VOLUME XIV. NUMBER 123.
SEWARD, ALASKA. MONDAY, MAY 27, 1929.
PRICE TEN CENTS
Steamer Aleutian
Sinks Uyak Bay;
One Life Lost
STEAMER SANK IN SEVEN MINUTES AFTER
CRASHING INTO ROCK SUNDAY MORNING
AT 5:30 A. M.—LIFE BOATS LAUNCHED IN RE
CORD TIME—NUMBER HAULED IN FROM
WATER—MISS MILLER OF LATOUCHE NAR
ROWLY ESCAPED: CLAD IN NIGHT DRESS
AND COAT SHE WAS FORCED TO JUMP FROM
RAIL—JANITOR WENT BACK TO STATEROOM
TO SAVE A CHARM AND NEVER SEEN SINCE.
ALEUTIAN VALUED MILLION DOLLARS
Coast and Geodetic Survey steamer Surveyor, at anchor
in Zacher Bay when received news of disaster—
rushed immediately to scene and picked up sur
vivors—adminstered medical attention to several,
gave them hot food—due to arrive in Seward this
afternoon.
The grave-yard of the Pacific,
the North Pacific Ocean, claimed
one more vessel yesterday when
the S. S. Aleutian, of the Alaska
Steamship Company, making a
special trip Westward from the
local terminal port, struck a rock
in mid-channel of Uyak Bay,
c, sinking at 5:30 a. m. Capt. Gus
Nord, veteran skipper of the com
f pany, commanded the Aleutian.
A Only one life was 1st, according
to the meager reports"*which brot
practically no details excepting
the statement the steamer had
sunk and that the passengers and
k crew are aboard the Coast and
Geodetic Survey vessel Surveyor,
Capt. R. R. Lukens and would
arrive in Seward this afternoon.
The first message from Cap
tain Lukens was to the effect he.
would bring his ship into port
this morning. The second wire,
stated heavy weather would pro-1
bably delay him and the arrival
was set for this afternoon
LATER DETAILS
The S. S. Aleutian struck a rock
in mid-channel at the south end of
Amook Inland in Uyak Bay and was
so badly damaged that she filled |
immediately, slid off into deep
water, disappearing entirely in
seven minutes. As she sank her
y stern rose high in the air and from
her port holes, due to the air pres
sure within, towels, clothing, etc.,
shot out with great force.
The spectacular and efficient
A work of officers and crew in land
ing the life boats prevented a great
loss of life, it is reported, as the
ship listed badly. Every boat was
filled without the slightest confu
sion.
All the people in the water were
picked up by the small boats; also
by a gas boat of some big game
* hunters nearby, the latter taking
the women and four other passen
gers to their camp at Larson Bay j
from which point the disaster was 1
broadcast.
SURVEYOR RUSHES SCENE
The Coast and Geodetic Survey j
vessel Surveyor, Capt. R. R. Lukens, |
was anchored in Zacher Bay and :
upon receipt of the wireless mes- j
sage rushed, full steam, to the scene !
and upon its arrival met the can
nery tender Raven towing the life >
boats. All hands were taken aboard
the Surveyor then proceeded to
Larson Bay where the balance of i
the survivors were taken or* board I
and sailed for Seward. The last I
report from Captain Lukens was to j
the effect he would bring his ship
into port at 5:30 this afternoon.
JANITOR WAS LOST"
The only life lost was that of
^ (Continued on Page Five)
KODIAK AMAZED HI
KODIAK, May 27, (Special to the
Gateway)—The merger report that
the S S. Aleutian had gone down
ruddenty at 5:50 Sunday morning
startled the whole town of Kodiak
and speculation is still rife how the
passengers and crew could have
been gotten off in the brief time
she is said to have been afloat after
she struck a pinnacle reef at the
entrance to Uyak Bay or Zacker
Bay. The vessel is reported a total
T'SS. The Coast Guard Cutter Sur
veyor is reported taking the sur
vivors to Seward.
ELEMENTS BEAT HIM
LOS ANGELES, May 27. (/P)—
Fog and winds defeated Her
bert J. Fahys in his attempt to
break Martin Jensen’s solo flight
endurance record when forced
down after 21 hours and 16
minutes flying.
BIG BOD-UP
OF OUTERS IS
MABEflT OAKLAND
CONFESSIONS POUR INTO DIS
TRICT ATTORNEY’S OFFICE
FROM CROOKS
OAKLAND, May 27, (/P)—Fear of
imprisonment or hope of immunity,
resulted in floods of confessions
'from police officers, business men
land racketeers who fell within the
toils of the law in.last week’s spec
tacular roundup by federal officers
and the district attorney’s office of
128 men and one woman all con
nected with illicit “rackets” in OaK
land and Alameda.
Some of the offers to “spill” the
works were accepted by federal
District Attorney George Hatfield,
[who led the cleanup, while otheis
were refused, and Hatfield declared
| that the government already has
I the case “sewed up”.
| As a result of the clean up, seven
i police officers, including Captain
iThorvald Brown, commander of
the eastern district in Oakland,
were suspended after their arrests.
