"News of ^Americas Last Frontier3
VOL 11 NO 21
KODIAK. ALASKA
JULY 28. 1951
PRICE 10 CENTS
Mt. Mageik Blows Top,
Covers Area With Ash
A volcano in Katmai Na
tional Monument blew its
tempermental top Tuesday
and showered the area around
the village of Kukak with one
half inch layer of ash and
created a total blackout for
several hours.
Walter Fuhrer, superinten
dent of Mainland Fisheries’
cannery at Kukak, wired the
following report to Kodiak:
“This morning (Tuesday) at
4:30 when I awakened I
noticed the sky had a most
early lite and then a fine dry
pumice ash started to fall at
5 am. . . since then it has been
almost totally dark here. ’ ’
Walt Muller talked to Fuh
rer and the Alaska Communi.
cations System maintained an
hourly radio watch with the
cannery.
By noon the smoke and air
was beginning to clear and an
Alaska Airlines plane piloted
by Vince Daly flew to Kukak.
Daly brought samples of the
drinking water to Kodiak for
an analysis to determine if it
was drinkable. Daly said the
crater of the volcano was still
smoking and a “haze” hung
over the entire area and ex
tended to Cape Douglas.
On his return to Kodiak
Daly positiv ely identified the
capricious volcano as Mt.
Mageik. “It was still active
and occasionally an atom
bomb like cloud of smoke
would belch from the crater,”
Daly said.
Fishermen returning from
Cook Inlet to Kodiak reported
a “hazy” condition also.
Fuhrer further stated that
two persons witnessed a flash
in the sky around 2 am Tues
day. No reports of rumblings
or explosions were heard.
Old time Kodiak residents
recalled the 1912 eruption of
Mt. Katmai which completely
covered Kodiak Island, and
surrounding islands, with a
heavy layer of ash.
Miss Marlin
Extends Furlough
Miss Estelle Marlin of the
Baptist Mission staff, who left
early this year on a furlough,
has extended her stay outside
until January.
She is presently visiting
various camps and churches
giving talks, and in the fall
will go to school for a few
months.
Miss Marlin is headquarter
ing in Warrington, Pa,, but
has recently been in Portland,
Ore., on her tour.
Blankenburgs
Arrive In England
Mrs. Catherine Blankenburg
and her daughter Gail, cur
rently on a round-the-world
trip, have reached England,
Mrs. Blankenburg’s birth
place, according to a letter re
ceived here this week.
They were in London on
July 18, after a week visiting
relatives in Dovercourt. The
two traveled as far as Copen
hagen on a Danish freighter
passenger ship, the Falstria.
One of the highlights of
their visits in European
countries was a trip to the
Danish Ribald National Park,
which was purchased by
Danish-Americans and set a
side as a national park so that
Danes and Danish Americans
could meet and celebrate July
4th together.
They visited the park on
July 4, and heard the Ameri
can ambassador speak. One of
the flags decorating the park
is an Alaskan one presented
by the Cordova American
Legion, Mrs. Blankenburg
wrote.
Kalmakoff's Body
Found On Beach
A body believed to be that
of Willie Kalmakoff, 22, who
disappeared from the Wash
ington Fish and Oyster Co.
dock at Port Williams on July
1, was found on the beach
near the cannery Wednesday.
A wire from Lee Stout,
superintendent of the cannery,
to U. S. Deputy Marshal
Clarence Dizney told of find
ing the body.
Following the disappearance
of Kalmakoff a search of the
area and a dragging of the
waters near the cannery failed
to reveal the body.
Dizney said he was investi
gating the circumstances
surrounding the disappearance
of Kalmakoff and was un
decided about having an au
topsy performed.
By the Associated Press
Washington — President
Truman ducked questions a
his news conference on his
political intentions of running
again but said Chicago Poli
tician Jacob Avery was “halt
cocked” in suggesting that
General Eisenhower or Illi
nois Senator Paul Douglas be
Democratic presidential pro
spects.
Fishermen Home
From Inlet
Kodiak'fishermen began ar
riving home this week from
Cook Inlet as another emer
gency closure went into affect
and the run of red salmon be
gan to slow down.
Ten Kodiak boats were in
cluded in the wholesale round
up of fishermen charged with
illegal fishing last week by
FWS enforcement agents.
Over 100 arrests were made
and the fishermen taken be
fore the U. S. Commissioner
at Kenai.
Whiz Halferty, Inc., of Ko
diak had 48 fishing boats in
the inlet during the red run
and used three packers and
seven tenders.
“I believe we got our share
of the catch and our pack will
exceed that of last year,”
Orin Kuhnley, superintendent
of the local cannery, said
Wednesday.
Kuhnley was in Cook Inlet
aboard one of the company’s
tenders for three days last
week when the run of reds
was the heaviest.
