220 Cars Participate In Test Evacuation
PALMER’S STREETS
JAMMED WITH AUTOS
IN SATURDAY TRIAL
“I didn’t think there were that
many military dependents on all
of Fort Richardson,” moaned a
tired M.P. last Saturday, as he
gulped a hasty cup of coffee at a
drug store counter. “Ill be say
ing ‘two blankets per person’ in
my sleep tonight,” he moaned as
he picked up gloves and started
slowly back to his chilly duty
post beside the Palmer depot.
The GI was but one of many
who were assisting in the test
mass evacuation of Fort Richard
son dependents last Saturday
morning. The test evacuation,
first ever attempted on North
American soil, also was staged at
Ladd Field at Fairbanks that
same morning.
Civilians, primarily young
mothers with children, left An
chorage at 10:52 on Saturday,
when radio instructions told them
to proceed at a normal pace to
•■the first highway processing sta
tion-^in this case, Palmer. Ear
lier instructions at 10 a.m. had
alerted the volunteer evacuees,
who used the hour to gather food
and blankets necessary in a real
evacuation order.
Women with cars shared their
vehicles with other nrfothers and
children without transportation.
Maj. Boyd H. Arnold, S-4, Sec
ond Task Force, said there was an
average of “3.75 persons in the
220 cars checked through the
Palmer station.”
The first vehicle to arrive in
Palmer was ahead of the Army’s
timetable, for it drew in to the
final check point here before
11:30 that morning. Occupants
of the car were the wives of Gen.
Frank Armstrong and Julian Cun
ningham, and Miss Gary Cun
ningham, all of Fort Richardson.
When military personnel went
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through their routine check, they
found the Generals’ ladies had
taken a wrong turning and had
skipped some of the required
check points in Palmer—where
! upon the General’s car was waved
back and started on the circle of
Palmer check points again, to
complete the entire process.
There were seven checking sta
; tions, in all, through which ve
hicles were passed before they
I were considered ready to proceed
: on their supposed flight to the
states. Automobiles left the high
way at Hartley’s corner, pro
ceeded past the railroad station
and then turned back toward the
highway along Valley Street.
Along that route cars and their
occupants were checked for prop
er evacuation forms, required
supply of food and blankets, were
issued a first-aid kit, orders were
checked for completeness and ac
curacy. a quick motor check was
given every vehicle, gasoline and
oil supplies were checked, and
final destination and the financial
status of each evacuee was de
| termined. Those who would be
in need of funds before reaching
j their stateside destination would
| be issued money at the final
checkpoint in Palmer, located in
Kirk’s Sales and Service. Finally,
I a windshield sticker was pasted
‘ on vehicles which had passed
through the seven stations and
the occupants were allowed to
continue their travels.
Major Arnold said that Satur
day’s test had .shown that more
personnel would be needed to
facilitate the speedy handling of
evacuees. A tired motherj in the
last car in line, still a block from
the final check point at four
o’clock Saturday, reported she’d
been waiting “three darned
hours, going on four.” When the
evacuation was at its peak, cars
were lined in a double lane for
three blocks along Valley Street,
reaching from the Matanuska
Hotel to Kirk’s Sales & Service.
Major Arnold said the test had
shown ways in which the process
ing time could be halved in the
j event a real evacution became
necessary. Saturday’s operation
| was smooth, with neither high
: way accidents nor lost children
; marring the trial. Some automo
biles had motor difficulty, when
! drivers allowed the motor to idle
| too long.
The major expressed his ap
| preciation to Palmer residents for
! their co-operation in the test, al
though he indicated his surprise
that more Valley folk were not
! watching the processing at check
ing stations.
Cooperating in the test from
Palmer were territorial highway
patrolman Stanley Laird, Walter
Huntley, civilian defense chair
man here, U. S. Commissioner
Dorothy Saxton and a deputy
marshall Bill Bouwens.
Major Arnold expressed par
ticular gratitude to L. W. Bixby
of Kirk’s Sales & Service and to
Everett Yohn of Valley Grocery.
The evacuation was a particular
hardship on Mr. Yohn, who esti
mated that he lost from $800 to
$900 in Saturday trade, when au
tomobiles blocked his doorstep
through the busy shopping hours.
Navy Calls for Bids
On Kodiak Airport
A call for bids for the extension
of the runway and construction
of a new taxiway at the Kodiak
Air Station was issued this week
by Capt. W. F. Wesanen of Sev
enteenth Naval District Head
quarters at Kodiak. Bids will be
opened at three p.m. on Sept. 18
at Kodiak.
Remember?
Coffey Insures Everything!
~ -1
I
I
NOTICE
If all food storage locker rentals are not paid by
Sept. 1, or arrangements made for such payment,
we will consider the lockers vacated and will re
rent them to somone else.
Palmer Cold Storage & Locker Service
ALASKA SEED
Still Serves the Valley
Farmers May Buy Seed, Feed and Fertilizer
at either
TEELAND'S SHOPPING CENTER
at Wasilla
or
ALASKA SEED, INC.
12th and I Street. Anchorage
Welcome to Our Matanuska Valley Fair!
RUGS AND LINOLEUMS
Prints or Plains
Imports or Domestics
Ask for Our Estimates on Asphalt Tile
J C FLOOR COVERING
411 Fifth Ave Anchorage Phone 32251
Vcsitey Men, Mrs. Mectrs
Attend Mayer's Meet
Several Palmer delegates,
among them M. D. Snodgrass,
Betty Mears and Jack Maze, were1
in attendance at the mayor's con
ference held in Anchorage earlier
this week. The conference pro
gram included many items of
municipal interest, among them
a discussion of the Alaska Public
Works program for cities, city
zoning, civilian defense and other
subjects.
Representatives to the confer
ence, which was attended by
rriayors and their representatives
from all parts of Alaska, included
£ ^
I Section & |
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delegates from the Alaska Devel
opment Board, Federal Housing
and Army personnel.
Visitors were taken on a tour
of inspection of the telephone ex
change, fire hall, airport, water
works, electrical plant and weath
er bureau and CAA installations
located in Anchorage.
Barber Shop
Bi
1 Palmer, Alaska
Welcome to Our Fair, Valley Visitors!
Shorty
The Little Shaver
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7-Room Log House
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3 Miles South of Palmer
ATTENTION!
Homesteaders, Farmers, Tavern and Lodge
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Made-to-Order Metal Safeties,
Special Roof Jacks and Chimney Flashings,
Now Are Manufactured Right Here in Palmer!
Also Good Line of Coal or Oil Furnaces
FREE ESTIMATES ON INSTALLATION!
Arctic Metal Works
Box 1791. Palmer
Phone 62J3
Welcome to the Matanuska Valley Fair!
Tires - Tires - Tires
U. S. Army Surplus Tires for Sale
9.00x16, 7.50x20, 9.00x20 — Also Larger Sizes
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General Automotive Repair
Crankshaft Grinding
MOORE'S GARAGE
1 Mil# South of Palmer on Matanuska Road Phone 81-Y-l