Ubrary &,Museua
Juneau, Alaska
▼OL. 18 NO. 10
KODIAK, ALASKA, MARCH 8, 1958
PRICE 19 CKNli
Private Plane ^Vanishes
After "May Day” Signal
The cards were apparently
stacked against five passengers
and the pilot of an Aero Comman
der attempting to make an emer
gency landing here Wednesday
Wyoming after an engine failure.
Sig Staveland, pilot, and his five
passengers, all of Anchorage, pre
sumably crashed at sea approxi
mately 23 miles from here, and
were never seen since. The pilot
radioed that one engine had failed,
and that he was coming in for a
landing.
This was about 10:45. Fifteen
minutes later he signaled “May
Day,” as both engines were dis
abled. He was flying at li.OOO
feet when he was picked up by
CCA on the Naval Station.
The Coast Guard immediately
went into action, having been on a
standby basis since the first mess
age came through, and. were in the
vicinity of the crippled plane 20
minutes after first receiving the
"May Day” signal. An intense
search followed. The two Coast
Guard UFs wrere aided in their
search by the CG vessel BITTER
SWEET, two Navy crash bo„ts,
and a Navy tug. A1 Cratty and Gil
Jar vela of the Kodiak Airways
also flew to the scene, and spent
several hours in the search. Des
pite all these efforts, the plane and
its passengers were never seen
again.
The search area was in the
vicinity of Marmot Island, and the
position of the plane E.N.E. Ceil
ing was reported as variable, with
visibility 300 to 700 feet. Average
surface visibility was five miles.
Coast Guard pilots making the
search reported no sign of an oil
sikk or wreckage anywhere. The
first aircraft, to take off in the
search, after the pilot’s last radio
report, “May Day—May Day—45
Baker—two engines out,” w'as
piloted by Lt. Comdr Peter A.
Young. Seven minutes later a
second Coast Guard rescue plane,
piloted by Lt. Comdr Louis N.
Donohoe. arrived on the scene.
Search operations were hampered
by a low overcast.
Four of the passengers were
members of an Anchorage firm,
Aido JParisot
Artist to appear iin the third Alas
ka Music Trails concert series is
Aide Parish- $t*! Story eppagee.
the Asphalt Paving Corporation
and the Alaska Aggregate. They
were Bert L. Poling and A. Dale
Rodman. both vice-presidents;
George E. Stiles, Chief Engineer
for the company; James Sandvik,
operator. Henry Herlyn. geologist
with the Phillips Oil Company,
was the other passenger. All were
from Anchorage, except Sandvik,
who is from Palmer.
The group had gone to Cape
Cherikof on an oil prospecting
trip, and were returning to
Anchorage when engine trouble
apparently forced the pilot to try
for an emergency landing here.
Ken Hinchey, President of the
Aggregate Company, arrived in
Kodiak Wednesday afternoon. He
was en route to Anchorage from
Seattle when he learned of the
mishap and immediately flew to
Kodiak. He conferred with Coast
Guard officers and all those who
took p..rt in the search. “I have
nothing but high praise for the
Coast Guard and Navy personnel
who took part in the search. Their
alertness and the prompt action
taken should have averted this
tragedy. Bob Hall of the Kodiak
Airways also should be commend
ed,” Hinchey stated. He returned
to Anchorage Friday.
Hinckel Attends
Statehood Meet
Jad' Hinckel left this week to
attend a meeting of the Statehood
Committee, which will be held in
Juneau. Following the meeting, he
will continue on to the States.
Hinckel attended the Statehood
Convention, held last year in Fair
banks, and was one of the signers
of the Alaska Constitution.
Miss Vogt Leaves
Miss Mary Vogt left Saturday
for her new tour of duty at Seoul,
JCorea.
KAIHS Program
Attracts Crowd
More than a hundred interested
visitors attended the meeting of
the Kodiak and Aleutian Islands
Historical Society meeting Wednes
day evening in the Science Room
of the high school to see movies
and slides taken and shown by
Alf Madsen, Alaska Big Game
Guide.
