NATIONAL PARK SERVICE
                           MORNING REPORT

To:        All National Park Service Areas and Offices

From:      Division of Ranger Activities, Washington Office

Day/Date:  Thursday, March 31, 1994

Broadcast: By 0900 ET

INCIDENTS

94-137 - Great Smokies (Tennessee/North Carolina) - Drowning

A party of four students from the University of Georgia spent the night of
March 26th at a campsite in the park, then started down the Jakes Creek
trail the following morning.  B.D. and T.C. were in the
lead; J.B. and K.M. followed some distance behind. 
About a mile and a half from the trailhead, the trail crossed Newt Branch,
which was swollen by rain to about 25 feet in width and two to three feet in
depth and was also very turbulent.  J.B. and K.M. crossed the
waist-deep water by clinging to a quarter-inch thick rope that had
apparently been rigged by earlier hikers.  When they got to the trailhead,
they found that the other two climbers were not there, and reported them as
missing.  Rangers hiked up Jakes Creek trail and found T.C. stranded on
the far side of Newt Prong with two other hikers.  By using hand gestures
and sending a note along the rope, rangers confirmed that D.B. was
still missing.  T.C. and the other two hikers were instructed to remain
overnight at that location rather than risk crossing the stream, which was
still rising.  They supplied the three men with dry clothes and food; two
rangers spent the night at the location for support.  All three were helped
across on a tyrolean rope traverse on the morning of the 27th.  D.B.'s
body was subsequently found wedged under some vegetation about 50 yards
below the trail crossing.  T.C. said that the two had decided not to use
the rope to cross the stream, that they'd hiked upstream in an effort to
find a safer crossing point, and that they'd become separated in the
process.  T.C. eventually gave up and returned to the Jakes Creek trail,
but D.B. failed to return.  The 19-year-old victim was from Savannah,
Georgia.  During the weekend, the park received very heavy rains which
raised streams to record levels and forced the closure of most park roads. 
[Bob Miller, GRSM, 3/30]

94-138 - Great Smokies (Tennessee/North Carolina) - Successful Search

A search for three missing men concluded successfully on the afternoon of
March 30th when all three were found in relatively good condition in the
Elkmont area of the park.  The search began on March 29th, when the aunt of
one of a pair of hikers - L.B., 33, and F.C., 26 - reported
that the two men had failed to return from their hike on Sunday, as
scheduled.  Rangers located the hikers' vehicle at the Little River
trailhead just above Elkmont campground.  Three teams of rangers began a
hasty search of several trails that lead from that trailhead, and a
helicopter and other searchers joined the effort the following morning. 
Meanwhile, the wife of J.P., 40, a University of Georgia professor,
reported that her husband had also failed to return from a hike in the park. 
As noted above, the park received very heavy rains over the weekend, and
many streams rose to record levels; it therefore seemed possible that all
three were stranded somewhere in the area.  Around 3:30 p.m. yesterday,
ranger Steve Kloster found all three men, who had met and joined together,
and escorted them out.  Although suffering in varying degrees from
dehydration, hunger and mild hypothermia, the three men were in good shape. 
Further details will follow.  [Jason Houck, CR, GRSM, 3/31]

94-139 - Kennesaw Mountain (Georgia) - Two Officers Shot; Assailant Killed

Around 3:20 a.m. on March 30th, Cobb County police officers Robert Littler,
39, and Norman Schur, 28, came upon a Toyota station wagon that appeared to
be disabled at the Burnt Hickory tour stop near the intersection of Burnt
Hickory and Old Mountain roads within the park.  When they asked the
occupant, S.L.P., 32, for a license, he pulled a .25 caliber
revolver from a pocket and shot Littler in the face and back and Schur in
the face.  One of the officers returned fire and hit S.L.P. twice in the
chest, killing him.  The two officers were taken to a local hospital; both
are expected to recover.  Upon investigation, officers found that S.L.P.,
who had numerous prior convictions and was out of jail on probation, had
three throwing knives and four homemade bombs on his person.  They also
found six more bombs and an M-1 carbine with several fully-loaded banana
clips in his car.  [Steve Alscher, RLES, RAD/SERO, 3/31]

RESOURCE MANAGEMENT

No field reports today.

OPERATIONAL NOTES

1) Curatorial Information Sought - The Curatorial Services Division would
like to know if any NPS unit (park, center, regional office) has any of its
museum collection automated national catalog system (ANCS) data currently
accessible on either the Internet or any other public access network, or is
contemplating doing so.  CSD is planning to establish policy on this
subject, and would like to know if there has been any ANCS-related
involvement with such networks.  Please direct responses and questions to
Pat McKnight, CSD, via cc:Mail or at 202-343-1768.  He'd like to hear from
you by April 15th.

