BARROW NEWS
Writer Reports on Arctic Storm Damage
By Guy Okakok
Barrow Correspondent
Early that morning, October 3,
when we woke up around 6:30 A.M.,
the weather wasn’t too bad. After
we had our breakfast, my wife and
1 went across the lagoon fighting
through and against the wind.
When we got to the hospital I
went to the attic to do something
and my wife went to work. Some
one called up from below and I
recognized the voice. My wife was
calling me. I get up without saying
anything and met my wife down
stairs.
She came running to tell me that
they could see big waves splashing
over buildings. I didn't say a word
to anyone. I went out and started
to run toward my home. My chil
dren were in the house. I crossed
over on the frozen lake that already
had some water on it. I got across
near a gas well.
Children Safe
When I reached my place I ask
ed people if all my kids were safe.
They told me all of them were over
at Betty Kignak s house. I struggled
over to my house. The big waves
had been splashing against the
north wall.
I opened the outside door think
ing I'd sack up the children’s
•clothes. But I was wrong. While I
was collecting the clothes a wave
came through the door. All at once
the water was up to my knees. As
soon as the water dropped I open
ed the inside door. My mind was
Still on the children'."; clothes.
Before I could let go my hands
from our door knob, second strong
wave came in and pushed me to
the stoves. The house was now half
full of water. I couldn't wait any
longer and I walked through the
water and went out.
I couldn’t do anything so I watch
ed. While I was watching a great
strong wave came over and knock
ed down my walls. Stoves, fuel,
food, and clothes scattered all over.
What I could save, I saved but lost
the children's clothes, food, range
and heater.
Everything Lost
I had lost everything I had in
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the house. I looked around. Ernest
Kignak's house was moving toward
another building. It stopped close
to Leavitt's house.
I also saw Tom Erower’s cafe.
One wall toward the ocean collaps
ed. Brower lost many valuable
items.
I was all soaking wet. Someone
told me to go to Betty's house. When
I went inside I saw Bob Brower
and his wife, Berma, They gave j
me hot coffee. They even let me I
change to dry clothes.
Prohibit Smokp
While I was in the house word
came through radio that they need- i
ed able-bodied men to watch over !
people. They were urged not to
smoke, even near the lagoon. The
man on the radio said that big
tanks had broken and were pour
ing oil all over the place. He said
two more houses had collapsed. He
said Brower wanted the people
without homes to stay in his hotel.
I was grateful for that.
Word came again cn the radio
that the people in the main part of
town send a cat and L.V.T. of the
fire hall to bring the people across
from Browerville; that the govern
ment will give them a place to eat
and sleep.
When they came after us, my
wife, children and myself and
other people went over to the school.
There I saw people eating supper.
After supper they gave us a room
at Presbyterian church. Some stayed
in the school and the theater. Pub
lic Welfare aid gave some families
a place to eat and told them where
to get their clothes. I will never
forget those people who had done
so much for us.
Narrow Escape
If Leo Kaleak had waited two
more minutes when he tried to
reach the house which stood on the
highest ground, he said he would
have been washed out to sea. Visi
bility was very bad in the storm ,
and he almost got lost. |
Also Claire Okpeaha, 70 years
old, was knocked down by a wave
and he was rolled over and over
in the water. His grandson saw him
and grabbed him just in time as ,
he was being carried cut to sea.
He then dragged his grandfather
into the house.
(Editor’s Note: Claire Okpeaha
is the last man to see Will Ro
gers and Wiley Post alive back in
1935. He had talked with them j
minutes before they crashed and .
died. He ran 12 miles to Barrow
to tell the news.)
Man Readie's Boat
According to Leo Kaleak, Sakea
gak, 68, loaded one of the boats
with fresh water, food and bedding.
If the house he and his family stay
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| ed in started to move, he was ready
to take his family in the boat. While
! the family was in the house L.V.T.
arived and loaded the belongings
and took them over to the main
town.
Leo said his family was treated
as if they were all their own bro
thers and sisters. He also said he
will never forget the people who
have done so much for them.
Fuel Scattered
Also Wien Airlines drums of fuel
were scattered and drifted into the
lagoon. Even construction com
panies oil tanks broke and poured
out. People lost boats and meat
cellars. Cellars were loaded with
caribou meat, walrus, rnuktuk and
ducks. Oh, what a mess! v
Loan Agent
Couple days later, a business loan
agent from Anchorage canje and
called us to the school. He said if
any of us wanted a loan he’d lend
from $1,000 and up but not less than
$1,000. After he had spoken he
asked us if we had any questions.
