Kathy Longacre

Summer happened the week of Memorial Day and July 17th! Seriously it was very overcast and broke a fifty year record of consecutive days of precipitation. The other two months were no better. Still, it was a great summer.

Beverly Lake   I love watching nature at the cabin. Our resident trumpator swans, nested, laid eggs, hatched and had the cutest sniglets. We were excited they came by to visit at two days old. We also had a family of ducks and loon. As always, we had an occasional bald eagle fly over and very often rainbow trout were jumping. The tulips sprang up first from the bulbs Michael had planted the year before. Sprouting more slowly were the peas, lettuce, cabbage and broccoli that Michael planted. My raspberries are now three years old. In August the eight foot bushes yielded delightfully yummy red and golden berries.

My children visit. Michael more than visited. He lived here for the summer, his third. He was working for Princess-Holland America cruise ships rail cars pulled by the Alaska Railroad. 

Scott visited for a few weeks and it was great to share times with him at the cabin, he was there for the summer solstice. Scott, Michael and I were roasting hot dogs and made S’Mores at midnight, in the sun. We also visited Whittier, a port in beautiful Prince William Sound and Hatcher Pass, an old gold mine. Scott helped “clean the forest”.  Michael bought a chainsaw so the three of us made firewood from the fallen trees.

Christina visited too and we enjoyed talks, picking peas, driving to Seward in Resurection Bay, seeing former schools and homes, waterskiing, tubing with Michael. We will never forget the hike/overnight trip Michael took us on! What a beautiful Fall day it was with the cool, crisp air and yellow, orange and red ground cover. (we were above the trees.) We were in the Talkeetna Mountians with very interesting terrain. The hike started out with a smooth path, but quickly changed. We started ascending faster, then climbed over a “rock garden” with boulders the size of Volkswagons where you have to decide each step. Easy for Michael, but Christina and I were wondering what is next? Where is Michael taking us? It was well worth it and I would love to go again. We camped beside Reed Lake. Michael took good care of us. He pitched a two man tent for the three of us, boiled water to add to the dehydrated dinner. It was chilly, but oh well. The stars were spectacular. I’d climb again twice as far just to see the stars again! We also enjoyed the wild blueberries, streams, waterfall and spending time together. Michael may have been frustrated with the laggers, but thanks Michael.
Scott and Christina hadn’t been “home” for over fifteen years. I enjoyed their visit very much. Maybe they will bring their families next year.

Working for Princess-Holland America was really a test for me with the long 16 hour days and new culture of working with mainly kids in their 20s. We would go north one day, spending the night in the interior of Alaska and turning around and doing it in the south direction the next day. It got easier and more enjoyable as I got used to the job and better at it. I was a Rail Guide. Each rail car had it’s own bartender and rail guide. The cars were gorgeous dome cars which made the spectacular beauty of Alaska easy to see all around. The railroad is 500 miles of wilderness mostly with rivers, mountians, glaciers, bridges, a canyon, historic spots and very few cities. The highlight for the guests are the wildlife. We see moose, swans, eagle, occasionally a bear, whales and mountian goats. Seeing Mt. McKinley is always the highlight and only happens 20% of the time in a good summer and maybe 2% this summer. When it is “out” it is so majestic and indescribably beautiful…wow!

The Fam  Having family in Alaska is wonderful. We got together many times. There are a lot of birthdays in the summer to celebrate. When Scott, Christina and Kendra each came we celebrated. And the usual holidays were a good reason to get together.

Each summer has a highlight and hands down it was seeing my kids enjoying each other!

Burned to Ground

Katalla Company Hospital at Camp 1

Fire which started in the house occupied by John Longacre, electrician for the Katalla Company at camp 1, on Wednesday morning, April 1909, about 1 o’clock, destroyed the building and then spread to the hospital which was also burned to the ground, with a portion of its furniture, fixtures and appliances.

Mr. Longacre’s escape from death was almost miraculous, and was probably due to the cries of the house cat, which roused him from sleep to find the house a mass of smoke and flame.

Mr. Longacre was alone in the house. Mrs. Longacre having gone to Martin Point to join a party which was going on an outing next day to Softuk bar (to fish). He retired about 11 o’clock and was soon sleeping soundly. About two hours later he was partially aroused by a crackling sound, but not fully. Just then the load cries of the cat awakened him completely. He jumped out of bed and made his way to the outer room, which was filled with smoke, while flames were licking up ceiling and walls. He tried to reach a window but found himself again in the bedroom where even the bed was then on fire. Dropping to the floor to escape instant suffocation, he crawled toward the window and fortunately, this time he reached it, just as the wall separating the two outer rooms fell down. Nearly suffocated he fell against the single pane of the lower window, breaking it and then tumbled through the opening to fresh air and life. Getting to his feet he tried to shout but he had inhaled too much smoke and could not. Clad only in his night clothes, and sockless, he make his way to Red Christensen’s house and gave alarm. By the time that Mr. Nathan and others reached the place the hospital building was in the grip of the flames and attempts made to save it, and it was futile, was soon consumed.

It is believed that the fire caught from a terra cotta flue in the ceiling. After escaping from the house Mr. Longacre remembered that he had recently installed a gasoline stove in the kitchen at the rear of the house, and the fire not having reached it, he succeeded in rescuing it intact.

Mr. and Mrs. Longacre lost all their household effects, clothing and other belongings. A portion of the hospital equipment had been packed for shipment to Cordova, and taken to the dock, but a large amount was lost. The hospital was built by the of Katalla Company in 1907, and with equipment, which was an excellent one, probably cost $25,000. The entire plant of the company is covered by insurance.

Excerpt  from Wrangell St. Elias News  March & April 2009

It is an awesome life when you can spend the summer at the edge of a small secluded lake in Alaska and watch nature happen. You choose…do you want to sit on the dock to be closer to the fish jumping, beavers swimming around you, watch the loons play, and occasionally have the gracious swans visit.Or would you rather lounge on the deck with a good book and see the resident eagle fly over and purch on a nearby spruce, listen and watch the small planes fly over and watch nature though out the summer as the leaves come out, the first wildflowers bloom and then more. It is really a thrill. Another favorite place is in front of the picture windows in the swivel recliner rockers with the lake on one side and the fireplace on the other.