-WJS F R OJi.. T HE - '6 : LO O \ PA
Well, here, we are '.again7**Back from "The' surajflbr run to"the ^u^on'DeTfea, Norton
Sound, and Kotzebue Sound. This trip we had aboard LCP Joseph J, Montano,LCPL
Bruce E. MiIke, PEC Francis Ross, PEC Wendell-J* Cox, Marines as working”guests”*
We departed Adnk at 2000, Monday,•10 July and arrived at St. Paul in the Prib
ilofs at 0435, Wednesday. Liberty parties we're sent ashore to observe the seal
kill, which is fascinating to watch. First the Aleuts run down the beach and
prevent the 3-4 year old males, which congregate by themselves, from getting back
to the water. These are then herded in groups to a central killing ground. Each
man has an assigned task. Groups of about 12 are cut out of the‘ herd and driven
nearby. After separating out rejects, those remaining are clubbed to death,almost
instantaneous as segls have very 'fragile skull. The deed seals are then arrang
ed in rows of 10 to facilitate counting. One man opens the, belly to insure. death. „
A second cuts arouna the nose and flippers,"and- the whole length of the body, A
third puts a two-pronged fork over the nexk. Three more attach clamps to the pelt
at the nose and pull the pelt off. Another tosses the pelts to one side, where
another arranges thorn in rows of ten and.blocks of one hundred. Some seals were ^
tagged when they were, pups, and -these are weighed and measured before being skin- V
ned. The upper jaw of every tenth seal 'is removed for an age determination later.
About 1000 seals were killed -and skinned in four hours. The co.rc0.sses are loaded
in trucks and sent back to a processing plant where the bones are ground in . to
fertilizer and the meat processed into dog food,: The pelts are* salted down a.nd
shipped to St. Louis where- they are sold at auction.- Average price is $100-120 a
pelt, with 5 or 6 pelts necessary for one coat for rn1lady.* .
While anchored we had a-.casualty to the anchor windlass motor, and until , we *
reached Nome were .forced - to use the boom to raise the anchor.
Underway again at 1325, we arrived at Cape Mohican'Lt. on Nuni^ak Island at 0815
the next morning. However, we were unable to make a landing because of fog and
heavy swells, so we continued on to Hooper Bay where we arrived at 1530, A .small
beat was put over to inspect the day beacon, buoys, end channel 'stakes, .When it
returned at 1800 we were on our way to Shaktplik at the eastern end of Norton
Sound.
At this point I .should explain that, aids to navigation work in the area covered A
by our summer .run is different than that-described in previous, articles# In the ^
Aleutians and Bristol Bay areas, all the lights are electric and serviced by the
CLOVER. All the buoys are standard Coast Guard types, and worked by the CLOVER.
Such is not the case up north. Many of the lights date from gold rush,days and '
are kerosene types. Our role here is to check end see that the lantern is in good
condition, and deliver kerosene (20.gallons per light) to a local lamp lighter,
who very often is an Eskimo,.- He then lights the light and keeps it burning, during
the navigation s son. Many of the lights serve as guides for dog teams.-during
the winter..- SiMlafty,' mos1? of the buoys .are only oil' drums painted red & black
and placed by. a lamp lighter in water which .can be safely navigated only by a
skiff with outboard, or shallow' draft tug. Part- of our work is to see that these
buoys have been placed. This’trip we.made a critical evaluation of all these aids
and will make recommendations for changes to -.the District Commander.
We anchored at Shaktolik at 1500, Friday, the 14th. * Norton Sound is very shal
low, and the water - two miles from shore only 25 feet deep. We had to build a new
light here, so boats were lowed end CHMACH DEITZ and a work party went ashore- to
begin construction, cement, sand, gravel, and-.metal tower sections were ferried
ashore. This work was completed by 2125.and leaving the work party ashore, we
set course for Unalakleet where we anchored three-hours later. On the..way we
sighted a herd of walrus, so circled it and tried to-get a few pictures. ’ *
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