A part of a unbroken weekly sequence on Alaska historical past by native historian David Reamer. Have a query about Anchorage or Alaska historical past or an concept for a future article? Go to the shape on the backside of this story.
Alaska historical past is fortunately rife with heroes, folks whose selfless acts saved lives, made the world a greater place, and impressed others. Some gained acclaim, and a few didn’t. Such is the lifetime of a hero. Nevertheless, 48 Alaskans had been honored with Carnegie Medals for acts that run the gamut from film set disasters to unprepared glacier crossings to airplane crashes. Of these 48 folks, 14 had been awarded for occasions in Anchorage and coated in an article earlier this 12 months. This text presents the tales behind the remainder of the Carnegie-acclaimed heroes of pre-statehood Alaska.
[14 people in Anchorage have been awarded Carnegie Medals for heroism. Here are their stories]
The concept for the Carnegie hero medals originated within the wake of one of many nation’s most infamous mining catastrophes. On January 25, 1904, an enormous explosion rocked the Allegheny Coal Firm’s Harwick Mine north of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. A deliberate detonation to show a coal seam ignited methane and coal mud within the air. The blast was so large it demolished a constructing above the mine shaft. A mule within the mine was launched up and out 300 toes from the mine. Of the 180 miners and workers within the mine on the time, just one survived, a badly burned 16-year-old boy. The poisoned air additionally killed two would-be rescuers, Daniel Lyle and Selwyn Taylor.
Lyle and Taylor’s sacrifice impressed industrialist and philanthropist Andrew Carnegie. That very same 12 months he established the Carnegie Hero Fund to honor such civilian heroes. Of their phrases, “The Carnegie Hero Fund awards the Carnegie Medal to people in america and Canada who danger their lives to a rare diploma saving or trying to save lots of the lives of others.”
The primary Carnegie medal awarded for heroism in Alaska was bestowed upon a British sailor primarily based out of Vancouver. On November 26, 1909, John Magee was boarding a ship close to Skagway when he slipped and fell into the frigid water. William Kerr rushed to the deck and slid down a line to the water 25 toes beneath. Whereas sustaining his grip on the rope, Kerr collected Magee and swam him again to the ship, the place they had been each recovered.
There was no discover of the rescue within the Skagway newspaper, maybe probably the most stunning facet of the occasion. Then as now, readers eagerly consumed tales about excessive heroism and slim escapes. 5 years later, Kerr was awarded his Carnegie medal.
On June 28, 1927, the forged and crew of “The Path of ‘98″ had been filming scenes on the Abercrombie Rapids within the Copper River close to Cordova. The silent movie coated the tribulations and failures of a motley group of Klondike Gold Rush prospectors. By the late Nineteen Twenties, motion pictures in regards to the gold rushes of Canada and Alaska had been already a style unto themselves. Charlie Chaplin had spoofed the idea two years earlier along with his characteristic, “The Gold Rush.” Launched in 1928, “The Path of ‘98″ fell squarely throughout the transition interval of silent motion pictures to talkies, as motion pictures with sound, and its cultural impression was comparatively minimal.
If the movie is remembered at present, it’s for its tragic stunts. On that June day, three crewmembers fell out of their boats whereas making an attempt to navigate the turbulent water. One of many males managed to work his manner in opposition to the stream and seaside himself on a close-by sandbar. The present swept the opposite two males, Ray Thompson and F. Howard Daughters, farther downstream. Joseph Boutin, a World Struggle I veteran and Juneau resident, was stationed on a platform 15 toes above the water. Totally clothed, he dove into the rapids after his fellow stuntmen. Sadly, he “survived only some seconds within the terrific present.” Thompson, Daughters, and Boutin all died.
Lee Rox, one among Boutin’s Juneau buddies, had supposed to hitch the manufacturing however modified his thoughts on the final second. Haunted by his alternative and the selflessness of his pal, Rox initiated a marketing campaign to honor Boutin for his sacrifice. With the help of the American Legion posts in Alaska, he collected the mandatory affidavits and secured the Carnegie recognition in 1931.
Simply over three months later, there was one other drowning tragedy, this time in Seward. Early within the morning of Oct. 3, 1927, three sailors — George Slavin, Roy Byerly, and Carl Deetkin — realized they’d missed the final common boat again to their disparate ships. Regardless of an incoming storm, they headed out in a borrowed skiff. As they approached the facet of their first cease, america Coast and Geodetic Survey steamer Surveyor, the tough seas poured over the edges and swamped the small skiff.
