I
Seward Daily Gateway
MEMBER ASSOCIATE D [’HESS
VOLUME XV. NUMBER 131.
SEWARD, ALASKA, WEDNESDAY, JUNE 11, 1930.
PRICE TEN CENTS
SANK 20 MINUTES AFTER HIT;
WOMEN JIMP INTO SEA;
PERISH BURNING OIL
BOSTON. June 11, ifP)—Flaming
11, spurting from the depths of a
strcken oil tanker, which is believed
/ ;o be the Pinthis of Fall River, is
thought to have claimed the lives
'•f mor- than 40 persons aboard the
■ nip.
T .e passenger liner Fairfax, out
bound item Boston, collided with it
ast nig in and not a single person
Tom the tanker is believed to have
escaped
A score of the Fairfax passengers
and crew are unaccounted for. The
Pinthis carried a crew of 19. Flames
wept thru the craft and melted
;.he radio antenna which tempor
arily ended the possibility of sum
moning aid.
The tanker plunged from sight
.0 minutes after the crash. Ten
women, believeing the Fairfax was
doomed, hurled themselves into the
i-ea. only to perish in the raging oil
pouring from the tanker.
CHIEF ENEUFF HIS
PLENTY OF "PEHGI"
Chief George Ermeloff. headman
of the tribe of Umnak, the capitol
>f which is Nikolski, bygoshski, is
a regular feliowinsky- His papinski
was a Russianski and his mother, a
Aleutinski, making himselfskie, one
-well chiefinski.
And he’s got money to burn,
vhat we mean!
He owns two blue fox islands.
For 13 years Chief Ermeloff has
ruled the tribe which is proof that
nis brand of rulership is going over
oig with his subjects for in them
rests the power to oust him any
rime they see fit and shove another
favorite onto the throne.
Next year the chief plans to make
nis third trip to the states, and if
ime permits, may tour Europe.
Wha do you know about that?
4
WHALES EAT BIRDS
Whale birds, of which there are
millions covering the surface of
Bering Sea. just above the Alaska
Peninsula, and as black as the ace
of spades, exist from the same food
as whales. Often they gorge them
selves so heavily that it is impossi
ble for them to take to wing and a
whale, coming up to eat, sweeps in
great flocks of these birds as well
as everything else in his path.
The Kanaga Ranching Co., is
land is approximately 500 miles
west of Umnak, the last westward
port of call of the mail steamer
Starr.
H. N. Evans, trader and fur buyer
at Kanatak, is now building a new
store at the lake near Chignik. i
Lumber for the structure was taken
out Westward on the last sailingj
of the Starr.
The village of Nikolski. Umnak!
Island, will probably have a new
church before winter sets in for
it is the plan of Chief George
Ermeloff to uild a new one which
will cost in the neighborhood of 1
$15,000 to $20,000. Money doesn’t
mean much to those “babies’' out 1
west. 1
EIELSON MOUNTAIN
WASHINGTON. June 11. (/P)—
The Senate passed the resolution
adopted by the House to name
Copper Mountain, Eielson; the res
olution was sent to the President
Kanatak generally always af
fords a difficult problem for mar
iners to land cargo and passen
gers owing to its location which,
aside from the protecting outburst
on one side, it is absolutely ex
posed to the sea elements. And
how these do take advantage of
the situation.
Within the span of a few mo
ments a calm sea and a lovely
day may be changed into a
screaming fury, so sudden do the
winds and sea arise.
On the recent voyage of the
S. S. Starr, there was consider
able tonnage to go ashore for H
N. Evans, the well known trader
and fur buyer of that point. Of
course, as is known everything
must be lightered ashore at Kana
tak and so it was in this case.
Instead of discharging cargo with
in four hours as had been plann
ed. a slight breeze sprang up and
this delayed the departure for
three hours more. It's a tough job
for the boys on the oars in the
done* which are not equipped
with power of any kind except
hand-power.
And the man at the donkey or
hoist aboard the S. S. Starr must
be a chqp who knows his “onions”
for it is no small task to be able
to set a sling-load of freight in a
bouncing small boat, hour after
hour, without losing some into the
sea.
To the right of Kanatak. as
the ship lets go her anchor, tow
ers a peculiar-looking cliff; upon
inquiry one is informed that the
structure is an oil-bearing forma
tion. To the left and rear of the
town is seen the winding road
built by the oil companies years
ago and which gradually sweeps
around the i^r of the camp, fin
ally emerging at the Cold Bay
area where drilling was done and
where milions of dollars were
expected by th Standard Oil Com
pany and the Associated Oil Co.
One is further informed that
there was and still is available an
appropriation of $3,000,000 for the
construction of a breakwater
should oil be brought in in the
future. Some sort of a protection
is certainly needed and if drill
ing is resumed and oil struck,
the $3,000,000 wall be needed.
