Evening star., 1934-09-18
.F|RE-RAzEDNOME
LOSES MOST FOOD
Supplies Must Be Rushed by
Sea and Air Before Ice
Locks Harbor.

Continued From First Page)
and restaurant, all of the hotels but
one fell before the flames.
Two Eskimos were trapped by the
flames. They burned to death.
Buildings were dynamited as the
blaze raced today toward Front street.
A number of white persons were
injured. At the hospital-one of the
few buildings to escape the fire-phy-
sicians said several were in a serious
condition.
Food Supply Consumed.
Most Of the city's food supply was
consumed by the fire-a dire predica-
ment for a city as isolated as Nome,
which must import all that it eats.
Food and material to rebuild the city
must be brought in by boat over long
rough water journeys from South
eastern Alaska or Seattle before ice
freezes out all ships six weeks hence.
Food may also be flown in by air
plane from Fairbanks, half way across
Alaska. Dog sled Journeys from Fair
banks take months under normal con-
ditlons.
Hundreds Of Nome's Summer popu-
lation of 1000 were utterly homeless
In Winter time the city has about
$500 residents.
While some stayed up throughout
the night to watch the fire burn itself
out, the remainder crowded into the
one hotel. the hospital. warehouse
along the water front or the few resi-
dences that escaped the conflagration.
The temperature Is near the freez-
ing point.
Oficials Begin Survey.
Relief kitchens fed the city tempo
rarily. City officials began a survey
while the embers still glowed to de-
termine how long the remaining food
would last.
Already new supplies are on the way
aboard the liner Victoria due in Nome
a week hence
The Coast Guard cutter Northland
was ordered to put out from Dutch
Harbor-nearest Alaska city by water
and speed from the Aleutian Islands
10 give NIldl dIu IL COuiu.
The Coast Guard headquarters at
Washington sent the following radio
to the commander of the Bering Sea
patrol force: Proceed to Nome with
cutters Chelan, Shoshone and North
land to render whatever assistance
necessary to destitute and homeless.
Ascertain from civil authorities at
Meme by radio whether provisions re-
quired and take steps accordingly
Nome, magnet of the world during
the great Alaskan and Yukon gold
| rushes, became a colorful page in his
tory in 1898 when placer miners dis
covered the yellow metal near the
town that was just collection OF
shacks.
Center Of Mine Operations.
On the north shore Of Norton
Sound, Alaska, it is the center OF all
mining operations of that part OF
Americas rich territory of Alaska.
More than sl,0O0000 came out OF
this district in one month in the days
before gold mining became scientific,
and it still is one of the centers OF
4 6OAA PAoNaNSANAA'
Ice closes the harbor most of the
year, so that only in the months from
June to October is it accessible except
by airplane.
Nome got its name by accident,
| legend says A draughtSman was
| mapping the country, and when he
reached that section. he marked it
''name?" A photographer misread
his handwriting and lettered 1t the
word Nome"
When the magic word gold" was
broadcast to the world in 1898 Nome
soon acquired a population of 10000
persons, who hoped either to discover
gold or to "chisel" the cleaning
nuggets and dust from those who had
| discovered it.
Fire Is Towns Second.
In those days dance halls and
| saloons, gambling halls and similar
| rough hewn palaces of pleasure
| Sprang up like mushrooms. That was
the heyday of such characters as
Robert Services Lady Known as
LOU" Dan McGrew," Sam MCGEE"
and the rest of them.
The fire was the second which has
left Nome in ruins since gold turned
it almost overnight from a barren,
frozen plain into city of shacks in
1898
In 1905 fve blocks were burned in
the northwest corner of the city.
Yesterday at least 20 blocks of the
newer and bigger Nome were de-
Stroyed.
Flames spread from the Golden
Gate Hotel to the government build
ings-post Office, court house, Jail,
road commission headquarters. With
in an hour they swept along Front
street, the towns business thorough
fare, famed by a -mileanhour
wind.
Gold Dredging Halted.
Nearby gold dredging operations
were shut down and employees rushed
to this Far Western Alaska "metrop-
oils" with what food supplies could be
spared to render needed assistance
Many men and women who joined
the fire fighters were overcome by
exhaustion.
Russ Maynard, son of George May
nard, publisher Of the citys Asso-
ciated Press newspaper, cabled first
word to the outside world. He was
nearly trapped as the roof of his
plant collapsed while he was at
tempting to save printing equipment.
RED CROSS RUSHES AID.
SunplieS Being Rushed From Other