Seward
The Gateieay City of Interior Alaska Since 1903.
Seaport
Record
S civ aid’s All-Weather Pori is Alaska’s Greatest Asset.
Vol. VII, No. 103
SEWARD, ALASKA. TUESDAY, JUNE 26, 1951
Price 10 cents
Methodist Visitors Arrive For Conference
Seattle C* of C* Party Enroute Here
TWO MEN LOST OFF
CAINE’S HEAD
SUNDAY P.M.
Two newcomers to Seward
lost their lives Sunday when
their small boat capsized off
Caines Head, while on a fishing
trip in Resurrection Bay.
'The drowned men were Eld
red R. (Tex) Abrams, 39, and
Frank Matousek, aged 28. Ab
rams was an electrician with the
B and B gang, ARR, Matousek,
electrician’s helper in the same
group. Another railroad man,
Lester Mize, radio technician,
and Robert Abrams, the 12 year
old son of Tex Abrams saw the
father drown, helpless to pre
vent the tragedy.
According to Mize, the three
men and boy had borrowed a
14 toot skiff with outboard liioior
for a fishing trip down the Bay.
They were oil Caine's Head,
about 8 miles from town wiun
they came across a swamped
doiy in the water. They were
trying to bail out the boat with
the idea of towing it home «when
their own boat was capsized in
a cross current. All lour were
thrown into the cold water,
which is seldom over 4U degrees
at this time of the year.
The boy climbed into the
swamped boat, his father and
Mize clung to the capsized skiff.
Matousek, after attempting to
get into the boat with Rooert,
and finding that it would not
float with his added weight,
tried to swim to shore with the
aid of an empty gas drum. The
shore must have been over a
mile away, Mize said, and he
later caught sight of the can, but
did not see Matousek.
Numbed by the cold water and
worried for the safety of his son,
Abrams became quickly exhaust
he was able to keep the man's
head above the water, by hold
ing his hand for a while, but he
lost his grip and the man sank
from sight. They did not see him
again.
Mize and the boy clung to the
boat for seven hours, until they
were able to attract the attention
of the freighter George Olson,
■outward bound. They were pick
ed up and returned to Seward
at 1:15 Monday morning.
The freighter George Olson
is owned by the Olson Steamship
Company of San Francisco. It is
under charter to the Alaska
Steamship Company and had
discharged cargo in Seward.
Dick Thomas searched the
shoreline with his plane from
2:45 until 4:20 a m. He spotted
what might have been the gas
drum, he reported, but saw noth
ing else. Two planes were sent
out by the 30th Topographical
Engineers Battalion and several
boats cruised the shores all day
but nothing more was seen of the
two men. Bodies are seldom
ever recovered from Resurrec
tion Bay. It is extremely deep
(Turn to Page 4)
The passenger ship Aleutian
is due to arrive at 1U:30 Thurs
day morning bearing 28 mem
bers of the Seattle Chamber of
Commerce and their families,
making about 47 in all.
Tentative plans only could be
made here to greet the visitors
as the train will leave about two
hours after he ship docks. It is
planned, however, that everyone
who can. shall meet the ship and
gather in the Kenai Lounge for
a buffet brunch with the Seattle
people. If there is time and the
weather permits, a short tour
about the1 city can be arranged
in cars made available at that
time. The roster of visitors is as
follows:
Thomas II. Felly of the Low
man & Hanford Company, presi
dent Seattle Chamber of Com
merce; Mr. and Mrs. Frank J.
Beaver, manager Alaska division
Seattle C. of C.; R. L. Aiken, Ly
brand Ross Bros. & Montgom
ery; Mr. and Mrs. Chas. AI. An
derson. Belknap Glass Co.; Mr.
and Mrs. J. W. Condon. Sunset
Electric Co.; Mr. and Mrs. R. R.
Dickover, Cart. r-Riee & Co.; Mr.
and Mrs. Sheldon Dunning,
Sheldon Dunning Co.; Mr. and
Airs. Chas. F. Edwards, New
York Life Insurance Co.; Mrs.
Albia Feree; Mr. John F. Fitz
simmons, Dean Witter & Co.;
W. O. Foss, Foss Launch & Tug
Co.; Airs. Agnes Horak. C. AI
St. P & P Ry.; Air. and Airs. J.
