Sitka, Alaska
10<t a copy
September 11, 1958
VI. 1. No. 9
Building Collapses into the Bay
Minutes before the fire si
ren sounded at 12:30 A.M.
last Monday morning many
had heard an unfamiliar but
loud noise in the Front Street
area of Sitka. A lad) on a
boat in the harbor thought it
was a nearby boat’s fuel tank
exploding; a man who lives
only 100 feet away from the
scene described it as “some
thing crashing” while a fel
low who was close enough
to see as well as hear said it
reminded him of the tail-end
of a bombing raid. No one
identified it as a building
collapsing i n t o t h e Bay.
But collapse it did and under
what must be considered
favorable circumstances for
trie ihU“ was out ana omy
one out of four oil stoves in
the building was on and it
went out through a hole in
the wall and into the water.
Nine people live in the
building; Mr. & Mrs. Hans
Walterhaug & their nineteen
year old son Terry, oecupied
tht; apartmest above Bill
Greens Tackle Shop, Mr. &
Mrs. Jerald Knoll and their
baby daughter lived in the
lower back apartment and
Mr. & Mrs. Jack Oxan ik two
sons Keith & Jack Gardner
upper back apartment. All
were home ext e p t Hans
Walterhaug who was out of
town ik is it reported that all
were in bed at the time o!
the accident.
Charles Pederson and
Bruce Newlun who share an
apartment above the City E
leetrie were both up and im
mediately upon hearing the
crash rushed out on the
street. Charles Pederson ran
in the direction of the4 Pio
neer Grill to tall the police
hut met them on the way
while Bruce and Morris
Caine, who lives alxive the
Front Street Laundry, set to
work helping the Knoll’s to
safety.
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The front portion of the
building slid precariously to
the left while the top story
of the back portion slid to
the right with sufficient im
pact to drag the walls with it
1 c a v i n g approximately 26
inches of head room in the
lower apartment and form
ing a pyramid immediately
over the babys bed, miracul
ously protecting it from the
debris overhead. It is thou
dil that a 2 by i plank hit
Mr. Knoll in the back of the
neck rendering him uncon
scious for approximately five
minutes. Meanwhile Bruce
Nevvlun and Morris Caine
went in with a small flash
light, brought out the baby
and assisted Mrs. Knoll out
before they had returned for
Mr. Knoll lie had managed
to crawl out. The Knolls
were then taken immediate!)
to Sitka Community Hospi
tal by patrol ear. Mrs. Knoll
suffered shock and possible
back injuries, and Mr. Knoll
possible back and chest in
and abrasions on the right
leg. The baby was uninjured
and r e 1 e a s e d to friends.
Meanwhile a chain of men
had been formed and most of
the household goods from
the Knoll apartment remov
ed to the street before the
tide came in.
Upstairs in the apartment
above tlu* Tackle Shop Mrs.
Walterhaug woke up when
the building began to move,
and although she realized
something dread! ul was
taking place she couldn t
immediately identity the
sensation. It wasn t like an
earthquake she later repent
ed, “but a gradual slipping
ending in a terric thump .
While a books and china
from shelves above the bed
crashed down on her she call
cd to her son to stay where
lie was v irile she invest gat
cd. But on going to the land
ing downstairs through a hall
in th(‘ back section she hmnd
the back portion of the build
ing had collapsed and dug
were trapped until the iirede
partrnent arrived with a lad
der and they were able to
climb down to safety. '1 hey
took nothing with them ex
cept “Susan” their pup and
two canaries who went out
first. But the wo gold fish
had disappeared, and veil'
impossible to Find as the ap
artrnent had been instantly
transformed into a shambles.
The (Katis and Gardners
were able to jump to safety
since the front end of the ap
artment was open as a result
of being pulled from the
front section. They were also
able to remove their house
hold effects t h ro u g h this
opening. It was reported that
one of the Gardner hoys
slept through the actual col
lapse, so quickly did it hap
pen.
