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"News of oAmencd’s Last Frontier9
VOL 11 NO 49
KODIAK, ALASKA
FEBRUARY 16, 1952
PRICE 10 ©ENTS
3 Rescued, 1 Dead As Fishing Boat Sinks
Cold Storage Report
Heard By Chamber
Marshall Crutcher’s report
on the affairs of the Kodiak
Ice and Cold Storage Com
pany, Inc. resulted in a long
discussion and created the
longest single meeting of the
Kodiak Chamber of Commerce
Thursday.
The report, in the form of a
letter, addressed to Merrill
Coon, president of the C of C,
was read to the group by
Crutcher, president of the
Bank of Kodiak and chairman
of the special committee to in
vestigate the company. (See
page 5 of today’s MIRROR
for the complete report).
Paul A. Dupler, city at
torney, disputed several
points presented by Crutcher.
Dupler represents the city in
the suit against the cold
storage company. ,
The city has filed suit in
Third District Court asking
that the concern be forced to
vacate its quarters at the
city dock.
During the hour long dis
cussion it was learned that
28 Kodiak residents hold stock
in the company in the amount
of $64,000.
The cold storage company’s
lease on the property at the
city dock will expire in Octo
ber 1952. The lease between
the city and company, dated
Oct. 8, 1947, grants the com
pany an option to purchase
the property after the expira
tion of three years from the
date for $25,000.
The company now pays the
city $500 per month for the
property. All rents paid from
the date of the lease shall be
applied against the $25,000.
To date the company has paid
$22,500.
Following the report
Crutcher submitted a resolu
tion to the group asking that
the chamber give a vote of
confidence to the company;
do everything within its pow
er to help the project; asked
that the city withdraw its
suit against the company and
convey to the company title to
the land designated as the site
for the buildings.
A motion to table the reso
lution was defeated by the
body. Pat Cannon, president
of the United Fishermen of A
laska, made the motion which
was seconded by Dupler.
Later, Crutcher moved that
the resolution be adopted.
Emil Knudsen seconded the
motion. The motion passed by
a large majority.
One of the largest crowds
in months attended the regu
lar C of C meeting at the
Montmartre Inn.
During the hour long dis
cussion Ben Kraft and Jorgen
Fredrickson, stockholders in
the KICSC, walked out of the
meeting.
Following the meeting Joe
Kerrigan, secretary and busi
ness agent for the UFA, de
clared, “I was admitted to the
bar in 1923 and this is the
first time I ever heard a law
suit tried before a chamber of ;
commerce. ’ ’
License Deadline
Draws Near
With less than two weeks
remaining before the Febru
ary 29 deadline for obtaining
1952 vehicle license plates
only one-half of the vehicles
subject to territorial registra
tion have complied, Bob Hed
loff, city clerk, said yesterday.
On March 1, the police de
partment will issue tickets to
' all vehicle operators not pos
sessing current registration
plates and City of Kodiak
registration sticker.
The Kodiak Naval Station
Provost Marshal’s office has
advised that vehicles will not
be permitted on the naval
station after March 1 unless
valid plates are displayed.
For the convenience of those
motorists who have neglected
to apply for 1952 registration,
the city hall will remain open
Saturday afternoons from 1 to
4 pm, Feb. 16 and 23, in ad
dition to the regular license
hours of 10 to 12 and 1 to 4,
Mondays through Friday,
Hedloff said.
Delinquent Tax Roll
To Be Published
The delinquent tax roll for
the City of Kodiak will be
published within the next 30
days, the city council decided
Monday night.
Over $16,000 is due the city
in taxes for the year 1951.
Council members were unani
mous in the decision to publish
the tax roll.
Orin Kuhnley, superinten
dent of the local Halferty Can
neries Inc. cannery, arrived
in town Thursday night.
Hartman Returns
From Korean War
Pfc. Bill Hartman, 20-year
old son of Mrs. Dunia Hart
man, has returned to Kodiak
after spending the past year
and a half fighting in Korea.
He was assigned to the 68th
AAA and has seen duty on
many fronts of the Korean
war. Pfc. Hartman will be in
Kodiak until around the first
of the month when he will re
turn to Ft. Lewis, Washing
ton. He expects to be dischar
ged in September and will
then attend college under the
G.I. Bill.
While in Korea he saw sev
eral former Kodiak residents
who are now serving with the
armed forces. Last year he
talked with Sgt. Frank
Pagano, son of Mrs. Margaret
Heitman, who was then at
Pusan. He also saw Herman
Buekers, who is with the 82oth
signal outfit, and with Carl;
Swensen, son of Tom Swen
sen, who is with the U. S.
Marines.