G. Larson, Seattle First Nation
al Bank.
Don AI. Follett. exec, vice
pres. and general manager, Se
attle C. of C.; Mr. and Airs. C.
AI. Latimer, Seattle First Nation
al Bank; Air. and Airs. Russell
Rathbone, Washington Co-op
Farmers Association; Air. and
Airs. Carl K. Wilson and family.
Carl K. Wilson Company: Jay
Wells. The Seattle Times, all of
Seattle.
from Everett: Mr. and Mrs.
A. W. Carlson; Mr. and Mrs. H.
J. Solie.
From Port Townsend: Mr and
Mrs. Marry Cotton, Cotton En
gineering Co.: Mr. and Mrs.
George Welch.
From Auburn: Mr. and Mrs.
Wayland Scarff, Searff Motors,
Carroll Scarff. and Mr. G urge
Estev.
Mr. and Mrs. D. L. Davis,
Mercer Island: Mr. and Mrs.
Sam J. Clarke, realtor, Wins
low; Mr. and Mrs. Emil H. Mil
ler, Wenatchee: Dr. A. W. Gugis
burg. Des Moines, Iowa.
RUSSIAN RIVER CLOSED TO
FISHING FOR SEASON
Russian River from Lower
Russian Lake lo ifs confluence
with the Kenai River is clcs:d to
all fishing this season, according
to an announcement from the
Fish and Wildlife Service today.
The Kenai River from Kenai
Lake to Moose River is closed to
fishing except with artificial
lures. No other bait permitted.
The rivers were closed by the
Fish and Wildlife Service as a
conservation measure.
Three Seward Scouts
On Kodiak Trip
Three local boys of the Ex
plorer Scouts left Saturday for
the Explorer Encampment at the
U. S. Naval Station, Kodiak,
Alaska. Joe Hughes, Pete Du
Beau and Rodney Hardesty were
the lucky boys.
While guests of the Kodiak
Naval Station, the scouts will be
housed in Army barracks at Ft.
Greely and will be provided
with entertainment and training
during their week there. Includ
ed in their program will be
lectures and demonstrations on
Ground Control Approach land
ings of aircraft, weather, sur
vival equipment and parachute
packing, fire-fighting equipment,
helicopter rescue and operations,
diving lecture and demonstra
tion, and a short sea voyage
aboard an LSU. Special movies,
sports, and a co-ed dance are
scheduled for entertainment for
the group of Boy Scout Explor
ers, of whom there are between
125 and 150 boys.
This is the fourth Explorer
Encampment, according to scout
executive Maurice Powers. The
encampment is for scouts be
tween the ages of 14 and 17. It
Metcalf Acting Third
Division Marshal
Irwin W. Metcalf, U. S. Depu
ty Marshall for Seward was ap
pointed acting U. S. Marshall
for the 3rd Division. Mr. Metcalf
will serve until the permanent
appointment is made.
Mr. Metcalf said yesterday
that “h: hopes he will not be
away from Seward too long.”
THREE LITTLE GIRLS
GUESTS OF ADKINS'
Mr. and Mrs. Charles Adkins
have three little girls as guests
this summer. Donna and J
e’e’it-year-old twins, and Jacque
line, 9, are daughtf rs of Mr. an !
.urs. Jack Barr tt of Anchorage.
EIGHT-HOUR WORK LAW
SUSPENDED
Presient Truman, through ex
ecutive order, has suspended the
eight-hour law as to laborers
and mechanics employed by the
Department of Defense on pub
lic works considered essential to
the national defense.
Tiie order, which the Presi
dent stated would be in effect
Lor t’ae duration of the national
emergency proclaimed by him
an. December If). 1950, provides
that t!ie wages of such employ
ees will be computed on a basic
-lay rate of eight hours of work
•vith overtime to be paid at time
md one-half for all hours of
.vork in excess of eight hours in
my one day.
is sponsored jointly by the Navy
and Air Forces. Previous ones
were held at Elmendorf Air
Force Base and Ladd Air Force
Base. Last year's encampment
was cancelled because of the
Korean hostilities.
Representing Kodiak and act
ing as host to the scouts, the
Elks Lodge, Rotary Club and
the Chamber of Commerce are
helping sponsor the co-ed dance
and will conduct a tour of the
city.
