
By Molly O'Leary-Howard
Peace on earth, good will towards men. What does it really mean? Ask the people at The Flying Saddle in Boise, Idaho--they'll tell you.
On November 20, what had begun as a handful of people's desire to say, "I care," culminated in a day-long benefit called, "People Care", for the families of Travis Franck and Tara Leaton.
According to Ellie Myers, a part-time bartender at the Flying Saddle, she and several others were sitting around the night after the October 28 earthquake that claimed the lives of the two young children, wondering what they could do.
"We were all saddened by the deaths of Tara and Travis," she said. "Saddened to the point of wanting to do something rather than just be sympathetic.
It wasn't long before the word was out and a Boise TV station picked up the story and aired it. From that point on, according to Myers, the idea snowballed into a day-long benefit at the Flying Saddle, complete with an auction, live music, a buffet, and a whole lot of love.
Janet Franck, mother of Travis, was able to attend the benefit while Tara's mother, Sally Leaton, went over and met the people involved the following day.
Their reaction? "Unbelievable!"
"When I first got the phone call," Janet said, "I just couldn't believe it. That strangers--in a different town--would do something like that.
"They wanted someone to come over, and I wanted them to know I appreciated what they were doing. And," she added, "I was curious to see what they were doing."
Janet and a friend, Carol Devore, made the long drive to Boise despite the winter weather conditions and icy roads. There they met Janet's sister, Patricia Fisher, who attended the benefit with them.
When Janet first arrived, no one knew her and she took advantage of her anonymity to sit back and just take it all in, unaltered by her presence.
"I almost couldn't take it," she said. "I was really choked up. Those people were so good, and I couldn't believe what I was seeing. They were so sincere, and so caring."
Once Janet's identity became known, the reception was even more heartwarming.
"They greeted me with compassion and tears," she said. "I'm still overwhelmed.
"It has made me realize that people all over the country care about people. You don't have to know someone to care. I really haven't gotten over it completely," she added.
Although Sally was unable to attend the benefit itself, her reaction to meeting the people involved and learning of what they'd done was one of equal amazement and disbelief.
"I was totally amazed," she said. "I must've asked at least three times if there was some connection. I was sure someone involved had to have known someone in the families. But, no--they just cared."
Thanks to the thoughtfulness and generosity of many, the People Care benefit has raised a total of $1200 to date in memory of Tara and Travis. A bank account has been set up at First Interstate Bank in Boise, and will remain open for donations indefinitely, according to Myers.
Donations continue to come in, according to the owner of the Flying Saddle, Tim McManus. Besides the fund at the bank and the containers placed along the bar, additional containers for contributions have been placed around Boise at various stores.
"How long this will go on," McManus said, "I don't know. Hopefully long enough to let the parents of these children know that we care--that people care."
[Challis Messenger; December 1, 1983]
In addition to the money raised in memory of Tara Leaton and Travis Franck in Boise at the Flying Saddle's "People Care" benefit November 20, several local memorial funds have been set up in Challis.
Karen Drobish has been organizing a fund drive for a living memorial to the children. It was Karen's idea that money towards a grove of trees for the city park be donated in honor of Tara and Travis. In spite of recent personal setbacks, Drobish is still pursuing the idea and has set up an account at the Custer County Bank for donations. Anyone interested in assisting her in the effort can contact her at 879-4533.
Jan Hardman has also opened an account at the local bank, the Travis Franck--Tara Leaton Memorial Fund. This fund is not designated for a specific type of memorial but rather, is intended for the two families to use as they see fit.
In addition, Tara's grandfather, Frank O'Keefe, has established a scholarship fund through the bank in memory of his granddaughter.
[Challis Messenger; December 1, 1983]
By Molly O'Leary-Howard
Three months and several hundreds of thousands of dollars later, Clayton Silver Mine hopes to be back in operation by the end of January. The mine has been shut down since the October 28 earthquake.
According to Mine Manager Roland Rovetto, roughly twice as much water is surging into the 1100 foot underground level of the mine as was present before the quake. Employees of the silver mine have been working steady since the earthquake to pump the excess water out of the ground. Approximately $200,000 in new pumping equipment has been purchased to keep up with the job.
According to Rovetto they're lowering the level of the water at a rate of about two feet every 24 hours. At that rate, they anticipate they will be caught up with the excess flow by the first of January. The water still stands 90 feet deep in an 18,000 square foot area.
"Until we get that water out, we can't go back into production," Rovetto said. "We should be down to that level by January 1, and then we can begin recovering and repairing the equipment that's been under water all this time.
"Every piece of equipment down there has to be taken apart and cleaned and put back together," he added. "One hundred and fifty feet of water--that's a lot of pressure!"
Rovetto estimates that the mine, located up Kinnikinic Creek just north of Clayton, will be ready for production by the end of January.
This is the second shutdown of production at the mine this year.
The previous interruption in production was the result of the mine not being geared up to keep pace with the increased efficiency of the new mill, according to Rovetto.
The mine experienced its first shutdown in 47 years of operation a year ago last July. Sagging silver prices was the cause of that six month closure.
Despite this most recent setback, Rovetto remains optimistic.
"We're just gambling that the price is going to go back up so that we can afford to mine it. We're still looking for $15 an ounce silver, and at that price we'd do okay."
[Challis Messenger; December 8, 1983]
Christmas trees seemed to come to life and walls shook and swayed as the result of last Sunday night's tremor.
The aftershock, reportedly measuring 4.6 on the Richter scale, left Custer County residents a bit shaken and wondering if it was indeed an aftershock or the start of a whole new round of tremors.
No serious damage was reported following the recent jolt, although one grocery store manager reported that several items "committed suicide" by jumping off of shelves and crashing to the floor.
According to seismologists, the epicenter of Sunday's tremor was in the same general area as the October 28 earthquake, near Mt. Borah. That earthquake's magnitude has since been adjusted to a 7.3 on the Richter scale instead of the initial reports of 6.9. As a result of this upward adjustment of its magnitude, it is now considered a major earthquake.
The rule of thumb for aftershocks, according to U.S. Geological Survey geologist Charley Langer, is that the largest expected to occur is one order of magnitude lower than the main earthquake. The duration of aftershocks is also tied to the magnitude of the main tremor, according to Langer.
At an informational talk in Challis last November 3rd, Langer predicted that aftershocks would be felt in the area anywhere from a couple of weeks to several months after the October 28 quake. As a result, last Sunday night's tremor is not considered unusual, although it caught more than a few local residents off guard.
[Challis Messenger; December 15, 1983]
By Molly O'Leary-Howard
The fate of the old Challis high school building is still uncertain, according to District Superintendent Dr. Terrell Donicht.
A Department of Health and Welfare structural engineer arrived here last week under the auspices of the Department of Education to survey the damage to the building as a result of the October 28 earthquake. Based on his findings, according to Donicht, the district should receive word in the next couple of days from the DOE as to whether the building should be repaired or replaced.
Although Donicht said the final word has not been received from the DOE, he added that it was his impression from talking to the structural engineer, Charles Kato, that repairing the building "was not a strong or valid proposal."
"I think the board would take a very strong look at refusing that kind of money," he said. "They really don't have much faith in the overall soundness of that building."
Despite the uncertainty surrounding the building's future, some tentative plans were agreed on by the school board at last Tuesday's meeting.