It was 3:35 a.m., and the “man overboard” alarm sounded on the Surveyor. William Bowen was among the many first to reply. Whereas different crew members dropped a line and pulled Deetkin aboard, Bowen leaped off the deck into the darkish, icy water to help Slavin and Byerly. The captain ordered the decreasing of the ship’s whale boat, however by that point, the three males had disappeared. Along with his recognition from the Carnegie fee, the Bowen Anchorage close to Seward was renamed in his honor.
In January 1935, John Roy “Slim” Tipton and three different males headed out for Valdez from the Ramsey-Rutherford Mine northwest of Prospector Peak. Their path took them throughout the Valdez Glacier the place a blizzard overtook them. One of many males, George Martin, collapsed beneath the bodily and psychological pressure. The opposite two males struck out into the storm, hoping to return with assist. In the meantime, Tipton pushed, dragged, and guarded Martin for 2 days and nights, conserving him heat as absolute best within the bitter chilly.
When the storm lastly handed, and with out the arrival of any assist from Valdez, Tipton realized it was time to make the troublesome alternative. He constructed a snow cave for Martin and positioned his personal gloves on the exhausted miner’s palms. Then, Tipton eliminated his snowshoes and used them to mark the situation. Via a number of miles of three-foot deep, unbroken snow, Tipton struggled again to Valdez, really arriving properly earlier than his different two companions. They’d been lucky sufficient to occur upon a cabin the place they spent a number of hours resting.
A rescue celebration discovered Martin, however he died on the way in which right down to Valdez. As for Tipton, the prolonged, subzero publicity and resultant frostbite savagely wrecked his physique. Half his left foot and all his proper toes had been amputated. He additionally by no means recovered the total use of his proper hand. From his accidents, age, and a run of associated dangerous luck, Tipton struggled within the years after his journey on the icefield. He obtained his Carnegie medal in 1936, however because the Petersburg Press opined in 1941, “The medal is a advantageous testimonial however he can’t eat it.”
On July 27, 1937, 15-year-old Margie Jean Snyder and her three youthful siblings had been asleep within the second story of their Palmer residence when it caught hearth. The flames engulfed the stairway, blocking their escape and separating them from their dad and mom. Their father, Thomas, climbed the outside ladder to their window. Margie handed every of her siblings by to her father, who needed to descend and re-ascend every time. By the rescue of the third sibling, the hearth had reached them. When Thomas returned for the fourth time, he discovered Margie unconscious on the burning ground. Eighteen hours later, she succumbed to her wounds. She was posthumously honored by the Carnegie fee in 1938; her medal was given to her father.
On Sept. 21, 1942, a British bomber outbound from Canada crashed on Annette Island close to Metlakatla. Of the three-person crew, John Wallace and William Grey had been thrown away from the airplane upon impression. The third crewmember, John Huggan, was left unconscious within the nostril of the airplane. Fireplace unfold throughout the wreck and ignited a few of the munitions. Three close by Civil Aeronautics Authority staff fought by the flames and bullets to the location. Jack Bassett and Loren Sasseen dragged Wallace and Grey to security. Unable to open any of the doorways, Charles Marchant climbed onto the fuselage and pulled Huggan out by a ragged gap. Fifteen minutes later, the bomber exploded.
All three crew members survived. Bassett, Sasseen, and Marchant had been honored with Carnegie medals in 1943 and British Empire Medals in 1946.
On Nov. 15, 1950, Helvig Christensen, Fred Wetche, and Fred Wetche Jr. had been heading residence to Pelican amidst a nasty gale when their boat hit rocks north of Yakobi Island and broke up. Solely Christensen survived, and narrowly so. He secured himself to a big rock and endured two extra days of the storm, numb and passing out and in of consciousness.
Late on Nov. 17, fellow Pelican resident Thomas Allain was alerted to the disappearance and set out in his 32-foot boat to search out his lacking neighbors. He was accompanied by two younger kin, Betty and Marie Mork, aged 15 and 13, respectively. They blasted on a sign whistle, a slim hope within the wind and uneven seas, however, to their nice aid, they heard Christensen name out. As Allain maneuvered nearer, his boat additionally hit rocks, which punctured the hull in two locations. Allain took off in a skiff for Christensen whereas the Mork sisters tried to maintain the boat afloat, Betty on the wheel and Marie on the bilge pump. The 4 of them limped again to Pelican, arriving at dawn.
