August 18, 1967

(Lower) High Water News

Vol. 1 No. 5 - UA, News Service

Issued 9:00 a.m. Friday, Aug. 18, 1967

THOSE LONG-GONE SMILES ARE BACK

Who has more fun than flood evacuees? That seemed to be the question on several hundred lips last night in Memorial Plaza on the university campus.

Led by a spirited Alaskan teacher-to-be, a group of younqsters---and oldsters -- gathered in a circle and had a ball! They played games, sang songs and danced and several hundred fellow flood victims laughed their worries away.

The Music Lady of the qroup was Susan Sharpe, a recent graduate of Marylhurst College, en route to a teaching assignment in Nulato.

Susan charmed her fellow gamesters (gamesters?~??) into all sorts of contests --- much to the merriment of the thronq, which grew as the singing grew louder.

"What we need at this point," chortled one bystander, "is more Susan Sharpes." No one disagreed.

COMMONS CONTINUES TO FEED AN ARMY

Without so such as a spilled coffee cup, the 150-person crew at the Commons continued the daily food service miracle yesterday --- this time serving more than 1.1,000 meals.

Chow time hours continue to be 7 a.m.. to 9:30 n.m. Several volunteer ladies in the serving line are convinced that some members of the younger set believe in a five-meal-a-day routine. Or at least, an awful lot of youngsters must have twins, they say.

CURFEW ANNOUNCED

A curfew on campus will be in effect each evening. Youngsters under 17 years of age should be in their buildings no later than 10:30 each night. All persons should be indoors no later than midnight. The curfew will run until 5!30 a.m.

CAMPUS EXODUS SLOWS TO A DRIBBLE

Although an estimated 500 flood victims left campus yesterday to fly to Anchorage or other Alaskan points, the exodus slowed nearly to a halt last night. The helicopter airlift and the high-wheeled Army transport operation to International Airport was suspended before 9 when no other persons indicated they wanted to leave.

Yesterday's exodus left the campus population at an estimated 6,000 persons --- including regular campus residents.

EARTHQUAKE JARS ANCHORAGE

An earth tremor measured at 4.5 on the Richter scale, jarred Anchorage last night. No damage was immediately reported and the jolt was not expected to affect the evacuation of flood victims to the Cook Inlet city.

SAFEWAY TO RE-OPEN MONDAY

The Safeway Store in downtown Fairbanks announced last night it will re-open for business Monday. A spokesman asked employes to report for work, if possible. The spokesman added that the store is "dry" but cannot be reached by automobile.

Anybody for a slow boat to Safeway?

NO EVIDENCE OF TYPHOID IN FLOOD AREA

A complete investigation has revealed no evidence of typhoid in the Fairbanks area, a ccording to an announcement last night by Dr. John Chapman, Commissioner of the Alaska Department of Health and Welfare.

Dr. Chapman warned residents, however, to observe normal precautions in regard to drinking water.

IT'S A DRY TOWN IN SOME WAYS

Most alcoholic dispensing establishments (a bar by any other name is a bar--agreed?) were closed last night, according to one report. Most notable of these, perhaps, was the Malemute Saloon in Cripple Creek.

There were unconfirmed reports that more than one campus resident, evacuee or otherwise, returned to the pasture last night in a condition other than sober --- prompting a decision to closedown the faucets.

ANCHORAGE MAYOR DUE FOR CONFERENCE THIS MORNING

Mayor Elmer Rasmuson of Anchorage was scheduled to sit down with Fairbanks business and civic leaders at the university this morning to discuss ways in which his- city could aid flood-stricken Fairbanks.

His visit recalls a similar visit Fairbanks leaders made to Anchorage in 1964 in the wake of the Good Friday earthquake.

NEWS-MINER CHAMPING AT THE PRESS

Staffers of the Fairbanks Daily News-Miner, ready to report in words and pictures on the biggest news story in Interior Alaska in more than three decades, were rebuffed again yesterday by too-slowly-falling flood waters.

David B. Galloway, executive editor, reported that flood waters in the basement of the News-Miner building were still preventing pressmen from turning on power to the paper's offset press.
Stories were being written again last night in the offices of the Polar Star, the university's student newspaper, on the third floor of Constitution Hall.

Galloway said that as soon as the presses could receive power, a paper would be published. The News-Miner has been "edition-less" since last Saturday. A joint edition, however, has been published by the Anchorage Daily News.

SALVATION ARMY SHIPMENTS RECEIVED

Shipments of clothing and medical supplies by the Salvation Army have arrived on campus.
Clothing ia being distributed on the second floor of Constitution Hall.

SHORT-TAKES

---- All persons with knowledge about the protection and care of electrical motors are asked to report to Ron Davis at the Civil Defense office in Hess Hall. Davis is organizing a class in motor repair.

---- Complete sets of Emergency Flood Information flyers (the yellow bulletins now posted on building doors) will be available in Hess Hall and the Library, starting this afternoon.

---- Persons leaving the campus are reminded to turn in all bedding to the Housing office in Hess Hall. Bedding is urgently needed.

LATE FLOOD NEWS

A survey by riverboat shortly before 9 this morning showed a drop in the water level of about 18 inches since the Chena crested Tuesday. Don Andon and Lee Russel of KFAR reported that the A-67 site was still under water. An A-67 spokesman said the water had risen to Row F in the Civic Center. Native Village on the A-67 site, he said, had been almost completely wiped out by the flood. Ed Stroecker, general manager of A-67, has estimated damage to the centennial site at more than $1.5- million. The estimate was made two days ago.

The KFAR newsmen reported that the Chena was dropping-very slowly. They said that al1 of First Avenue in Fairbanks was still entirely under water in some areas in the Taku Subdivision, the water was up to door knob level. It was the concensus of the newsmen that Fairbanks-Was still in a critical flooding stage. The survey covered the area from the Cushman Street bridge to the Western portion of Westgate.

NORTH STAR BOROUGH MEETS

Members of the North Star Borough Assembly met in the Bunnell Building this morning to discuss flood rehabilitation plans.

A spokesman for the assembly emphasized that both the city and borough governments are functioning.

Assemblymen agree that a serious sewage problem existed while flood waters remained high and that residents should not move back into their homes until sewage could be adequately taken care of.