I said to the people, “Why not
wait until we hear from the Red
Cross?” I heard Red Cross was
coming soon to Barrow. I told them
there were several people who
doesn’t have jobs.
I told them it would be kind of
hard for any of us to pay it back
and told them to think about it.
I also told them that I have known
Red Cross in the lower 48 states
when I was there, that it could, or
have helped, disaster people who
lost their belongings and houses.
The people agreed and stepped out
from the room.
Red Cross Arrives
And on October 9, a Red Cross
agent arrived and donated clothes
to those who had lost their belong
ings. He said he will also try to
give them the materials they need
to repair their damaged houses.
When I talked with him, he told I
me that anything that was lost in
the house, the Red Cross will try |
to replace them. I
Thanks People
I want to thank the people who
ever they are, who donated things
to Barrow people. We are very
grateful to them and our prayers
are with them. **(#> I
Never That Bad
I am 60 years old now this month.
September 14, and I have never
seen 1he winds as strong as we had
that day on October 1. High winds
and high water everywhere.
Univ. Enrollment
Up Six Per Cent
There are 1.226 students enrolled
at the University of Alaska this
year, a six per cent increase over
i last year’s enrollment, according
to University officials.
The student break down is: 373
freshmen, 165 sophomores, 138 jun
iors, 126 seniors and 91 graduate
students. In addition there are 133
students without class standing, 104
transfer students, whose class tand
ing has not been dereiir.ined and
96 pot graduate students
This year's enrollment was slightly
higher than that predicted by Uni
versity officials last spring.
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Nate Ekalook to Take New Job
With RCA on White Alice Line
Nathaniel Eknlook, 2fi, born and
raised at Barrow, who will soon be
going to work for the PCA Corp. as
an electronics technician on the
Early Warning System, is a living
example of the way a Native man
can adapt himself to the most dif
ficult things in the modern world,
through training.
“Nate,” is a graduate of the Ta
coma (Wash.) Technical School in
electronics. He has worked for Wien
Alaska Airlines at Barrow as a ra- |
Nate Ekalook
dio operator and maintenance man,
for Dyle Electronics ind Communi
cations Services, Inc. of Fairbanks,
and for two months aided Dr. John
Tryon, at the University of Alaska,
teach an electrical engineering
course.
The young Eskimo man, who says
he has been interested in radios
and electrical gadgets since he was
a child, graduated from the Tacoma
Technical School in 1960.
He was aided through the school
by more than $3,000 given him by
the State Vocational Rehabilitation
office.
In addition to this training and
past work experience, “Nate” re
cently received his First Class
Federal Communications Commis- /
;ion radio license. |
He says receiving this license has !
been the pinnacle of his electronics
career so far. The license alows him
to operate and maintain difficult
radio equipment.
Ekalook is a 1956 graduate of Mt.
Edgeeumbe BIA High School, lo
cated at Sitka. He attended the Ta
coma school in 1959-60. completing
the 22 month electronics course in
15 months.
He says he is looking forward
to going to work for RCA. He will
probably be stationed on one of the
remote sites in Interior Alaska, that
RCA maintains under contract to
the U.S. Air Force, as a warning
network for North America in case
of enemy attack from the Arctic.
He will join many other Alaska
Native men that RCA has either
trained or hired in recent months
to work at the Alaska sites.
It has been said the RCA pro
gram is proving advantageous to
both the Natives and the company.
The Natives are given jobs that in
sure them a good economic future,
while RCA gets employes that are
used to Alaska, and aren’t easily
“run-out” of the country by incle
ment weather and the relative pri
vations of some of the remote sites.
Bar row Declared
Eligible for
SBA Loan Money
The Small Business Administra
tion has announced that it has de
clared Barrow a disaster area for
the purpose of making low interest
loans available to restore homes and
businesses damaged or destroyed in
the Oct. 3 storm.
The declaration will make it pos
sible for some Barrowites to re
ceive loans for as low as three per
I cent, according to the Administra
tion.
More than $600,000 in private
; property was lost at Barrow as the
I result of 80 mile an hour winds,
I and 15 foot waves, that hit Barrow
] from the west. It was the worst
j storm in the memory of persons at
I the top of Alaska village of nearly
1.500 persons.
/ About 1,000 drums of fuel oil. 31
I building's, four light rirplanes. and
numerous skin and wood boats were
lost or destroyed in the storm.
Sen. E. L. Bartlett has annuonced
that a representative of the SBA
will be in Barrow to handle the
loans.
He also noted that the bba nor
mally acts for small businessmen
only, but in times of disaster, also
makes its services available to
homeowners.
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