From the December, 1978 editions of The Skagway News (Vol. 1, No. 17-20)
Motor cars collide near Carcross
Four White Pass and Yukon Route employees, including manager of rail operations Ward Hisman, are listed in stable condition following a head-on collision between two White Pass motor cars two miles south of Carcross on Monday.
Athol Retallack, White Pass public relations officer, said that the accident occurred at approximately 11:40 a.m. Monday. Four men were traveling southbound and two were heading northbound. The two cars collided on a blind corner. – Nov. 30, 1978
Enrollment decline getting serious
The Skagway School may be faced with losing about $30,000 in aid from the Alaska Dept. of Education if the school enrollment loses one more student. Enrollment in the school has dropped from 239 one year ago to 205 today. – Nov. 30, 1978
Seventh engine tips
A diesel engine and two ore cars tipped over in a derailment of a WP&YR northbound train last Thursday. The derailment occurred 3.5 miles north of Skagway. The train was carrying six passengers, and none were injured.
The derailment occurred shortly after noon. Seven engines were on the train, and the second unit split the rail, said engineer Cory Gates. He said he was going two miles per hour under the speed limit and blamed the derailment on “too much power and too much weight.” He said the last time the railroad used seven engines on a northbound train, the same thing occurred. – Dec. 7, 1978.
Danielson resigns from Council
City Councilman Gary Danielson has resigned after serving only two months of his three year term. Danielson, who was the top vote getter in October among eight candidates, resigned effective Dec. 8. Danielson said in his letter to the mayor and city council that he had accepted a job with the Alaska Division of Tourism in Juneau. Before accepting the job, he had been unemployed, since he was laid off in September by the WP&YR, but he had hoped to find work in town. – Dec. 14, 1978
White Pass to convert to barges
The WP&YR announced it will be switching its two container ships “Klondike” and “Frank H. Brown” to barges in early February. Because of the expected decrease in southbound tonnage on the railroad since the loss of the Clinton Creek and Cassiar asbestos contracts, the railroad had been contemplating such a move since last summer. The conversion will result in the layoff of approximately 60 ships’ personnel, and a 10.5 day service between Skagway and Vancouver instead of the present seven day service. The barges will be towed by the 170-foot “Pacific Challenge”, the largest tug boat on the B.C. coast. – Dec. 14, 1978
UTU to strike?
Conflicting reports from sources within United Transportation Union Local 1787 about a vote taken at the Dec. 14 special union meeting indicate that the train and enginemen may strike against the WP&YR after Christmas. The union has worked without a contract for two and a half years. – Dec. 21, 1978
Steve Hites’ “Yukon Legacy”
On July 23, 1978, local brakeman and songwriter Steve Hites and some friends gathered in Juneau at the Red Dog Saloon to relive the Klondike Gold Rush in song. The offspring of that evening is Steve’s first album, “Yukon Legacy”, on his own Chilkoot Railway and Navigation Co. label. – Dec. 21, 1978
THANKS FOR 25 GREAT YEARS, SKAGWAY! A MERRY CHRISTMAS and HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ALL OUR READERS!
MORE SILVER ANNIVERSARY MOMENTS
• March 1978 Special Introductory Edition, Vol. 1, No. 1
• June 15, 1978, Vol. 1, No. 2 Skagway News & Skaguay Alaskan arrvie!
• July 3, 1978, Vol. 1, No. 3: Day boat causes stir, museum price goes to $1!
• August 1978 editions: Canadian Crew Reaches International Border!
• September 1978 editions: Highway opening, women rowers land, WP&YR needs $
• October 1978 editions: Oil Pipeline route proposed, Election and Runoff winners