The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1941-09-26
ONE SLIP MIGHT MEAN DEATH
Forest Rangers Deserve
Credit for Leading Way
To Wrecked Army Bomber
THEIR WORK IS VERY HAZARDOUS


District Ranger Jay Grant. Trap .
per Jack lWhiskersl Conrad. Game
Warden George Fsrquhar and For
esters Hugh Wolleott and Bsga-
chus left the Quilcene CCc camp. +
where the army had established
camp.
THE first Il miles were easy.
through brush and timber" Baga-
chus said Then we were at the
base of the mountain. We went
straight up. An angle OF perhaps
IS degrees. After while we
came to the top Of a ridge. 1t was
about six feet wide and on one
side 1t dropped off sheer about
1000 feet.
''one little slip" he admit
ted, land we'd have been 50
many pieces at the bottom.
well. we followed along the
ridge for a ways until we spotted
the plane. II was about a half
mile airline directly across from
us Between us and the plane was
this deep chasm. about 1000 feet
deep. The only thing we could do
was to go down and then up.
1T was pretty tough. The shale
rock was loose and not to he
trusted. II took us two hours and
IS minutes to make that last short
/ climb and ii had been more than
- hours since we had left the CCC
camp"
Investigation revealed that the
/ planes tail assembly-the one part
of the ship that was reasonably
recognizable from the sir-was
hanging by the cable, Bagachus
said. Had the cable not caught
a rock. the entire tail assembly
would have dropped another 1000
feet or so and, likely. never would
have been spotted by army air
men.
The five men reached the
crash scene about 2 p. m.
With the portable radio they
had packed along, they con-
tacted the army at the CCC
camp. II was decided that
Grant and Farquhar return to
the Tunnel Creek shelter cabin
and await the army detach-
ment.
Bagachus, Conrad and Wollcott
stayed with the plane.
I'VE camped about 200 feet
away from the plane" he said. TT
was awfully cold and we hadn't
brought any blankets. We had
one days iron rations for the three
of us. There were few stunted
trees and we built fire. II wasn't
so bad, but we didn't sleep much. .
At dawn, the three men split up.
hoping to find an easier way for
the army. Wollcott and Bagachus
found no easier route. but Conrad
discovered one that was consid-
erably less rigorous and hazardous.
That was the one the army took
Wednesday. following Tunnel creek
to divide from which men could,
with comparative ease, drop down
to the crash scene.
Meanwhile, Bagnchus and Woll-
D - ha TN(TN On mi N
and thence to their homes at the
Hoodsport ranger station. leaving
. Conrad. Gray and Farquhar TO
lead in the army attachments.
Ironically, Bagachus some
= how was mixed up with Tony
Zacardo. another woodsman,
who has been credited In all
the newspapers with being
member Of the party. But II
WA Bagachus. not Zscardo,
p who actually made the trip.
l Bagachus. as well as the -four
others. will receive nice letters
E from McChord field and. possibly
from Washington, n. c. They vii
{ receive nothing else. except tbs
l internal satisfaction that come;
5 with giving someone lift.
D And for them. that's enough.
{ A forester mot Bagachus)
, speaking of the mixup of Baga'
( chus and Zacardo's names, said
= That really ought to be set right
you know"