Digital Bob Archive

2 May 1980 issue

JULY 4, 1909-Deputy U. S. Marshal W. Mulcahy is seriously wounded, but is expected to recover, at St. Ann?s Hospital after being stabbed by a man he had just arrested. Mike Saegem, a Slavonian, was arrested at Front and Seward Streets for fighting and was being escorted, apparently peaceably, to jail when in front of the San Francisco Bakery on Second Street he suddenly drew a dirk and plunged it into Mulcahy?s back. He then turned and ran but was followed by Mulcahy despite his wound and cornered in front of the Juneau Hotel bar, also on Second Street. He was warned to surrender but when he again attacked the deputy with his knife, was shot through the heart.

MARCH 3, 1910-At 11:30 o?clock last night the powder magazine at the 1100-foot level in the Mexican mine on Douglas Island exploded and as a result 37 men are either dead or so badly injured they are not expected to live. The explosion could not have come at a worse time, just as the shift was changing and the men were gathered at the main shaft, waiting to be hoisted to the surface. A few minutes earlier or later and not more than two or three men would have been near the magazine. The stope boss, who might have been able to tell what caused the explosion, was among those killed. Enough powder was kept in the magazine to last one shift and was doled out to the miners by the stope boss. Nels Rustad, stope boss on that shift, was among those killed. It is estimated that about 275 pounds of powder were in the magazine when it blew up. Most of the men killed were single; only three left widows. Only two of the 37 were American born. Eleven were from Austria and five from Montenegro, four from Norway, three each from Belgium, Italy and Greece, two from Finland and one each from England, Ireland, Sweden and Russia.

MAY 7, 1914-The Isa Goldstein store building on Front Street is practically compete and ready for the plasterers. In addition to the large store space on the street floor, there are apartments on the second floor. (Note: The building is now the Filipino Community Hall.)

JANAURY 4, 1917-F. E. Kilbourne, superintendent of printing for the Alaska Daily Dispatch, went south on the Princess Sophia today to purchase new equipment and machinery for the plant. This will include a fast newspaper press, another linotype machine and an engraving and halftone plant.

MARCH 7, 1917-Excavation for the new Juneau school building will start on April 1, according to Peter Woeck of Seattle, who has the contract. The building will house both grade and high schools. The old school building, a part of which was built in 1887 with an addition in 1892, will be torn down. Classes will be held at various locations around town, including the city hall, the IOOF Hall, an empty grocery store on Third Street, and the basement of the Presbyterian Church. There will be two shifts for most classes. The new school will go up on the block between Seward and Franklin on Fifth Street. Present teachers for the grades are Miss Blanche Dyer, Miss Evelyn Sullivan, Miss Mamie Wheeler, Miss Harriett Case, Miss Mina Sowerby, Miss Dorothy Gilcrist, Miss Jane Brenneman and Miss Myrl Eakin. For the high school the teachers are A. M. Mathews, Miss Margaret Scott, Miss Gertrude Hellenthal, Miss Fay Wenk and Miss Nan Thompson.

MARCH 1, 1920-Many of the members of the Juneau winter ?hotel colony? are preparing to return to their homes in the next week or two. These are residents who find it cheaper and more convenient to live in one or another of the city?s hotels during the winter and who close up their homes for the duration of the cold weather.

MARCH 1, 1922-The Coast Guard Cutter Unalga, Captain Broackway commanding, has been assigned to duty in Alaskan waters with headquarters at Juneau and is expected to arrive here before the middle of this month. This is the first time in several years that a cutter has been assigned to Juneau, although the Unalga has cruised in northern waters each year for several years. She spent a day here last year when Captain Broackway and other officers looked over proposed sites for a government wharf.

OCTOBER 20, 1925-The Juneau post of the American Legion and the Auxiliary have announced plans to build a clubhouse on the lot the post owns on the north side of Second Street, between Franklin and Seward. Estimated cost of the clubhouse is between $5,000 and $7,000.

DECEMBER 1, 1927-The Salvations Army?s new building on Willoughby Avenue was dedicated yesterday afternoon by Col. J. S. McLean and Major W. J. Carruthers. High praise was given Captain C. O. Edwards, in charge of the work here, and B. M. Behrends, who headed the drive to raise funds.

MARCH 20, 1929-A crew started work yesterday to remodel the Alaska Film Exchange building on South Franklin Street into apartments. There will be eight modern apartments in the building which is owned by W. D. Gross and will be known as the Gross Apartments.

SEPTEMBER 6, 1930-Enrollment in the Douglas Public Schools this years is 107, with 42 in the high school and 65 in the grades. There are 12 each juniors and sophomores, 11 freshmen and seven seniors.

JULY 12, 1941-Ken Junge, patrolman on the Juneau police force, has been promoted to chief, succeeding Dan Ralston, resigned. John Monagle was named police patrolman in place of Junge.

DECEMBER 7, 1941-Both Mayor Harry I. Lucas of Juneau and Acting Mayor E. Hachmeister of Douglas have ordered complete blackouts of the two cities following the attack on Pearl Harbor this morning. Street lights have been extinguished and windows of lighted rooms are to be completely screened. Cars are to be driven only with lights at low power. In the event of an air raid alarm, cars are to stop and turn off their lights.

JULY 1, 1942-A Star Airlines plane piloted by Bud Brown with Elmer Nicholson as co-pilot, has arrived from Anchorage with nine passengers and took seven passengers on the return flight.