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1975
January 29 1975 Charles McCuller, 19, of Virginia, sets out from Roseburg, telling friends that he plans on hitchhiking to Crater Lake in order to take winter pictures of the Lake. Several people remember seeing him in the Diamond Lake area, but that is the last time anyone sees or hears from McCuller. There is reason to believe that he planed to hike to Crater Lake along The North Road. A heavy snowfall during the previous two weeks dropped over five feet of fresh snow. Cross country skiers report that the snow was so soft and powdery, that even with skis, they were sinking up to their waists. McCuller’s father flies out to Oregon two weeks later and conducts an extensive air and ground search of the northern section of the Park, but no clues as to McCuller’s disappearance are uncovered. (See October 13 & 14, 1976)
February 26 1975 A blue Cessna 182, with a Klamath Falls teacher and two of his students on board, is reported lost at 9 p.m. about 35 miles northeast of Klamath Falls. Searchers feel the plane possibly could have gone down over the Park. No wreckage found. (See July 5, 1982)
March 25 1975 A new elevation of 6,179.34 feet establishes a new record Lake level. This is 16 feet above the 1942 Lake level of 6,163.2 feet on September 10. (These records may have been superseded in later years.). See 1942 entry.
May 12-13-14 1975 New Park Master Plan Public Workshops are held in Klamath Falls, Portland and Medford, respectfully. Master Plan issues and alternatives are presented and discussed.
May 12 1975 Water samples taken at two sites in the Park show positive Coliform Bacteria count. Chlorine release into the water supply is increased.
May 19 1975 Park’s water is retested with one site still showing evidence of Coliform Bacteria present in the water.
May 27 1975 All water samples sent in by the Park test negative at the Oregon Health Lab in Portland.
June 1975 Reconstruction begins on the last 4 miles of the West Entrance road for an estimated cost of $929,000.
Elva Michael, after five years of Park employment, working as an assistant to the Chief Ranger, leaves the Park for her home in Corvallis.
Datsun pickup rolls below Rim Village.
A $50,000 remodeling begins on the Lodge kitchen.
June 1 – 23 1975 Park and Concession employees begin reporting in sick. Many people thought it was probably just the annual “Crater Lake Crud” that normally strikes many employees during their first week of arrival. Within three weeks of the first report of employee illness, (except for the Rangers stationed at Annie Spring, and the Lodge owner, Ralph Peyton, who claimed “I never drink water”), 90% of all Park employees come down sick with diarrhea, vomiting, cramps, dehydration and weight loss.
June 21 1975 Cliff Stock and Burke Gurney slip on an overhanging snow bank and fall 400 feet inside the caldera at the Watchman Overlook, suffering only minor injuries.
June 24 1975 The son of Park Superintendent Richard Sims becomes ill. Doctor feels it is appendicitis. Turns out it was the WATER.
June 25 1975 Sick employees are instructed to “Use Kaopectate” for their “flu”.
June 26 1975 With so many Government, Youth Conservation Corps Enrollees and Concession sick, many employees feel that the source of the sickness must be the water. Bruce Stubblefield, YCC director, asks Chief Ranger Jim Wiggins about the water quality. Bruce is told that the water is tested frequently. When Stubblefield suggests contacting the Klamath County Health Department in Klamath Falls, Wiggins tells him that the county has no jurisdiction in the park. All water problems would have to be handled by the U.S. Public Health Service.
Ralph Peyton, president of Crater Lake Lodge Co., calls two private doctors in Klamath Falls and Portland and is told that there is a lot of “flu going around”.
June 30 1975 Reports begin to filter in about Park visitors being struck down with a strange illness. Some claim it is Llao’s Revenge. Service station operators complain of soiled restrooms all the way to the California line.
Two YCC leaders meet with the Park’s administration and ask permission to take water samples to the Klamath Health Center. At first the request is granted, and then Chief Wiggins overrules the leaders telling them, “Don’t bother.”
July 1975 $7,500 contract let to continue corrective work on the Mazama Campground lagoons.
Several young Peregrine falcons are successfully raised in the Park by their parents. The nest is never located.
Waldo Nye, 198 Mill Creek Drive, Prospect, Oregon grandson of Chauncey Nye and grandson-in-law of Superintendent Arant, visits the Park.
The following is from an email sent to the author, August 17, 2016 written by then Chief of Interpretation, George Morrison.
Good Morning Larry,
While looking through an old file of Crater Lake “stuff”, Betty noticed this badly, faded letter. The typed original probably came from a manual typewriter I had in my office at the Park. The keys were not striking squarely and the ribbon must have been old since the “photo copies” of the era weren’t very good.
I tried to read the letter to friends and family members while Betty typed on the computer. We had a terrible time, especially on the first page. You might compare this to your “Smith Bros” timeline for the Crater Lake crud event. We even had a copy of Joe Raymond’s famous song. We simply couldn’t recall the tune. All this came up as we saw the note and clipping from Ron M about that unfortunate summer we all shared in Crater Lake NP’s history. It’s hard to imagine that 40 years have gone by.
George Morrison
Letter on Crater Lake Crud
July 1975
Dear Family and Friends,
We’ve received a number of cards and letters from many of you wishing us well during the emergency: the contaminated water and closure of the park. We certainly appreciate your concern of us and thank you for your faith and prayers that helped us through this rather unusual event.
Since we were just transferred to Crater lake, we were not completely moved in before the water problem made living here somewhat less then fully enjoyable. Crater Lake NP, however, is indeed a beautiful area and this section of the northwest is about the closest to my Shangrila we’ve lived in yet. Magnificent Douglas fir, Mountain Hemlock and huge Ponderosa Pine line the roads and beautiful clear streams and lakes seem to be everywhere.
I arrived in the park on June 14th, a couple of days ahead of Betty and children to find 3-5 feet of snow still surrounding our residence and 6-8-feet on the road to the upper elevations, caldera rim and local outposts. June 16-20 was a park-wide seasonal training period which was hampered by the late spring, deep snow and periodic brief snow flurries. The following week saw the start of some interpretive activities but also numerous seasonal Naturalists were getting sick. Every one had a siege of nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and a weakened physical condition. Many days would have only 5-6 people report for duty out of 14 seasonals on the roster. Other park employees and concessionaire seasonals were also getting sick, some violently.
