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VOL. 23, NO. 18 KODIAK, ALASKA, MAY 3, 1963 PRICE TEN CENTS
Virtually the entire business dis
trict of the town of Cordova lay
smoldering today and 65 families
were left homeless following a
devastating fire that raged through
most of yesterday in the Prince
William Sound community.
No deaths have been reported
although a number of people suf
fered slight injuries in escaping
from and fighting the raging in
ferno.
The fire, which broke out at 3
a.m., slashed through the town’s
frame buildings for over six hours,
reducing an entire block compris
ing the commercial and business
district to a smouldering ruin. At
least 13 buildings were destroyed
with a total loss estimated by State
Senator Harold Z. Hansen (D-Cor
dova) to run at more than $1 mil
lion dollars and possibly as high as
$2 million.
Among the buildings destroyed
by the fire were the Cordova Com
mercial Building, Cordova Airlines
office, Davis Grocery, Cordova
Drug Store, the Little Bar, Bill’s
Bar, Katherine’s Apparel, Collins
Jewelry, Friends Clothing, the
Club Bowl, Cordova Times and
Van Broklin Apartments.
In addition to the buildings,
much fishing gear was destroyed,
according to reports. Cause of the
fire as yet remained unaeiernmicu.
Fire fighting equipment was
flown to the stricken community
by the Coast Guard, Air Force and
the city of Anchorage at the re
quest of state civil defense.
Today the Salvation Army and
other relief agencies were rushing
aid to the ravaged community.
Japs Plan Massive Fleets Here
Kodiak King Crab
Festival Begins
Alaska’s oldest City celebrates a
record King Crab season with its
annual King Crab Festival begin
ning today and lasting through
this weekend, May 3-5.
This year’s celebration also
marks the 200th anniversary of the
first landing of a white man on
the shores of Kodiak Island.
In 1763 a Russian fur trader.
Stepan Glotov, anchored his ship
off the shores of Kodiak Island.
He and his men were attacked by
fierce native Koniags who drove
the Russians back into the sea
until heavy gunfire finally put the
hostile Koniags to flight.
Visitors in 1963 will find no such
reception. This city is fast gaining
a reputation for warmth and
friendliness, and the three-day Fes
tival promises exciting events and
gaiety.
Sightseeing trips, seafood, enter
tainment and a number of contests
are just a part of the many pro
gram highlights.
The Midway, built along the wa
terfront, facing the boat harbor,
will open Friday morning. Already
the fishing fleet is in, and Festival
booths will be busy places with the
games and food booths attracting
visitors.
(Continued On Page 4)
Still' me To'Get
Into The Parade!
Sundberg Says
The big King Crab Festival Pa
rade begins forming up at 9:30 a.m.
tomorrow morning, Parade Chair
man Gene Sundberg reminded par
ticipants today.
‘The parade will form up in
the city hall area between 9:30 and
10 a.m. and the kiddies section will
form up in front of Kraft’s Stores,”
Sundberg said.
“No registration is necessary to
participate in the parade and there
is still time and room for more en
trants of all kinds,” he advised.
“We are particularly hopeful
that more motor scooters will be
entered.” One said, adding, “This
would be an opportune time for
those young fellows with the Go
Carts to display their machines.”
(Hear that Alan, Rocky and
Teddy7}
FOREIGN FLEET DANGER—King Crab tagging programs carried
on through the past several years indicate that most of the crabs
now being utilized move from off-shore areas, sometimes as far out
as 60 and 90 miles, to areas closer inshore to Kodiak Island where
the Kodiak fishermen are able to harvest them. The X marks indicate
the areas in which crabs have been caught, tagged and released. The
arrows indicate their general movement inshore to the harvesting
areas. The dotted line along the side of Kodiak Island denotes the'
3-mile limit beyond which the federal government has so far refused
to claim jurisdiction or provide protection to Alaskan resources.
