Costly Fire Threatens
Entire Business Block
(Continued from page 1)
Neal Wright, who is returning to
Palmer from Florida, where he
was vacationing.
The Hammond organ, recently
purchased by Mr. Wright for use
in the building’s dance hall, was
lost in the fire. The Colony Day
refrigerator, at first believed de
stroyed in the fire, had been re
moved Sunday evening.
Second floor offices in the
building were swept by flame in
a matter of seconds. D. T. Low
rey. engineer working in the
Rural Electrification Administra
tion office, was severely burned
about the face and hands as he
made his way down the blazing
stairway to safety.
In addition to the REA office,
the office of Dr. R. E. Garrett,
Valley physician, the headquar
ters of Matanuska Electric Asso
ciation. Inc., and the offices of
Herman Ross and Lou Henke
were destroyed. MEA's vital rec
ords are believed intact in the
office safe, however. Dr. Garrett
suffered a total loss of equipment
and instruments valued at $20.
000.
Exact value of the stock in the
downstairs drug store and in
surance coverage will be un
known until Mr. Wright arrives.
He is expected momentarily.
In addition to the stock of
drugs and electrical appliances
in the store, supplies of ammuni
tion and liquor were destroyed.
Their intermittent explosion
made the work of firefighters
doubly difficult.
As flames and oily smoke bil
lowed high into the air and
licked over the brick firewall
which separated the Wright
building from the solid row of
adjoining one-story frame struc
tures, firemen despaired of sav
ing any building in the block.
Volunteers from the hundreds of
watchers turned to with a will
and emptied stores and offices of
equipment and merchandise in
a matter of minutes.
Valley truckers brought their
vehicles into the threatened area,
where they were piled high with
merchandise and valuables. As
fast as one truck was filled and
driven away, another was backed
into place beside the building be
ing evacuated.
Houses located in lots to the
rear of the main business struc
tures also were stripped of their
furnishings. Mrs. Harry Ryan
loaded furniture onto a pick-up
and drove down the highway
only to find that a burning ember
had lodged on a davenport to
start a new blaze there.
Embers tore loose from win
dow and door casings as the fire
progressed and carried by a brisk
north breeze sailed onto nearby
roofs and to houses as far as
John Bugge’s property. A num
ber of small fires were kindled, i
only to be promptly extinguished
Valley Friends
and Neighbors
This is to express our gratitude for your help during the
fire last Monday evening. Because of your quick action
and willing labor, most of us would have suffered small
damage, had our office and store quarters burned that
evening.
Perhaps we were too busy to say thank you, then, but we
take this method of publicly expressing our appreciation.
You were a real neighbor when we needed you most.
Dave and Joe’s Shirt Shop
Charlie’s Bar-B-Que
Sourdough Club
Hopkins Popcorn
Palmer Photographic Center
Valley Barber Shop
Palmer Cold Storage
Valley Frontiersman
Mt. McKinley Airfreight
Variety Vogues
Ron-Da-Voo Cafe
by rooftop watchers who slapped
them out with wet sacks.
The vounteer fire crews that
manned the equipment of the
Valley Volunteer Fire Associa
tion and the Co-op Garage were
assisted by dozens of willing
workers. They braved smoke and
searing flames to stand deter
minedly on the roofs of the row
of frame buildings, with hoses.
One man, Carl Zehrung,
gashed his leg deeply while
standing on the Wright green
house to direct a stream of water
on the Neal Wright home. The
house caught fire twice, but was
saved by the efforts of the fire
men.
Fire crews from Fort Richard
son were called, and reached the
Valley in a record 45 minutes, to
stand by for the entire night, on
guard against flying sparks and
smouldering embers.
Ironically, the firewall erected
by Mr. Wright to protect his new
building in the event of a fire in
the adjacent frame structures,
saved the remainder of the busi
ness district.
On Tuesday, as evacuated of
fices were being set up again,
merchants in the entire block
counted their losses as very
small. Partners of the Palmer
Photographic Center were be
lieved the largest losers, for they
dumped 100 gallons of solvent
before leaving their office. They
also suffered the loss of a movie
camera and one or two items
from their art and gift selection.
Mr. Anderson, asked what the
cause of the fire was, said it
evidently was started by defec
tive wiring. Its outbreak at a
long distance from the furnace
made it impossible to have start
ed there, he stated.
Firemen Plan Drive
For Added Memberships
(Continued from Page 1)
memberships both are being sold
by members of the fire depart
ment in downtown Palmer and
through the Valley this week.
Dance tickets also will be on
sale at the door tomorrow night.
Admission charge is $1.50 a cou
ple, tax included. The Carlson
orchestra will play for dancing.
A portion of the dance pro
ceeds will be used as hospital
benefits for firemen slightly in
jured in battling last Monday’s
flames. One volunteer was hos
pitalized for a day of two, and
another received emergency
treatment for a cut leg.
Poppy Sale
Realizes $38
Incomplete returns on the sale
of Memorial poppies in Palmer
show that more than $38 was
realized in the Valley, it was an
nounced this week by Mrs. Carl
Rasmussen, head of the Ameri
can Legion Auxiliary. Some
money was still not recorded at
press-time today. The poppies
were sold on Palmer streets last
Saturday.
Another Baby Clinic
Is Scheduled
Because of the number of chil
dren attending, well baby con
ferences have been increased to
two each month, it was an
nounced this week by Dolores
Zeis, public health nurse. The
first additional conference will
be held in the Health Center on
Tuesday, June 8, from 2 to 4
p.m. Mothers are invited to br*Jtig
well babies of infant and pre
school age for conferences with
the nurse.
Immunizations will continue to
be given by appointment onl>3on p
the last Tuesday of each month.
Notice
Everyone having an account with Dr. Robert E.
Garrett is asked to please bring his last month’s
statement to the Valley hospital, in order to help*,
set up new records. Due to our recent loss, pay
ment of these accounts would be greatly appre
ciated.
DR. R. E. GARRETT
We carry a complete stock of all GOODYEAR
car accessories and other GOODYEAR products
, Goodyear Seabee Motors Goodyear Bicycles
Goodyear Tires Goodyear Batteries
Make it a habit to shop at your GOODYEAR Store
CO-OP GARAGE
FOUR TRIPS DAILY
*
Matunuska Valley Bus Lines
LEAVING PALMER FOR ANCHORAGE
(Daily except Sunday)
6:30 a.m. 9:00 a.m. 12 Noon 6:00 p.m.
LEAVING ANCHORAGE FOR PALMER
(Daily except Sunday)
9:00 a.m. 12 Noon 4:30 p.m. 9:00 p.m
LEAVING PALMER FOR JONESVILLE
7:00 a.m. 4:00 p.m.
LEAVING JONESVILLE FOR PALMER
8:00 a.m. 5:00 p.m.
ON SUNDAY. LEAVING PALMER
9 a.m. 6:00 p.m.
ON SUNDAY. LEAVING ANCHORAGE
Noon 9:00 p.m.
Palmer ticket office at Charlie's Bar-B-Cue
or the Sourdough Club
GIVE YOUR VOLUNTEER FIREMEN A HAND
ATTEND THE
Benefit- Membership Dance
at the
PALMER GYMNASIUM SATURDAY' JUNE 5
$1.50 per couple, including tax