The board also tentatively decided to go with the present location as the site for a new Jr. High facility should funding be available. It was agreed, however, that a new building should be set back further on the lot than the present structure.
[Challis Messenger; December 15, 1983]
City Council Briefs
Buildings that were damaged by last October's earthquake were the subject of a discussion between Federal Emergency Management Agency representatives and the city council at Tuesday night's meeting.
According to LaRue Bevington, a public assistance specialist with FEMA, the inspection team assigned to this area needs to know if the city has changed its mind about applying for federal aid. According to Bevington, he was under the impression that the city had changed its mind since it applied for assistance and had decided that there was not enough damage to public structures to warrant receiving FEMA aid.
Bevington informed the council that, acting through the city, the FEMA team could assist in making determinations concerning several buildings in the city that pose a possible danger to the public due to damage from the October 28 earthquake. Bevington told the council that from just a "windshield inspection" they had identified several buildings in town that may be unsafe.
Without the city's approval, however, they are not authorized to act on their own in conducting inspections of questionable structures. Although the buildings are not city owned, they would qualify for 75% funding through FEMA for demolition and removal if the city declares them a public hazard. The remaining 25% of the costs for their removal would be assessed against the owners.
The council asked the FEMA team to further discuss the options open to the city with their attorney Chuck Roos, before making any final decisions on the matter.
[Challis Messenger; December 15, 1983]
By Molly O'Leary-Howard
Down with the old, up with the new!
This was the message received Friday by the local school district from the Department of Education, regarding the old Challis High School building damaged in last October's quake.
According to district superintendent Dr. Terrell Donicht, the DOE has determined that tearing down the structure, which was to be the new Jr. High facility, and starting over is the best route for the district to go.
In a special meeting of the board Tuesday, Donicht outlined the DOE decision and the board began steps to enact the demolition process.
Wallace and Hudson, Associates, Pocatello, was unanimously selected by the board to be the project architects. The firm has been the district architect on several building and remodeling projects in the past, the new high school building being the most recent. The firm offered a contract rate of 6% of the total project cost.
Donicht told the board that he is anticipating that bid specs will be ready in time to allow the letting of demolition bids by the end of January or the first of February. Based on this estimate, Donicht further stated that he hopes to have the demolition completed in time to begin construction on the building by March or April. The projected completion date of construction at this point is August, 1985, according to Donicht.
All agreed that their main concern was to set the school back as far away from Main Street as possible for safety reasons, and it was decided to present their ideas on the matter to the architect for consideration.
[Challis Messenger; December 22, 1983]
By Molly O'Leary-Howard
Four buildings in Challis have been marked for possible demolition as a result of the October 28th earthquake.
A Federal Emergency Management Agency team inspected six buildings in Challis last Thursday at the request of the city. The inspection was made, with the owners' permission, to determine their overall soundness following possible damage from the 7.3 quake. According to the FEMA team spokesman, LaRue Bevington, each property owner is being sent a notice of their findings.
The four buildings that were given the ax are the old cold storage building at Third and Main that partially collapsed and killed two small school children; a Challis Transportation stone building across from City Hall; an old stone cabin located behind Bux's bar on Pleasant Street; and another stone building located half a block north of Main, on Third.
The old Campfire bar, also located at the upper end of Main Street, as well as Frank O'Keefe's building across the street, that houses Smitty's Saw Shop and The Hub, were given a clean bill of health in terms of earthquake related damage.
According to the letter sent to city attorney Chuck Roos by Bevington, the FEMA team "could see no reasonable method for preservation" for the Challis Transportation building, nor for the stone structure located on Third Street which had been occupied by Custer Cycle and Snow.
The team's recommendation regarding the old stone cabin owned by Lewis Reece on Pleasant Street, was that it "be demolished or the owner be required to construct a child-proof fence to completely surround the building."
"We concur that, if this was our property, we would evacuate as soon as possible," Bevington wrote. "We would immediately request permission from the city to barricade the structure with an 8 foot high solid wood protective fence sufficient distance from the structure to ascertain no one would be injured in case of future failure.
"Also," the letter continues, "if we were a portion of the city government, we would allow no reconstruction permission without a certification from a structural engineer licensed to practice in the state of Idaho."
In the event that any or all of the property owners are reluctant to go along with such a plan, Roos said, the next step would be to declare the buildings a public nuisance under section 50-335 of the Idaho code.
"If the city goes that route," Roos said, "they will have to give the individuals notice, and afford the property owners the right to have a hearing before the council at which time they can present whatever evidence they wish to argue their position."
Roos was quick to add that this last approach is the least desirable, and "No one has any desire to do this to inconvenience anyone. We're just looking out for any potential liability as a result of any of these buildings collapsing on a public right-of-way and injuring someone."
Roos further stated that his advice to the city, if demolition of any building was waived, would address two aspects. The first would be that any restoration approved by the city would have to be done within a "reasonable time", and second, that in the interim a protective device constructed by the landowner to "protect the citizenry from potential collapse" be required.
"We're relieved to know one way or another," said Jan Hardman of Challis Transportation. "We've wanted to know since the earthquake and it took us two months to get an answer."
Bob Ralphs, owner of the old cold storage building on Third and Main, said he is not necessarily opposed to the idea but still has plans to have a structural engineer look at the building.
"I've had a couple of architects and construction people look at it," Ralphs said, "and I'm trying to get a structural engineer to look at it and tell me what I can do."
Although Ralphs had at one time expressed concern about the building's historical significance, he said that is no longer a consideration as there are no funds available to assist in preserving the structure.
According to Ralphs, safety and economics are his prime concerns at this point.
"If it can be feasibly reconstructed--from a safety and economical point of view--that's what I'll do. You just have to look at the trade-offs," he said.
[Challis Messenger; December 22, 1983]
The Small Business Administration has extended their filing deadline for earthquake related assistance.
According to State Bureau of Disaster Services information officer Mike Sweeney, the deadline has been extended from January 1 to January 16. Sweeney said the extension is due in part to the December 11 tremor that may have caused additional damage.
Another factor in extending the deadline, according to Sweeney, is to coincide with the closing of the Federal Emergency Management Agency field office in Arco. That office, located at the ASCS building in Arco, is scheduled to close January 16.
The hours for both the SBA office, located in the county annex building on Main Street in Mackay, and the FEMA headquarters in Arco are 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., Monday through Friday. The FEMA disaster hotline, 527-6778, will remain in service until the January 16 closing date, according to Sweeney.
[Challis Messenger; December 22, 1983]
By Molly O'Leary-Howard
Two months and numerous phone calls and letters later, Grandview Canyon south of Challis on U.S. 93 has been declared "reasonably safe" following last October's earthquake.
Uneasy parents worried about their children riding through the canyon on the school bus, along with a variety of other regular travelers through the canyon, have been asking local authorities to provide them with a qualified determination of the rock formation's safety since the 7.3 quake. There has been considerable concern that further tremors and the effects of spring thawing and freezing could bring the rock crashing down on some unsuspecting passerby. The worst case scenario is a bus load of school children being the tragic target.
According to Leona Hatch, who lives on the south side of the canyon and whose children ride the bus to and from school through it, "The rock is tear-shaped with the most weight at the top. There's nothing really underneath it to support it. Before the earthquake there was a fine crack in the rock; since the earthquake it's gaped 1 - 2 feet at the top.