Before coming to Kodiak he
talked with Tim Chernoff at
Ft. Lewis. Chernoff recently
returned to the states from;
Korea. Hartman also saw Val'
Morrison, former Kodiak resi
dent, and Don West, son of
Chief West of the U. S. Navy,
while in Korea.
Pfc. Hartman has served
three years and five months in!
the Army. Prior to service in
Korea he was stationed in
Guam, Saipan and Japan. He
was in Washington when the
Korean war started.
He left Inchon, Korea, Jan
uary 1, 1952 and went to
Pusan. From Pusan he was
sent to Japan and there board
ed a boat for Seattle.
Hartman was near the Yalu
River during the heavy fight
ing in the late winter of 1960.
He told of the starved people
of Korea and of thievery of
American Army equipment
whenever U. S. Troops leave
an area.
Bank To Close
On Friday
The Bank of Kodiak will be
closed on Washington’s Birth
day, Friday, February 22, in
addition to Thursday, the
usual bank holiday.
The Garland, westward
mailboat, was in port Wed
nesday and Thursday of this
week. The vessel arrived'from
the westward Wednesday
night covered with ice.
Woman’s Body Found
On Afognak Island
Bulletin
The body of Mrs. Ed Nevers
was found by a Navy search
party late yesterday after
noon. She apparently died of
exposure. Late details were
not available at press time.
Mrs. Ed Nevers was the
object of a Navy-Coast Guard
search along the Shelikof side
of Afognak Island yesterday
following the abandoning of
the fishing boat Kerry by its
crew of four late Tuesday
night.
The remaining three mem
bers of the crew were flown to
Kodiak Naval Station and
transferred to Griffin Me
morial Hospital late yester
day afternoon following their
Korean Talks
Continue
By Associated Press
Seoul — Allied troops and
artillery smashed a major
Red attempt to breach the
lines on the East ern Korean
front. Some 1,100 Chinese
struck the allied lines after
dark behind roaring artillery
fire.
The Reds were thrown back
after an hour battle. It was
the biggest Red assault in a
month.
Meanwhile, in Munsan Al
lied truce negotiator Col. Don
0. Darrow charged that the
Reds were stalling until the
session between the top en
voys is over.
The Reds balked at volun
tary repatriation ot prisoners.
Basketball Teams
To Tournament
The Kodiak and the Naval,
Station High School basket- J
ball teams, with their cheer
ing sections, plan to leave to
day for the tournament at
Fairbanks.
The teams will fly to An
chorage and will go by train
to Fairbanks. The tournament
is scheduled for Feb. 20 to
23, inclusive. ,
The Kodiak team is coached
by Howard Carpenter and the
base team by Clyde C. Field.
Mrs. Carpenter will act as
chaperon for the high school
cheer leaders and Mrs. Paula
Duborg and Mrs. Ethel Me
Phee for the base girls.
i rescue from the beach near
Devil’s Inlet on Afognak Is
land.
Ed Nevers, 43, husband of
Mrs. Nevers, Bill Niemela,
39, and Nels Lanz, 46, were
found barefoot, in a cabin on
the beach by a Coast Guard.
PBY.
The Kerry’s engine quit
Tuesday night near Black
Cape as the vessel was en
route to Port Williams from
Kodiak. 30 knot winds, heavy
seas and snow handicapped
the crew’s attempt to put out
an anchor.
They abandoned the Kerry
and walked inland to gain the
shelter of the woods. Mrs.
Nevers became exhausted.
Nevers carried his wife for a
while but he too became ex
hausted. He built a “lean-to’’
for her.
The men then went search
ing for a cabin in the vicinity
to obtain matches.
The men found the cabin..
During the walk to the cabin
the men suffered frozen feet
and were unable to return for
Mrs Nevers. They were bare
ly able to make the cabin arndl
were unable to build a fire.
The Kerry sent a distress;
call Tuesday night which was
relayed to the USCG Sedge at
Woman’s Bay at Kodiak Na
val Station. Comsar 2 ordered'
the US3 Munsee, Navy sea
going tug, to the scene. The
vessel searched the area from
Black Gape to Shuyak Strait
on the 13th. Snow flurries and
poor flying weather kept Navy
and Coast Guard search plames.
grounded.
i nursaay, tne Munsee casiea
an air search. That afternoon
Navy and CG PBYs took off.
One plane spotted a mam
ashore at Devil’s Inlet, be
tween Black Cape and Shu
yak Strait. The plane dropped'
messages but they were dis
regarded.
At night fall the planes;
returned to the base. Friday,,
three persons were spotted on;
the beach at Devil’s Inlet.
The Munsee’s skippex
put a narty ashore. The three
survivors were taken to Port;
Williams.
Nevers said he had $7,OCO
in the boat an 1 around $2 000
worth of equipment aboard..
He had no insurance.
“Thank God they found us.
We couldn’t have lasted an
other day,” Niemela declared.
I