The weekend of June 20-22 a group of young people hired as Youth Conservation Corpsmen arrived about noon on Saturday. By Sunday evening, 19 of the 30 YCC were sick with the same illness and something was obviously wrong!
Up to this time, the park water system was to be tested on a routine basis and occasionally the residual chlorine would be below standards. Some one would check the chlorinator and boast the dose. About June 20 one water sample sent to a State lab produced a positive test for colliform bacteria, but other samples were negative.
About June 28 or 29, State Health people were called in and water, food, everything was being tested but no definite indications of the source of pollutants could be found. US Public Health Service officials and doctors were called in, more sampling, more mixed results, more were getting sick. We experienced our first problems with our children. As Teri, Jeffrey and Suzy were sick.
By the weekend, June 28-29, three doctors (specialists) from the National Epidemic Center in Atlanta, Georgia, were here. Two out of every third person you saw during a day were either sick looking or moving very slowly to the nearest toilet. Most employees had been sick one round with the illness and some were working on their second round. The July 4th holiday weekend found a Park packed with visitors and half a staff and still very heavy snow cover and to add to the congestion, every one drank from Crater Lake Park water system that day.
July 2 ,“ it” hit Betty and I, the illness was christened “the Crater Lake Crud” by this time. I was down (flat) for 2 days, up for the big holiday and down again the following weekend, July (6 -7). Betty was never bedridden, she just felt dead for a week. Jeffrey, Larry and Suzy were sick sporadically. Teri had recovered but just wouldn’t eat anything. By then most everyone we knew were in round 2 or 3 with diarrhea, the situation was getting intolerable; rumors were rampant about poisoned water, mysterious flue with no cure, food poisoning, etc. I think most people were now boiling their water for drinking.
Days got very warm for a change and rapid snow melting seemed to bring an increase in sickness. July 10, some water samples were all showing positive contamination and we had experts all over the place trying to locate a sewer leak. That same day, I broke out in a rash similar to measles that itched like crazy. Others did also including the concessionaire’s employees. Later that afternoon of July 10th, our maintenance foreman decided to walk along the sewer route from the lodge and dormitory buildings as he had on two previous occasions. This time enough snow had melted that the manhole cover shown on my attached map had become visible through a collapsed area in the snow and it was quickly seen that raw sewage was bubbling up through the ventilation holes in the cover, mixing with the melting snow water and running under the snow downhill and directly into the area called Munson Spring where the main water system originates. About midnight a special messenger was pounding on our front door with the official word, not to use the water for any purpose other than flushing the toilet. After about 5 seconds deliberation, I decided to move the family out of the park.
Friday morning, July 11th, was a monumental day for Crater Lake National Park. At the height of the season, the park closed its gates to visitors. That day was near pandemonium as the concessionaire sent his employees out, the YCC people left and a few people quit. Visitors couldn’t believe the park could close and for over two days we had to post people at all entrances 24 hours a day to explain what happened.
Permanent employees were caught with a big problem since we had nowhere to go. Public health people decided that we would all have to give a blood specimen and receive a gamma globulin injection as a protective device for a possible hepatitis epidemic. Water trucks were brought in and we began the laborious and still necessary daily chore of getting water several times a day. About 2:00 pm on Saturday, Betty brought the children back to the park for shots. Some TV people were interviewing our neighbors as Betty drove up. I quickly helped get the kids out of the car and intended to quickly and quietly move them into the house. The TV cameramen stopped the interview and started filming us as we tried to disappear. That was the footage you may have seen on TV, I understand it was an ABC network.
They didn’t ask permission or even warn us, they just walked up and started filming, instant stardom! By Monday some military equipment and personnel were on hand to start the long process of decontaminating the water lines and try to get us some safe water. That project is still on after several complications kept changing the target date for completing various steps in the process.
It’s now nearly 2 weeks later. The family is back in the park. However the water system is still unsafe. The park is still closed and there doesn’t seem to be an opening date. Everyone seems to be “on the mend” now after 10 days of crying, fussing and general bad disposition. All the kids lost weight which in the case of Jeffrey and Teri has left them looking like match sticks. Though Betty and I lost some pounds, it wasn’t enough.
Realistically, the summer is ruined. There is no way we could ever get people coming for visits this year. In fact, it may be a couple of years before the “bad water” stigma dissipates and people forget they once got sick drinking Crater Lake water. In a couple of weeks you’ll be seeing a TV clip on Crater Lake being opened up again. In the meantime we are trying to get some special project work done which should make the park much more enjoyable to visit.
Again, thanks to all.
(Written August 18, 2016) Gary Mason and I walked from the Lodge to the connector and then from the end of the Rim Dormitory also out to the connector. I saw the hole in the snow the day after the florescent dye was flushed in the toilets and I watched as it came down the hill directly into Munson Spring later that afternoon. The following day when Gary and I walked to the collector, we were of course on top of the snow. At the collector, the warm water bubbling up out of air hole in the manhole cover had created enough snowmelt that a hole had opened directly over the cover. Jeff Adams, Maintenance Supervisor from NPS Klamath Falls, had already sprinkled lime all over every thing there. By then Adams had opened the manhole cover and using a shovel had moved the rock around which was blocking the exit tube down hill. (Thanks to you, I have photos of you and the “rock”.)
I walked the “line” by myself one afternoon after most of the snow had opened a sort of stream channel down the hill to the spring where the sewage had drained. I vividly remember the strings of TP and other “debris” that left no doubt where that water went. Some lime had been scattered all along the route where “things” were obvious.
Of course, I was as surprised as anyone the following Spring when soil and water samples taken all around the spring area tested negative for coliform bacteria. Just shows how fast natural decay process can do away with “stuff” given enough time, temperature and good soil fauna. The CLC incident has scenes that still come back with an unbelievable freshness as if it happened just that morning when I woke up. If at any time I get to thinking, “I’m glad that’s finally over”, it all comes back again. Is there no rest? George Morrison
Written by Larry Smith, November 2017, on the occasion of George Morrison’s 80th birthday. Thank you for your invite to greet George on his 80th birthday. He has become a dear “internet” friend over the past decade.
