Evening star., 1946-04-02
NewTidaI Wave Menaces Alaska
AsKnownDead Total Rises to93;
Hi|o> Hawaii Toll MayReach 300
Coast Guard Tries
ToChurt Path of
Fresh Disturbance

Alaska today as the known dead
in yesterdays disaster reached
SO and it was feared that the loss
of life in Hilo, Hawaii, chief vic
tim of the boiling seas, might
total 800
Coast Guard district headquarters
at Ketchikan. Alaska, was attempt
ing to chart the course of the new
disturbance and hoped to warn resi-
dents in its projected path.
The 18th Naval District head
quarters at Seattle had no word OF
a tidal wave reported racing up the
north side of the Alaskan Peninsula,
threatening settlements at the eX-
treme inner tip of Bristol Bay.
Only developments in Seattle were
a report from the naval operating
base at Dutch Harbor that "a minor
tidal wave" with crest feet above
normal, struck the base yesterday
four hours after a low-intensity
quake, and the impact tore loose
the cable connecting the station
with the rest OF the 1SlanQ.
Damage Runs into Millions.
The damage from yesterdays
tidal waves ran into millions of
dollars.
A submarine earthquake which
biologists called Notwithstanding sent
giant swells tanning out from the
Donifo OF d00 tn Enl f11l1oS
an hour early yesterday. Beaches
on Hawaii. the Aleutians and Cali
fornia were lashed by 10 to 100
foot waves.
Hilo was hit by three main waves,
although one report said as many
as nine struck the city.
The dead toll:
Hawaiian Islands-6O bodies recov-
cred at Hilo; nine on Oahu, seven
on Maui and six on Kauai Islands.
Unimak, the Aleutians-10 men
swept to sea from the Scotch Cap
lighthouse.
California-One man swept to sea
from the Santa Cruz beach.
Many were missing in Hilo and in
rural Laupahoehoe, but the number
was not known.
At East Island, on French Frigate
Shoal, $50 miles northwest of Homo
lulu, the giant seas swept clear
over the island, the Coast Guard
said There was no word of thu
islands little naval garrison.
Thu 1oo1 iy,nr o1iotn
ports of damage in the Marshall |
Islands. Tokyo reported no dis.
turbance of any sort.
1000 Ask for Shelter.
At Honolulu, William w. Mona
han, chairman of the Hawaii Red
Cross, estimated that not more than
4000 refugees asked for shelter in
all of the Hawaiian Islands. OF
these, 1900 were on Oahu and 800
on Hawaii Island.
Robert Lindsey, chairman of Red
Cross disaster relief in Hawaii, re-
vealing that SO bodies had been re-
covered from wreckage in Hilo, said,
Il expect there will be more"
Territorial Gov. Ingram Stainback
invoked the Hawaiian Defense Act
'for the safeguarding of life and
property and the preservation of law
and order" in Wave-ravaged areas
Casualty reports appeared to be
complete from all damaged areas
except the Island of Hawaii, on
which Hilo with its $4,000 popula-
ton is located.
There was some hope that Hilo's
death toll might not reach 300 es-
innate. A score of persons pre-
viously reported missing had been
saved from the waters off Hawaii
by Army and Navy air-sea res
cue planes and small surface
craft One, a 21-year-old school
teacher, Miss Marsue McGinnis, was
rescued after eight hours in the
water.
Reports of New Wave Denied.
There was hope also that the
waves night 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 10O-foot tidal wave was rushing
along the Aleutian island chain
toward Kodiak He added that no
new wave was forecast
HaWaiians dared not estimate the
damage, except in the millions of
dollars" Herbert c. Shipman, Hilo
sugar planter, said 100000 worth of
raw sugar was swept into the ocean
with destruction of territorial
Wharves.
Tens of thousands of dollars worth
of food in warehouses was destroyed.
1t was estimated that Hilo had
only four days of food available To
conserve the supply, residents were
limited to the purchase of So worth
of food at one time
Midway, Johnston Islands.
Fleet headquarters at Pearl Har-
Dor reported there was no loss of
Navy personnel or any damage to
major naval installations in the mid
Pacific area, including Palmyra,