VOLUME XXIII. NUMBER 197.
SEWARD, ALASKA THURSDAY, December 27, 1928.
PRICE TEN GENTS
VOLUNTEER FIRE
FIGHTERS KILLED
FOR A TIME FIRE THREATEN
EN TO SWEEP MORE 20
ACRE PLANT
PITTSBURGH, Dec., 26, (/P)—
Two volunteer firemen were kill- j
ed and eight injured, five ser
iously, when fire apparatus plung
ed down an embankment while
speeding to a fire in the plant of
the Carnegie Refining Company
at Heidelberg.
The blaze started yesterday and
is still raging today. The loss is
placed at $500,000.
The dead firemen are Adolph
Sonnett and Joseph Depetro. The
apparatus, a combination pum- ■
per and hose cart, leaped from
the roadway at a curve and som
ersaulted down into a gully. A
heavy fog obscured the driver’s
vision.
One fireman was seriously hurt
at the scene of the fire where
more than 150 fire-fighters spent j
Christmas trying to control the j
conflagration which, for a time,
threatened to sweep more than
the 20- acre plant and destroy
neighboring homes. The fire start
ed in the filter plant.
HOOVER IS PROCEEDING *
ABOARD u. S. S. Utah, Dec., 26,
j. {^—Herbert Hoover last night
changed his plans and will pro
ceed directly to Washington upon
his arrival at Hampton Roads,
Virginia, on January 6: After
that he will visit Florida, as he
had originally planned stopping
there enroute to his home in Cal
ifornia.
MCE MS KM
TO SHOW I WIT
PARIS. Dec., 26. (/P)—The income
of the French government is now
running ahead of expenditures at
the rale of *7.500.060 yearly.
This results partly from the in
creased industrial and commercial
activity since the stabilization ol
the franc and partly from the fact
that estimates of the yield of taxes
and other revenues are based on i
the second year preceding each ;
budget.
SOW Dies FIND
TORPEDOED WIRSHIP
NCVOROSSISK. Russia. Dec.. 26.
(JP)—Soviet divers have discovered
+he hull of the largest warship of
nhe Soviet Black Sea fleet, “Free
Russ’a” torpedoed off Novorossisk
harbor in 1518.
The ship weis sunk by the Reds
. ‘o prevent its falling into the hands
f* r>* - 1 ,*'jo.ted at a
' depth of 125 feet and the authori
ties are confident of raising it.
KING IMPROVING
LONDON, Dec., 26, (#*)—A slight
improvement is reported in the
condition of King George'.
RESIDENT OF NORTH
PISSES 10 SEItTLE
SEATTLE, Dec., 26, (A3)—Un
known to her many friends, Mrs.
Helen Hildebrand, one of the or
iginal Alaska “sourdoughs,” died
Friday in the County hospital, at
the age of 73 years.
For many years she had been a
nurse in Alaska hospitals, later
joining the King County hospital
staff.
PRESIDENT AND MRS. COOL
IDGE SPEND XMAS ON IS
LAND OF GEORGIA
WASHINGTON, Dec., 26, (IP)—
Christmas Day this year stands
ont more than any other for good
will and amity which has dawned
in the United States. With the Na
tion at peace and President-elect
Hoover bound homeward from an
International mission of friend
liness, and for her Chief Execu
tive, it will be the last such hoi- j
iday in the White I|ouse and, al
so, fiis shortest one, while Herb
Hoover is speeding over the At
lantic, Coolidge made a last min
ute prepartions for a short jour~
ney upon the sea to the Islands of
Georgia.
President and Mrs. Coolidge
planned to be well on their way
before night-fall to the island re
treat there to spend a week or
more.
The fishing is said to be fine
there; just how long a stay he
will make is undecided.
INHALED FLAMES, IS BELIEVED
TO HAVE BROUGHT HER
DEATH LATER
Dillingham, Alaska, Dec. 26. (/P)—
Anna Yukluk, 22, cook at the Kan
akanak Orphanage, died in the hos
pital Sunday from the result of
burns recievcd in a gasoline explos
ion in the orphanage kitchen Sat
urday morning at 6 o’clock.
Anna and Walla Bischirt, her as
sistant, attempted to fill a kerosine
lamp; one girl was holding a burn
ing match to furnish light for the
operation; a can of gasoline in
some unexplained reason replaced
the kerosine can and a match
burning off, dropped into the mea
sure from which the gasoline was
being poured causing the explosion.