But before getting reacquainted through the Internet, he greatly influenced the direction of my life back during the summer of 1975. He and I worked together at Crater that summer within the Administration building. He ran the interp department from an office upstairs and I was in “protection” with an office downstairs. During those summers I ran the Park’s communication central, which included directing the incoming phone calls, handling radio dispatch, counting the money and making remittances from the entrance stations, answering the mail requests for park information, selling books for the NHA, providing first and second aid for injuries, and answering the many questions from park visitors.
During the summer of 1975 the park was in crisis mode with the park being shut down because of a sewer line block that forced sewage into the park’s main water source at Munson Spring. It was during this time that George stopped me one afternoon in the admin hallway and told me that I would be a good park interpreter and he encouraged me to apply to his division.
The following summer I took the summer off and took the family back East celebrating the country’s 200th anniversary.
Meanwhile the Morrison family transferred out of Crater Lake, but remembering George’s encouragement from the summer of 1975, I applied for an interp position for the summer of 1977. And I got it! I spent the next seven years having the time of my life because in my new position I was able to give talks on the park’s boats, lead hikes, give evening programs at the campgrounds and lodge, and was able to meet and greet and answer questions from park visitors from all over the world.
This would never have happened had George and I not met that one fateful afternoon in the Admin HQ where he encouraged me to get out of my comfort zone and try a new experience. And the training that I received over the subsequent summers, has helped me in my teaching and my many public speaking engagements. And I continue to volunteer at Crater Lake. I am working on my 57th year with the park.
My only regret was that I was not able to work for George. That would have been a remarkable experience.
July 1 1975 Jack Stump, YCC counselor, collects two water samples from the Ranger Dorm and Mess Hall, and along with several fecal samples collected from sick employees, Jack heads for Klamath Falls.
90 employees are known to be sick, which is about 40% of the work force.
July 2 1975 Peter von Ohlen, regional engineer, Oregon State Health Division, arrives in the Park to find 6-8 feet of snow covering the watershed area. Peter learns of inadequate training of water system personnel, questionable record keeping and that the runoff melt water from the Rim Village parking lot drains directly into the Park’s watershed at Munson Spring. Because of the heavy snowpack, and inadequate maps, von Ohlen doesn’t realize that the Rim Village sewer line passes directly above Munson Springs, the main source of the Park’s water supply. Von Ohlen leaves the Park, reporting that the employee illness is a form of the “flu”.
July 3 1975 Klamath Basin Water and Soil Testing Laboratory reports that the YCC furnished water samples show that “water does not conform with accepted bacteriological standards of purity for drinking water. Fecal coliforms present. Negative for pathogen”.
July 4 1975 State health and medical people arrive in the Park to investigate the sudden out-break of so much wide spread illness. An extensive water-testing lab is eventually set up in the Administration Building. The Park’s water supply is suspect, but exhaustive testing over the next several days reveals nothing unusual in the water.
Some employees decide to boil their water.
Dr. John Googins, state epidemiologist, and other members of his team meet with Superintendent Sims. Illnesses seem to be declining, part of a regional problem with the “flu” they feel. While checking food services at the Lodge, Lodge President Ralph Peyton challenges the health team’s authority to come onto federal land and clams they are on a “witch hunt.” The team finally leaves the Park in the evening, “puzzled by the information collected” and confused as to whether the State of Oregon has jurisdiction to follow the situation any further, but is convinced that the source of the employee illnesses is most likely the water supply.
July 7 1975 Dr. Jeffery Koplan, Palo Alto, California, of the Center for Disease Control of Public Health’s Bureau of Epidemiology arrives in the in the Park. He views the snow covered sewer line area from the Lodge parking lot and sees no evidence of any problems.
YCC leaders meet with Chief of Maintenance, Jeff Adams and Chief Ranger Wiggins and are told that their water samples showing “fecal coliform” were probably not taken properly. YCC Director then shows the results of the water test to Dr. Koplan who says it makes the water suspect and that it should be boiled, but says that he is still undecided as to the method of illness transmission.
July 8 1975 Dr. Mark Rosenberg, CDC, Atlanta, arrives in the Park. His reaction to the YCC water report is, “You have been drinking _ _ _ (human waste).
A State Health Division staff nurse who had just returned from a bus tour of Crater Lake calls Dr. Googins to say that 14 out of 15 people on the bus tour, which had visited Crater Lake on July 4, are sick. This call establishes the incubation period of the illness – 36 to 48 hours.
Dr. Koplan is notified that individuals on the serving line in the Cafeteria have been observed taking Kaopectate so that they can continue working.
July 9 1975 Notices are being handed out to Park visitors at both entrance stations warning them that the Park’s water might be contaminated and that they should first boil or treat the water with iodine before using. The notice is signed by Superintendent Sims. Signs with the same wording are posted at all Park facilities, campgrounds, the Lodge and over all drinking fountains.
TO ALL VISITORS
OVER THE PAST SEVERAL WEEKS THERE HAS BEEN AN OUTBREAK OF GASTOENTERITIS IN CRATER LAKE NATIONAL PARK. THIS ILLNESS IS CHARACTERIZED BY DIARRHEA, ABDOMINAL CRAMPS, NAUSEA, VOMITING, AND CHILLS. IT CAN LAST ANYWHERE FROM A FEW HOURS TO SEVERAL DAYS. IT IS UNCLEAR HOW THIS ILLNESS IS CONTRACTED OR HOW IT IS SPREAD. WE HAVE PROFESSIONAL U.S. PUBLIC HEALTH PERSONNEL ACTIVELY WORKING ON THIS PROBLEM NOW.