Power dories are as common out
Westward as automobiles are here
in Seward. Every other native
to be the owmer of one of these
fine craft which dart aout the S. j
S. Starr like a swarm of flies, each
time the vessel arrives in port.
The Westward must use a huge
amount of rubber merchandise
each year. At Umnak, for in
stance, it appeared as if hip
boots supplanted shoes. This con
dition seems general.
While at Dutch Harbor recently j
two divers attracted considerable1
attention when they made a num- j
aer of underwater tests. The divers
are attached to the Coast Guard
Gutter Haida which is said to be
he only vessel in Alaskan waters
carrying deep water diving equip
nent
iUSU BILL PASSES
i HOUSE: IILL BENEFIT
FEOERAUMPLBVES
WASHINGTON, June 11, (JP)—
|The Sutherland bill to authorize
lthe agriculture Department to fur
nish subsistence and personal
equipment and supplies to depart
mental employes in Alaska and de
duct value from salaries, was pass
ed oy the House and sent to the
Senate.
The measure is designed to aid
employes located at remote points
where it is difficult to obtain sup
plies thru regular channels.
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I BASEBALL I
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YESTERDAY’S GAMES
NATIONAL LEAGUE
Pittsburgh at New York postpon
ied on account of rain.
Cincinnati at Brooklyn postpon
ed on account of rain.
St. Louis 2; Boston 1.
Chicago 2; Philadelphia 6.
AMERICAN LEAGUE
Washington at Cleveland post
poned on account of rain.
Boston 12; Detroit 6.
New York 5; St. Louis 3.
Philadelphia 6; Chicago 7.
PACIFIC COAST LEAGUE
I Hollywood 5; Missions 10.
San Francisco 7; Los Angeles 3.
Portland 5; Seattle 5; 15 innings.
! Oakland 0; Sacramento 8; night
game.
With a large list of passengers
on board the Admiral Evans, of
tthe Pacific Steamship Company,
arrived in port early last evening
from the south and following dis
charging of cargo, proceeded to
the Westward this morning. The
Evans will sail south from the
Port of Seward Monday evening
after the arrival of the regular
passenger train from Interior
bound list of reservations includ
ed:
For Seward—Dr. and Mrs. R. E.
Smith, C. A. OBrien, E. Snyder,
M. Elliott, Joe Basth, E. U. Sims,
Mrs. Sims, Capt. R. F. Caples, Mrs.
R. F. Caples, Pearl Lambert, J.
E. Sampson, Miss B. Sweet. Mrs.
George Gullufsen, Patsy Gulluf
son, George Gullufson,
For Kodiak—Mrs. W. J. Wily, Dr.
and Mrs. Allery and two children.
W. W. French, E. M. Polly.
For Seldovia—Anna Halvorsen,
Ted Halvorsen.
Thru passengers—Mrs. S. Arne
son, Mrs. G. L. Haughawant, Miss
E. Haughawant, Mr. and Mrs. V.
P. Morrison, M. G. Longuth, K. ,
Hosono, Mrs. W. B, Wooten, Billy
Wooten, Tomy Wooten, Mrs. A.
Akervick, Gladys Akervick, Har
old Akervick, Betty Kashevaroff, j
N. B. Cook, J. Oskolkoff, Paul
Gjestvang.
THE FIRST BLUE FOX
On Atka Island, where there are
now about 100 people living and
where Bowman conducts a general
store, the Russians planted the first
blue fox. From that day, many j
years ago, not one new animal, or j
Dther stock, has been thereon. And
from Atka island the other islands
scattered out there for hundreds
3f miles, were stocked. 1
A FREE FOR ALL
j ROBERT, Okla., June 11, (£>;—
! While their wives were engaged in
a fight, Deputy Sheriff Humble and
a filing station oprator, which was
being raided for liquor, shot it out.
Humble is dead from gunshot
wounds and the filing station
operator was jailed; both wives are
in a hospital.
STRiCT
oss
Each cannery line in the Bristol
Bay area is permitted eight boats
in which no mechanical power is
allowed; only sail or hand. The
j boats are all of the Columbia River
I type. When it is estimated that
there are about 30 canneries and
salteries in that entire district and
that average number of lines in
each is of six lines—some are 10—
it is an easy matter to compute the
number of small craft used in this
I gigantic Alaskan industry. As fig
ured above, not counting the dozens
of tenders and other powerd boats,
the total reaches the enormous
figure of 1,440.
Traps are forbidden thruout the
whole region; the fish are harvest
ed with gill nets with a 534 inch
mesh and 150 feet in length.
The season opens on June 25 and
i closes July 25. Within this brief
period the packers gamble with
millions of dollars for if the run
iand consequent pack is poor, that
;is what they stand to lose. It is no
place for a small operator or an
operator who can not stand a sea
son’s financial loss.