Returning fishermen plan to
fish for pinks around Kodiak
Island when the season opens
on July 31. Fishing for pinks
will end on August 13.
Late Bulletins
By Associated Press
Three internationally fa
mous military figures died this
week. Marshal Henri Philippe
Petain, French hero of Verdun
World War I, died and former
Crown Prince Wilhelm of
Germany, who opposed Petain
at Verdun, died three days
after the French general.
In Naples, Italy, Admiral
Forrest P. Sherman, first air
man to head America’s Navy,
died in a Naples hospital fol
lowing a heart attack.
Washington — Senate and
House conferees shelved the
stripped down version of the
administration’s Defense
Housing bill by writing new
economics control legislation.
The setback was offset by an
administration victory in an
agreement to roll back rents
to the pre-Korean war levels
in critical defense areas.
San Francisco— Twelve se
cond string commies and
party organizers were arrest
ed by FBI officers in a re
newed government drive
against the party. All were
charged with plotting, teach
ing, and advocating the viol
ent overthrow of the govern
ment.
Baiting Program Starts
Against City’s Rats
City Budget
Is Approved
The budget for the City of
Kodiak for the 1951-52 fiscal
year was approved Monday
night during a regular council
meeting.
The budget for the coming
year totals $121,070, an in
crease of approximately $10,
000 over last year’s budget.
“The contemplated increase
for the coming year is due pri
marily to an increase in wages
and material costs,” Mayor
Lee C. Bettinger said.
The fiscal year for the city
runs from March 31, 1951 to
March 31, 1952.
Receipts for the past year
totaled $154,905.03. The estim
ated revenue for the coming
year was set at $164,900.
Out of the receipts for the
1950-51 year the city paid the
deficit incurred during the
1949-50 fiscal year.
A complete report, with a
balance sheet, will be publish
ed in a full page advertise
ment in the August 4 MIR
ROR.
Armistice Talks
Resume Today
By the Associated Press
Korea—The eleventh “brass
tacks” meeting towards ar
mistice in the Korean War ad
journed after an hour and a
quarter session at Kaesong.
There was no immediate an
nouncement of developments
during the conference in which
the United Nations and Com
munist delegations tackled
four vital issues on which a
cease fire depends.
The conference will be re
sumed today. Earlier, the Pei
ping radio confirmed a five
point agenda and agreed that
a higher level meeting should
discuss the touchy question of
the withdrawing of foreign
troops from Korea. There were
no indications when such a
meeting would be held.
The current agenda includes
the fixing of a military de
markation line; arrangements
for cease fire including neutral
Datrol; exchange of prisoners.
Meanwhile, artillery-sup
ported Chinese stopped three
Allied attacks cold on the
eastern front as activity was
stepped up.
Fred Rave, of the Kodiak
Naval Station, is expecced to
1 arrive home Monday.
Kodiak’s campaign against
rats gathered momentum this
week as the “baiting” pro
gram against the diseased
carriers was carried out.
Teams of volunteers and
other workers planted the
poison under buildings,
houses, lumber piles and other
rat habitats throughout the
city.
Cmdr. James A. Westbrook
and Col. E. K. Day from the
Arctic Health Research Center
met with members of the city
council, Health and Welfare
Council and other interested
persons Sunday at the city hall
to discuss the campaign.
Dr. W. H. Gaub, U. S. Pub
lic Health Service representa
tive, has been conducting ex
tensive laboratory tests on
rats and other four footed
animals to determine which
are the carriers of Weil’s
disease, a form of jaundice.
Members of the local Boy
Scout troop have assisted Dr.
\ Gaub by collecting dead rats.
Dr. Gaub is also seeking live
rats for laboratory tests.
Several specimens of blood
have been obtained from dogs,
whose owners voluntarily
brought them to Dr. Gaub.
The method used to obtain
blood specimens from the dogs
is very humane, Dr. Gaub
sai<J.
The poison bait planted by
the crews Monday and Tues
day was purchased by the
City of Kodiak. The baiting
program was planned to be
carried out by the Civil De
fense set up.
Red River Area
Opening Cancelled
The Red River District will
not open to commercial fishing
on July 31, the Fish and Wiid
| life Service announced this
week.
The district was scheduled
to be open from July 31 to
August 13, but the poor show
ing of reds prohibits the open
ing.
Some pink salmon are show
ing around the island Roy
Lindsley, local FWS repre
sentative, said yesterday.
However, there is no indica
tion that the run will be heavy
this year Lindsley said.
A warranty deed from Edna
Kratt to Charles Marshall for
lot 11, block 10, of the Kodiak
precinct was recorded this
l week. The lot contains the
| building known as the Pas
! time Club and is located near
Tony’s Bar and Liquor Store.