Thanks Lucy T for pointing to this article:
http://www.koin.com/news.asp?ID=5849
"Massive Phone Outage Was Work Of Vandals
Shovel Found At Site Of Cut"
ARTICLE SNIPPET: "KALAMA, Wash. -- Vandals severed an underground cable Sunday night, cutting 911 emergency phone service for hours to 18,000 Qwest customers in Oregon and Washington.
Cowlitz County investigators found a shovel late Monday at the site of the cut."