"News of cAmenca s Last Frontier”
VOL. 16 NO. 32
KODIAK, ALASKA, AUGUST 11, 1956
PRltE 10 CENTS
'"fcwywfo"„Ty ,niurei
morning Fire
A fire which injured more than
ten men occurred in the early
hours of Friday mornipg, at the
Cannery located at Pt. Moller. The
cannery is only a short distance
from Pt. Heiden, and about 250
miles from Kodiak
The fire broke out during the
night in the barracks at the Can
nery. The men were awakened, but
the barracks, being of wood con
struction, burned rapidly. Some of
the men jumped out of the win
dows, but the floor collapsed, car
rying others down into the flames.
Two unidentified men Wfre dead.
Five men were injured from
falling, three severely burned,
three suffered minor burns and
four received minor burns and lac
erations.
Two UF’s belonging to the Coast'
Guard and the Navy, were dis
patched to the scene of the fire
after a call was received from the
CG Loran Station at Cape Sari
chef, at 1:55 a. m. requesting aid.
Capt. F. K. Smith, Senior Medical
Officer, accompanied one of the
planes, and administered aid to
•"V lujtuvu LUVI1.
Capt- Smith stayed at the scene
«f the accident, treating the in
jured as quickly as possible. Earl
Newman, Hospital Corpsman, 1C,
accompanied a plane load of six
men who were in critical condi
tion. They were brought to the
Naval Station hospital for exam
ination before being sent to Grif
fin Memorial Hospital. Four more
were due at 4 o’clock with Capt.
Smith.
| In an interview with Captain
Smith, the doctor said they arrived
there about 8:12 and found the in
jured had been tended by thq can
nery people. He had nothing but
high praise for them, as he found
the patients had been bandaged
and cared for.
Capt. Smith stated the barracks,
a frame building, two stories high,
had burned to the ground. In at
tempting to escape, some of the
occupants, who were on the second
story, jumped about fifteen feet.
Two people are dead. Their
names are Silvestre Robinos, 68, a
Filippino cannery worker from
San Francisco and Atyandro Paal
an Castillo, 55, of Delano, Calif.
Others injured, who were brought
to Kodiak by the CG and Navy
planes were Floyd Cosby, Bedesto
Kaminada, Richard Smith, Quirino
Palling, Agatigo Curpoz, A1 Rav
era, Augustine Tumbaga and Kos
coe Haskell.
Crew members of the Navy UF
effecting the rescue were L. J.
Hendrichs, Chief AP; D. E. Pac
thin, AD2; L. L. Drumm, ADI and
R. D. Hartman, AD2.
Pilot of the Coast Guard UF was
Lt R. L. Huxtable. Co-pilot was
J. P. Greathouse, ADC. Other
crew members were P. O. Layman.
AD3 and R. A. Patterson. AOl.
LOTS OPEN FOR DRAWING
Lot 28 of U. S. Survey 3039, and
Lot 10 of U. S. Survey 3101will be
offered in a Small Tract drawing
tp be conducted in Anchorage be
tween the dates of 10 a m. on Aug
6 and 3 p. m., August 15.
Tax Ordinance On
Council Agenda
There will be a City Council
meeting at the City Hall Monday,
August 13, at 8:00 p. m. The Sales
Tax Ordinance will come up tor
the first reading at the meeting,
and will be the first item on the
agenda, according to City Mana
ger Charles Truitt.
Open House On NS
At Fish Hatchery
Bob Simon, biologist in charge
of the Kodiak Naval Station-Fish
Hatchery announced at the Kodiak
Conservation Club meeting Mon
day that due to the “cooperation”
of the “fry” the Hatchery’s Open
House would be held on Sunday
beginning at 1 p. m.
The “cooperation” comes from
the evolution of the fish eggs to
the “fry” stage. It cannot be ac
curately predicted due to changes
in water temperature, Mr. Simon
said. The warm sunshine of the
last few weeks speeded up the pro
cess and they are now at the “fry”
stage. These “fry” will later be
planted in the lakes and streams
of Kodiak to provide fishing for
future years.
Mr. Simon also gave a report at
the meeting of the Hatchery egg
record for 1956. Total number of
eggs taken were 1,101,345. Eggs
shipped to various points in Alas
ka, 646,770. The pickoff totalled
62,241. 5.65 was the percentage for
the pickoffs, he Said. Total eggs
still in the hatchery were given as
392,334. The hatching process
started July 28 and finished Aug
ust 6, according to Simon.