WHILE USING THE PARK FACILITIES, WE RECOMMEND USING NO WATER FOR DRINKING, FOR FOOD PREPARATION, OR TOOTH BRUSHING THAT HASN’T BEEN PREBOILED OR TREATED WITH IODINE OR CHLORINE TABLETS. WATER MAY NOT BE A FACTOR IN CONTRACTING THE ILLNESS, BUT WE FEEL THIS PRECAUTION IS IMPORTANT AT THIS POINT.
WE HOPE TO CORRECT THIS SITUATION AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE.
THANK YOU,
RICHARD H. SIMS, SUPERINTENDENT
CRATER LAKE NATIONAL PARK
Willard Titus, Oregon Health Sanitarian, checks the Park’s water system’s pressure and chlorine. Titus discovers that the water to Munson Valley is not being chlorinated.
Ms.. Gena Wright, supervising sanitarian, checks the food service areas of the Lodge and Cafeteria and notices that some of the workers are ill. The medical team suggests closing down the food service, but Dr. Koplan asks for another 24 hours since the method of transmission has not yet been determined. Dr. Koplan asks for more help and Dr. Googins sends three additional staff members.
After phoning Headquarters and applying pressure, Superintendent Sims allows Lodge President Peyton to replace the Health Service signs with one of his own. The Lodge Company posts signs above all Rim Village drinking fountains reading, “THIS WATER HAS BEEN ADEQUATELY CHLORINATED AND IS TESTED DAILY BY THE U.S. PUBLIC HEALTH SERVICE.” Seasonal patrol rangers are dispatched to remove all Public Health Service warning signs. The rangers complete their job around midnight, after several nasty confrontations with Mr. Peyton. Peyton wants to know what all the excitement is all about, “After all, nobody has died yet.”
July 10 1975 Miss Wright learns that 4 out of 10 water samples show evidence of sewage contamination. This evidence she feel is sufficient, in her opinion, to close the Park.
Ryan Gilmore, food service manager, following a food service inspection by Drs. Koplan and Rosenberg, decides to close the Lodge dining room tomorrow to consolidate employees who can still work in the cafeteria.
The YCC staff decides to close camp on July 12 and send the enrollees home.
Dr. Koplan is still concerned that the transmission method is unknown, but feels there is “insufficient evidence” to close the park. Dr. Googins, disturbed about the indecision, calls Dr. Conrad, Dr. Koplan’s supervisor in Atlanta. Dr. Conrad concurs with Dr. Koplan that there is not sufficient evidence supporting a closure of the Park. After several more calls, the director of the CDC is contacted in Atlanta and the local doctors are told, “Let’s consider this overnight and we’ll give you a call on July 11.” Several of the doctors now feel that the method of illness transmission is “person-to-person” contact.
Dr. Barns digs through the snow pack to find the chlorine line at Munson Springs and finds that the chlorinator’s position and lack of mixing, allows the water in the Headquarters line to bypass the chlorinator completely. Another chlorinator is installed on the Headquarters line. Barns then digs through the snow to take samples in the Headquarter’s reservoir.
At 7:30 p.m. Jeff Adams, Director of Park Maintenance, discovers an area directly below the Lodge where the snow has fallen in and discovers an overflowing manhole on the sewer line leading directly from the Lodge. The exposed ground is covered with sewage, solid waste and toilet paper.
At 8:10 p.m., fluorescein dye is placed in the manhole above the overflow. Green dye appears at the plugged manhole within a few minutes. Forty minutes later the dye appears at Munson Springs. Barns crawls into the collection caisson at the springs and finds evidence of dye coming in from the collection pipes. Titus, Barns and Dr. Koplan pry the cover off of the collection caisson and Titus and Barnes walk the watershed between Munson Spring and the Lodge, checking all holes in the snow. Solid human waste and paper are visible. The odor of human waste is very evident.
At 10 p.m. a flat 6-inch rock is removed from the sewer line. Superintendent Sims is notified and Park rangers start a massive house-to-house operation to warn residents to stop using any water immediately. When Dr. Rosenberg was asked by dispatcher ranger, Larry Smith, why the residents couldn’t just continue boiling the water the doctor answered rather agitatedly, “You can’t boil out Human Feces” Memos follow. All Park residents are notified by midnight to stop using any Park water, not even for brushing their teeth.
Drs. Koplan and Rosenberg recommend gamma globulin shots as precaution against hepatitis by all who visited Crater Lake. The doctors recommend the closing of the Park.
Chronology of YCC Involvement in the Crater Lake Epidemic (From YCC records kept by the YCC leadership, obtained from Jerry Higgins, assistant director, given to Larry Smith in 2015.) In regards to your question as to the hand written notes accompanying the chronological events I claim responsibility. I don’t recall who the “YCC kids” were. As to the document itself, I conferred with Bruce Stubblefield. Our recollection is the document itself was begun June 21 at Bruce’s request. The YCC staff contributed information at staff meetings held every day. We don’t know who typed the document, most likely one of our female staff members. Bruce found the document very helpful when he was questioned by investigators prior to the Senate hearing, Bruce confided he felt they were attempting to pin him down and possibly pin the blame on the YCC.
From Jerry: I actually learned something while going through the articles. According to a CDC report I have, they stated they had never seen this strain of E.coli before. They were very thorough in their search for the cause of the illness and this may have been a factor in the slow response by the park service. The whole intrigue of who knew what and when adds to the story.
Saturday 21 June
Ed and Judy Weekly, camp cooks arrive from Montana
Monday 23 June
Seven staff and 3 youth leaders arrive. They are informed that “flu” is going around.
Wednesday 25 June A.M.
Youth leaders Paul Czernerys and Linna Goetsch become ill.
At Defensive Driving class many Park personnel present are ill, and the YCC staff hears reports of rampant illness, especially among the park naturalists.
P.M. 3 more staff become ill: Marie Magleby, Jerry Higgins, and Bruce Stubblefield.
Jack Stump is told by Glen Happle, Lodge manager, at the Rim: “The bug is really getting us up here, too. Use Kaaopectate.”
Thursday 26 June A.M.
A.M. Jack Stump reports that the Defensive Driving class is decimated.
1 more staff, Jack Stump, has light diarrhea and cramps.