Anna broke the glass door and
threw the blazing can outside thus
intensifying her own burns. All the
other occupants of the house were
in bed but two other girls, Olga
Powers and Mary Riley, were ar
roused by the excitement and seiz
ing fire extinguishers rushed to the
rescue and the three girls put out
the fire while Matron Nurse Greer,
with presence of mind, enveloped
the flaming body of the girl with
blankets and smothered the flames
suffering severe burns herself
about the hands:
The building was undamaged.
Anna was able, with help, to walk
to the hospital and tell in detail
the accident and it was a surprise
to the members of the staff when
she died,36 hours later. It is be
lieved that she had inhaled flames
this causing herdeath.
FAVORABLE REPLY IS
WASHINGTON, Dec., 26, (/P)—
Bolivia’s reply to the question
naire addressed last week by the
Pan American conference on ar
britration conciliation regarding
efforts to mediate the Paraguay
an-Bolivian dispute, reached Wash
ington Christmas. The Bolivian
legation said the tone of the an- |
swer was favorable.
0
TEMPERATURE ABOVE ZERO
AT AMERICA’S MOST NORTH
ERLY OUTPOST
POINT BARROW, Dec., 26, (JP)—
Excellent trapping conditions and j
good health gave joy as Eskimos !
observed Christmas in this far
thest North settlement under the
American flag.
The natives observed the hol
iday in their usual way with school
and church programs. The gifts
were generally of blubber and
deer meat, frozen fish, seal skins,
ivory, a few home made games,
dresses and trousers. The big treat
of the day was when the popcorn
made its appearance.
Some Eskimos “mushed” 100
miles to attend the ceremonies
here. A native dance featured the
program. The gale of the last few
days subsided today and the tem
perature is above zero.
EDUCATOR IS DEAD
ROCKHILL, S. D., Dec., 26, (/P)—
Dr. D. B. Johnson, 72, Southern
educator and President of Win
throp College for women here,
died after a lengthy illness.
A NewToy”
rr
TIG ROOSEVELT
ID CREW «
UNALGA IS SPEEDING TO THE
RESCUE FROM HOME-PORT
AT JUNEAU
SEATTLE, Dec., 26, (A3)—Coast
Guard’s wireless reports say the
16 men aboard the Tugboat Roos
evelt are again in peril when the
line broke as the halibuter Attu
tried to tow the Roosevelt from
the vicinity of Wessels Reef. The
S. S. Starr is anchored in 60 fath
oms of water.
The Roosevelt’s anchor is failing
to hold and the vessel is drifting
toward its doom. The S. S. North
western is standing by.
The Attu is again attempting t&
get a line aboard the Roosevelt.
Again, the cutter Unalga is
speeding to the rescue from Ju
neau.
HI LINE PARTS
FROM S, S. STARR
CORDOVA, Dec., 26, UP)—The
tug Roosevelt, with the S. S. Starr
in tow, were parted by heavy seas
in an easterly gale off Cape St.
Elias when the vessels attempted
to seek the ice c> Kayak' - Island.
The Steamer Northwestern is -
steaming to the vessels assistance
and attempts to pass new tow
lines in the gale will be made.
GETS ANOTHER LINE ON
SEATTLE, Dec., 26, UP)—’The hal
ibut boat Attu got another line
to the tug Roosevelt at midnight
and reported she was safely in the
lee of Cape St. Elias. The Unalga
is expected soon to pick up the
S. S. Starr.
ASTORIA, Ore., Dec., 26, (JP)—
The steamer Florence Luchenbach
went aground on Satsop Spit, at
the mouth of the Columbia river,
in a storm this morning. Two tugs
have been sent to her assistance.
Seas are breaking over the vessel;
an attempt will be made to pull
her off at high tide.
IE PICTURE STAR
DIES AFTER OPERATION
LOS ANGELES, Dec., 26, (JP)
Fred C. Thomson, noted motion
picture star and athlete stunt
man, died at midnight having
failed to recover from an opera
tion for gall stones performed
three weeks ago. During his mo
tion picture career he braved
death scores of times and often
was seriously injured.
AS MARS SIGNAL
PARTS, Dec.. 2fi, (TP'i—Mirrors are
suegosted by Pierre Blois for com
municating with Mars. They would
have to b-'' as large around as Paris,
l->« savs. in order to develop suffi
cient intensity. He thinks they are
providing. Martians exist