SEWARD’S
All-'WeatKec
SEAPORT
Is 'Alaska’s
Cfeatest Asset
Territorial Library
Seward Seaport Record
Formerly The Setvard Polaris & Kenai PeninsulaAleution Chain Neus
Vol. V, No. 68
SEWARI), ALASKA, FRIDAY, FEB. 25, 1949
Price 10 Cents
City Officials
Plan a Single
Power Source
City officials gathered Tuesday
evening for the purpose of consid
ering plans to solve tlie difficult
power situation in Seward.
Those present included member'
of the City Council, tire City Utili
ty Board, and officials of the Sew
ard Light and Power Company.
Both city officials and officials
of the Seward Light and Power
Company emphasized the fact that
the meeting was strictly informal,
and if any workable plan can be
thought out it will be brought up
at a regular council meeting.
The plan worked out would then
be submitted to the voters of the
city for approval. At present, how
ever, no concrete solution to the
local problem has been suggested.
One of the suggestions made
was that the Seward Light and
Power Company sell hulk power
to the city power plant, thereby
making it necessary to have only
one system of power transmission
lines in the city. The suggested
plan would also call for city ow n
ership of the telephone company.
The Seward Light and Power
Company made a counter-sugges
tion that the city take over its
power facilities, but leave the tele
phone system under private owner
ship.
Whatever agreement, if any, is
worked out, will take a great deal
of detailed 'discussion and plan
ning. There will be more meetings
before any kind of plan will be
ready for submission to the voters,
city officials said.
They denied that the city power
plant is losing money or that it
has been having financial difficul
ties of any kind, and they also said
that there is no question of fric
tion between the city power com
pany and the privately owned or
ganization.
WILDLIFE SHOW HAS
PREMIER HERE MARCH 4
A colored motion picture on the
Wildlife of Alaska will be present
ed for its premier showing in Sew
ard by Cecil Rhode Friday, March
4, at the high school auditorium.
The wildlife on the Kenai Pen
insula, according to those who saw'
the picture in the making, is por
trayed with skill and artistry nev
er before equaled in this type of
work.
Rhode has spent three years
gathering his material on the
Kenai Peninsula alone, and has
been in Alaska for the past 12
years. One of the best scenes is
that of a huge brown bear walk
ing right up to, and apparently in
to, the camera.
The picture depicts the Alaska
moose, brown bear, sheep, goats,
black bears, beaver, birds, small
animals, trout fishing, salmon
fishing scenery, and Alaska wild
♦flowers in full colors.
There will be a matinee at 3:00
p.m. and the evening show will
begin at 8:00 p.m.
After the showing here, Mr. and
Mrs. Rhode will travel to the
States where the picture will be
shown all over the country.
The Rebekah Lodge is planning
for a Bingo party to be held in
their recreation room at the IOOF
hall on Saturday, March 12th at
8:00 p.m. Refreshments will be
served and plenty of prizes for the
game are promised.
W. W. Sippreil, Seward agent for Alaska Steamship Company, last week was attending a four-day
meeting with top company off'cials in Seattle to discuss Alaskan traffic and operating problems. Sip
preil is ene of 15 Alcuka agents called to Seattle headquarters by Alaska Steamship Company for the
conference. Company officials said the aim of the conference is to tackle problems encountered by the
Alaska agents and improve freight and passemer sa:v!ce to Alaskan oorts. Tb:; is the first annual
agents' meeting to be held since the war. At an Informal discussion between conference sessions are
standing (from left): R. G. Gardiner, Fairbanks agent; E. A. Marlar, Kodiak agent; Sippreil; H. N. Peter
son, general traffic manager; C. W. Skinner, president of Alaska Steamship Company; T. J. Maloney,
Anchorage agent; and (seated) W. R. Wood, Nome agent.
I
Viale Sees Many
Old Sewardites
On West Coast
Marvin Viale returned to Seward
Tuesday after an extended busi
ness trip to west coast states and
return trip over the Alaska High
way.
Mrs. Viale and their young
daughter accompanied him on the
trip, spending Thanksgiving at the
home of relatives at Eureka. Cali
fornia, and Christmas at Ecnd.
Oregon. /
During the trip they met sever
al former Alaskans, including Mrs.
Pete Ogle at Puyallup, Washing
ton, Mr. and Mrs. W. W. Flynn,
formerly at Lake Kenai and now
at Prairie, • Washington, and Mr.
and Mrs. Ed Fondahn at Seattle.
At Coos Bay they saw the Coast
Guard Cutter Bonham, which was
at one time based at Seward. Viale
said it was like meeting an old
friend.
While in Seattle, Viale made ar
rangements with the Ad-Craft
Company to print the new pictor
ial folder for the Seward Chamber
of Commerce, proofs of which are
expected to arrive shortly.
It was cold every where they
went, Viale said, and it made him
homesick to hear of warmer
weather at Seward.
Viale said it looked as though
every person he met was planning
on a vacation in Alaska, particu
larly people who hove annual va
cations like railroad workers, dent
ists, and lawyers. He feels sure the
new highway to Anchorage will
mean a lot to Seward.
When asked about plans for his
cannery for the coming summer,
he said he had no plans, but hoped
that it would be possible to oper
ate this season.
John Grainger, of the Alaska
Sportsman magazine staff, spent
several days in Seward last week
working on an advertising cam
paign for the magazine. He de
parted by plane Sunday morning j
for Anchorage.
Storm Pounds
North Gland;
Aid Stands
The Howard’s barge.
Cloud," aground on a sand bar in
the Copper River area, was taking
a pounding from heavy surf. las'.
