Record Of Kodiak Fu^s
Reveals City Fortunate
Kodiak has been very fortunate,
in the years gone by, according to
Fire Chief George Magnusen, in
that no fire has served to serious
ly threaten her, even though the
possibility has been there many
times.
Magnusen was honored by the
Rotary Club Tuesday, when he was
presented with a pair of biniculars,
a gift in token of his services to
the community in his role as Fire
Chief.
“The periodic winds and improp
erly installed stoves, together with
the old houses hereabouts, create
a constant fire ha7.ard in the com
munity,” according to Magnusen.
He shook his head and said, “I be
lieve Kodiak is watched over by
a guardian angel or something.”
The man on the street, .however,
attributes the few fires, and the
low damage resulting, to the Ko
diak Volunteer Fire Department,
and more particularly to the watch
fulness of its Chief, George Mag
nusen. High winds mean sleepless
nights for this fire-fighter, Mo
ments of exciting drama are the
lot of the firemen, but the many
hours of routine patrolling, usual
ly during cold blustery nights are
the usual lot. When high winds
mreaten, George usually alerts his
men to remain ready for a call. If
the winds are particularly bad,
these men organize into patrols,
and tour the streets of Kodiak.
This paid off in January of 1953,
when the City Market fire occur
red. This could have resulted in
one of the worst fires in the City’s
history, and it is generally agreed
but for Magnusen's prompt spot
ting of the fire’s origin, a whole
city block might have burned. Due
to the high winds prevailing, Mag
nusen was on one of his perodic
fire patrols, when at 3 a. m. he no
ticed smoke in the building. By
the time he was able to get the
fire trucks to the scene, smoke and
flames were shooting out, threat
ening Bert’s Drug Store next door
and adjacent buildings. Magnusen
was highly praised for his efforts
by T. W. McArthur, Fire Chief at
the Naval Station.
A main street fire,evidences of
which still remain, was the Lyric
Theatre holocaust. This building
was practically demolished, and no
insurance was carried.
A more recent fire which claim
ed the lives of three people, in
cluding two children, occurred
April 3, 1954. The two story log
house, which was owned by Harry
Landers, was severely gutted, but
has since been rebuilt. The vic
tims were Mrs. Alice Richey, age
29; Sherry Van Sant, age 3, and
Michele Van Sant, age 1 year. This
is probably the most disastrous
fire in the history of Kodiak, in
lives lost at least. Ttye Holman fire
on Mission Road, which occurred
last year was a costly fire, but for
tunately no lives were lost. Other
fires, in the early days were Sallys
Liquor Store and the Russian
Church. The latter was disastrous
in that it destroyed an old land
mark and many valuable ikons.
George has been fire chief for
the past eight years. He has been
on the department since 1942. He
was a pumpman back in the early
uays when the Department was
started. The first chief Kodiak had
was Victor Lawhead. He was fol
lowed by Nederhauser and later
Jack King. Jack Allman, well
known pioneer Alaskan, followed
King as Fire Chief. Magnusen
took over when Allman left Ko
diak a few years after World War
II. At that time the office of Po
lice Chief and Fire Chief were
combined. George served in both
Capacities until the two depart
ments were separated.
There were twelve fires
according to Magnusen, up to this
date last year. This year the rec
ords show only two, which indi- <
cates Kodiak residents are becom
Lar in* conscious.' A- win’d as to
the proper procedure is given by
the Fite Chief. “Call the Fire De
partment first, no matter bow
small the fire,” he says, “then fight
the fire if you want to.” The first
five minutes is worth five hours
later, he says, in getting a fire un
der control.
“1 want to thank the members
of Rotary for their gift and the
sentiments expressed. This day
will remain in my memory the
rest of my life. The volunteer fire
men and myself greatly appreciate
your expressions of appreciation.”
Magnusen had high praise for a
former fire chief stationed at Fort
Greeley, George Burns, from whom
lie said he learned a great deal.