166 Years Of Service For The Coast Guard
* i
The U. S. Coast Guard, with its
long history of service, marked its
166th Anniversary on the 4th of
August. It is the oldest seagoing
service, basing the fact in,its ori
gin as the Revenue Cutter Ser
vice, founded in 1790 and organiz
ed under the Department of Treas
ury to enforce tariff regulations.
In 1915 it was combined with the
Life Saving Service and was des
ignated "The Coast Guard.” In
1939 the Light House Service and
the Bureau of Marine Inspection
and Navigation were incorporated
into the Coast Guard organization.
Today the Coast Guard operates
under the Secretary of the Treas
ury and in time of war, or when
the President shall so direct, as
part of the U. S. Navy.
The general function of the
Coast Guard is maritime law en
forcement, saving and protecting
life and property, providing navi
gational aids to maritime shipping
and trans-oceanic air commerce,
promoting the efficiency and safety
of the American Merchant Marine,
and readiness for military opera
tions.
Car Over Bank
Causes Death
One man was killed and another
seriously injured when a car
plunged over the enbankmenl on
the Ski Chalet road Thursday
morning.
The occupants, service personnel
who are attached to the Naval
Station,' plummeted about a hun
dred feet into a ravine, when the
1950 Chrysler broke through the
guard rail at the hairpin turn. One
suffered a broken neck, and died
shbrtiy after. His name, Arencio
Layson, SD3, was withheld until
his next of kin were notified. He
was attached to VP28, squadron
on the Naval Station. He is surviv
ed by his widow, Adelaida Distro
Layson, who resides at the NavSl
Air Station at Barber’s Point,
Oahu, T. H.
His companion, Florentio Diaz, ,
■ SD2, who was also attached to the
Naval Station, escaped serious in
jury. His condition is not consider
ed seiious. He was badly lacerated
about the face. .’I- i- •'aid to have
literally crawled a half mile for
aid.
MRS. CLARK LEAVES
FOR TREATMENT
Mrs. Basil Clark, who has been
confined in Griffin Memorial Hos
pital since breaking her ankle
while on a mountain climb last
week, will leave today for Seattle.
She will enter Virginia Mason
Clinic for further medical treat
ment due to the seriousness of the
breaks.
Dorothy was lying helpless for
2% hours with only her dog
Bounce, for protection while Basil
went to the CB camp for aid. She
stated she became badly frighten
ed when she heard the sound of an
animal crashing through the near
by brush. The Saltery Cove area,
where her accident occurred, is
well known as bear country.
C of C Committees
Named By Hinckel
Jack Hinckel, President of the
Chamber of Commerce, addressed
the members last Thursday, point
ing out the functions of the group,
and the aims to be accomplished.
He announced the committees for
the year. '
Hinckel said the business people
as a group could accomplish more
than they could as Individuals. He
stressed the nee^ to. attend meet
ings to learn the facts. One of the
functions, he said, of the Chamber
is to attract new business and to
assist newcomers who wish to lo
cate here. “Many improvements,”
he said, “have been accomplished
through the years due to efforts of
the Chamber.”
Several cases of smoked clams ;
have been shipped to Washington.
D.C. to to distributed to those who
assisted Merrill Coon on the small
boat harbor project.
Dr. Bob Johnson reported a
rourist Information Center will be
located in the Insurance Depart
ment of the Bank of Kodiak. The
Insurance office will be the head
quarters for an automobile pool.
Pamphlets will be available there
for distribution.
City Manager Charles Truitt re
ported to the members he has had
assurances from Thomas Mooney,
APW Director, that the request of
he City for funds to raise the res- J
srvoir will be referred to Wash- ,
ington, D. C. as necessary emer
gency action. Mooney and A1 Bo- ;
Serg, Superintendent of Construe
ion Engineers were in town last 1
week and looked over the project. !
Truitt also announced the new (
portable public address system for j
he Police Department is ordered ,
md on the way. The system will ,
je installed in the new police car. ,
Mrs. Bea Nachtweih made a mo- .
don the City be requested to wash
iown the main street at least once
i week du.ing the dry weather. ,
(Continued on Page 13) ,
A
The Coast Guard performs many
duties in the Alaskan area that
have brought them close to the
lives of those living in these north
ern coastal areas. One of the most
familiar is the participation of the
Coast Guard, with the Navy, as
part of Search and Rescue Com
mand Two. The SAR duties that
seem like routine to officers and
crews are often the difference be
tween life and death to shipwreck
ed fishermen, ships in distress, or
many an isolated villager whose
only hope in a critical emergency
is the SAR evacuation plane or
ship. These SAR operations, out of
Kodiak, use both Coast Guard and
Navy ships and UF amphibian
planes, as required. The Coast
Guard has conducted 26 SAR
flights here since the first of this
year.