MEMORANDA

No memoranda.

COMING EVENTS CALENDAR

The Coming Events calendar appears in the morning report every other
Thursday.  If you know of a significant event of Servicewide interest,
please forward the listing to WASO Ranger Activities.  Entries are listed no
earlier than FOUR months before the event.  Asterisks indicate new entries;
brackets at end of entry indicate source of information:

3/28-4/10 -- National Cherry Blossom Festival, Washington, DC.  Week-long
festival includes Japanese lantern lighting ceremony, art shows,
boat cruises, concerts, ball, fashion show, and parade. 
Contact: NCR PAO, 202-619-7226. 

4/13 -- Thomas Jefferson Birthday, Jefferson Memorial, Washington, DC. 
Noon.  Ceremony features military color guard and band,
speakers, laying of wreaths.  Contact: NCR PAO, 202-619-7226.

4/16* -- Ninth Annual Russel Cave Indian Day, Russell Cave, Bridgeport,
AL.  This educational festival features life skills used by
Native Americans.  Contact: RUCA, 205-495-2672.

4/18-19* -- 218th Anniversary, opening battle of Revolutionary War, Minute
Man, Concord, MA.  Commemorative ceremony with groups portraying
British soldiers and Minutemen on the morning of the 18th,
followed by a parade; dawn salute at 6 a.m. on the 19th,
followed by annual remembrance ceremony.

4/30 -- Old Guard Annual Meeting, Fort Larned, Larned, KS.  Features
special commemoration of Buffalo Soldiers and dinner.  Contact:
FOLS.

5/7* -- French Alliance Day, Valley Forge, Valley Forge, PA.  Reenactors
demonstrate military skills in commemoration of the alliance
with France in 1778.  Contact: VAFO, 610-783-1077.

5/10 -- 125th Anniversary, completion of transcontinental railroad,
Golden Spike, UT.  Contact: Bill Herr, 801-471-2209.

5/14* -- Potowmack Canal Festival, Great Falls, VA.  The annual festival
celebrates Colonial era canal building with music, crafts,
exhibits and actors portraying George Washington and canal
laborers.  Contact: 703-285-2966.

5/22-28 -- National Parks Week, all areas.  Each park unit will hold a
special activity during the week to focus public attention on
the value of parks.  A few high profile events are in the
planning states.  Contact: WASO Public Affairs, 202-208-6843.

5/28 -- Santa Fe Trail Days, Fort Larned, Larned, KS.  Contact: FOLS.

5/30* -- Memorial Day Observance, Vietnam Veterans' Memorial, Washington,
DC.  Military color guard, laying of wreaths, speakers -
including Congressman Tom Ridge (R-PA), a U.S. Army veteran, and
ABC journalist Jack Smith.  Contact: NCR PAO, 202-619-7226. 

6/16-10 -- 12th Annual Fur Trade Rendezvous, Fort Union Trading Post,
Williston, ND.  Features traders row and early 19th century
buckskinners camp, speakers, films and cultural skill
demonstrators.  Contact: Fort Union, 701-572-9083.

6/17-19 -- Indiana Lincoln Festival, Lincoln Boyhood, Lincoln City, IN. 
Features Lincoln-related educational activities.  Contact: LIBO.

6/19* -- Army March Out, Valley Forge, Valley Forge, PA.  Commemoration
of the Continental Army's 1778 march out of Valley Forge after a
six month encampment to pursue the British.  Contact: VAFO, 610-
783-1077.

6/23-26 -- Homestead Days, Homestead, Beatrice, NE.  Demonstrations of
pioneer crafts and traditions and a variety of interpretive
programs.  Contact: HOME.

7/1-3 -- Establishment Day Hawaiian Cultural Festival, Pu'uhonua o
Honaunau, HI.  Features royal court, chants, hula, crafts,
games, food preparation and tasting, canoe rides, and hukilau. 
Contact: PUHO, 808-328-2326.

7/2-4 -- Veiled Prophet Fair, Jefferson National Expansion, St. Louis,
MO.  "America's largest birthday party" - entertainment, theme
booths, fireworks.  Contact: JEFF.

Prepared by WASO Division of Ranger Activities

Telephone: 202-208-4874
Telefax:   202-208-6756
cc:Mail:   WASO Ranger Activities
SkyPager:  Emergencies ONLY: 1-800-759-7243, PIN 2404843