"Our biggest concern," Hatch continued, "is this spring when all this snow and moisture gets down there and freezes and pushes the rock right out.
"Of course they (state and local authorities) aren't worried about it--they don't send their kids through it everyday."
"They told me over a month ago at the sheriff's office that there was too much red tape involved to do anything about it," she said. "They even had the nerve to ask me if I'd crawled up there and measured it! Someone else suggested that the whole canyon would have to be condemned. I don't want to have to wait ten years--I just want my kids safe!
"It's one thing to have an earthquake and not expect it but it's another thing entirely to be aware of this and not do anything about preventing the danger because of 'red tape'," she added.
Despite letters, first person inquiries, and phone calls made by the county to various officials and agencies--including the governor--to obtain a satisfactory answer to people's concerns, there had been no official response in nearly two month's time. That is, until Monday afternoon when an engineer with the Rigby district office of the State Department of Transportation returned one of several calls made to that office for an answer.
"It'd probably scare you to drive through there but it's no different than before," Dick said. "There's always some rock that'll come down in there due to natural weathering. Every spring we have to do some clean-up but it's been no different for the last hundred years.
Although Dick said he felt local residents had a legitimate concern regarding the rock's post-earthquake stability, the department has determined that there has been no change in the rock's condition as a result of the quake. Dick added that he would write the county a letter to that effect to officially verify their determination.
Dick stopped short, however, of declaring the canyon "certifiably safe."
"I wouldn't go that far," he said. "But, we are aware of it and are watching it, and if we think there's a danger, we'll be in there working to make it safe."
[Challis Messenger; December 22, 1983]
Custer County was rudely awakened at 5:21 Tuesday morning with another 4.6 aftershock.
Although the tremor was equal in magnitude to a previous one on December 11, few people reported actually feeling it. This perhaps being an indication that aftershocks have become a way of life here since the 7.3 earthquake on October 28.
Little damage was recorded as a result of the aftershock, although one man said it jarred his door off the hinges and several others reported further widening of existing cracks.
The epicenter of Tuesday morning's tremor was reportedly in the same area as that of the October 28 quake, near the base of Mt. Borah.
[Challis Messenger; December 29, 1983]
By Jim Connor
Many aftershocks have been felt in this area since the October 28th earthquake, and information recently gathered by United States Geological Survey (U.S.G.S.) geologists indicates that the strongest of these was located near Challis, Idaho.
After studying data from 183 seismograph stations located around the world, U.S.G.S. officials have determined that the epicenter of the December 11th 4.6 aftershock was located in Round Valley to the south and east of Challis. The aftershock caused little or no damage but was felt by most area residents.
Most Challis residents indicated that the December 11th aftershock felt like it should have been rated much stronger than a 4.6. This was due to the close proximity of the epicenter. Generally, the force of a shock diminishes with distance. Mackay residents felt little effect of the December 11th quake.
Some report feeling aftershocks more strongly than others. This is often the result of several factors. Those inside are more likely to feel them than someone working outside. Some structural types are more sensitive to the vibrations. Certain types of rocks are better conductors of shock waves. A house built over shallow bedrock might feel more tremor than one built over deep gravel. Due to the wave nature of the shocks, it is normal for them to be more intense at some points on the ground than at others.
Aftershocks will probably continue for some time. As time passes and the Earth adjusts itself, they should become less frequent and less intense.
According to U.S.G.S. findings, the Big Lost River Valley near the earthquake center has dropped over eight feet. There is no evidence at this time that Mount Borah has risen as popularly reported.
Geologists plan to study the Mount Borah earthquake and its aftershocks in detail. It will be months or years before the project will be completed.
[Challis Messenger; January 5, 1984]
The continual rise of Ingram's Warm Springs has spilled over into the new year and has county commissioners swamped with related problems.
Local ranchers Gary Rogers, Gary Ingram, and Glen and Ryan Hunt, appeared before the commissioners Monday to claim that the canal is not properly constructed and is quickly eroding its banks.
The canal was initially designed by local Forest Service representatives at the county's request. The Army Corps of Engineers then revised the design based on a 50-year-flood plan. However, once the Corps backed out of the project, the design was implemented on a case-by-case basis to accommodate each landowner.
The canal was constructed on an emergency basis to prevent imminent flooding of several homes below the springs' heading on the Will Ingram ranch. The springs first completely disappeared following the earthquake, returning little by little, eventually surpassing their original level of flow. The latest United States Geological Survey measurement of the water flow was on January 5, at which time it was recorded to be 2700 inches, nearly four times its pre earthquake level.
The delegation asked the commissioners to consider sponsoring the construction of a $2000 concrete head-box at the point of diversion to control the splitting of the water.
The commissioners explained to the group that they are aware of the erosion problems and are open to suggestions as to how to better the design of the canal to prevent further washing of the banks. They drew the line, however, at agreeing to become involved in any water rights dispute and reminded the group that State Bureau of Disaster Services representative Paul Massey had said that construction of a head-box would not be covered by federal funds.
Army Corps of Engineers representative Tom Tate was contacted in Walla Walla, Washington, by the commissioners concerning the erosion problem. Tate agreed to take a look at the situation when he comes to Custer County on Corps business next week.
Massey, working as the liaison between the county, the state and the Federal Emergency Management Agency, informed the county later that day that whatever additional measures were needed to ensure the stabilization of the canal would be approved for FEMA funding. The project was sponsored by the county in order to obtain federal (75%), and state (15%) matching funds.
A considerable amount of additional rip-rap will be needed if intermittent step-dams are built every half mile or more to slow down the velocity of the water, as Hunt and others at the meeting suggested.
[Challis Messenger; January 12, 1984]
By Molly O'Leary-Howard
A letter from Federal Emergency Management Agency inspector LaRue Bevington has raised some questions about the future of the Clayton Elementary School building.
The school was damaged by a large boulder sloughed off during the October earthquake from the cliff directly behind the building. Parents of children attending the school expressed concern at the November school board meeting for the safety of their children should future tremors bring down more rocks.
The board in turn agreed to look into the potential danger, and an inspection of the site December 14 by a FEMA team headed by Bevington resulted.
The team consisted of Jim Blake, Construction Manager for the State of Idaho, Division of Public Works-Eastern Idaho area; Doug Chase, P.E., Assistant Maintenance Engineer, District Six, State Division of Highways; and Bevington, who is retired from a position as Construction Manager for the Division of Public Works.
According to Bevington's letter, Olsen determined in his November inspection of the Challis cliffs, that outcroppings and isolated boulders present the greatest threat.
"The outcroppings are more weathered and fractured and easier to shake loose," Bevington wrote. "The isolated boulders were undoubtedly loosened in their settings and thawing conditions, with the resulting moisture, will lubricate the seating and boulders falling can be expected."
Bevington continues in his letter by saying, "The area above the Clayton school is very much like the Challis area. We can see no economical means to protect this property because of its location against the hill and the magnitude of the imminent hazard.
"In our opinion the school is in an extremely hazardous area!," Bevington states. "We are in total agreement that if we lived in the area we would not want our children attending this school."
"Before we panic, we want to have a little more substantiation," Donicht said. "If you look at the FEMA inspection team's credentials, none of them are geologists and they do not have the expertise to make such a determination.
"We really don't think there is an "imminent" threat over the next couple of weeks," Donicht added. "If they felt there was such a threat, why did they wait for a month to make a report?"