Bill Green proprietor of
the Tackle Shop, was at his
home in Fleteherville at the
time of the accident. He
was immediatelv notified bv
phone and his first and im
mediate concern was for the
tenants of the building and
their safety. Arriving at the
shop he found that two piec
es of piling had pushed right
through the floor, the glass
showcases completely shat
tered an the plasterboard on
the walls loose.
Mr. Green had moved to
this location a year ago last
June after re-building the
front section of the shop and
June the shop was evtendedto
include the back section at a
total cost of $2000.00. He es
timated an approximate loss
of $100 in stock and $1000 in
fixtures. The loss of business
is unestimable. With the help
of many friends Mr. Green
was able to remove all of his
stock and will set up busi
ines temporarily at City Ele
ctric and Refrigeration Co.
oo I* root Street.
A large crowd of people
gathered to watch the evac
uation of tlie building as peo
ple worked steadily through
out the night by the flood
light from tlie Coast Guard
Buoy Ti nder, “Sorrel”.
The building is owned by
Mark Higling who estimated
it's value at approximately
$5000.
Voice of America
to Film Sitka
Mr. II. C, Foster, who is Di
rector of a TV movie to lit
made of Alaska is scheduled
to arrive in Sitka this after
noon to begin work on the
hour-long, color production.
The movie is being nude
for tlu1 Voice of America t(>
be show n is Europe and else
where. It is expected that the
opening sequences of the
movie will be those taken in
Sitka and that Mr. Foster
and his live man crew will
spend approx imaUK 11 iree
The Stork
Report
Arrivals at Sitka Community
Hospital:
A Baby Boy named "John
Edward to Mr. and Mrs. Al
bert Hammock of Sitka. He
was born Friday, Sept. 5th
at 6:05 P.M. and weighed 8
lbs. 1 oz. John Edward joins
six brothers and sisters at
home.
M t. Edgecombe Hospital
this wreck.
times as much time here as
they wall in any other part of
A laska.
Shooting of the film i* ex
pected to begin this after
noon at the Pulp Mill and
will depict the big industrial
development in this area.
Friday will be spent film
ing at Mt. Fdgeeunibe with
an accent on their fine trade
schools and the complete
sequence of ho children's ar
rival for Hi • North and the
.sa; s-i qn it. enrollment.
The R uss i a n Orthodox
Church is scheduled for fil
ming on Saturday when they
they will attempt to film an
entire service.
Two weeks ago when Mr.
Foster and Mr. Arthur, who
is of the W ashington office of
the Voice of America, made
a tour of Alaska they visited
Sitka and at that time sug
gested they might attempt to
contrast the old and new in
Sitka; to capture the indust
r i a 1 development as cast
against a background of his
toric importance.
Junior Folice
95 hoys turned out for the
Junior Patrol meeting spon
sored by the Sitka Police
Dept, last Friday night. An
organizational meeting, it in
eluded filling in of applicat
ions and Patrolman Stuckey
answered the many quest
ions the boys had concerning
the Patrol. Sgt. Joe Campbell
of the AC’S and Bud Dunlap,
Scout Master fc: tbi; Dist
rict are also instructing the
hovs. One goal of the Junior
Patrol is to associate with
the Police Athletic League,
a national organization.
rile m e e t i n g will take
place Friday, September 12
at 8 P.M. at the Council
C .’ham hers.
City Council
Several teen-agers attend
ed last Wednesday’s City
Council Meeting for the pur
pose of clarifying their cur
lew hours. Apparently there
had been some misunder
standing amoung the young
people as to the week-end
curlews but they left the
meeting satisfied with the
hours as outlined in the Or
dinance. During the school
vcar, that is, from Sept. 1st
to May 15th it’s 10 P.M.
week-days and 12 Midnight
Fridays. Saturdays and Ilol
days. This reguation govern
everyone under the age of
17.
The Issue of acquisition of
p r o p e r t y along the thru
route to be paid by RPR was
discussed at length. The out
come of it was that the City
Progress ...