There were pictures of Kodiak
Bear, whales spouting in the
water, sea lions on the rocks, a
pair of Arctic Terns trying to
guard their newly hatched baby
and many other shots of wildlife.
Then there were pictures of
Murphy and a baby seal that prov
ed amusing to everyonje, both
adults and .children. Murphy, a
friendly white dog with a curley
tail, had a lifetime of hunting and
fishing with Madsen behind him'
when he died last year. But
hy still lives on in the picifbte^’
of his adoption of th$ ..tiny orphan
Metzgars’ Going
Anchorage Bound
Bud and Nita Metzgar, residents
here since 1941, will leave next
week for Anchorage, where they
plan to make their home.
The Metzgars came here from
Los Angeles in the spring of 1941.
Working on the waterfront as a
stevedore until 1943, ,Metzgar was
appointed Pier Superintendent of
the old Army Dock in 1944. Mrs.
Metzgar taught first grade school
here for three years, from 1943
45.
In 1945 the Metzgars assumed
management of the Club Unique,
now the Village Bar, which they
managed until 1949. During that
time, Bud Metzgar was appointed
the representative for Odom Com
pany and Anchorage Cold Storage.
He acted in this capacity until last
year.
Mr. Metzgar now has the fran
chise for the territory of Alaska
for the Falcon Everguard fire con
trol system. This product en
dorsed by the Fire Underwriters*
is manufactured by Dupont. The
product, as well as a freon fire ex
tinguisher, hbth automatic, will be
introduced into the territory by
Mr. Metzgar.
The Metzgars are well-known in
the territory. Bud is from Kellog,
Idaho and Nita from Minnesota.
Mr. Metzgar is a past exalted ruler
of the Kodiak Elks Lodge and at
seal, and his watchfulness over it
in their play together.
Many scenic views of the Island
mountain peaks, lakes and streams
teeming with salmon completed
the show that drew heavy applause
from the crowd.
Another highlight of the even
ing was the presentation of an
old grave marker to the Society
by Neil Sargeant. The marker,
which will be on loan to the Socie
ty Museum, has been in the posses
sion of the Sargeant family for
many years. It is believed to date
back to the time of Baranov’s
residency in Kodiak, and may
have marked the grave of a Rus
sian soldier stationed here.
Reverend Roman Sturmer, pas
tor of the Russian Orthodox
Church, plans to soon begin the
translation of the Russian inscrip
tion carved on the stone.
, Mr. and Mrs. Darrel Chaffin*
Woo&f Island, Alf Madsen
Mrs. tyinttie Tberkjttsiii Wf
minted to membership in the
Two PTAs
HS Monday
The Kodiak and Naval Station
Parent-Teachers Associations will
meet jointly, Monday, March 10,
at 7:30 p.m. in the high school
auditorium. Programs for the even
ing will be the third in the series
of panel discussions. Topic to be
discussed is “Goals of Education.”
Six speakers will form the panel
and will discuss various phases of
the subject. Those appearing are
Dr. A. Holmes Johnson, Chaplain
H.W. Buckingham, Mrs. Irene
Pew,. Mrs. Dera Brui-dad, Jim
Gray and W. Findley.
Dr. Victor Strasli, organizer of
the panel discussions, states that
the forums have created consid
erable interest. This is the first
time the two PTA’s have met to
gether, he said. People from
Kodiak and the Naval Station are
invited to attend.
A social hour will follow, when
refreshments will be served.
City Outdoorsmen
Meet Next Tuesday
Amount of dues and other
organizational problems will come
up for decision at the next meet
ing of the newly formed Kodiak
Outdoorsmen club, which will be
held next Tuesday, March 11, at 8
p.m., in the science room of the
downtown school. A large turnout
is expected.