According to Donicht, he has contacted both the Bureau of Land Management, and the Forest Service and asked for their assistance in the matter. Two BLM geologists are expected to look at the school site this week and, according to Donicht, the Forest Service has asked Olsen to return to the area and inspect the cliffside next week.
"Hopefully they will be able to give us a little more valid report on the "imminent" hazard that potentially exists," Donicht said.
[Challis Messenger; January 19, 1984]
By Molly O'Leary-Howard
The new city council took action Tuesday night on the potential public nuisance of three buildings in the city that were severely damaged by last October's earthquake.
A simple application for Federal Emergency Management Agency assistance was signed by the city, following a not-so-simple discussion of the federal government's responsibility to the city's taxpayers vs. the government's obligation to protect said taxpayers' money.
State Bureau of Disaster Services representative Paul Massey, pointed out that the project could qualify for federal Emergency Protective Measures funding. Massey cautioned, however, that the key word was "emergency" and therefore something should be done immediately.
Massey's point was lost somewhere in between, and the discussion evolved into talk of inflating the cost of the protective measures project in order to meet the $500 minimum limit.
Massey responded to this suggestion by saying, "I have an obligation to see to it that you people get what you've got coming to you, but I also have an obligation to protect the taxpayers' dollars."
Massey stressed the fact that he could not approve any measures taken that were over and above what was reasonable and prudent, especially if the whole purpose was to accumulate digits to meet a minimum dollar requirement for qualification.
Following a verbose defense of the city's right to federal aid by city attorney Chuck Roos, an intervention on the behalf of Massey by FEMA inspector LaRue Bevington finally cleared the air and assured the council that the aid was being offered, not denied.
[Challis Messenger; January 19, 1984]
Caught Between A Rock And A Hard Spot!
By Molly O'Leary-Howard
A room full of tense and concerned parents greeted the school board Tuesday afternoon with the future of the Clayton Elementary school on their minds.
A copy of a letter from Federal Emergency Management Agency inspector LaRue Bevington to FEMA Region 10 chief Dick Buck, has raised some questions let alone a few tempers.
The letter followed a December 14th inspection of the Clayton school site by a FEMA damage assessment team headed by Bevington. A copy of the letter was sent to State Bureau of Disaster Services representative Paul Massey, who in turn forwarded a copy to Superintendent Dr. Terrell Donicht on January 13, a month after the inspection was made.
"In our opinion the school is in an extremely hazardous area!," Bevington wrote. "We (the inspection team) are in total agreement that if we lived in the area we would not want our children attending this school."
Although Bevington qualified his remarks by noting they had been unable to talk to any geologist who had studied the area, and they were unable to closely inspect the hillside itself due to fog, the letter has, in effect, officially identified the school site as hazardous. And, unless that assessment is subsequently refuted by a forthcoming report based on a study made January 18th by two Bureau of Land Management geologists, the school will be closed.
"I don't feel they should say it's unsafe unless they get up there and really look at it (the hill), and find exactly where it's not safe," Cheryl Baker commented. "I think Grandview Canyon looks worse than that hill," she added.
"All of us want our children safe," said Cecilia Teschler. "If it can be proven it's unsafe, then fine. We don't want our children jeopardized.
"But," she continued, "neither do we want our children bused back and forth on that river road 25 miles each way. How safe is the trip to Challis on that road?"
More than once the emotions of the gathering swelled into a room full of everyone talking and nobody listening.
"We're just trying to solve a problem," board chairman Rose Johnson interjected at one point. "And, I think if we just talk about it calmly I'm sure we can come up with an answer."
"We don't want to move the kids" Dr. Donicht told the group. "We're already overcrowded in Challis.
"But, if the BLM geologists don't refute this (report) it'll in a sense substantiate it and the board will have no choice," Donicht said.
Donicht added that he didn't think a favorable report from the BLM geologists was likely.
"No one wants to take on the liability of issuing a favorable report," he said.
The meeting concluded with Donicht agreeing that he would immediately begin investigating the possibility of temporarily moving the children to an old Forest Service district office building located up the river from Clayton. Lisa Hurless had earlier said she'd been told the building might be available as a last resort.
In addition, the board agreed to further investigate the possibility of blasting away any threatening outcroppings as a means of eliminating the "imminent" hazard. Several of those present agreed for their part to begin looking for a suitable site should the need for a permanent new school result.
[Challis Messenger; January 26, 1984]
By Molly O'Leary-Howard
A memo written Friday, as part of a Disaster Survey Report, has recommended a shut down on the Warm Springs flood abatement project. The report by LaRue Bevington, a Public Assistance Specialist with the Federal Emergency Management Agency, was written following an inspection of the project to determine if additional work would qualify for federal funds.
On January 19 Army Corps of Engineers specialist Tom Tate surveyed the project and recommended re excavation of a seven-tenths of a mile section of the channel along with placement of an additional 1000 feet of rip-rap.
Re-excavation on the stretch of the project that crosses the Gary Rogers and Will Ingram ranches has been completed, widening the ditch to conform to the overall design of a 14 foot wide, flat-bottomed watercourse. Approval for the additional rip-rap, however, was denied as a result of last Friday's inspection by Bevington.
Imminent flooding danger to the homes and county roads, from the increased flow of the warm springs that head on the Will Ingram ranch, was the basis for the county sponsored flood abatement project. The project has been funded jointly by federal (75%), state (15%), and county (10%) monies under a FEMA Emergency Protective Measures program.
"Additional rip-rap has been requested to prevent erosion and is no doubt needed," Bevington stated in his memo. "It is my belief that this does not fall within the guidelines established by Federal Code for the Federal Emergency Management Agency at this time.
"I am recommending," Bevington continued, "that if any additional help be needed that the request by the landowners be channeled to the Department of Agriculture or the Corps of Engineers."
Although Bevington recommends a shut-down on the project, he also recommends that two irrigation diversions removed during the project, one by mistake and another to prevent flooding, be replaced. Peck said if their replacement is approved by FEMA, they will be installed with no determination made as to the diversion of the water.
"That," she emphasized, "is a matter for the State Water Resources Board to decide."
[Challis Messenger; February 2, 1984]
By Molly O'Leary-Howard
Monday, February 6, will be moving day for the Clayton Elementary School.
The move to the old Yankee Fork district office building south of Clayton is a result of post-earthquake inspections of the hills surrounding the school. The school was damaged during the October 28th quake by a two by three foot boulder which bounced off of a hill and into the building, leaving a foot by foot-and-a-half dent.
A subsequent report by Bureau of Land Management geologists George Babits and Dan Bartholme, does not refute Bevington's report, however, neither does it suggest that there is any "imminent hazard."
"Because of the nature of the geologic processes, it is impossible to make any definite statements as to whether or not another earthquake would cause additional rockfall. It is probable that just the natural weathering processes pose an equal hazard," they wrote.
The report continues to say that, "There is no visible evidence suggesting that the recent earthquake has in any way reduced the overall stability of the cliffs above the school. Perhaps one of the best indicators of the hazard is what has happened in the past. The site has sustained the shaking of two major earthquakes in the past 25 years without injury or serious damage."
Bartholme and Babits suggest in their report that judgment on the potential for future threatening rockfall be reserved until after the spring thaw when a thorough examination of the rocks and the effects of the thaw can be made.
