PORT SEWARD ASSISTS AT BIG- HAINES FIRE:
The night of August I?-1S,1922 is one that will be
long remembered in Haines,for that village was visited by one of
the worst fires of its history on that -At just about micU
night the blaze broke out at the front of the American Legion
building,from some unknown cause,presumably a lighted" cigarette
or a carelessly thrown match,Where the flame could have started
is a mystery,as no one was about the Legion Building at the time,
as the hall has been unused for some time* Aided by a high wind
the conflagration spread quickly to the N,G«Hansen hardware store
and the Haines Post Office,From the first both the bouildings
were doomed,and every effort was made by the firemen to save the
property in the Hansen store. The drug store of Dr.Pryer,the/next
building in line to the Hansen block,although protected a bit by
a cast-iron sheathing,could not be saved from the flames,and was
completely gutted,although the effects were removed from the path
of the fire,The Chisel block,a cement building,although threatened
severely,withstood the attack 60 the flames,and escaped unharmed
except for the damage done to the windows by the intense heat#
The Haines Fire Department was quickly on the scene,
but seeing the the fire was of enormous size,help was immediately
obtained from Fort Seward,the soldiers turning out en masse to
fight the conflagration,Under the command of Capt*Goode,Fire Mar
shal,and Bgtjor Iampert,and Capt.Barnhill of Co#wFn,the Post depart
ment rendered valuable aid,as did the crew from the U,S*A,T,wBu
ford”,at anchor at the Fort dook#The fighting of the fire was thril
ing in the extreme,-the firemen attacking the flames from the roofs
of the firyer and Chisel blocks,from the windows of the Chisel store,
and wetting down the Fay building by means of a long bucket line.
The soldiery,at great personal risk,removed great quantities of gas
oline from a nearby storehouse,and joined the Haines firemen in
plunging into almost the thick of the flames,even though ammunition
in the Hansen store,and quantities of paint and oil attacked by the
flames placed every firefighter in great *eril,Mr,William Smith,of
the Haines Department,was overcome while working on the Chisel
roof,and had to be carried down the ladders from the scene.After
treatment by Capt#Henry,Mr,Smith was revived,and returned to the
fight,with great courage. Thy property loss in the Hansen build
ing will amount to almost $ 14,000,00,with no insurane.The loss
in the Pryer block is unknown,The Post Office effects were prac
tically all saved,The whole Post and town sympathizes deeply with
Mr«Hansen,who is one of the most popular business men of theoity#
The blaze was gotten under control at stbout 2,30 A.M.,although
the Fort Seward Department remained at their posts until 5*30
this morning,and have assisted Mr,Hansen during the day in remov
ing his goods saved from the flames to his new location.
OUR LATE DEPARTED:
^0 hate to see them go,but they’ve done left us for
the States, The best of luck, old pa Is,and ray we meet a^ain-soonl
Departed-on the "Buford",-Aug, 18th, 1922,
Sgt s, Fedemeyer,LaLonde,Papke,-Cpl.Anderson,-Pvts*Dunham,L,Jone s,
McCattney, Mo rri s, Nimit z, Obo ske y, Roark, Kazmir ski ,Rume t sch, Sha f fe r,
Orr,and Ford,-(Inf.):Sgt.Romberg,Med,Dept,,Pvts,3ancroft,3rodie,
Hood,Moser,Little,Sculley,(Q.M*C,)Pvt*Steinback,(inf,),and ^vts*
Wilson and Healy of the Signal Corps,