The Way We Were

March 10, 1921

E.L. Carpenter of the U.S. Engineering Department, who has been in Wrangell for some time to survey and give an official report on the site of the proposed breakwater, 350 feet in length from Shustak Point, is leaving for Seattle on the Mary. A petition was circulated in April 1919 by Samuel Cunningham and forwarded to Delegate Grigsby for the breakwater at Wrangell harbor which would afford protection in stormy weather to hundreds of boats. Later it was found that the petition had been lost, and in early 1920 Oscar Wickstrom, then Secretary of the Local Alaska Labor Union, circulated another petition and secured 139 signers. This was sent to Washington. A letter from Mr. Grigsby, dated May 14, 1920, stated that the Harbors and Rivers Committee had unanimously decided to make no appropriations for new projects anywhere in the United States and the best that could be promised was a survey.

March 8, 1946

Don Campbell, of Seattle, had a narrow escape from death early Tuesday morning when he leaped or fell into the icy waters of the bay from the deck of the Baranof as it docked in Wrangell.

In a signed statement to the Sentinel, Campbell said he was knocked overboard by a cable, but passengers who saw him say he evidently attempted to jump ashore before the boat tied up. Campbell hit the water between the ship’s side and the dock and crewmen and dock workers searched the water with flashlights for 20 minutes before he was discovered clinging to a piling under the wharf. Bill Kangas, well-known Wrangell man, went down a ladder near the piling and put a rope around Campbell, who was near exhaustion and, with the aid of bystanders, pulled him to safety. He was immediately taken to the hospital and given treatment by Dr. A.T. Nelson, who was at the scene. Campbell’s first request was for a cup of coffee after his cold bath.

March 11, 1971

Lance Ingle, quality control supervisor at the Wrangell Lumber Co. and Alaska Wood Products mills, left Tuesday for a month’s fact-finding trip to Canada and Japan. Mill Manager Buz Sedlack said Ingle will gather data about the lumber remanufacturing process and study sagging market conditions, which caused the temporary shutdown last month of the AWP operation. “Mr. Ingle hopefully will bring back many useful ideas which help the company in the poor market of today,” Sedlack said. “As you know, the Alaska Wood Products mill has been shut down for a period. The main objective is to get both mills operating at full two-shift capacity again.”

March 14, 1996

The Port Commission last week agreed the $25-a-day tie-up fee at the city dock has to be increased. The proposed moorage rate would be based on cost per foot. Presently, the fee is based on tonnage. The proposed fees are as follows: boats up to 99 feet would pay a moorage fee of 75 cents per foot; 100 to 199 feet, $1 per foot; 400 feet and over, $1.50 per foot. Port Commision Chairman Carl Campbell agreed with the need to increase city dock rates.” We’ve let it be too low, too long.” he said. “We have some real costs we have to deal with if we want to improve our facility.”

 

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