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THE ALASKA EVENING POST_
Vnlnmr \l Nnmhcr 219. SEWARD, ALASKA, MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 10,1917. Ten Cents the Copy
GLACIER STREAM ON RAMPAGE AND IS SWEEPING EVERYTHING IN ITS WAKE -
CITY'S LIGHT, TELEPHONE AND WATER SERVICE ALL PDT OPT DF COMMISSION
HEAVY RAIN, ACCOMPANIED BY STRONG WIND,
ELOOI) RESIDENCES AND BUSINESS HOUSES
IMPOSSIBLE TO ESTIMATE DAMAGE DONE
RAILROAD TRACK AND .BRIDGES WASHED
OUT. CUTTING OFF H ALF OF CITY—BLASTLV
WITH DYNAMITE RESORTED TO IN ORDER TO
REVERT COURSE OF STREAM FROM MAIN
PART OF CITY—HUNDREDS OF PEOPLE ARE
FORCED TO MOVE OUT OF THEIR HOMES—
AND MANY FAMILIES NOT ANY TOO SOON.
_
noon, wnen a lerruic »iim w«.- yv ........to^—:
finding its way with all the debris into tne nay.
Early last evening the old schoolhouse was brought
down the stream and lodged against the Jefferson Street
bridge: then followed shortly after the curbing on the
property of the editor. Two hours later, it was plain to
be seen'that the handsome new edifice of the Community
Christian Church was doomed and the pastor, Rev. Munro
and family, made hasty preparations to move out every
thing. and at eight o’clock this morning, being undermin
ed by the stream, it toppled over. About nine o’clock the
handsome home of E. 0. Sawyer, Jr., was swept away and
nothing left of the house but a few splinters. Most of the
household goods were saved by neighbors, but the piano,
it is said, went with the house.
Citizens of the city have been working night and day
and in many instances' were working against the impossi
ble. but everything capable of being moved was taken to a
place of safety.
The telephone building is under hve test ot water anu
& large force of men are at work pumping it out and dry
ing the telephone apparatus. Manager Graff told the re
porter for the Gateway that partial service would be es
tablished today on all iines on both sides of the steram
where it was possible to connect up the lines, as every
light and telephone pole along the stream was torn up and
taken down the stream to the bay.
The city is in absolute darkness, the water power hav
ing been put out of commission early last evening, but the
machinery, being located in their new building, has thus
far escaped damage; however, it will be some time before
Seward will again have electric lights.
The construction gang on the Alaska Northern, with
an addition of all available men in town, are working with
might and main up in the canyon and are dynamiting and
banking up the sides of the stream with bags of gravel
and rock in order to keep the stream in its present chan
nel, otherwise the entire city would be flooded and dam
age, running into the hundreds of thousands of dollars,
would result.
Boats are plying from one side of the city to the other,
around by way of the bay. In this manner the wants of
the other side of the city, which is exclusively residential,
are looked after.
Messrs. Stewart, Thompson, Lipske, Torrey and Han
cock moved their families from their homes this morn
ing and othei*s have done so rapidly. At twelve o’clock the
home of Nick Losness was washed into the bay and sev
eral untenanted cabins also went.
Work is now concentrated upon forcing the stream
back into its course of this morning, it having taken a
sudden change and is now coming down Fourth Avenue
in a thousand little streams, which in the course of but a
few minutes, would be a raging torrent if left atone, and
superhuman efforts are being made to save the business
section from destruction.
Shortly before 9 A. M.- the glacier stream broke over
its banks directly back of D. C. Brownell’s place and made
its course down First Avenue, from which it branched off.
4
1 over all property between First Avenue and Third Avenue
and flooding many homes. The city authorities during the
| morning confined their efforts to felling trees and dyna
miting in the canyon back of Brownell’s place in an effort
to hold the stream in its channel and at 10 A. M. were par
tially successful in checking the stream from going down
First Avenue.
The two trains, a regular'and a special, which left
Seward at 7:30 Sunday morning, for points out the line,
are reported to be stalled at Mile 17, owing to washouts.)
Round-trip passengers on the special are E. 0. Sawyer
Jr. and wife, T. mT Ward and wife, R. J. Weir and wife
and J. J. Ryan. The Sawyer children are in Seward in
care of Benjamin High’s family.
In the Van Gilder building, in which The Gateway is
located, tenants were flooded out, and in the basement
where is located all heavy machinery, Intertypes and
prsses of The Gateway, three inches of water is on the
door and the paper toilay comes out under trying difficul
ties, the machine man working with water all around him
on a badly rusted machine and the make-up and pressman |
wading it it, so when you get The Gateway today, remem-1
be we are trying to give you as complete and accurate;
account of the disaster as is possible and as much cable;
news as we can handle. The force getting out The Gate-j
way are Mr. Brainerd in the editorial capacity, L. A.
Bridges on the machine, and Mrs. Brainerd ‘on general;
makeup. Mr. Brainerd and Mr. Bridges were up all night
fighting the water which poured into the workroom’, so
kindly pass over all shortcomings, as well as all errors,
as very little pains can lie taken under such circumstances.
