I
MEMBER ASSOCIATED PRESS
VOLUME XXIII. NUMBER 190. SEWARD, ALASKA MONDAY, DECEMBER 17, 1928.
PRICE TEN GENTS
RELATES DETAILS
MOUNTAINOUS WAVES DID NOT
HINDER CAPTAIN BERGER
RESPONDING TO S O S
V
The log of the M. S. Discoverer,
Capt. Heinie Berger, gives a real
istic account of incidents connect
ed with Captain Berger’s response
to the Steamer Starr’s SOS on the ,
the morning of December 12, last
Wednesday, and is published here- !
With:
Responding to the SOS received
at Seward from Steamer Starr
stranded at anchor with a bent
rubber shoe cn the S. W. poi't.ion of
Dark Island, situated north of Af
ognak Island near Shelikof Straits,
M. S. Discoverer departed from
Seward 9:15 a. m. Seward weather
was clear, cold with a slight breeze.
Ran into a blinding snow storm
near McArthur Pass 3 p. m. which
increased with intensity as the ves
sel proceeded. Entered McArthur
Pass enroute thru Inside Passage.
Vessel hit a jagged piece of floating
ice from McArthur glacier 6:30 p.
m., piercing a hole thru the plank
*,ng below the water line on the port
side of the boat near the bow. Con
tinued on thru the storm with the
vessel leaking badly. Fenced to
d,rop anchor 7:30 p. m. off Nt.ka lb
land lxear Herring Pete’s fox ranch.
Investigated damage and effected
repairs without necessity of beach
<ng the boat. Blizzard continued
with fury. Impossible to continue
on journey. Forced to ride anchor
until—
DECEMBER 13th 10:20 A. M.
3torm moderated. Cloudy, slight
breeze, and rain. Weighed anchor
and Droceeded on thru Nuka Bay
to the open sea. Heavy wind and
sea. Passed Chugach Island 2:30
p. m. Abeam Sugar Loaf Island in
the Barren group 5:30 p. m. An
other b’izzard and heavy sea. Con
tinued despite obstacles. At 7 p. m.
reached a point near Dark Island.
Impossible to see land thru storm.
Sighted what appeared to be a
blinker, possibly a light on the Starr
or a fire on the shore of Dark Is
land. Signal to it but no response.
A number of rocks in the vicinity.
Storm continues.
DECEMBER 14tb 12:30 A. M.
We nearly pile up on the rocks iix
^ i.he endeavor to get close enough to
investigate the situation. Forced to
decide to wait until daylight. Sea
running high. 1 a. m. necessary to
hum and hit for the open sea run
ning all night thru Shelikof Straits
to a point about 40 miles away from
where Starr was anchored. Turned"
toward scene again during tiie
night and reached the steamer
-Starr about 7 a. m. December 14th.
Ran up to her and attached line
to the vessel. Passengers are al
ready landed safely on Dark Island.
Motor boat Olive standing by. S. S.
Alameda arrives and drops anchor
about six miles off-shore. Motor
boats Kodiak, Oregon Wolf arrive ac
scene. Olive receives orders from
Capt. Barren of the Starr to pick up
the passengers on the island and
place them on the Alameda. Pre
parations are immediately made to
. <, tow the Starr off the reef to Ala
S meda. 1:15 S. S. Starr is towed to
safe waters by Discoverer, Oregon
Wolf Kodiak and Olive.
FIRST ACCIDENT
Tow line from Oregon Wolf pulls
anchor wench apart from deck of
Discoverer. After much difficulty,
a line is again secured to deck
r'eats.
Second accident—tow line from
Continued on Page Eight)
TOP OF HEAD BLOWN OFF |
WALLA WALLA. Dec., 17, (/P) - j
The body of George Libett, thought j
*.o be a Chicagoan, was found in the
hills near Wallula by two boys. The
top of his head was blown off by a
shotgun charge. The coroner’s vei -
diet was suicide.
SITUATION IS TENSE: BOLIVIAN
ARMY IS NOT BEING MOBI
LIZED, STATED
CUmD
WASHINGTON, Den., 17, UP)— \
Whether a state approaching war
mevails between Bolivia and Para
guay was a question today. Para
Jguay seemed to think it does and
announced it has taken steps to
meet the situation: but Bolivia de
clared thru its Foreign Minister, j
that its army is not being mobilized
and that the latest clashes were
participated in only by border gar
risons.
i
i In any case the situation is tense ,
enough to cause those seeking
peace a lot of alarm and cause them
to get busy.
President Briand, of the Council
of the League of Nations, dispatch
ed cablegram? to the Governments
> both countr!"= pointing out thr
j dangers to peace which would result'
ifrom the contact between the arm
led forces. He urged them to avoid
incidents which might make concil
iation difficult.
GOODY ! GOODY !
WASHINGTON. Dec., 17, (IP)—
[conferees on the Treasury and
'post office appropriation Bill struck
lout the Bruce Amendment boosting
jfo more than $270,000,000 the funa
ifor prohibition enforcement.