P.M. YCC staff meeting discusses illness. There is unamimous agreement that the illness does not resemble flue because of the:
- abrupt onset of symptoms
- rapid spread of infection
- near 100% attack rate
In addition, there is no common source of ingestion other than water.
Stubblefield asks Jim Wiggins, Chief Ranger, about water quality. Wiggins responds that the water is tested frequently. Stubblefield suggest the County Helath Department be asked to come up. Wiggins responds tghat they have no jurisdiction, and that any problems in the Park would have to handled by the U.S. Public Health.
Ed Weekly, camp cook, becomes ill.
Friday 27 June
A.M. Previously ill staff appear to be on the mend.
4 staff and 2 youth leaders return to their homes for the weekend.
Judy Weekly, camp cook, becomes ill.
Saturday 28 June – Nothing significant
Sunday 29 June A.M.
4 staff suffer relapse.
P.M.
27 enrollees arrive.
Staff meeting: decision to take water sample as soon as possible.
Monday 30 June
A.M.
In Wiggins’ office Higgins and Wiggins discuss the illness and the possibility of the YCC staff taking water samples. Higgins’ request is initially approved by Wiggins and confirmed by Superintendent Sims. Immediately after the confirmation, and while still in the presence of Jerry Higgins, Wiggins receives a telephone call. Upon completion of the telephone conversation, Wiggins replies, “Don’t’ bother, the water has already been tested.” Despite the denial of this request, Higgins, acting on his own authority as Camp Helath and Safety Officer decides to proceed with a water test. Phone call to KPH – Dr. Bogue – No outbreak in K. Falls of flu, asked how to procede.
Jack Stump takes ill youth leader, Linna Goetsch, home. He picks up water sample bottles in Klamath Falls and explains situation to Dave Bussen at the County Health.
P.M. Approximately 7 more enrollees become ill.
Tuesday 1 July
A.M.
Stump obtains water samples per directions, the first sample from the upstairs ranger dorm, and the second sample from the mess hall kitchen sink. At 7:30 Stump leaves with the water samples for the County Health Department in Klamath Falls. Dave Bussen, Health Department, questions Stump about the sickness, food operations in the Park, etc. The Helath Department expresses interest in the disease and requests fecal samples. Stump obtains 7 more sample bottles. Stump talks to Don Carr, water analyzer, who asks more questions. Carr suggests the possibility of some fomr of amoemic disease. He also reaffirms the need for fecal samples. Stump is shown current files on Munsion Springs bacteria count: many are positive except the last one (taken by one of the maintenance men). Verious complaints are also reviewed. Dr. Boge prescribes cramp pills and Lomotil for diarrhea; he writes prescription to the staff and enrollees in care of Stump to be administered as prescribed.
P.M.
Approximately 22 enrollees are ill.
4 fecal samples are collected from the ill and taken to the County Health to be shipped to Salme for analysis. Stump is told the reports will be in on Friday. Dave Bussen of the County Health calls Denver Public Health Service, (National Parks) and State of Oregon Public Helath in Stump’s presence. Bussen tells Stump to expect a team of experts by Friday 4 July to investigate Park health problems.
Wenesday 2 July
Work crews are formed aas best as possible. 5 – 15 are ill each day, to Thursday.
Thursday 3 July
Chief Ranger Wiggins meets with Higgins and Stubblefield. Mentions getting “burned” at a meeting for discussing water.
Superintendent Sims tells Stubblefield of team arriving on 4th to investigate illnesses, and he request any sick to be on hand.
Friday 4 July
All appear on the mend. A few still have diarrhea.
Plans for a three-day camp out are cancelled due to staff’s experience with the recurring symptoms. Decision is made to go to Bend for holiday festivities. Staff feels trip to Bend necessary to boost morals.
Stubblefield talks to Superintendent Sims. Since no ill enrollees at present, the decision is made not to wait for Dr. Googins.
Stubblefield phones Dave Bussen of the County Helath in reference to the water and stool samples. Bussne reports more tests are needed for the water and stools (Salmonella, Shigella). The water does not conform, and fecal coliforms are present. The decision is made to boil all drinking water.
Saturday 5 July
Nothing significant
Sunday 6 July
More relape (5 – 6)
Monday 7 July
Stubblefield phones Bussen: No pathogens in water, no report on stools, yet.
Receive water report from Klamath Basin Lab addressed to Jack Stump.
Higgins and Stubblefield talk with Chief Ranger Wiggins and Jeff Adams, Chief of Maintenance, in Wiggins’ office. Subjecgt: water sample taken by YCC. The dialogue between Stubble3field and Adams goes something like this:
Adams: I’ve heard rumors, and I may as well ask you two – I’ve heard YCC took some water samples.
Stubblefield: That’s right, we did.
Adams: How did they come out”
Stubblefield: The water didn’t meet standards. It contains fecal coliforms. They couldn’t find any pathogens, but you’ve got shit in your water.
Adams: How did you take the samples?
Stubblefield: Jack Stump took them following the directions included by the County Health Department.
Adams: Did you flame the spigot?…..
The discussion included proper methods for taking water samples and the danger of contamination.
Dr. Jeff Kopland arrives and is shown the water report by Stubblefield. Kopland says the report makes the water suspect, and he supports YCC decision to boil water. YCC offers staff and enrollee assistance, to share facilities, and to provide meals.
YCC Staff assists Dr. Kopland with the questionnaire.
Tuesday 8 July
More relapses.
Higgins tells enrollees that all water entering the mouth must be boiled or treated with iodine. He instructs cooks not to prepare food with untreated water, even if it means elimination of a food item.
Dr. Mark Rosenberg arrives and is shown YCC water report. He remarks, “You’ve been drinking pure shit.”
Wenesday 9 July
Titus, Barnes, Cowan arrive. Staff assists them.
Thursday 10 July
Staff meeting: Decision made to close camp for one week.