The two BLM geologists further suggest in their report that, "While there is no way that the reoccurrence of the rockfalls can be anticipated, there are several things that can be done to help reduce the possibility of injury from the falling rocks."
Bartholme and Babits caution, however, that the cost effectiveness of any preventative measures should be carefully evaluated before initiating them.
Local School District Superintendent Dr. Terrell Donicht, said Monday that the BLM geologists' report was "more positive than I expected. They gave no indication of any urgency whatsoever."
According to Donicht, the school's equipment will be moved to the Yankee Fork district building Monday, with classes for the 39 kindergarten through third grade students resuming on Tuesday.
"We'll have somebody go up there in the spring," Donicht said, "and examine the area closely and make recommendations at that time."
"We're being cautious about abandoning the building," Donicht added, "and taking all the steps we feel we can and should take before we completely abandon the site."
[Challis Messenger; February 2, 1984]
By Molly O'Leary-Howard
A new high school is in the offing for Mackay following last October's earthquake.
The present school, which housed 137 students in grades 7-12, was damaged during the quake which rocked Custer County October 28. Initial inspection of the building by federal engineers indicated that the building was not irreparably damaged, and $1.3 million was allocated by the Department of Education for repairs.
The auditorium and library, added on in 1980, survived the quake without significant damage. The steel construction addition will be left intact with the new school built on.
Mackay School District Superintendent John C. Meek called the recent DOE decision "a wise one", adding that the initial offer of $1.3 million for repairs was merely a "band-aid approach" to the problem.
"I think it's a wise decision--it needed to be. Our building is in bad need of repair and the cracks just keep getting wider," he said. "The expense of fixing the building is much greater than building a new one, considering the end results."
Meek estimates that a new high school can be built for approximately $1.6 million, just $300,000 more than had previously been allocated for repair of the structure. According to Meek, the $1.6 million figure is based on a construction estimate of $60 per square foot.
August 1985 is the target date the district is shooting for to complete the new building--if all goes well. The district is presently looking into the leasing of mobile classroom units to house the students until the new school is finished. In the interim, students are attending classes in the high school library and auditorium, the elementary school, the LDS church and "just about anywhere we can put them," Meek said.
[Challis Messenger; February 9, 1984]
By Molly O'Leary-Howard
Custer County residents were rudely awakened early yesterday morning by a 5.2 tremor that was felt as far away as western Montana and Spokane, Washington.
Just as area residents were beginning to settle into "quake complacency"--having felt few if any aftershocks in the last couple of months-- Mother Nature decided to give everyone a jolt. Few residents can claim to have slept through her pre-dawn antics, and the general alertness of those that can is highly suspect.
Although preliminary information has established the magnitude of the early morning tremor at 5.2, several sources believe it will be upgraded to a 5.5--6.0 once all the data are in.
Clayton Silver reported a slight increase in the flow of water into the mine's underground shafts, but nothing in comparison to the deluge they experienced after the October 28th quake. According to Bureau of Land Management geologists there is no apparent change in the flow of Lawson and Sulphur Creeks in the Pahsimeroi Valley, both of which were notably affected by last year's quake.
Tim Ingram, Warm Springs Ranch, reported that the warm springs water had a milky appearance, but no further increase in its flow was apparent.
[Challis Messenger; August 23, 1984]
By Molly O'Leary-Howard
Custer County's most recent tremor activity has geologists intrigued, and once again seismographs are being strategically placed along the faultline.
According to Anthony Crane, a geologist with the United States Geological Survey (USGS), ten portable seismographs have been placed from Double Springs pass on the south, to the northeast side of the Lost River range in the Pahsimeroi Valley on the north. Additional seismographs have been positioned in the area by University of Utah geologists. Seismographs placed in the area immediately following the October earthquake were removed before the onset of last winter.
"It isn't clear what has stimulated this new burst of activity," Crane said. "The pattern is unusual. The common pattern one expects is fairly large aftershocks immediately following the main tremor, which diminish in size and intensity with time. It is unusual to have such a strong one so long after the main earthquake."
Crane was quick to add, however, that the only predictable thing about earthquakes seems to be that they are, at best, unpredictable.
"It's like weather forecasting," Crane said. "You're never sure exactly what's going to happen. All you can do is make an educated guess. Each earthquake is entirely different, but hopefully if you study enough of them you might be able to at least know what different types of patterns can be expected."
"We're doing careful measurements in certain places that we'll keep track of over a period of years so that we can get a better idea of how scarps erode and change with time," Crane said. "The reason for that is, there are other old scarps throughout the western United States and, if we can have a better idea of how these new ones are modified by geologic processes, then it may give us an idea how young or old some of the other ones are."
According to Crane, no significant afterslip has occurred along the Lost River Fault as a result of aftershock activity.
"This has been a real unique opportunity for scientists to have a much better understanding of the characteristics of fault movement in this part of the United States," Crane said. "It's like paleontologists finding a fossilized dinosaur. If you found one, then you wouldn't have to just look at bones and guess, you'd have a whole, fresh specimen to study.
"The last opportunity we had was in 1959 at Hebgen Lake in Montana, 25 years ago," Crane continued. "This earthquake is probably going to be the most intensely studied and monitored earthquake in the world by the time all the work is completed."
[Challis Messenger; August 30, 1984]
Clayton elementary students will have a new school by August, 1985, thanks to School District 181 patrons' overwhelming support of a $100,000 tax levy override Tuesday. Of the 271 patrons who voted, 232 approved the override, while 39 were opposed.
The site of the 60 year old frame and brick construction school, located at the mouth of Kinnikinic Canyon, was abandoned by the district as unsafe following last October's earthquake. Since then, the future of the 33 Clayton Elementary students has been up in the air. The board of trustees proposed busing them 60-plus miles round trip daily to Challis, while the parents strongly opposed that solution. In a special election July 24th, district patrons decisively supported keeping an elementary school located in the Clayton area, with the question of funding settled in Tuesday's override election.
Marilyn Brower, another Clayton patron, was surprised to hear the override had passed. She, like several others, had heard reports from Boise and Idaho Falls TV stations that it had been defeated.
"That's absolutely wonderful!" she said Wednesday morning when told the measure had passed. "I'm so proud of all the patrons. I was feeling pretty sad when we heard it didn't pass. Having a new facility will be great. I'm glad they used some common sense. This is something that everyone can live with."
"I have to meet with Bruce Wright and Bill Satathite Friday," Henderson said, "and discuss the mancamp site. That appears to be the most logical site for the new school. Price-wise it's going to fit our bill better than any other."
January is the projected date for the letting of bids for construction of the new school. According to Henderson, construction should begin in the spring and be completed in time for the beginning of the 1985-86 school year in August.
"I'm very happy about the election," Henderson said. "It shows the people in District 181 support the school system."
[Challis Messenger; September 13, 1984]
LOOKING BACK TEN YEARS LATER
By Anna Means
Ten years ago the earth moved under Lost River and Round Valley residents' feet. After experiencing the 7.3 magnitude Mt. Borah earthquake, chances are that most people who lived in Custer County in 1983 are now aware of the natural process by which mountains grow and valleys widen (basin and range theory).
Lives changed and two ended from the phenomenon that was hailed as the strongest quake to hit the continental U.S. in 25 years. As a result of the earthquake, Custer County was put on the mental map of those living in the west, and residents of Mackay and Challis saw the outside world swoop in to their sleepy little towns looking for a story or for a way to help.