The newly elected Advisory
Board met last Tuesday, at the
home of Kim Clark, and a set of
recommendations formed for pre
sentation at the meeting. Projects
under study include youth activi
ties, rifle range, and programs.
The amount to be set for member
ship dues is one item of business
to be decided.
present is a Trustee of Alaska
Territorial Elks Ass ciation.
A party will be held in their
honor at the Elks Club tonight.
Society.
Curtis Saxton, Archeology Sec
tion Chairman, reported plans be
ing made to pick and survey a
site for excavation during the
summer. A request for a digging
permit will be submitted to the
Department of the Interior as soon
as the survey is completed.
Eunice Neseth, reporting for
the Natural History Section, stated
that collecting and identifying of
local seashells is now in progress.
One field trip to Pasagshak was
made recently, according to Gerald
Clark, Geology Section.
A space heater has been install
ed in the Museum, with installa
tion being done through the
courtesy of Chase and Copsey.
Dr. Bob Johnson announced
that the Museum will be open
every weekend, and everyone is
cordially invited to visit it. The
IfPP Will V: Friday, 7:00 until
Slturday and Sunday,
2:00 until 4:00 pm.
Along The
Waterfront
High winds prevalent the past
few days caused damage to beats,
airplanes, and smoke stacks With
gusts of 75 m.p,h. recorded at the
Fire Hall, and n\any more in the
60-70 category, it was little wonder
that boats were ripped from their
moorings, and airplanes “crashed'
without leaving the ground.
Fortunately for the owners, A31
Madsens trim cruiser, the EX
PLORER and the boat EVANGEL,
both berthed at Alvine’s Boat Re
pair, after breaking away from the
dock during the night, headed for
the beach instead of the open sea.
Stan Alvine lost a little sleep dur
ing Wednesday night’s blow. He
had checked the boats about 2 a.m
and all seemed OK. but later the
EVANGEL’S deck cleat broke, and
the boet began to wander,, holing
up by the FWS dock nearby. Tht
EXPLORER also piled up on the
beach when the dock cleat pulled
out. A hole was punched in her
side half way up the side.
Two planes came together, Gem
Hardings “CB” tnd a small plane
owned by George Ante—these
were above the Mission beach—
which is commonly referred to a?
Kodiak’s International Airport.
The wind acted like a tomack;
over in the area by King Crab Inc*,,
and lifted a small section bouse
and planted it in the water. Can- -
ning has been slowed somewhat,
with only a few boats making ii
in with crabs. Resoff expects to*
get into the swing today, with
good weather holding. 12,000 case*
is the output of the cannery since
the beginning of its operation this
year January 13.
The NORTHLAND, crab boat
from Seldovia, was in at the Stan
dard OH Dock. Lawrence Olsen is
the Ripper.
At the City Dock, the TATA
LINA was in Tuesday and cleared
Wednesday_Cargo was light -.
. EXPANSION came in Fri
day heading Westward.
The bookkeeper and cashier at
the Dock, LueHle Hicks, goes tr
Anchorage next week for grant*
jury duty. Jack Johnson will work
the office alone during that time.
News from Karluk is bad. Tht
famed suspension bridge, winch
gives access between the old ano
new town, broke away, and is re
ported as a total loss. Some means
of relief has to be found, as it ^
said about 30 children use tht
bridge to go to school each day.
The bridge fell about 7 o’clock
Thursday morning. Gusts of 8;
mp.h. winds were reported at
Karluk. \
AFOGNAK YOUTH INJURED
Joe De Cleaux, 17 year old son
of Mt. and Mrs. Mitch De Cleaux.
was* (brought in from Afugnak to
the Griffin Memorial Hospital Mon
day morning, following an acci
dent at the Del Valley sawmill
The boy was working under a
"cat” when the blade slowly de
scervded on him, breaking his pel
vic bone. He was then rushed U
Anehiya^e Monday afternoon, -for
surgery, accompanied by his fath
er w|o is an employee at the mill. _ 1