July 11 1975 Crater Lake, Oregon
To whom it may concern:
As the result of a conference between the YCC staff, Park Superintendant Richard Sims, Project Manager Jim Wiggins, and Dr.’s Koplan and Mark Rosenberg, U.S. Public Helath Service, at 7:30 p.m. July 10, 1975, it was decided that due to the outbreak of gastroenteritis, the YCC camp operations should be suspended from July 12, 1975 to July 20, 1975 for the following reasons:
- to rest and recuperate due to the fact that all of the enrollees and staff have been affected repeatedly with the gastroenteritis since their arrival,
- to reduce the possibility of re-infection from persxo to person,
- to allow park personnel time to analyze and attempt to rectify the sewage contaminated water system,
- to boot morale and increase YCC work productivity, and
- to ease the difficult situation of operating camp with the present sewage contaminated water system.
Sincerely yours,
Bruce Stubblefield
YCC Camp Director
11:30 P.M. I, Gary Mason, and YCC Kids, to to Rim to replace signs stating “water was heavy chlorinated and treated by U.S. Public Health”, with ones stating, “water should not be used for anything but flushing toilets”. Entered bar at Lodge to get Ralph Peyton’s OK. Phone conversation in process with Ernie Borgman, General Superintendent, and Don Cowan, Public Health – field rep. Peyton stated he didn’t see the need for the signs and argued their validity. Don did receive OK from Borgman to replace.
Source not given: Signs with ones stating the water was bad. Gary Mason and I removed all of the signs stating the water was OK and posted by every sink and on each bulletin board the new direction. In lobby R. Peyton, Lodge owner, was agin arguing with Cowan of the validity of the new signs and before leaving ordered us to take the signs and replace with the original. Cowan advised Peyton of the seriousness of such an action. Others present were Rangers Larry and Lloyd Smith. We left. Rumor has it Mr. Peyton removed the signs but they were replaced by his wife.
July 11 Evening 1975 From Seasonal Interpreter Ron Mastrogiuseppe – written on June 30, 2007. I was the last to give the evening program at CRLA Lodge prior to the Park closing for three weeks early July 11th, 1975. (The Lodge remained closed for the rest of the summer, even though the park eventually reopened. Most of the Lodge staff had been sent home.) I had given the program the evening of July 10th, and our routine was once all the questions and visiting with the Lodge guests was over, we returned to Park HQ, WHILE THE SUN was setting (probably near 8:40 pm.) so there was the typical, but very beautiful sub alpine glow along Castle Crest (Garfield Pk. Ridge/upper slopes). Once I turned the horseshoe curve to Park HQ, Munson Spring was in view and there was a small-multicolored geyser at that moment ejecting water several feet into the air!! My first thought (with the upper art frame gloriously exhibiting the subalpine glow of the setting sun) was: “Wow, man can improve upon nature!” Ron
By now CDC (Center for Disease Control) doctors had placed dyes in the Rim Village toilets/sewer system.
July 11 1975 General Superintendent Borgman is contacted at 12:30 a.m. by Superintendent Sims. After talking with Peyton and other health specialists, the decision is made to close the Park. More dye is placed in the sewer line and it soon appears in the Munson Valley sewer lagoon. Lime and chlorine are spread on the raw sewage around the overflowing manhole.
At 8:15 a.m. the Park is closed to the public with all entrances being manned on a 24-hour basis. This becomes the first closure of a major National Park in the history of the National Park Service.
By noon a National Guard helicopter arrives with medical supplies so that Public Health people can begin administering gamma globulin shots to the employees who are still standing.
120 Crater Lake Lodge employees and about 50 Park Service employees are temporarily furloughed, some with full pay.
TV news crews from ABC, CBS, and NBC arrive in the Park, some by helicopter, to cover the breaking story of the Park’s closure.
July 12 1975 All available Park staff are assembled at Headquarters to begin a massive mailout to all Park Visitors who had spent at least one night in the Park warning them of the water problem and suggesting that they seek medical attention. No addresses exist for the hundreds of visitors who had camped at Mazama and the Rim Campgrounds. It was interesting to find that many of the Lodge visitors had used fictitious or nonexistent addresses.
July 13 1975 The North Entrance is chained and closed to all travel. Numerous cases of illegal entries are reported during the three-week closure.
July 13 1975 Oregon State Police, park rangers close Crater Lake The Times-Standard Eureka, California? ?CRATER LAKE, Ore. (UPI) State police and park rangers Saturday blocked all entrances to spectacular Crater Lake National Park, containing the nation’s deepest lake, because of an outbreak of epidemic nausea which forced the park’s abrupt closure.“There were a lot of disappointed people here today,” said a ranger who turned away 50 cars himself. Inside the park, the situation was summed up by a note in the main lodge guest book, saying, “The Crater Lake crud has struck.” The park was closed Friday to the summer flow of 40,000 weekly visitors because a broken pipe, imbedded in volcanic ash, leaked raw sewage into a spring. Between 500 and 1,000 visitors and employees recently suffered vomiting, stomach cramps and diarrhea.
Public health specialists said those victims and thousands of unknown others – risked hepatitis. Letters went out to all departed visitors who happened to have left their names, advising that they seek a physician and gamma globulin inoculations. Karen Wald, a student working in the ‘craft shop, became ill July 1 and has been sick off and on ever since. Before her departure, she said there were “some very gruesome nights” in her dormitory and “very long lines to the bathrooms.” The contamination did not reach into Crater Lake itself, a stunning 1, 932-foot deep blue pool sitting 1,000 feet below the crater rim. The part was empty Saturday except for a couple of dozen employees. They remained because, as Richard Sims, park superintendent, said, “We have work to do.” His men drank only water trucked from outside.
July 17 1975 Water lines are flushed with a high concentration of chlorine. With all the reservoirs drained, the Park is left without fire protection.
July 24 1975 Theft of 40 year-old “Wizard Island” sign with the old style raised lettering. The “Vidae Falls” sign is the only old style sign still remaining on display in the Park.
July 31 1975 Helicopter search of the Park looking for a missing blue Cessna 182 that went down on February 26 with three persons on board. The overflights hope also to find clues of Charles McCuller, missing for the past 6 months. Negative results.