Meanwhile, back at the basin and range, the Lost River Valley floor dropped up to 7.5 feet in places and Mt. Borah grew about a foot. A 20-mile scarp along the base of the Lost River Range and sand boils near Chilly Butte and Lost River and Pahsimeroi valleys formed thus giving geologic sorts tons of material to study and analyze in their pursuit of scientific discovery.
Some reports in 1983 suggested the Borah Peak event affected 87,500 square miles, with impacts seen as far away as geothermal activity in Yellowstone Park and water well levels in Kalispell and Thompson Falls, Montana.
Aftershocks were in the hundreds, but Forest Service records indicate there were 46 aftershocks with magnitudes over 3.0 in the 65 days immediately following the initial earthquake. They recorded 140 events (again, over 3.0) in 1984 and ten in 1985. The largest scale aftershock was noted as 5.8 on the Richter scale.
Initial damage to property was estimated to be $2.5 million, but once all claims were processed, it came to $12.5 million. These were numbers calculated from Federal Emergency Management Act (FEMA) claims and do not include the work done by the Red Cross, Small Business Administration or private individuals.
In Mackay Eleanor Williams received severe bruises but no broken bones when she and her car were hit by bricks falling from the Mackay Drug Store. Williams had just parked her car and gotten out when the bricks came flying. Her car was demolished, but she walked away with an incredible story to tell.
The Bill Yacomella family lost four out of six pigs when a boulder bounced into their pigpen.
Grandview Canyon had a few rocks in the road, but the Department of Transportation had a look at the ever menacing Leaning Column of Grandview and announced on December 22 it was still safe.
At one point it was stated there were 20 buildings damaged in Mackay and the mayor at that time, Oval Caskey, figured 80 percent of the town's businesses had been adversely affected.
Grocery stores had thousands of dollars worth of goods fall from the shelves.
Both the Challis and Mackay high schools suffered irreparable damage.
Fourteen members of Company A, 116th Engineer Battalion of the Idaho National Guard came to Mackay and helped clean up the mess. By November 10 they had helped raze eight buildings (city hall, city jail, Lion's Club "Den," Mackay Drug Store and a storage building) and were waiting for permission to take down the old LLL Cafe, Custer Hotel and Pilash Tailor and Cleaner Shop.
One third of the Clayton Silver Mine had flooded. Fortunately crews were running late on October 28, so were not underground at the time of the earthquake. The mine was shut down for almost three months while they pumped water out of the works.
Will Ingram took a break from the family's morning coffee conversation to see how the springs on his property fared in the ordeal. He discovered a heart stopping phenomenon--the water was gone. Without a trace, there was not a trickle of water in the old creek, not even in the low spots. It was like it had just been sucked dry. Dead fish were the only thing that remained.
At the same time Chilly Butte sprang a bunch of sand boils and sink holes as did areas in the Pahsimeroi and Lost River valleys.
Ground water in wells near the epicenter rose as much as 12 feet. Other wells in the area reported changes in temperature as well as changes in the amount of water.
Two days after the main event, a huge mudflow occurred in the Lupine Creek drainage. About 200,000 cubic meters of material moved.
On November 4 Ingram's noticed there was a slow return of their water and by the next week had more water than they knew what to do with. Ranches along Warm Springs Creek were soon flooded out.
Another interesting phenomenon was the formation of Quake Lake on Grouse Creek. A landslide created a lake about two acres in size. Oddly enough, the water did not ever flow over the new dam and the old creek bed did not see any more water.
In the spring of 1992 an unknown bulldozer operator breached the dam and it looked like maybe the lower part of Grouse Creek might once again see water. Sharon Bradley, with the Challis National Forest, said that the last time they looked at the lake, there was some water spilling through the cut, but the creek carries the water only a few feet before the liquid disappears to an unknown destination.
Governor John Evans arrived at 2:00 p.m. on the 28th with a full contingent of experts. Evans and company and county leaders traveled to Mackay immediately, and engineers evaluated the status of the Mackay Dam.
Engineers determined the dam was stable and a huge sigh of relief was heard from those living downstream of the structure.
At 3:00 p.m. the county commissioners declared their county a disaster area and the governor followed suit shortly thereafter. Then began the wait for President Ronald Reagan to declare a disaster so federal relief monies could be made available. The president did so on November 22.
A retiree from Chicago, John Ainlay, heard of the central Idaho disaster and packed his overnight bag and came riding into town like a mythic Western novel character. He brought with him the tools to test gas tank leaks, which was something he picked up during his career with the American Petroleum Institute. His work showed that most of the gas tanks (made of galvanized steel) endured the earthquake with no problem.
The Forest Service sponsored an informational meeting a couple of weeks after the earthquake to educate interested parties in what scientists know about the earth moving and what type of fault existed along the Lost River rangefront.
The entire county developed an earthquake disaster plan and the state's Bureau of Disaster Services got a new department.
People of this area now know a seismic activity when they feel one and life goes on with a renewed respect for the forces of nature. Of those who remember the madhouse of activity and confusion ten years ago, there is not one who does not comment on how the individuals in Mackay and Challis pulled together and helped one another deal with the crisis. There is also a great deal of evidence to suggest the people of the "outside" world extended their hearts and resources to this part of central Idaho.
[Challis Messenger; November 4, 1993]
By Darlene Ward
A decade has passed sine the 1983 earthquake that took the lives of seven-year-old Tara Leaton and six year-old Travis Franck.
A lot can change in ten years. Grief has many stages and the pain of losing a loved one might diminish slightly as the years pass, but the loss of a loved one leaves a void that is never filled.
Sally Gassman, mother of Tara Leaton, talked about her grief and the strength that she has found to cope with tragedy.
"I've come to terms with it. The biggest help was my husband Ron and my family. My coworkers at the bank were kind and gentle for a long time," said Sally.
This mother has had to accept the loss of her child, but ten years later she still misses Tara every day. "That's the worse thing. That never goes away. It's intense. I miss her more than anything."
Sally recalls that the media was very invasive and "horrible" during her loss. She was shocked by it. Ten years ago Sally wrote a letter to the editor commenting, "Losing my daughter Tara was hard enough but sitting and listening to the planes, seeing the photographers with their cameras, and the reporters knocking on the door and calling seemed to compound the grief."
In the same letter Sally commended the staff of The Messenger for their accuracy and consideration and also thanked the sheriff's department.
Tara's grandmother Donna Leaton has endured the loss of family members during these past ten years. Donna said a friend recently asked her about getting over the loss of a loved one and Donna told her, "You never get over the loss. It gets easier, but you never get over it."
Donna finds it painful to talk about Tara explaining, "It brings back too much. You relive it and it makes you wonder what would've happened. You learn to live with it but you never get over it. You can't forget."
Travis' mother Janet Franck, who was able to attend the benefit said at that time, "I just couldn't believe that strangers in a different town would do something like that. It has made me realize that people all over the country care about people. You don't have to know someone to care."
At that time, Sally said, "I have learned so much because of Tara's death. Not just because of this one incident, but because of so many acts incorporated into one. I realize now that people must help and love each other to ever make it though this life."