The assistance given by T. W. Mc
Arthur, present fire chief at the
Naval Station, was also greatfully
acknowledged by Magnusen. The
Station fire-fighting crew always
acts in a stand-by capacity at all
big fires, and are an added surety
against a fire spreading.
There are 24 regular members
in the Volunteer Fire Department.
CITY CODES WILL BE REVISED
The City Council in session Mon
lay night decided to authorize the
City attorney to revise the city
mdes.
It is planned to bring the codes
ip to date and publish them for
listrbution among the residents of
:he City.
The water situation came up for
review among the Council mem
bers. The City Manager was in
structed to prepare figures of pos
sible cost of dredging the bottom
5f the reservoir, and also adding
about six more inches to its height,
rhis will be done as soon as
feasible to prevent a recurrance
)f the conditions existing this
■Vinter. Provisions were made dur
ng its construction for the addi
;ional height.
An agreement is ready for sig
lature with the Longshoreman’s
Jnion, according to Pat Cannon,
:hairman of the committee nego
iating the agreement.
.... t!* : * ♦
RUSSELL GALLAGj IS
ESSAY CONTEST Y.iVNER
Winners of the Am ;eanism Es
say Contest, conducted during Feb
ruary through Miss Fi rnces Gray’s
English classes of the high1 school,
have been announced as, Russell
Gallagher, first, Linda Rockstad,
second and Hazel Cleo Hartman,
third.
The contest is an annual affair
sponsored by the American Legion
Auxiliary throughout the country.
The Jack Allman Unit No. 17 will
award the local winners with gold,
silver and bronze medals.
The essays of the winning con
testants have been forwarded for
further judging and competition
within''the Department of Alaska;
America*-4>*gi«n Auxiliary, win
ners of which shall enter National
competition.
Angus McPhee has been confin
ed to Griffin Memorial Hospital
the past week, where he has been
receiving further treatmeft after
suffering frostbite some time ago.
Mrs. Lina Getty returned to her
home on the Naval Station Tues
day after spending a week in Grif
fin Memorial Hospital, where she
was treated for a severe cold.
Education does not grow from
beautiful buildings.
.4
THE GREAT REMOVER
An Exchange says: Alcohol will remove stains from summer
clothes. This is correct.
Alcohol will also remove —
The summer clothes,-The winter clothes,
The spring clothes,-The fall clothes.
not only from the back of the man who drinks it, but from his
wife and children as well.
Alcohol will also remove —
A good reputation-A man’s business-A man’s
friends-A happy look from children’s faces-A
prosperous man to a pauper grave-A man from re
spectable society to the penitentary — — A man from the
highway of heaven to the road to hell. ✓
And will make a wildcat out of an otherwise inoffensive citizen.
As a remover of things
Alcohol Has No Equal
(Author unknown)
Sponsored by Kodiak W.C.T.U.
BBCSBES
Ren? a Wav/ Car v/i?r
autamatic
transmission
RTZ
RENT A CAR
SYSTEM (Licenjee)
Holman Auto Mart
Phone 3081
i loss FACE HANK
By FRANK THOMAS
i 310H SIH
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Q3Nanj. noA-//viMV
SONNY SOUTH
By COURTNEY ALDERSON
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UN COLO WATER CREEK* .
RURAL DELIVERY
WELL, I DID IT, VWuaT \
RUSTY' I WENT S
TO FARMER BROWN k 1
AND I KICKED
Bout my pay' / £•
I SAID, MR. BROWN, I'M
WORKIN' HERE AS LONG
AS RUSTy/ HE DON'T Do
Nothin' and I do
TWICE AS MUCH AND HE
GETS TWO DOLLARS MORE
I SAID " I \(WHAT
DON'T SEE WHY P'^ HE
I SHOULDN'T j r^ ~
GET JUST as
MUCH AS RUSTY'7i>tr
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[ HE SAID I ^ :
WAS RIGHT'
HE SAID (
WE RETWO
NICE BOYS
J
By AL SMITH
;oNEy-r WEEK
HE'S GOMNA
Jut TWO DOLLARS
a VJEPKOFF
YOUR PAY '