Thursday A rescue tug was stand
ing by. but could not approach,
the barge. The Coast Guard cut
ter Cedar was expected to reach
the scene Friday.
The people aboard the barge
were believed to be in no dan :er.
and could reach short? if neeessarv
in the same manner that the en
gineer, Leonard Iloleman, had to
use when going for aid.
Mrs. Tom Bland of Seward, a
daughter of Fred Howard, said
Thursday that there were three
automobiles aboard the barge and
much of Howard’s construction
equipment. In addition all of the
household furnishings of the How- 1
ard family were aboard the barge, i
even such articles as a piano.
The barpe is powered by two i
diesel engines, and has two gener- j
ators. It is being taken to Seattle '
to be fitted out as a cold storage1
boat.
Some confusion as to the name
of the barge was caused by a re- '
port last week that a barge called 1
the White Cloud went down off j
the Coast of Southeastern Alaska ,
last week with the loss of three ,
people. When the North Cloud .
went aground many people be
lieved it was the White Cloud.
The Ladies Guild of St. Peter's
Episcopal Church announced the
postponement of the regular social
meeting and desert bridge party
which had been scheduled for Sat
urday. Because of illness in town
and in the families of members, it
was thought best to postpone the
meeting until next Saturday, ac
cording to Mrs. Wm. Erwin, pre
sident.
Former Seward
Resident Killed
in Seattle Fight
Henry Francis McNulty, former
ly of Seward, was dead Wednes
day as a result of a knife wound
sustained in a fight in the Seattle
“Skidrond” district, and a 27
year oid longshoreman was being
held for questioning.
Police sairl McNulty died within
an hour after being stabbed in the
abdomen, and a third man, Frank
Lynch, remains in the hospital suf
fering from wounds sustained in
the same fight.
According to those who were
eyewitnesses, the fight took place
outside a tavern, after McNulty
and Lynch had been drinking with
a group of longshoremen. The
longshoreman being held for ques
tioning has had no charges filed
against him, and he has denied
stabbing either man.
McNulty left Seward in 1948, af
ter having worked here for a while,
and during his stay here he had
been picked up by the local police
on misdemeanors.
LAST RITES THURSDAY
FOR MRS. FRANK DUNN
Funeral services were he;d
Thursday, Feb. 24. at 2:00 p.m. at
St. Peter’s Episcopal Church for
Mrs. Kathleen Dunn, wife of Frank
Dunn of Seward. Interment took
place in the Seward Memorial
Cemetery.
A fractured hip last year led to
her long hospitalization at the
Seward Sanatorium, where she
passed away at 9:00 a.m. last Sun
day.
Born at Point Hop*?, Alaska, the
greater part of her life was spent
in the territory. Besides her hus
band, Mrs. Dunn is survived by
two daughters, Mrs. Pearl Brat
tain of Hope, and Mrs. Lily Owens
of Moses Lake Washington, and
two sons, Jack Siverly, Everitt,
Washington, and Wm. Siverly of
Nenana, Alaska, and a sister-in
law, Mrs. Berne Wilkinson of Sew
ard. v
Seward Hit by
Flu Epidemic;
Schools Close
The epidemic of virus influenza
which has hit Seward attained
serious proportions this week, ef
fecting seventy percent of the pop
ulation.
To date none of the business
houses are closed, but the fact is
noticable that everyday another of
the employees is missing, and can
be found home in bed.
With one third of the school pop
ulation absent on Wednesday,
Health Officer R. O. Sellers, and
Superintendent of • Schools Carl
Carlson closed the school at noon,
the temporary reopening date giv
en as Monday, Feb. 23th. The in
tervening four and one half days
of incubation period will prove
whether or not the known con
tacts of other communicable dis
eases, diphtheria. * measles and
mumps will develop, according to
Dr. Seljcrs.
Four adult cases: of measles have
been reported, but as yet there is
no case of measles among the chil
dren. Measles for adults is likely to
be a little more serious than with
children, and immediate isolation
is to be mandatory according to
i the new health ordinance.
Most public gatherings have
. been cancelled for this week. The
school carnival is postponed for
; two weeks. This was scheduled for
. tonight, Friday Feb. 25th. Bowling
: alleys, gymnasium, including tee
skating rink, and theatre are
closed to children.
All adults as well as children are
| cautioned to observe greatest pos
sible care in avoiding contamina
tion by not congregating in large
groups, avoiding chills, damp
clothing, and getting as much rest
as possible.
The following report and instruc
tions were received from the City
Health Officer R. O. Sellers.
!
j At present we are having an
' epidemic of virus influenza, mea
sles, and known contacts of the
mumps and whooping cough. Last
. Wednesday morning there were
eighty five children out of school
due to illness. As a result, classes
have been dismissed until Monday
j morning.
Thus the City Health Officer ad
vises that parents keep their chil
dren indoors as much as possible,
prevent chilling, dampness and ex
cessive play. They should prevent
grouping of children in play and
indoors, in order to prevent con
tact of other persons in the incuba
tion period of communicable and
upper respiratory infections.
' i, The school, gymnasium, bowling
alley and theatre will be closed to
school children for several days,
to attempt to control contamina
tion, encourage isolation of indi
viduals, and prevent contacts, es
pecially during this epidemic of
virus infections.
It is advised as well, that adults
follow much along this line, so
that more serious complications
may be prevented.
R. O. Sellers, M. D.
City Health Officer
Mrs. Carl Clark of Hope was in
Seward last week, and reported
that there are so many moose
around the town that children
have to be escorted to school.
Some of the moo/se have gotten
inside the fenced yards in the
town.