There are some more changes for the Gassman family. They are moving to Oregon. Sally said that it will be such a change to be known just as "Sally"--not Tara's mom or Ron's wife or Thomas' mom. She welcomes the change, and bravely forges into the future while maintaining the strength to accept the past.
[Challis Messenger; November 4, 1993]
By Peggy Parks
The October 28, 1983 earthquake took its toll on county schools. Both the Challis and Mackay high schools were damaged beyond repair and were replaced, and Clayton Elementary School was abandoned due to its unsafe location.
Fortunately for Challis, the new high school, built to accommodate the anticipated influx of students due to development of the Cyprus mine, had just been completed, and high school students were scheduled to begin classes there Monday, October 31. The old building was to have housed the junior high. Instead, all 300 junior high and high school students moved into the new facility and began classes on Tuesday. Two classrooms in the elementary school were also used to accommodate upper division classes.
The new junior high building was completed August 15, 1985 but its use as a school building was short-lived. Due to declining enrollment and budget problems, the building was closed at the end of the 1986-87 school year. It remained totally boarded up for two years, then opened on a limited basis so that the auditorium could be used. Currently, the building houses the school district office and the district leases office space to several non-profit organizations. The auditorium and other classrooms are used when needed for school functions and are rented out periodically to various organizations.
Both the high school and the elementary school sustained damage during the quake. The elementary school building was an open structure with cinder-block walls separating it into classrooms. After the earthquake, the walls were wobbly and deemed unsafe. In the high school the only damage noticed at first was that the gym wall had cracked away from the rest of the building. It was initially assumed that the school was otherwise sound.
Officials taped off the entrance to the gym and a week or two after the quake, the high school building was reopened with split sessions--high school students attended in the mornings and the elementary school was in session in the afternoon.
When the state inspectors arrived to look at the buildings several weeks later, they assessed things much differently. Teacher Rula Smith recalls that in the middle of a school session one day students and faculty were told to leave the building immediately. They weren't even given time to take books or get things out of lockers. Furniture, books and personal effects were moved out later by the safety crew.
The elementary school was deemed to be safe, so the double sessions were resumed in that facility. Smith said that due to overcrowding, some classrooms were split. She said she taught math and English in half of one classroom, while typing class was held in the other half. Gym classes and several others were also held at the LDS Church.
Mobile classrooms for the high school were brought in for the 1984-85 school year and placed in the high school parking lot. The construction area was roped off, but students could see the demolition of the old building and building of the new as they changed classes. "It was not a happy time," said Smith. "There were a lot of memories connected with the old school, and it was hard to watch it being torn down."
The auditorium and library of the old building were built later than the original structure. These were saved and the new school built around them. The "M" in the middle of the gym floor was saved and is currently in the commons area of the new school. The new school was completed in time for the 1985-86 school session.
Although the school was not severely damaged, geologists subsequently determined that the geologic condition of the hillside and the possibility of future earthquakes made the location of the building unsafe and recommended that the school be abandoned or moved.
The school board voted to abandon the school, but Clayton parents protested moving the children to Challis. The matter was put to the patrons in a district-wide election July 24, 1984. The vote was an overwhelming 480 to 49 in favor of keeping a school in Clayton.
On September 11, 1984 a $100,000 tax override was approved by patrons. That amount, along with $115,000 in school district land sale funds was used to build the new school, which was completed in the fall of 1985.
[Challis Messenger; November 4, 1993]
By Anna Means
County Clerk Ethel Peck took office in January of 1983 and by the time she sort of got the hang of the job, the October 28 earthquake hit. She received an entirely new sort of education and went from not even knowing what FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Administration) meant to learning how to fill out mountains of federal paperwork and seeing something come of it.
That afternoon was spent taking the governor and his experts on a trip to Mackay, inspecting the dam, talking to the people and assessing the damage.
Day Two saw the clerk taking inspectors around to look at what had to be evaluated for safety and damage. After the inspectors were out of her hair, then began the long and not always pleasant process of figuring out who was going to pay for what damages.
The Red Cross, in Peck's memory, was one of the best organized and most helpful groups to come into town after the disaster. She said they checked in at the courthouse, figured out that neither housing nor food was an issue, but heat was and took off to fix chimneys. They also brought in a psychologist for use by those who wanted one.
FEMA would pay 75 percent of the costs for flood control mitigation measures, but the county balked at having to pay 10 percent (the state was expected to kick in 15 percent). At one of the meetings it was suggested the Army Corps of Engineers would fix the flood and build something to prevent further flooding at no cost to the county or the state. The commissioners voted to go with that option.
The Corps showed up, did their fieldwork, designed a plan and were ready to turn the first shovel of dirt when a call came from Walla Walla headquarters saying no work could be done until the state and county coughed up a third of the costs. Back to the drawing board everyone went and the end result was FEMA would finance the project. The county had to come up with 10 percent of the cost, but they figured that 10 percent was better than 16.5 percent.
Work began that winter, which just happened to be a cold one with more than one day seeing 40 below zero weather.
Peck noted that at the time there were a lot of landowners who weren't getting along for various reasons and this presented a problem in the flood control plan. Because the work was being done on private property, each individual had to sign a release for crews to come onto their land. Peck said that despite individual differences, every one of the landowners signed a release rather than allow their neighbors to be flooded out.
Peck gets a glazed look in her eyes when she recalls her office being the center of activity for the Corps, FEMA and contractors. Ever an optimist, she recalls that this period of time was when she was finally able to convince the commissioners to install a second phone line into her office.
Claims submitted to FEMA totalled $12.5 million when all was said and done. Ten million dollars of that was to demolish and build schools in Mackay and Challis. Initial estimates of damage came to $2.5 million, but that was before anyone knew two school buildings had to be replaced.
Five million dollars in individual claims had to be processed by the State Bureau of Disaster Services. Peck said her office's role during that time was directing people to the correct agency and helping individuals understand federal paperwork. One problem, said Peck, was many people had the misconception that FEMA money was free. They did not understand the money came in the form of low interest loans or tax credits for damages fixed. Those claims did not include assistance provided by Red Cross or the Small Business Administration.
Peck said Custer County was probably the first county to have an earthquake emergency plan on file with the State Bureau of Disaster Services. This plan was completed within a year after the earthquake.
Stephen Weiser, Earthquake Program Coordinator with the Bureau of Disaster Services said his job was a result of the Borah earthquake. Because FEMA money was used, the state is required to develop emergency procedures in the event another major earthquake hits.
[Challis Messenger; November 4, 1993]
By Darlene Ward
Custer County residents shared their memories of where they were and what they were doing on October 28, 1983 at 8:06 a.m.
Many people were already at work or on their way to the office when the earthquake struck. A few former Californians and/or non-early risers, may have rolled over and gone back to sleep. But most folks have a story to tell.
Perhaps the stories have been embellished or polished with the time-worn tradition of telling tales, but isn't that what makes a story become a legend?
Safety First
Ken continued, "Then Scott started running--in place, more or less. I asked him where he was going and Scott replied, 'I dunno, but I'm getting the hell outta here!'
Ken said what when things settled down later on, the superintendent told the crew he was going to schedule another safety meeting. Ken told him that he'd have to miss the next one because, "You hold rough safety meetings!"
Lucky Day
From where he was hunting there were two roads to get to the reservoir. One of the roads was blocked by slides. Mr. Lucky had chosen the clear road. How was the fishing? "Never better. I couldn't believe how the fish were biting. I caught my limit," he said.
