The Daily Alaska empire., 1946-04-02
SCORES DIE AT HIL0 IN
 WAVE SMASH
Destruction Wrought Over Hawaiian Islands Runs
 Into Millions Dollars

HILO, Hawaii, April 2.-The death toll in the Eastern Pacifics worst seismic wave disaster reach- ed 93 today and a naval officer estimated the loss of life in Hilo- chief victim of the boiling seas might total 300.
 Damage ran into the millions of dollars.
 A submarine earthquake, which geologists called ld-shaking, sent giant swells flaming out from the North Pacific at 400 to 500 miles an hour early yesterday. Beaches on Hawaii. the Aleutians, and California were lashed by 10 to 100 foot waves.
 The deal toll;
 Hawaiian Islands--60 bodies re- covered at Hilo; nine on Oahu, seven on Maui and six on Kauai Islands.
 On Aleuttans Unimak. the Aleutians-Ten men swept to sea from Scotch Cap light house.
 California--One man swept to sea from the Santa Cruz beach
 Many were missing in Hilo and in rural Laupahoehoe, but the num- Der was not known.
 At Honolulu, William w. Mona han. chairman of the Hawaiian Red Cross estimated that not more than 4.00o refugees asked for shell ter in all of the Hawaiian Islands. Of these. 1900 were Oh Oahu and 800 on Hawaii Islands
 60 Bodies Recopered
 Robert Lindsey, chairman of Red Cross Disaster Relief here, said 60 bodies had been recovered from the wreckage in Hilo and T expect there will be more"
 Territorial Gov. Ingram Stainback invoked the Hawaiian Defense Act flor the safeguarding of life and property and the preservation of law and order' in waye-ravaged areas.
 Casualty reports appeared to be complete from ell damaged areas except the island of Hawaii, on which Hilo was its 25,000 population is located.
 Saved Frcm Waters
 There was some hope that Hilo's death toll might not reach the naval officers 300 estimate. A score of persons previously report ed missing had been saved from the waters off Hawaii by Army and Navy air-sea rescue planes and small surface craft. One, aR2l-year- old school teacher, Miss Marsue Mo- Ginnis, was rescued after eight hours in the water.
 There was hope also that the waves might not recur today, as feared for time last night. The commander of the Alaska Sea From tier, at Seattle. emphatically denied as grossly exaggerated reports that a loo-foot tidal wave was rushing along the Aleutian Island Chain today toward Kodiak. He added that no new wave was forecast.
 Damage Enornlous
 Hawaiians dared not estimate the damage, except in the millions of dollars" Herbert c. Shipman, Hilo sugar planter. said $700.000 worth of raw sugar was swept into the ocean with Instructions of Territorial wharfs.
 Tens of thousands of dollars worth of food in warehouses was destroyed
 It was estimated that Hilo had only four days of food available. To conserve the supply, residents were limited to the purchase of s2 worth of food at one time.
 Navy dispatches from Midway and tiny Johnston Islands reported major damage to communications facilities but no loss of navy per- sonnel. New equipment and radio technicians were dispatched to the islands immediately.
 No Distress At Sea
 There were no reports of ships at sea in distress. One geologist said the vast length of such waves, from crest to crest. would enable vessels to ride them out without difficulty.
 A minor wave wrought slight damage at Dutch Harbor.
 Tokyo reported no disturbance of any sort.
 At East Island. on French Frigate Shoal, 450 miles northwest of Hon. olulu, the giant seas swept clear over the island, the Coast Guard
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