August 1 1975 Crater Lake National Park reopens for visitors. Because of limited water supplies, water conservation is urged. The Lodge and the Rim Campground remain closed. The Park’s water is being supplied by three Army portable water-purifying units from Ft. Lewis, Washington set alongside the road at Munson Springs.
August 3 1975 Kelsay E. Hinshaw, age 75, dies of a heart attack after climbing Mt. Scott.
August 7 1975 The large arrowhead emblem is stolen from the South Entrance sign.
Kimberly Brown, age 9, falls from Mazama Campground into Annie Creek Canyon and is rescued by Park personnel. Kimberly receives numerous bruises, cuts and a fractured skull.
August 18 1975 Mrs. Lois McLeary (age?) dies of a heart attack at midnight in front of the Administration Building. Is brought up to HQ by family members looking for help.
August 29 1975 A Volkswagen bug is driven off the road and into the canyon one mile below Rim Village. The car rolls several times and the driver is thrown from the car. The driver, who had been drinking, is unhurt, but the car is a total loss. The soldier, who was on leave, had just purchased the car and was not yet covered by insurance,
Lloyd Smith, the investigating ranger wrote in 2017: “One thing about being a ranger with a camera you get to record some pretty interesting stuff. If I remember this story correctly the young man had just gotten out of the Army and he bought this Volkswagen for $900. He came to Crater Lake and spent the evening drinking on the Rim at the bar. He tried to come down the curves below the Rim and drove off the road. It rolled several times and he was thrown out of the passenger’s window when it hit the trees. We found him below his vehicle. We hauled him up the slope and took him to the hospital…the verdict…all ok..ust drunk. We brought him back to HQ and put him to bed to sleep it off. He did not have insurance. The next day my twin brother, Larry, and I went back to investigate it more and to clean up. We found some brick-like objects wrapped in aluminum foil. Our first thought was drugs. Oh, oh. But they turned out to be fruit cake.”
Summer 1975 A massive ground and air search is conducted for Charles McCullar at the direction of the young man’s father. Mr. McCullar spends much of the summer camped at various locations in the Park searching most of the Northern area. During a one-week period, YCC and Park personnel conduct a thorough grid search for the boy along the North Entrance Road. No trace of young McCullar is found until October 14, 1976.
September 1975 Completion of a new water line connecting Annie Spring to the Park’s water system. Munson Spring is abandoned as a water source because of massive sewer contamination. A full-time sanitarian and water control person is hired.
September 6 1975 HEARING BEFORE THE COMMITTEE ON INTERIOR AND INSULAR AFFAIRS OF THE UNITED STATES SENATE, NINETY-FOURTH CONGRESS. FIRST SESSION ON THE OVERSIGHT TO CLARIFY CIRCUMSTANCES WHICH LED TO THE CLOSURE OF CRATER LAKE NATIONAL PARK, Medford, Oregon. Conducted by Senator Mark Hatfield.
The hearing has been called to investigate serious allegations that have been raised concerning the circumstances, which led to the closure of the Park on July 11. The allegations of a cover up has cast a shadow over the performance of the various officials and enterprises who have the responsibilities for preserving the integrity of the Government’s custodianship of the national parks. The allegations have raised the possibility of a cover up that was supposedly engineered by the park, concessionaire and the NPS and that pressure was brought on officials to ignore the serious threat to the public and that the concessionaire’s employees who handled food at the park were made to work while sick, which endangered the public.
The hearing lasts for 13 hours and covered 226 pages of testimony.
Mr. Hatfield is astounded to learn that Park Superintendents do not receive specialized training before assuming their positions of responsibility.
Senator: “Do you have a superintendent’s manual or some printed outline of your duties and responsibilities as a park superintendent?” Mr. Sims: “I have never seen anything.”
Senator: “Did you receive any instructions from any person on the conduct and responsibilities of the Superintendent of Crater Lake National Park/” Mr. Sims: “No sir.”
Mr. Hatfield becomes very upset that, with the all of the documented cases of employees and visitors becoming sick after visiting Crater Lake, that the Park had not been closed sooner. “Closing the Park even one day sooner than you did, had the potential of saving thousands from potential illness. What were you waiting for…someone to die first!”? (paraphrased)
Senator Hatfield concludes that there has not been a cover up as such by Park officials, but rather a series of serious blunders compounded by inexperience, inattention and poor training by many of the Park and U.S. Health personnel involved in the water crisis. There had been also a breakdown of command because: Park authority was not clearly defined, there was much confusion because of overlapping jurisdictions and nobody seemed to be in charge. Senator Hatfield: “Rather than trying to save the people who were on fire, you were out looking for the cause of the fire.” (paraphrased)
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From: “James S. Rouse” <jsrouse@fidalgo.net>
Date: Mon, 26 May 2008
To: Owen Hoffman <Pkrnger@aol.com>
“Why Is Crater Lake So Blue?” – a novel about the 1975 Crater Lake water crisis, by Michael LaLumiere
Yes Owen, I do have the book. Ron had sent it to me some time ago. (Thanks again Ron).
As you may know, I was in the Regional Office, as Chief of Wilderness/Environmental Compliance, etc. I was following the situation close and offering some technical counsel. The book refers to the office in Klamath Falls as a Regional Office, which of course it wasn’t, and it tended to minimize the role of that Group Office. We called on Jeff Adams quite a bit during that concern. (I have to keep in mind that the book is a novel, and not a historical report.)
Owen: I also agree with you that the dorm is an eyesore from the Garfield trail, and perhaps yet some-thing can be done to mitigate that, like some landscaping work. You must also realize the tough spot the Reg. Dir. was in at that time. Seasonal quarters for employees were desperately needed for fire and safety concerns in the upper levels of that Lodge. The planning and design work for that dorm was done by the WODC (Western Office of Design & Construction in San Francisco.) This was before NEPA was enacted; therefore no extent of public involvement took place. You also are aware that there was considerable protest by some of the Conc. employees of this action. Well the project was funded and construction got underway, and of course the health dilemma didn’t crop up until a year later.
