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yQL 14 NO 5- ---...
Fire Claims 3 Lives
In Kodiak Holocaust
•Fire swept through a two
story log building owned by
Harry Landers, and claimed
the lives of three victims, last
Saturday night at approxi
mately 11:30 pm.
Those that lost their lives
in the fire were: Mrs. Alice
Richey, age 29, Sherry Van
Sant, age 3 and Michele Van
Sant, age 1.
Living in the two story
structure were three families.
Robert L. Richey and his de
ceased wife Alice, lived in one
large room and Ora Stans
berry and his wife Patricia
Jived in the other large room.
The Van Sants occupied the
tower floor.
Van Sant and Richey, both
Navy personnel were on duty
when the catastropy happened
Mrs. Francis Van Sant and
Alice Ridhey were helping
with the fashion ehow at the
Casino. The Stansberry’s
Vent to the movies and re
turned home at 10:30. They
immediately retired to their
living quarters on arriving
borne.
Mrs. Van Sant had hired a
baby sitter to care for her two
infant daughters. When the
Stansberry? arrived home the
babysitter was asleep on the
davenport in the front room.
Shortly after eleven pm
Mrs. Richey arrived home in
a taxi cab and pounded on the
front door which was locked.
Mrs. Stansberrys came down
stairs to answer the door and
8hesaid, ‘‘Is that you Bob,
meaning Mr. Richey and re
ceived no answer. Next Mrs.
Stansberry went into the
Dearoom wnere tne two uauies
were asleep in their cribs to
see if they were covered. She
retraced her steps to the bot
tom of the stairs and met Mrs.
Richey entering the back door.
Neither spoke to each other
because of former altercations
over excessive drinking and
Mrs. Stansberry returned to
her room. About 5 minutes
later, Mr. Stansberry, who
was reading and Mrs. Stans
berry sewing heard Mrs.
Richey exclaim, “Oh my God
the children.” The tone of
voice used didn’t disturb the
Stansberrys.
A few minutes later the
Stansberrys smelled smoke
and Mr. Stansberry opened
their door and found the lower
floor well filled with smoke.
He returned to their room and
carried his wife, who had
fainted, to safety through the
back door. The bahysister was
already in the back yard.
Jorgen Fredrickson, owner
of the Log Cabin Liquor Store
came out of his store, saw the
flames and turned in the
alarm. The babysitter and the
Stansberrys were under the
impression that Mrs. Richey
had carried the babies to
safety.
Mrs. Van Sant arrived at
the scene and tried vainly to
enter the building to rescue
her infants and up until then
it was not known that anyone
was in the building.
The local police and shore
patrol then tried to enter the
inferno but could get no far
ther than inside the living
room. As soon as the firemen
Tne children’s bedroom with their two cribs. Mrs. Rich
•y’6 body was found on the floor between the two cribs,Iwith
little Michele beneath her.
The Lander’s home, in which, the lives of three hiavy
dependents were lost. ___
drencned the first floor rescue
teams brought the three
victims out. All tnree were
found in the childrens room,
Mrs. Richeys body covering
the year old infant.
The origin of the fire is an*
known. Several theories have
been suggested, but which of
them is right, will probably
never be known.
Mrs. Richey’s body was
sent to New Orleans for
burial and the two Van Sant
children left Thursday, ac
companied by their parents
| for Birmingham, Ala. for
interment.
Lyle Appointed KPD
Lewis Lyle, a resident of
Kodiak for the past five years
has been appointed to the
position of patrolman which
was vacated by the resignation
of Niel Argy on the first of
April.
Lyle was born at Lapwai,
Idaho, October 20, 1923, being
at the present time 31 years of
age.
After serving a hitch in the
US Navy during World War 11.
hewasdischarged as a Gunners
Mate 3c on Nov. 15th 1945. He
worked fortheNavy at Kodiak
■as a plumber for Public works
from 1950 to 1953at which time
he resigned his Civil Service
position and went to work for
the Pacific Alaska Contractors
as a plumber.
Miss Virginia Foster, gradu
ate of the 1953 Class of Kodiak
High School, and now attend
ing Linfield College at Mc
Minnville, Oregouis a mem
ber of the School’s Acapella
Choir of sixty voices.
The Choir is presently on
tour through the Northwest,
covering four states, Oregon,
Utah, Wash, and Idaho.
PNA Flights Register
Three Speed Records
Pacific Northern Airlines
DC-4 Flagliner, with Captain
Kellog, Captain Utter and
Stewardess Joyce Hall, estab
lished a new speed record for
csmmercial airlines from An
chorage to Kodiak last Tues
day when they flew the run in
58 minutes.
This betters the previous
recoro by 7 minutes, which
was set the week before, by
Captain Hanson, Captain
Stevens and the same Ste
wardess, Joyce Hall.
PNA set two other records
last week. The regular flight
from Juneau to Seattle was
made in 3 hours and 52
minutes, cutting 1 hour and 8
minutes off the regular sche
dule. PNA Flight 4 from An
choaage to Juneau set the
other speen record, flying the
’ 640 miles non-stop in 2 hours
and 30 minutes.
City may mm
Special Election •
City Manager Bob Sharp,*
Mayor Jack Hinckel and Ooun,
cil members discussed Pub'icp
Works Unit no. 4, at last*
week’e city council meeting
with Alaska Public Work®
Engineers 0. R. Hyde ansj
Charles Truitt.
The city council adopted thff
Planning Commission’s reporj
on improvements for street^
and harbor facilities. An e?dv
I nance is being drawn up for
a specicl election, and will be
presented to the council for
I it’s first reading on .April 12.
'The second reading is sche
! duled for April 19. If the
! council passes the ordinance
jthe tentative date for the
' special municipal election will
| be set for Tuesday, May 18.
! This election will be called.
! to submit a 2 per cent sale?
tax proposition and a general
obligation bond issue to the
qualifed voters of Kodiak. •
Ik
Max 0. Therkelsen, IoeaK
cab driver was aquitted of ,
charges filed against him by
the U. S. Marshall, the com
plaint being, contributing to
the deliquency of a minor.
‘ The alleged crime took place*
on Jan. 13 at Alitak, when the
defendent was on a boat trip“
to the southern part of the*
Island. A jury of twelve iverer
called to hear the case, but
were dismissed by the U. S.
Commissioner because of the
reluctance of the witnesses to*
testify.
J Patricia Farsovitch, seven
teen year old resident of All—
* tak, who was victim of the
* alleged assault and her mother
Anastatia Farsovitch, both
testified but gave negative
answers to the States ques
I tions, The jury was dismissed,
>and the defendent freed..
■■M—fal——I —III i in
The cooking stove in the Van Sant puarters was original
ly thought to have caused the fire through over-turned grease