This week I have chosen to share the story of the steamer Fifield which disabled and beached near the South Jetty on Feb. 29, 1916. The story is outlined in a span of over a month as it was felt that rescue efforts would be successful, and soon the schooner would be on its way back to California. But that was not the way the story ended.
"Attempting to enter the local harbor at 6:30 o'clock Tuesday morning the steam schooner Fifield of the A.F. Eastabrook line, while bucking a strong current from the north accompanied by rain squalls from the same direction, swerved from her course, drifted onto the submerged rocks at the end of the sunken portion of the south jetty and now lies on the beach (first photo) just south of the jetty, almost high and dry at low tide."
The 22 crew members and four passengers were taken off by Capt. Robert Johnson and his Coast Guard crew with the aid of the breeches-buoy. The last man off was Carl Bakman, captain of the ill-fated ship, who reached land about eight-thirty o'clock.
"Five minutes after the ship first struck, the water had risen so high in the hold and engine room that the engineer and his assistants were forced to go on deck, the fires were drowned and the boat lay at the mercy of the waves. The tide still rising, carried her off the rocks bow foremost and she swung around with the nose towards the beach. Scraping and bumping along the rocks of the jetty for a few yards, the bow was split and splintered.
"While the Coast Guard crew was taking the passengers and crew off the vessel, two or three hundred spectators gathered on the beach to watch the excitement, many of them crowding down among the driftwood. Among those was W.M. Kay, a local lumberman, who was watching the working of the breeches-buoy so intently that he failed to see a huge breaker as it rushed in on him, carrying with it considerable drift. He was carried off his feet and sustained a broken leg. He was carried to a nearby wagon and Dr. R.V. Leep summoned. Later in the Emergency Hospital it was found that the injury was a compound fracture."
A headline in the following week's Western World read: "Fifield Will Be Pulled Out By Towboat Soon."
"The work of pulling the boat onto the beach was completed several days ago (second photo). She has since been cleaned of sand and her tanks and boilers emptied. The hold will be filled with empty barrels and casks and it is believed that unless severe weather conditions are encountered at the time, the danger of losing the vessel in attempting to pull her out will be slight."
But three weeks later, the headlines told a different story.
"The steamer Fifield, disabled and beached near the south jetty on Feb. 29th, passed into history early Monday morning, when during high tides the breakers pounded her to pieces. Succeeding tides have completed the work of destruction and what was formerly one of the finest among the smaller coasting steamers on the Pacific is now, but a mass of kindling wood and tangled iron, strewn for a mile down the beach (third photo).
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People still ask me if the Marriott Hotel will be building on the gravel lot in Old Town, across from the Bandon Fisheries Warehouse. After the Coquille Indian Tribe wrote a letter, which said, in part: "Based on our review of the geotechnical report prepared by Cascadia Geoservices, Inc., dated June 22, 2023, as well as draft archaeological documents, the extensive documentary record relating to this parcel and our own Tribal knowledge specific to this parcel, we do not see a path forward that would result in the intensive development and disturbance associated with construction of a multistory hotel in this location," said a letter signed by Tribal Chairman Brenda Meade.
Recently, I received a copy of a letter sent by Barry Johnson, managing partner of Bandon Old Town Hotel Partners LLC, to Chairman Meade about the Marriott Hotel project.
He thanked her for making time to meet with him. "I believe it is important to our future relationship that you have accurate and reliable information. The Chronicle Report made inaccurate and false statements that did us both a disservice. A review of the Cascadia Report factually shows the core samples did not disclose the presence of human remains nor did it suggest the project could not be built."
Johnson added that he had hired another archaeological research firm to
prepare a permit application for consideration."
"Please note, I am not opposed to any statement or position expressed by the Coquille Tribe in relation to the property. I have only the utmost respect for the Coquille Tribe and its Leadership. I support their efforts to protect their ancestral history and the environment. I am seeking factual, reliable information for the purpose of making a final determination as to the future of this property," Johnson said. "Whatever conclusion is reached, I trust we can continue to work together to secure a positive outcome."
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The story of a 12-year-old Bandon girl who went missing Saturday evening had a happy ending as a family member posted later that night on Facebook that she had been found and returned to her family.
Although she was named in the numerous Facebook posts that were shared throughout the evening, I have chosen not to share her name out of respect for the family.