S.S.MJUIBBE
OISIUUD STARR TO
FORT FROM WESTWARD
With the disabled Steamer Starr
alongside, the S. S. Alameda, of
the A. S. S. Co., arrived in port at
8 o’clock this morning from Dark
Island, after battling the terrific
storm which swept over this dis
trict for the past five days. After
arriving in Resuerrection Bay Cap
tain Westerlund, of the S- S. Ala
meda, let go the tow-line then go
ing alongside of the Starr bring
ing both vessels up to the dock to
gether. The Motorship Discoverer
later towed the Starr down to the
San Juan dock.
Vor awhile yesterday, when the
tow-line parted, Captain Wester
lund feared for the safety of the
Starr as an 80 mile gale was blow
ing; a portion of the wireless aer
ial was torn away by the velocity
of the wind. It is said that if any
thing had happened to the Ala
meda the Starr would have been
lost as there were no other craft of
any kind near the nearest cutter,
the Unalga, being still tied up at
Juneau, or near there, fully two
days away. The Unalga had been
asked to come to the Starr and
Alameda’s assistance the morning
the Starr first sent out its SOS.
It is- understood that a freighter
is being sent from Seattle to take
the Starr in tow back to Seattle,
where, just a month ago, it had un
dergone its semi-annual overhaul
| ing and inspection.
j The Steamer Alameda, accord
! ing to the local office, will depart
about 4 o’clock this afternoon for
| the South calling in at those ports
j missed when it steamed to the as
sistance of the Starr, just after en
tering the gulf.
COUNTRIES AT WAR
WASHINGTON, Dec., 17, (#>)— Of
ficial alvices from the Paraguayan
| Government to the Legation said
I ‘ Bolivia has opened war activities j
against Paraguay.”
I _
Pm ARMY
CAPTURES FOB!
FROM BOLIVIANS
DETACHMENTS THREATEN FORT
SAYS REPORT; NO MEN
TION CASUALTIES
LAPAZ, Bolivia, Dec., 17, (/P)—
; The army struck back at Para
| guayan forces which on Decem
' her 6th captured the Bolivian Fort
Van Gaurdia in the disputed boun
daray territory of Gran Chaco.
The new conflict, which result
ed in the capture of the Paraquay
an Fort Boqueron, was reported
in a terse communication issued
by the Bolivian Minister of War
and read:
“New Paraguayon detachments,
have threatened our forts in Chaco
and a sanguinary clash occured.
Our forces, after punishing their
opponents, occupied Fort Oqueron.
' The army has done its duty.” No
mention was made of casualties.
IKING CONTINUES TO
SHOW IMPROVEMENT
LONDON, Dec., 17, (JP)—News
"rom Puchingham Palace concern
ing the condition of the King con
tinued favorable. Today’s bulletin
read: “The King had a fair night
with some natural sleep towards
morning. A slight improvement in
his Majesty's condition was notea
yesterday and continues.”
SHIP ROUTINE WAS NOT DISTURBED
The fact that a President-elect and a future “first lady” of the
United States were aboard did not ruffle the strict routine of life on
the battleship Maryland, which bore Mr. and Mrs. Herbert JJoover down
the Pacific on their Latin American good-will tour. Above is shown one
of the regular inspections on the boat, and below a salvo from a battle
ship’s guns.
RADICAL GROUP MEET ON THE
STRFETS IN MINOR DEMON
STRATIONS
MONTEVIDEO. Dec., 17, (£>)—
Herbert Hoover is being closely
guarded by police squads who will
imaintain a watch thruout his stay
'in Montevideo. Uruguayan author
ities, although they minimize the
importance of several minor de
monstrations which took place last
|night, nevertheless dr-sire to take no
i chance? with Mr. Hoover.
There were several meetings of
jradical groups in the streets along
Air. Kcover’s route in front of the
(Government House and these
shouted acclamation? for Sandino
and Sacco and Vanzetti.
SEATTLE MAN WILL BE CHAIR•
MAN OF BOARD OF NEW
COMPANY
! NEW YORK, Dec., 17, (^—Or
ganization of the United Aercraft
and Transport Corporation of
$150,000,000 in the holding com
pany, owning stock in subsidiary
airplane engine and air transpor
tion companies, was announced.
The merger includes the Boe
ing Airplane Company of Seattle.
William E. Boeing, president of
the Boeing company, will be chair
man on the borad of the new com
pany.y
KING AND QUEEN
OF AFGHANISTAN
SAFE IN FOOT
TROUPEE ATTRIBUTED DRASTIC
WESTERNIZATION AND TO
QUEEN’S DESIRE
NEW DELTITA, India. Dec., 17. (IP)
|—Reports from the frontier state of
King A ma nullah of Afghanistan
I Queen Souria are that they have
taken refuge in a fort the army
! having turned against them.
While reports of disturbances in
the remoter sections of Afghanstan
have been reported recently today's
i advices was the first indicating the
dissatisfaction had spread to Kabul,
the capital city, about 100,000 popu
lation.
The trouble is attributed to the
King s drastic westernization re
form and to the Queen’s desire to
abolish the Purdah seclusion ot
women.
BOY FOR BOGARTS
Though Chritsmas is still some
days away nevertheless a wonderful
present was left last evening at the
home of Mr. and Mrs. James S.
Bogart, Jr., for a fine little boy waj
left by the stork. Mrs. Bogart and
baby are reported to be doing as
well as can be expected. Dr. J. A.
! Baughman was the attending pliy*
Isican.