Another duty of the Coast Guard
is the enforcing, and assisting in,
the conservation of fisheries and
wildlife. This includes protection
of game, seal and bird reserva
tions. The Coast Guard is active
in law enforcement generally in
Alaska, and cutters in the course
of their cruises touch at many Al
askan settlements. On these trips <
they may also administer to the i
health and welfare of the local I
communities. The voyage of the
Winona, that left the Kodiak Na- i
vgl Base recently, is an example <
of such a cruise. Coast Guard ships '
also perform inshore patrols and
destroy wrecks that are hazards
to navigations.
Ice breakers assist marine com- '
merce by opening ice-blocked 1
channels and ports. The Kodiak '
based Sedge, with other Coast
Guard ships, is now performing 1
similar duties in the Arctic.
The Coast Guard maintains ocean ,
stations for search and rescue,
communications and air naviga
tion. Planes of the air-lines, high
above the vast seas, find their '
paths by following the “beam”
from the Coast Guard Cutter on
its “Ocean Station. This is one of
the duties of the Minnetonka,
Coast Guard Cutter temporarily
assigned to the Naval Station.
The Kodiak Coast Guard Unit’
is under the command of the 17th
Coast Guard District located at
Juneau.
Along The
Waterfront
The waterfront Is active wit hi
about everything except canning
fish these days. The City Dock
boys are loading and unloading
the Expansion. She had some less
than 15 tons. Jack Johnson, whari
inger, is expecting considerable
activity next week when he will
play "host” to the Lucidor, the
Rambler and a barge with 260
tons of freight, supplies for Uk
Modern Electric for the White
Mice Projects1
Tied up at^fhe^ity Dock is the.
power scow Bobbie, skippered <by .
Sene Vick. Slie has aboard a losui
af Texans. They’re not tourist*
however, bue expect to make then >
Pome on Sitkinak, an adjoining is
land to Kodiak. They happen to
le steers from the King Ranch in,
Texas. See elsewher* roi more dc
ails.
This was the week for the hate
aut fleet to invade the town
some of them noted along the
vaterfront was the San Juan No
l, a Canadian boat and is skipper
?d by Ben Austness. Other Canarti
in boats and their skippers were:
3. C. Producer, Fred Kohse skip
>er; Good Partner, skippered by
Siner Jensen; Anne Tuck, belong
ng to the Nelson brothers. The
tnne Tuck deserves special men
ion. She is skippered by *
‘young” fisherman, who is 83
rears old. The youngest is a mere
‘whippersnapper” of 70. His big ?
;est complaint is the oldsters get
n his way all the time. George
dagnusen, down at the Standard'
)il Dock, estimates the crews com’
lined -age at 500years. It looks like
hese men aren’t going to rust
iway, even if they are subject to
he corrosive action of the salt
vaier.
L. Tysvick is skipper of the
Western Girl, which has been tied
ip here this week. The Western
Spirit, skippered by Curtis Jensen,
vas another one tied up for a few
applies. Miss Gene with Henry
binder at the helm, pulled in. The
Jape Beales, with 3. Arnett as
>wner and skipper, locked hero,
mroute to his home it Vancouver*
i. C.
Jack Hinckel reports quiet his'
way. The North Star, the frees*:?
hip, was anchored out in the
cater for a few' days She is ea
oute home, after good fishing i»r
Bristol Bay and poor here.
We’re going to extend the boon
iary line of Along the Water
ront this time. Alex B own, Jr ,
>f Karluk comes through with a
‘fish story,” but of course thi*
>ne is true. On July 30, for the
Monday morning opening, the
>each seiners caught 17.900 fish
rhis was the biggest catch of the
>eason—almost half of this years
•atch. To date they ’’a-e 38,723.
Mex says: “For a char. c. the gang
vent around with smile., ar.d were
lappy to be fishing.”
Mrs. Lloyd Howe write; :n from
Jyak Bay that Joe Maxwell and
Joyd Howe are out trying for the
nen, the boys are not doing oo
llusive fish. Like a lot of fisher
veil. “Our clam-bed is sure gping
o catch it this winter,” she says.
Canneries here have been oper
( continued to page 16)