The Alaska citizen., 1916-03-13
SOLDIERS MEET
 THEIR DEATH IN
 BARRACKS FIRE
BARRACKS AT FORT GIBBON BURN-MANY CAUGHT IN
 TRAP-THREE DEAD.

and that three soldiers lost their
 lives in the flames, was the infor- nation received in Fairbanks by telegraph on Wednesday. The names of the dead are Herman Lunn, Henu
 Miner and Curtis B. Willis. All United States Infantry which com pany has its headquarters at the post. Two other men, Sergeant Anthony Krivinak and Private Gross Kelly, were seriously injured in making their escape from the burn ing building. Other members of the company also had narrow es- capes, being compelled in most in. stances to get out of the seCo,.l story windows of the building and to the ground in nothing but their night clothing. The origin of the fire is not known. The report re- ceived here is to the effect that 1t was first noticed in the main corridor down stairs and that it spread so rapidly that the sleeping soldiers were awakened by the fire bugle barely in time to save their lives, let alone their clothing anI valuables. All of the company records were also lost together with other company paraphernalia The band instruments were saved
 At first it was believed that Privates Miner and Lunn were the only ones who perished in the flames, and it was only after roll call that it was discovered that Private Willis was missing. Two unrecognizable bodies had already been taken from the ruins, but when further search was instituted. his death was certified to by the discovery of another body, charred and blackeneG beyond recosnition.
 Sergeant hriyinak was injured in breaking a window in the build g Nnue mahing lis escape An d. ttry in his arm Was cut rriya,g Kelly fell through a window wheH overcome by smoke, having man aged to reach the opening after being awakened by tae tire ddru lie is believed to be injured inter nully. Both of the men are in the post hospital.
 Many oI the men performed heroic deeds in assisting comrades tu escape and in preventing the spread of the fire. Corporal Wade wa7 rooming with Private Miner, one of the men who met his death ana he states that his last glimpse of Miner was when the latter picked up a fire eXtinguisher, opened the door to their room and started to fight the fire despite the ordeJ to make his escape given by the non commissioned otncer, theIep, dying in doing his duty. From Cne position in wnicn hls DCdy We found, it was evident that Private Lunn Crawled about 20 feet from his bed before being overcome by smoke.
 The building which was on fire was doomed to destruction before the water arrived The attention of the members of the company, under it's officers, Capt. Samuel B Mcintyre and Lieutenants Eastman and Twaddle, was therefore g4ver toward saving other buildings near But little could be done however, until the men were supplied with from the commiSsary and from the signal corps quarters. The 20 or more signal corps men sta tioned at the post also assisted in lie fire fighting.
 The oil nouse and ammunition buildings were directly behind the barracks. The heat being intense, the oil was carried to a place of safety by the men. An attempt was also made to carry the ammunition to a place of safety, but the feat was impossible on account of the heat, and more than one thousand rounds exploded intermittently dur ing the next hour.
 The pump house, situated on the river bank near the southwest cor ner of the building which burned, caught fire several times and it was therefore necessary that prac tically all of the water available be used in keeping it from burning. The quartermaster and commissary buildings were also scorched by the flames, but were saved with practically no damage.
 The officers and soldiers at Fort Gibbon as well as the residents of Panama are in mourning over the happening. Several messages of condolence have been sent from Fairbanks and appreciative answers received from Captain Mcintyre.
 In pursuance of a regulation of the war department that each com pany in Alaska be stationed at it's post but for two consecutive years, the members of Compny B will go Outside during the coming sum-