* In 1928 a total of 1.300,000 cases
were packed in 17 fishing days.
Stupendous figures.
200 EMPLOYED
Between the Northwestern Fish
eries cannery and the Columbia
River Packers Association plant at
Chignik about 200 people are em
ployed- E. Rugge is superintendent
'of the Northwestern Fisheries plant
and Captain Halvorsen, superin
tendent of the Columbia River
Packers Association cannery.
WAITED THREE MONTHS
The power boat Eunice arrived
two weeks ago at Unalaska from
the island of Atka, 300 miles away,
with three cases of measles aboard.
It was said that one passenger
aboard, a fellow by the name of
Smith waited three months to get
off the island where he had been j
for nine months. The Unalga had j
endeavored to take him off some
weeks before but was unable to on
account of storms.
CASTLE ROCK
Just before reaching Chignik out
Westward “Castle Cape”, what is
said to be the most famous cape in!
the world—among mariners—is I
glimpsed in the distance. The Starr i
on its way out from Chignik, passes!
within one quarter of a mile of |
the odd rock mass which was nam- !
ed “Castle Rock” owing to the lofty
formation of the rocks. Spirals,
domes, pinnacles, towers, etc., a
true picture of a castle of the days
of King Arthur’s Court, are seen
and so accurately formed that one
really rubs his eyes- in amazement
at the unusual sight.
Five days out of the Port of Sew- !
ard the S. S- Starr bids goodbye to i
the wild North Pacific ocean and '
steams thru Unimak Pass into the |
Bering Sea .
Thruout the entire westward dis
trict very few of the inhabitants ]
seem to take the time to put in i
truck gardens depending altogether :
upon importation of greens. i
I
COMMITTEE FOB 8!G
4TH JULY CELEBRSTIOH
The Seward Post of the American
Legion has sized up its task of stag
ling a royal Fourth of July progra,m
j for the city, and is ready to swing
'into action with plenty of zip.
j A survey of the work entailed re
peals that all members of the Post
jwili be called upon to act in some
'capacity, and the assistance of sev
eral visiting Legionnaires will be
enlisted. A new feature designed
to assure freedom of action to par
j ticipate in the *ield (events and
novelty events and demonstra
tions, as well as to enable specta
tors a good view of all that is going
on, will be an organization of field
officers who will rope off the con
testing spaces, and, in general,
man the crowds
No attempt will be made to out
| line a definite program of events,
or endeavor made to arrive at the
prizes, until the finance commit
tee has reported upon the amount
of funds subscribed for the carry
I ing out of the celebration. First
to make a donation was the Legion
auxiliary, w’hich organization yes
terday voted to subscribe $10.
The Legionnaires committee
'have been appointed as follows:
i Finance—Sheldon, Hopkins.
Parade—Campbell. Hatten.
Program—Abbott, Lander, Swet
mann, King.
Publicity—Hopkins.
Field officers—Lawrence, Dahl,
Lalios, Osbo, Reenstrom, Diel, Rust,
Siiockly, Robertson and Keilcheski
Dance—Campbell, Abbott, Lalios.
Decorations — Keilcheski, Law
rence, Osbo, Sheldon, Reenstrom,
Diehl, Shockley. King, Rust, Foster,
Chilberg, Crial, Robertson.
Judges—Swetmann, Foster, Law
rence, Osbo, Lander, Chilberg, Jen
nings, Crial.
Chairman’s names appear at
head of each committee.
On Umnak Island about 100 peo
ple reside. Caring for tlje many
fox islands in that area is their
main occupation.
SEATTLE DOCTOR
Dr. Francis E. Messiaur, phy
sician and surgeon, is in charge
of the modern little hospital for
the P. E. Harris Packing Company
at False Pass. Dr. Messiaur is
from Seattle having offices in the
Joshua Green Building. Not only
is he one of the most popular
of the men at False Pass but he
is an athlete of considerable pro
mise. Baseball and boxing seem to
be his weakness.
DIED IN THE MUD
Some years ago a man lost his
life on the mud flats of Port Heiden
when he ventured out into a depth
from which he was unable to ex
tricate himself. For hours he
struggled until exhausted, and with
the arrival of the incoming tide, he
died. Last year, a fellow by the
name of Scotty almost met a simi
lar end when he went into the mud
up to his hips. With aid, he was
saved.
NEW ANCHORAGE SCEJOOL
Ground has been broken for the
new Anchorage high school build
ing, scrapers are moving the gravel
from the site selected for the new
structure. The work is being done
3n a per diem basis, under the di
rection of Dahl & Wansted, who
lave the contract for the erection
)f the building. It is expected that
several teams and scrapers will be
n use on the job.