Seems Mrs. Lucky was concerned about her spouse and sent a plane out looking for him. He laughed as he recalled the plane flying so low over the reservoir, not realizing they were looking for him.
Clayton Connection
"I offered to drive up there but we knew there would be rocks on the road, so I didn't," she continued. The women stayed on the line and Evelyn said it took some time to determine that DeLoris was all right since she wasn't speaking during the shaking. Evelyn recalled that it was a good thing she didn't drive since rocks were rolling on the road.
Safe in the Safes
"The thing I remember more than anything about the earthquake is that the media caused more problems than anything else--the low-flying planes and they kept the phone lines tied up so no one could get through."
Mike Piva was working for Cyprus Thompson Creek and happened to be in the vault at the administration building. He heard the noise and thought it was a jet. Did he stay safe in the vault? "Nah," Mike said, "I went out to see what was going on."
Rock the House
"It's something we live with every day. It is never out of our minds," explained Mona. Now a porch has been added on and a travel trailer parked on that side of the house.
"I read every account of earthquakes elsewhere. It attracts me. I know the terror they live through," said Mona.
Financially it was a hardship for Harry and Mona James, who did not have earthquake insurance. The loans were available, but "nothing's free," said Mona. "We were so fortunate. It could have been so much worse. It's unbelievable," she recalls.
When asked if they've thought about moving Mona replied, "At first we thought about it but you don't just pick up your house and go. If I'm supposed to go that way, it will happen. We live with that idea. You have to or you couldn't keep your marbles together."
Jumping Cereal
"He was happy. I guess he thought I'd given him a new jumping cereal," she said.
Valley of Dust
Grabbing Sagebrush
Ten years ago when Dave was interviewed he said, "The ground was swelling up like it was going to burst, and the trees were laying half over and then they'd snap back up. The bluffs just let go as if you'd blasted them, and boulders half the size of pickups came down all around us." He concluded, "It was something I don't want to go through again. I think I aged about ten years in five minutes."
Being Spared
The morning of October 28 found Pam in bed with her infant son Chris while Rob was in the bathroom. Pam recalls hearing the noise before running out of the house.
One massive boulder chose to crash into the kitchen of their house, knocking the wall apart and wreaking devastation in the room.
At that time most mornings, Pam would be standing at the kitchen stove waiting for the water to boil. It was fate that kept them all out of harm's way. Pam points to the other coincidences that placed them out of danger that day. The television was placed high on a cabinet just over where the baby's bassinet was located in the bedroom. When the television came crashing down on the bassinet, the baby was safe in her arms.
The Markleys did not return to live in their house until August and then they only stayed for two weeks. They remained nervous and jumpy when the house brought back memories of being unsafe.
Between A Rock and A Hard Place
Betty Jo said they encountered some California hunters standing by their car who said they had not felt any earthquakes that strong before.
When they returned to take pictures of the slides, the rocks were moved. A man who was in the area to clean out culverts had cleared the boulders on the road.
Both Betty Jo and Art are grateful for the timing that found them caught safely between a rock and a hard place and not under the slide.
[Challis Messenger; November 4, 1993]
By Anna Means
The 1983 Borah Peak earthquake had a long lasting impact on Will and Vangie Ingram and to their credit, they can laugh about most of it.
Two hours after the earthquake Will took off to see how the springs on their property had fared. What he saw got him mighty excited because he discovered the creek no longer held water. Will said it looked like it had just been sucked dry of every drop. For a week the Ingram family tried to stay calm and calculate how they might manage their 900 or more acres of irrigated land without water. On Vangie's birthday, November 4, Will took note that the springs were beginning to come back.
Their sighs of relief turned into cries of dismay in another week when the water returned with a vengeance. Running at about 12 cubic feet per second (CFS) before the earthquake, the spring began producing gangbusters at triple its normal rate and eventually peaked at 60 CFS. Headwalling began and the Ingrams watched as the stream banks and their farming ground was devoured by the water as it coursed downstream into the Salmon River.
The Idaho Department of Fish and Game tried at first to rock in the banks to stem the tide of erosion, but to no avail. The Soil Conservation Service studied the problem and gave Ingrams a few options, the cheapest one being to build a canal and at a point, drop it down a pipe that would dissipate the water's energy. This plan's projected cost was a little over $100,000 and the Ingrams decided to go with it.
The winters of 1984 and 1985 were devoted to diverting those flooding waters into a channel to mitigate the sediment impacts. Vangie said that two years after the earthquake Warm Springs Creek continued to muddy Salmon River waters all the way to ..?..
While the Ingrams worked on the headwaters of the creek, the Army Corps of Engineers worked downstream mitigating flood control on Ingram's as well as others properties.
Will figured if he had to spend all that money fixing the water situation on his place, he might as well get some sort of return on his investment. He called an engineer and began scheming to build a hydroelectric plant on his property. That, he said, was the beginning of a real nightmare and if he had to make that decision again, he wouldn't. In July of 1984 the Ingrams started the application process and two long years later they were on line and in production.
Aside from the mountains of paperwork associated with applying for an hydroelectric license from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, the Ingrams had to make two appearances before the Public Utilities Commission to get Utah Power to buy their electricity.
Obtaining the license was not too complicated other than having to complete one application and another additions-to-the-original and having to bear with any group with an objection to the plan.
Will said the power plant was ready a year before Bonneville Power Administration (BPA) and Utah Power actually signed a 35-year contract for Ingram power. His understanding of the delay was that BPA and Utah Power were having a procedural/political argument and the Ingrams happened along about the time the two decided it was time to make their point. The delays caused by this power struggle cost the Ingrams a great deal of time which was money.
Finally, on the day the contract was to be signed Vangie drove to Pocatello to meet with BPA and Utah Power officials. Everyone at home waited with held breath for the phone call to say it was a done deed. Vangie met the two gentlemen to sign on the dotted line and discovered the BPA official had brought the wrong contract. Vangie said the Utah Power representative "had a fit" and made the BPA man cross out the wrong words and pen in the right ones and the contract actually got signed that day.
Ingram's hydroelectric project and all the flood mitigation measures were paid for privately. They did not qualify for any substantial federal loans because they were planning to ultimately make money on the stream modifications.
Will and Vangie figured construction costs were doubled due to canal complications and political delays. Building the canal started out simple enough until they ran into solid rock for a fair stretch along one hillside.
Will figures that if the water holds out, the project will have paid for itself in another five years. The spring leveled off at 25 CFS about three years after the earthquake and has held steady at that level.
There is a 300-kilowatt generator at the upper plant where the water drops 185 feet from the above hillside. A second generator, installed in 1988, produces 500 kilowatts from a 320-foot drop coming down into the flats near Hot Springs Road. Both of these plants generate a little less than a megawatt of power, which is sold to Utah Power.
The Ingrams have learned a great deal about the power business, such as that turbines aren't produced in the United States and equipment has to be made specifically for the situation. Even though there were gaggles of scientific sorts around the place for months to study their water-no-water-then-lots-of-water phenomenon, they never have found out why it happened.
[Challis Messenger; November 4, 1993]
Return to Borah Peak Earthquake Summary.
|
Salt Lake City, Utah 84112-0111 «» Phone 801-581-6274 «» Fax 801-585-5585 E-mail UUSS! |
|