The search was carried out by the Bandon police, family members and friends. One poster said she had seen her walking along the highway near the lube business south of Bandon around 8 p.m.
She had apparently left the family home earlier, saying she was going for a walk. But when she did not return as planned, the family found her cell phone in the yard, prompting the extensive search.
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It is great to see the completed five-unit apartment complex along east 11th Street, between Baltimore and Chicago. There is a rumor circulating around town that these were built for Southern Coos Hospital and Health District, but that is not true. The hospital had nothing to do with the building of this complex.
As secretary and interim chair of the hospital board, I wish the rumor were true, as we could definitely use the housing for employees and traveling nurses, but it's not.
I believe it was a private builder, but unfortunately I do not have his name.
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Forty-two members of the Bandon High School Class of 2024 received their diplomas in an impressive ceremony last Saturday.
Valedictorians were Alexa Crum, Rachel Eickhoff, Sean Ells, Sidda Radcliffe, Zack Robertson, Elizabeth Stice and Olivia Thompson. Katelyn Senn was the class salutatorian. Rachel Eickhoff was senior class president.
Other members of the class are Baylee Grace Barnes, Benjamin Dennis Brown, Carter Joe Brown, Nathan Elliott Daigre, Zoie Jo Dibartolomeo, Nyah Dimitruk, Rebecca May Dockery, Madison Bailey Flannery, Logan Christopher France, Stealth Franklin, Eli Freitag, Daniel Vance Greer, Bellahrose Hart, Kalli Allyse Hiebing, Myah Hisel, Ellie Kingsbury, Parker Lang, Serenity Elizabeth-Reanne Marcano, Analise Miller, Alistair Kiril Moore, Ava Nelson, Savannah Fayth Parry, Jarred Ray Perez, Danielle Rock, Raistlin James Schippert, James Michael Scott II, Colton Siewell, Jack Grason Sisco, Matthew Rea Stack, Makiah Vierck, Olivia J. Weaver, Bryan Malachi Weborg, Brandon Wilson and Constante Danner Zunino.
I will share the complete list of scholarships and honors received by the class in next week's column.
It is interesting to note that when John Sweet and I graduated from BHS with the Class of 1957, there were 43 graduates ... one more than this year's class.
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Two couples with ties to Bandon are celebrating many years of marriage, including Helen and Gene Schrader of Sutherlin and Bud and Betty Gearhart of Coos Bay.
The Gearharts, who lived in Bandon for many years, will celebrate their 75th wedding anniversary with a celebration at the Coos Bay Seventh-day Adventist Church on July 14 at 2 p.m. Their daughter, Sandra Gearhart Merritt, invites their friends to join the celebration, and to bring their favorite potluck dish. The church is located at 2175 Newmark Avenue in Coos Bay.
Gene Schrader and the former Helen Wehner are observing their 70th wedding anniversary, according to a Facebook post by their daughter, Mindy Rund. Gene, who is the son of the late Ivan and Lorna Schrader and a member of the BHS Class of 1950, is 93. Helen, whose parents were Ernie and Anna Wehner, is 87. She graduated from Bandon High in 1955.
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This week's Meet and Greet program at Bandon Fisheries Warehouse is sponsored by the Bandon History Museum, and will feature Jim Proehl, board member, with the true mystery of "Mayor Drane is Missing." The program is set for Tuesday, June 18, with seating opening at 11:30 and the program beginning at noon.
The program originally scheduled, highlighting the history of the museum building (built by First National Bank), has been moved to August.
You may also want to mark your calendar for the popular National Night Out, sponsored by the Bandon Police Department, to honor those in all departments who keep the community safe. The event will be held August 6 from 5 to 8 p.m. in City Park. I will have more about the event in future columns.
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Two of my fellow city councilors received scam messages from someone purporting to be me last week, asking them to help me make a payment through Zelle or Venmo.
"I" add: "Let me know so I can forward you the vendor's payment details and will have our reimbursement processed once the treasurer is back in office."
It was sent from an email address: jrufaie@virginmedia.com ... at 5:59 a.m. Anyone who knows me would immediately be suspicious if they saw anything sent by me that early in the morning knowing that I am a "night owl."
This is not the first time these kinds of emails have been sent in my name, and they are almost always to other city employees or city councilors. Makes you wonder ....
I do know that early on, one councilor did ask the sender where she could send the gift cards that I had supposedly requested ... before she realized it was a scam.
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