They had been awarded Carnegie medals in 1951. Marie obtained hers at a faculty meeting. In true teenage style, she wished to keep away from the eye, wishing she may “slide beneath a desk or desk.” Many years later, in addition they obtained the Coast Guard’s Meritorious Service Award. Mentioned Marie on the time, “We went to assist our neighbors. Who knew 60 years later somebody would make such a fuss?”
On Could 20, 1953, 16-year-old Frederick Stevens jumped into the water by Douglas after 10-year-old Dennis Rigby fell off the dock. Regardless of being a poor swimmer, Stevens saved Rigby above the water till recovered by some cannery staff.
On Feb. 17, 1954, three-year-old Sherman Smith III and two ladies had been outdoors taking part in in subzero temperatures at Cooper Touchdown, and so they wandered onto the sting of the Kenai River. All of the sudden, the ice broke beneath Smith, and he fell into the eight-foot-deep water. Catherine Coppock was in her residence when she heard the screams. She ran out, down a flight of stairs, and throughout a number of hundred toes to the river. There, she dropped to a inclined place and crawled onto the ice. The ice broke beneath her, however she persevered and swam to Smith. By now, her arms had been frozen stiff, however she managed to hold him again to the financial institution. Tragically, Smith didn’t survive.
On June 22, 1957, a small airplane carrying Thomas Douglas, Stephen Herbert, and Herbert’s father crashed onto a mountain ledge close to Kobuk. The pilot died on impression. Herbert dragged his father from the upside-down wreck, then returned to save lots of Douglas, whose legs had been trapped beneath a shattered instrument panel. Two-foot-tall flames circled them as Herbert minimize Douglas from the restraints and pulled him free from the wreckage.
As this was a crash in distant Alaska, Herbert nonetheless needed to make a fireplace, construct a windbreak, administer first assist, and stomp “HELP” into some recent snow. A search celebration discovered them 12 hours later. Regardless of some critical accidents — Douglas misplaced a leg — all three survived.
The final Carnegie medal earned in Alaska earlier than statehood was awarded for a December 14, 1958 incident on Shemya Island. The accident got here throughout a cargo switch from ship to shore throughout tough seas, because the vessel bobbed wildly within the water. David Wenger was on the pier when a pipe part swung unfastened and knocked him into the water. Richard G. McLeod slid down a line from the ship, swam to Wenger, and lifted his head above the water. Caught inside a slim hole alongside the ship and too numb to flee, McLeod may solely watch as they had been practically crushed in opposition to the pier. The crew dropped one other man on a rope who was capable of pull Wenger out. McLeod was recovered shortly thereafter. Each males made full recoveries.
These award winners had been definitely not the one heroes in Alaska historical past. Nevertheless, their selfless acts had been of such singular valor that they captured the eye of individuals throughout the nation and, as such, deserve one other remembrance. The remainder of the post-statehood Alaskan Carnegie medal winners might be coated in a future article.
Key sources:
“Alaska Praises Man Who Sacrificed Himself in Useless Effort to Save Miner’s Life.” Anchorage Each day Instances, February 26, 1937, 7.
“Alaska Girl Wins Carnegie Hero Award.” Anchorage Each day Instances, January 22, 1955, 1.
“Anchorage Man Eligible for British Medal.” Anchorage Each day Instances, April 3, 1945, 6.
Broadt, Zach. “Harwick Mine Explosion.” College of Pittsburgh, Archives & Particular Collections, 2007.
“Carnegie Fund Honors Juneau Youth as Hero.” Anchorage Each day Instances, March 6, 1931, 3.
“Movie Firm is Held Innocent Canyon Tragedy.” Fairbanks Each day Information-Miner, July 23, 1927, 2.
Haugland, Shannon. “Sitka Girl Honored by Coast Guard.” Fairbanks Each day Information-Miner, September 26, 2011, B1, B2.
“Hero Medals for 3 Troopers.” Anchorage Each day Instances, October 30, 1943, 1.
“Honor Palmer Lady.” Anchorage Each day Instances, October 28, 1938, 1.
“Mission of the Carnegie Hero Fund Fee.” Carnegie Hero Fund.
“Seward Shocked by Demise Three Males, Drowning.” Seward Gateway, October 3, 1927, 1, 4.
“Scholar, 18, Will get Silver Hero Medal.” Anchorage Each day Instances, November 3, 1958, 8.