At this writing, 6 p. in., as we go to press, tne rain nas
entirely ceased and all available men are at work cutting
and hauling timber and.making a temporary curbing;
along the banks of the stream and taking every precau-i
tion to hold it from tearing loose and doing further dam-1
age. i
Regarding the damage done thus far, it is estimated;
that it will reach upwards of $100,000 and this is putting it i
at a very low estimate, as it is impossible to reach some of
the most badly damaged places and as yet no estimate can
be placed on the damage done to residences in the lower;
section of the city, by water, mud and wind.
While it is too early to predict that# the danger is j
past as we go to press, it looks as though the brave and
fearless men who have risked their lives in the stream to
dynamite and remove dangerous obstacles lodged in dif
ferent places, have won their battle in the face of tremen- i
dous odds and to them alone is due all the credit, and to
those who stand guard through the night let us not forget
that a cup of coffee or a sandwich will be greatly appre
ciated.
So far as any report has reached tins office but one'
accident occurred which was late this afternoon, when
Sirs. Parris was struck on the arm and head by pieces off
a stump which was blasted from the middle of the gla
cier stream. Dr. Sloan attended Mrs. Parris and states no
bones were broken, but that she was badly briused on the
arm and the blow on the head rendered her unconscious
for some time.
One of the freaks of the flood was the carrying down
for a distance of several rods, the Community Christian
Church, and it stands upon a solid foundation of a huge
rock, high and dry, there being no signs of water close by.
Tonight hundreds of citizens will stay close at hand
in order to lend aid to those who will be on the job so that
no possible break may occur in the already established
channel in which the water is now rushing onward to the
bay. The large shops and railway station will be patrolled
faithfully throughout the night and every precaution tak
en, as the city is in absolute darkness, and should a fresh
outbreak occur during the night, it will be almost impos
sible to fight it.
Water is being secured for the present from nearby
mountain streams, which by chance are plentiful and eas
ily accessible and at present there is little danger from
that source.
The Van Gilder building presents a different appear
ance this afternoon^than it did last night and this morn
ing when the tenants were again installed in their apart
ments after having spent a sleepless night watching their
personal effects. The Gateway is again nearly in normal
condition but still working under difficulties. Other build
ings in the main section of the city suffered but little out
side of leaky roofs and water which had been driven in
by the terrific winds of the previous night.
In the north side of the city in the residential section
very little damage was done other than to those who were
LONDON BEL! < 3 DEFINITE
PEACE WILL COM!
BEFORE WINTER
(lly Atiocinled I're»« Dispatch,
LONDON, Sept. 10.—Official—London is all afire to
day over the fact that a definite peace offer from Ger
many will come before winter and the offer will suggest
immediate cessation of all hostilities on a status quo basis.
The Entente statesmen fully indicated that they would re
fuse such terms and Germany is aware of this fact, but
Germany leaders regard a status quo offer from their side
as an indispensable step of preparation of German public
opinion and that furthei concessions would be made. This
is the best official news vet received and all London is re
joieing and feel that victory is close at hand.
KERENSKY ASKS CHIEF TO RESIGN
(lty Associated Press Dispatch)
PETROGRAD, Sept. JO.—Premier Kerensky has de
clared that a state of war exists in the town and the dis
trict of Petrograd and has ordered that General Korni
loff. commander-in-chief of the Russian armies, resign in
consequence of his demand for supreme power. General
Klembovsky has been appointed commander-in-chief.
Eleven cabinet ministers sat in session continuously yes
terday considering a measure to face Korniloff’s revolt,
which the ministers now regard as the gravest event since
the revolution. No measures decided but decision is pro
ceeding on plan constitute, which will be under the direc
tion of live men who have been vested with fully power to
act.
FRESH OUTBURST AGAINST UNITED STATES
(By Associated Press Dispatch)
AMSTERDAM, Sept. 10.—German papers on Satur
day came out in a fresh outburst of rage against the
United States. They are certain America will insist in
the elimination of the Hohenzollerns before entering
peace negotiations.
located close to the stream. Those living on that side are
still unable to cross and it will probably be several days
before improvised bridges can be establshed, but boats can
hake the trip by going around by way of the bay.
The Seward General Hospital is situated in the path
of the tremendous flow of water and the patients were
early removed to the homes of Dr. Romig, Mr. Ballaine
and Mr. Finnegan, where they are being carefully looked
after, while strenuous efforts are being made to save the
handsome new hospitable building.
All business in Seward is at a stand still today and
every man, woman and child that is free to do so, is help
ing fight the torrent in some capacity.
The Snow river bridge on the Alaska Northern is re
ported washed out and several smaller ones along the line
have given away. The damage done to track and bridges
will seriously handicap the Commission in reaching the
coal region as early as was hoped for.
LATER—At the entrance of the stream to the bay
the waters have changed from the channel in which they
have been flowing all day and a stream several feet deep
is flowing directly through the telephone building and will
keep the phone service out of commission for some time.
The greatest danger now lays toward the end of the .
stream and if it can be held as it now is, small damage can
result, but should it veer to the left, the new hospital build
ing is doomed.
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Owing to the excitement of the past two days we are
unable to get the full details of the Seward Civic Fair held
Friday and Saturday of last week, but hope to give a com
plete write-up, as well as the names of the winners of
prizes, within the next few days. . .