As far as a cover-up as the book alleges. There was no gag order in place. However the decision to close a Park is extremely serious with all kinds of ramifications. Thank goodness we had the Public Health Service and Corps of Engineers for back up on that decision.
Perhaps there were some service-wide lessons learned of this tragic incident, especially in the construction of sewer and water lines.
I have rambled enough on this subject, but thought you might be interested in my perspective. Jim Rouse
P.S. Former CRLA Superintendent, Dick Sims came to the Regional Office and worked for me in Environmental Compliance after the water crisis. Then after I was at CRLA a while, Ernie Borgman retired from the K. Falls office, so I ran both of those places.
1997 Oral interview of former CRLA Superintendent Jim Rouse. More of the interview at: Craterlakeinstitute.com
How did planning for rehabilitation of Park Headquarters come about?
As you well know, the project around headquarters, the upgrade of seasonal quarters, and even Steel Circle developments are something where the regional director set priorities and are somewhat limited by funding that might be available. When money is available even NHPA could sometimes be twisted around. What I’m trying to say is that various factors enter into this. Sometimes striking when the iron is hot pays big dividends. Priorities for maintenance funds or whatever are meshed with other parks within the region. Sometimes you almost feel like some other park is getting all the money, especially when I think back to Crater Lake and those seasonal quarters. That Sleepy Hollow project just kept being kicked down and we kept trying to push for replacing those seasonal quarters. It was really gratifying to me to finally see that come to pass. The need was recognized, but it was slow in coming.
I’m trying to remember who was ram-roding historical preservation in the regional office (22). I ‘d like to take some credit, but I can’t take that much praise. We were trying to preserve some of those building, especially that dormitory at headquarters. Early in the planning phase some studies come into play. Don Peting headed one study at the University of Oregon (23). They came down and did some studies about the tail end of my tour as superintendent. I was involved in doing some of the initial programming for that project. As for the specifics of some of the designs, I went up to Portland one time to meet some architects—Zaik/ Miller, Di Bennidetto. I went to review some plans, especially for the remodeling of the interior of the Administration Building. I played a role in trying to facilitate the project. Other disciplines entered the picture, and they probably had more influence than I did.
Was the closing of the Klamath Falls office a big factor in the administrative people coming back up to the park, since they needed office space?
It was a factor but not all that important. Under the Klamath Falls group, the administrative assistant was in Klamath Falls and our personnel specialist would not have been a personnel officer. Those administrative forms were processed through the Klamath Falls office. Prior to my arrival, Crater Lake was under the I & RM concept. They finally moved away from that but there was an interpretive specialist in Klamath Falls that assisted the chief ranger, who was chief of I & RM (24). The interpreters were getting short changed under that kind of program, so this eventually split into two separate programs, under a chief of interpretation and a chief ranger (25).
Natural resource management was just beginning to come on the scene and was being recognized Service wide. I was very strong on natural resource management and so we were recognized as being a park suitable for adding a resource management trainee to our staff (26). We were able then to get John Jarvis, (future NPS Director).
We almost had a fight with Bill Dunmire, who was superintendent at Carlsbad Caverns. Jarvis hadn’t been there a year yet, but because this was a special program just being initiated, Bill had to go along with it. We got Jarvis without facilities to accommodate him, such as suitable quarters and office space. The thing that started the ball rolling toward closure of the Klamath Falls office was the realignment of the regional boundary. Lava Beds was placed in the Western Region, and no longer reported to the Klamath Falls group (27). Klamath Falls just served Crater Lake, Oregon Caves, and John Day Fossil Beds.
How many people were in the Klamath Falls office? Did closure affect more than a couple of people?
Closure made some people chooses to retire or relocate. Jeff Adams, for example, chose to retire. He stayed on as a kind of consultant for awhile. The interpretive specialist moved on, and when he did, they never filled his job. Jim Blaisdale then moved to the regional office as wildlife biologist. They brought the administrative officer up to Crater Lake (28). Ernie Borgman was offered a position in the regional office if he wanted it, but he chose to retire (29). I wish he hadn’t, because he was so young. Ernie could have accomplished much more. Russ Dickenson expected that Ernie and I could make things work (30). I would spend time once a week in Klamath Falls with Ernie. I would make it the day that the Rotary Club met in Klamath Falls. Quite a distance, and my travel there probably raised some eyebrows since here was this superintendent driving all the way into Klamath Falls to go to a Rotary Club meeting. But I was also working with Ernie and the group. I was also encouraged, and could see the need, to foster and promote external relations that had not been the best.
September 9 1975 Rescue of two Park visitors from below the Mather Overlook. The rescue operation cost the government $774.
| October 9 1975 Frank Betts enters on duty as the Park’s 20th Superintendent, transferring in from Grand Teton National Park. (September 22, 1927 – April 11, 2015) In 1978, came the last of his Park Service
adventures when Frank and Kathy moved to Mt. McKinley National Park. So — they loaded up the truck and headed north to Alaska. Again selected because he had a great ability to problem solve and deal with sensitive situations, Frank became the Superintendent of Mt. McKinley National Park. 1978 was the time of the Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act and civil unrest in the park and outlying communities. Frank oversaw the NPS response to a successful conclusion with no major actions of, or against, his employees in the field. He became a dual-function pilot and flew agency aircraft, shuttling employees, dogs, and equipment into the field in aircraft geared with wheels, or ski’s to land on the snow. Frank and Kathy flew around the state fishing many of the major rivers. |
Frank retired from the NPS in 1980 and returned home to Ft. Colins, CO.
October 18 1975 A wolf is spotted near Sentinel Rock. Tracks measured 2.5 inches wide and 3.5 inches long. The animal had been digging for rodents when startled.
October 30 1975 Third highest lake level recorded since 1892.
Season 1975 Lake water completely covers the permanent dock at Cleetwood Cove. For the next two years the permanent rock dock is covered by about 5 feet of water, forcing the boat crew to raise the ticket shack up to the Lake Trail.
Visitation 1975 427,252. Down 20% due to the three week closure of the Park during July and August.
(Online says: 356,500)
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