Prior to departing Kodiak this
Saturday, a parade by the scouts
will be staged with the city and
Naval Station officials invited to
sit in the r e v i : w i n g stand.
Awards will be present 'd to the
most outstanding scouts during
the parade.
The Seward boys left town
with Chris last Saturday for
Anchorage where they changed
planes for Kodiak. They will re
turn home this Saturday, June
30.
The Seward Scoutmaster is
Stan Niegemann. lie is very
proud to send three of his troop
to the encampment this year.
Fireworks Forbidden
Within City Limits
Not only the use of fireworks
but the sale of fireworks within
the city limits is definitely for
bidden by city ordinance, which
carries a heavy penalty for vio
lation.
A small boy, son of George
Giardina, was seriously injured
yesterday by an exploding tor
pedo. 1'he cap struck him in the
eye. P ireworks can be purchased
in outside communities, but pur
chasers are warned that they
must not be set off in Seward.
This is by ordinance passed sev
eral years ago.
McMt^eri’s 3’orc !*>
Sponsor Pet Parade
The Pet Parade, a special
feature of the annual 4th of July
parade, will be sponsored as
usual by McMullen's Store.
The pet parade will be hand
led by the Never Idle 411 Club
whose sponsor is Mrs. George
Dangler. Children who have
pets to enter in the parade should
contact Lura Peck, Sara Peck,
Sandra Dangler or Linda Nor
ton.
Every entrant will receive an
award. Special prizes are wait
ing, however for the best dec
orated cat. dog, or other pet. The
most unusual pet, etc., will also
win prizes. Last year among
unusual pets were rabbits, baby
porcupine, and an owl.
Bishop G raid Kennedy, Bish
op of the Portland Area, Sr.
A. Frank Smith, Bishop of the
Houston Area and President of
the Division of Home Missions
and Church Extension, U. S.,
Rev. P. Gordon Gould, director
of Ihe Methodist work in Alaska;
and St. George I. Nace, president
of the Alaska Committee, and
the Interdenominational Council
of Churches from New York, ar
rived today for the beginning of
the Alaska Mission Conference
of the Methodist Church, being
held in Seward.
Other distinguished visitors
are Dr. Elliot Fishir, executive
secretary, section of Home Mis
sions; Percy Trevethan, execu
tive secretary Department Good
will Industries, US: Miss Emma
Burris, executive secretary of
Woman’s Division of Christian
Service.
The conference will g:t under
way today with a luncheon in
the dining room at Seward Sana
torium followed by a tour of the
hospital. The guests will have
tea at the Jesse Lee Home, where
they will be entertained by chil
dren of the home.
A banquet in the social parlors
of the church will be served at
7:00 p.m. The dinner will be
followed by an address of wel
come by G'orge V. Green, May
or Lanier and Clarence Keating,
president of the Chamber of
Commerce. Special music will be
furnished by Miss Betty Boyd
and Mrs. Lyman Graves.
Business sessions of the con
ference will begin at 9:00 a.m.
Wednesday morning.
A special train will bring the
Anchorage delegation to the all
day conference of the Woman's
Division of Christian Service.
About 30 delegates are expected
from Anchorage. The train will
return in the evening.
Ministers with their families
and conference delegates from
all parts of Alaska and special
visitors from the States are ar
riving by plan e and s h i
throughout the day. Amon
those are Rev. and Mrs. Wyburn
Skidmore and two children. He
is former pastor of the Seward
church.
Th public is invited to attend
tonight's banquet and meet the
distinguished visitors.
WOMEN ASKED TO WEAR
OLD TIME COSTUMES
A number of Gay '90 s cos
tumes were seen among the
ladies at the Fourth of July Bail
last year. Some were actual
heirlooms of a much earlier date
and several were very attractive.
The Fireman’s Ball to be
given this week on Saturday
night will begin the Independ
ence Day celebration in Seward.
Ladies are asked to wear their
costumes. Formal dresses will
also be in order, or since the
dance is optional, the girls may
wear street clothes if they pre
fer.
“Let them wear slacks if they
want to.- some firemen say.
Anything, just so the ladies get
to the dance. This is one time
when the firemen want as many
women around as possible. When
they are fighting fires, they
would prefer to have the women
remain at home.
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SATURDAY, JUNE 3©
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SEWARD CIVIC CENTER
8:03 P.M.