Should any foreign fishing fleets arrive on the scene and proceed
to fish they would be able to INTERCEPT the migrating crabs and
thereby diminish the Kodiak in-shore effort, probably with dis
asterous results since they would not be operating under the strin
gent conservation laws applied to Alaskans. Such foreign fishing
efforts would undoubtedly use trawls and utilize all crabs taken,
regardless of sex or size! This is why Kodiak fishermen insist it is
absolutely imperative that the U.S. extend its national limits to
include all of the continental shelf and to 12 miles where it does not
reach out that far.
Welcome
To The Festival
Bitter Anger Sweeps King Crab Fleet
As Japanese Move To Enter Grounds
Consternation, alarm and bitter
anger coursed through the men of
the Kodiak king crab fishing fleet
this morning as word flashed
through the boat harbor and com
munity that not one, but eight Jap
anese fishing companies are plan
ning to fish king crab in Kodiak
Island waters.
Information regarding this de
velopment arrived today when
many fishermen received copies
last night of the Bureau of Com
mercial Fisheries Market News
Service newsletter, or “pink sheet”
as it is called by fishermen.
The newsletter, published daily
in Seattle stated in its April 30
issue:
“Eight Japanese fishing com
panies have filed applications for
experimental fishing for king crab
in the Kodiak Island area in the
Gulf of Alaska.
“South of the Alaska Peninsula,
experimental fishing on a small
scale was permitted by the North
Pacific Fisheries Commission in
the fall of 1962 and presently ex
ploratory bottomfish fishing is au
thorized for the ’Akebono Maru
No. 51,” the report stated.
Continuing, it read: “In the Gulf
of Alaska, ‘box-net’ fishing gear
is the only type of gear permitted
for king crab fishing under Cana
da’s fishing regulations. The Japa
anese consider this gear ineffi
cient, but have now decided to fish
for king crab experimentally, pro
Hurry To The Elks
This Very Minute!
Mary Frost of the Russian
Church Women’s Club reminds you
that there is still time to hurry
down to the Elk’s Club and get
your tummy full of some of the
finest cooking in Alaska.
The King Crab Festival Smor
gasbord is being sponsored and
prepared, with the help of “Com
missar” and his wife, by the Rus
sian Women’s Club and serving be
gan this morning at 11:30 a.m. and
will continue until 7:30 p.m. to
night. It’s only $3 for adults and
$1.50 for Children, Mery says.
‘ Also don’t forget there is our
big dance starting at 9:30 tonight
at the Elks Hall,” she reminded.
vided one or more of the applica
tions are approved. (SUISAN
Tsushin’ March 27, 1963.)”
Lloyd Cannon, president of the
local United Fisherman’s Market
ing Association which represents
virtually all of the king crab fleet
and has over 700 members, termed
the report “the most alarming and
dangerous development in the his
tory of the North Pacific fisheries.”
“If nothing is done to stop them,
then this is the end of our king
crab fishery ... it is the beginning
of the end for all of us,” Cannon
stated.
“Of course they regard our pot
type fishing as ‘inefficient1, he
stated bitterly, adding, they will
use otter trawls and any other
method by which they can get crab
. . . any kind of crab regardless of
size or sex. They are so damn “effi
(Continued on Page 4)
Along
The
Waterfront
By Karl Armstrong
Sid and Martin Urie have bought
the Town Club from George and
Kathy Seagrave. The Seagraves
will be visiting in Anchorage and
Fairbanks for several weeks be
fore returning to their home in
Valdez. Both Sid and Martin are
well known to fishermen, particu
larly shrimpers due to the fact
that they also own Solly’s in Sew
ard. And now the Town Club will
be Solly’s (“office”—in small let
ters!) I wish to also explain pub
licly that Martin isn’t my twin
brother ... as a lot of people seem
to think . . . however I have noticed
he is one of the handsomest guys
I’ve ever seen! (Linotype Opera
tor’s Note: He that tooteth not his
own horn shall not get it tooted.
Blow Gabriel.)
There should be nearabouts 15
halibut boats in town during the
Festival according to what
Alaska Ice & Storage Manager
Bix Bonney sez. Five boats have
already come in and offloaded
here, more are enroute and they
(Continued on Page 3)