) There is wholesale evidence of
| graft, of the “payoff” to police of
ficers by racketeers, tt^at has gone
on for years, and of the power of
John Fillapelie, Oakland bail bond
czar and self-styled “owner of Ala
meda countv”.
i Also of G. B. “Bacci”A.atto, alleg
ed brewery owner, and head of the
I wet goods supply and go-between
in the far flung racketeer organi
zation. The entire case will be laid
before the federal grand jury.
RADIO BOOMS COPPER
NEW YORK, May 27, The
inter-relations f various indus
tries and the effect of one on the
other have been brought out strik
ingly in the recent figures show
ing that the development of radio
and electrical refrigeration have
increased the consumption of cop
per in the United States by 30,
• 000,000 pounds annually.
PLANE “FORTH 1RTH"
LOWERS REGENT MARK
FORT WORTH, May 27. !(/P)—
The monoplane, Fort Worth land
ed - here at 4:05 yesterday after
172 hours, 32 minutes of con
tinuous flying. The record estab
lished surpassed the endurance
record set by the army’s Ques
tion Mark by 21 hours. The ship’s
motor ran perfectly during the j
week of flying but a cracked
propellor resulted during a rain j
storm near Dallas and a forced I
landing became necessary.
LITTLlGlir
ATTACKED SLAIN
AT FORT BRAGS
—
POLICE AND SHERIFF OF
i OPINION THAT RESIDENT
REGION IS STRANGLER
_
FORT BRAGG, Calif., May 27,
(A5)—Search for the attacker and
slayer of six-year-old Teresa
Johnson, Fort Bragg school girl,
assumed wide proportions as
scores of townsmen joined. Dep
uties are following a dim trail
| across the hills.
j The girl’s bruised body was
| found yesterday in a clearing
; and the hunt for the strangler
slayer started a few minutes
afterward.
Every road is guarded in the
densely timbered land to prevent
his escape across the country.
The police and the Sheriff ad
vanced the opinion the murder was
I committed by a resident of the
region.
DOES NOT FAVOR
WASHINGTON, May 27, UP)—
That President Hoover plans to
I eliminate all hand shaking in the
very near future, was indicated at
the White House in a conversation
between Mr. Hoover and the secre
tary of state.
CANADIAN PLANS TACOMA—TOKYO FLIGHT
Lieut. Harold Bromley (inset) plans to fly the route
shown in a trans-oceanie jump from Tacoma, Wash., to
Tokyo, Japan, next month.
! AMPHIBIAN RETURNS JUNE 2,
THEN TO FAIRBANKS; TO
SEWARD AGAIN 8TH
The “Alaskan,” amphibian type
| airplane of the Gorst Air Trans
port Inc., of Seattle, the first
| amphibian plane to visit Seward,
| after an unannounced flight land
jed on Resurrection bay at 9:15 pm
I Saturday bringing seven people
from Latouch'e on a shopping tour
to the Gateway city.
Piloted by Clayton L. Scott, gen
eral manager for the Gorst Co.,
;the “Alaskan” surprised Sewardites
when it appeared from over ,the
mountains on the southeasterly
side of the bay, making several
circles over the city and bay and
then, as gasoline was needed, glid
ed down to the water in front
of the Standard oil company plant,
turned shoreward, taxied across
the surf and after unlimbering
its wheels for use on land, the
amphibian, like a huge monster
of the sea crawled up on the
beach high and dry and dis
charged its passengers.
The plane which has been mak
ing its base at Cordova for the
(Continued on Page Seven)
I
0UESTI1II
RECORD BROKEN
BK FORT WORTH
PROPELLOR CRACKED UP WHEN •
STRUCK BELT BUCKLE
OF PILOT ROBBINS
FORTH WORTH, Texas, May 27.
(TP)—The ship “Fort Worth” sur
passed the record made by the
army plane Question Mark in
January by 21 hours and 50 min
| crafutes and 46 seconds. Other
records made by all types of
aircraft were likewise smashed.
Pilots, R. L. Robbins and James
Kelley slipped to the earth and a
i sea of humanity closed about
the plane. The pilots were in fine
condition, althought tired and
deafened by the roar of motor’s
noise- The plane was in good
condition except *for a battered
propellor which forced a landing
before the “Fort Worth” fliers
were ready. The cause of the
cracked propellor is believed to
be the rseult of the propellor
encountering a solid object, first
thought to be hail but latter
attributed to hitting Robbin’s
belt buckle while oiling the
! rocker arm.
TERRIFIC WINDSTORM
IN SASKOTCHE1N
MOOSEJAW, Saskaschewan, May
27, (JP) — A terrific windstorm
ranged South and Central Sas
katchewan unroofing homes and
tearing down telegraph poles near
Brownlee. The wind raised a
dust storm which darkened the
area from Regina to Brownlee.
Farmers said the newly seeded
! land will suffer; no casualties
! were reported.