New Branch of the
1st National Bank of
Juneau to Open Here
The Sitka Branch of the
First National Bank of Jun
eau will officially be opened
this Saturday with an “Open
House from 1:00 to 4:00
P.M. Many Directors of the
Juneau Bank and their wives
are expected to arrive in Sit
ka Saturday morning for the
affair. Among these are: Mr.
asd Mrs. W. T. Kegley, Mr.
and Mrs. Robert Booehever,
Mr. and Mrs. Willis George
and Mr. and Mrs. Felix Ton
er. Others' arriving from Jun
eau Saturday morning for
the opening are: Mr. and
Mrs. Norman Banfield, Mr.
Banfield is with F a u 1 k e r,
Banfield and Booehever, the
law firm representing the 1st
National: Mr. Alex Young
who is with Pan American
W orld Airways; and Mr. and
Mrs. W illiam Biddle. Mrs.
Biddle is cashier at the Jun
eau Bank.
Mr. James Thomason ar
rived is Sitka y e s t e r d a y
morning to take up the dut
ies of Manager and Assist
ant Vice Pres, of the Sitka
Branch of the First National
Bank of Juneau. He will re
side in the Kettleston Build
mg.
Mr. Thomason, who is a
bachelor, was born and
brought up in Seattle and at
tended West Seattle High
School and the Commerce
and Finance School of Se
attle University, majoring in
Money and Banking. While
at the University he was af
filiated with Alpha Phi Om
ega Fraternity.
During the eight and a
half years that Mr. Thoma
son has been with the First
National Bank of Seattle he
worked in various depart
ments of the hank and gain
ed a through understanding
of banking procedures.
Mr. T h o rn a s o n tells us
that he brought two rifles
and fishing gear a 1 o n g on
this his first trip to Alaska,
and is rn o s t enthusiastic
about the beauty and sport
ing facilities of this country.
We heartily welcome Mr.
Thomason to Sitka and wish
him the best in his new post.
Another member of the
Staff of Sitka's new bank,
Mr. Bill Logan, arrived here
Wednesday in o r n i n g and
will take up residence in the
Kettleston Building.
Mr. Logan, who is a bach
elor of 27, is a native of
Juneau where he has spent
the past two and half years
as note teller for the 1st
National Bank. He is a grad
uate of the University of
Washington where he ma
jored in accounting and fin
ance and was a member of
Delta Sigma Phi Fraternity.
Attorney was authorized to
file condemnation proceed
ings against the three pro
perties still not acquired,
t hese owners are John Hide,
John E. floss and Robert
Volz all situated along Saw
Mill Creek Road, (formerly
(.. Street.)
The installation of parking
meters was again discussed.
It was decided that inasmuch
as they are here they might
as well be put in operation.
Res. 274 authorized the
issuance of Bond °R3 of tin*
Mnsieipal Utilities Jr. Reve
nue Rond in the amount of
$200.00 to cover construct
ion costs of the Blue Lake
Low Dam for the month of
August.
The puchases of approxi
mately 100 metal traffic signs
was authorized.
Two trailer court licenses
were approved; one for
We are Sorry that we are
a Day late, bat we had
equipment failure & plan
to improve this conditions
Lloyd Rice and tIn* other tor
William Richards.
Rills totalling $6,947.07 in
the general fund and $3,884.
06 on-the Hospital Account
were approved for payment.
Herbert Grey
Mr. Herbert Grey, was
run over by a truck last Tues
day afternoon was moved
from the Sitka Community
to Mt. Edgecumbe Hospital
yesterday and is reported to
be doing well. He suffered
abrasions about the face,
fracture of two facial bones
and multiple lacerations.
It seems that Mr. (-rev had
been engaged in conversat
ion with the driver of a park
ed truck. However, as the
truck moved away from the
curb Mr. Grey fell under it
and the truck passed over his
body.
Coca Cola
Yesterday marked the be
ginning for Sitka home-bot
tled Coca Cola at the Bottl
ing Works, Halibut Ft. Road
owned and operated by Eve
rett Calhoun.
Bill Broghton a represent
ative of the Coca-Cola Com
pany, Portland, Oregon in
Please Turs To Page 8
35 days to the Alaska Day Festival