Show 10 1000 1 00 FISHERS THREATENED BY BY- FIERCE STORM Life and Death Game Played Off Coast of Alaska SEWARD Alaska Feb 26 26 By The Associated Press WISh Press the lives es of nearly a thousand nd men at stake the worlds world's largest t halibut fishing fleet today battle battled dOGgedly against destruction as a gale and snowstorm of unusual fury swept fiercely across the north Pacific and threatened to wipe out everything e In Its pa path h Reports Report reaching Seward Indi- Indi Continued on ra Two 1 FISHERS FACING FACINO DEATH from Page One that of ot the storm storm- stricken boats might never reach 1 port ort Three of or the vessels battered and torn by the tho brutality of ot the gale le arrived here hero last laL night The storm was hourly growing In fury and navigators expressed the opinion that only the tho staunchest of the vessels would escape do- do dc Sweeping even Into Seward's welt well protected harbor the gall gale tore small vessels vessel from their moorings and tO tossed to them about the bay The passenger liner AIl AIl- Admiral Ad Admiral miral Watson Vahon In Imminent dan dan- danger danger dan danger ger ot of being battered to pieces against the docks here hero sought fought Safety at anchor In the outer harbor BIG DIG VESSEL EPT The Tho foot mall snail and passenger steamer Starr which has ored ered a dozen storms on its month month- monthly monthly monthly ly run to points In western Alaska Maska came perilously near de- de destruction de destruction when It was swept with with- withIn within in Ii 50 0 feet of ot shore Bhore here The stricken halibut boal boats faced a double peril Many ot of them were fishing several hundred miles at sea ea Should they to attempt riding at anchor untIl the storm torm abates they would bo be boIn bein boin In constant danger of ot being c cap cap- capsized cap capsized sized by the mountainous waves sweeping over their decks Efforts to reach a protected cove would also hold the risk riak ot of being to bits on rocky shores hores The hurricane coming straight out ot of o the north was wai said ald to be bethe bethe bethe the worst experienced In this area re in years Many of ot the mall email er emall-er mallet et craft were believed to have lost the battle baUlo In the comparatively early stage s go of ot tho the storm atoms which which spat snow hall hail and light light- lightning lightning ning to Increase the ot of the tho fleet Cleet The Tho high wind drove the small small- smaller smaller er cc craft crat before it with thel their anchors dragging STURDY SCANDINAVIANS Manned mostly by sturdy Scan Scan- Scandinavian Scandinavian seamen tho the halibut boats are aro well accustomed to the gals gales which often otten lash the jagged Alas Alas- Alaskan Alas kan lean kan coast but seldom eldom have they seen een a storm torm such as s tossed helplessly about the sea ea today Most of ot tho the stocky tock little vessels wInter the In In Seattle and before the annual closed season from November 16 to February 16 Throughout the other nine months of ot the year the crews are aro at work 16 S 6 hours a day bray bravo braving braying ing the severest everet of ot weather A majority of ot the boats sell theIr catch In Alaskan towns front from where the fish Is shipped In cold storage to the stilt states e but some somo journey to Seattle where the prices are higher The halibut vessels vessel are powered by gasoline or semi Diesel engines and are aro from 20 to feet teet long The average crew Is about four although some o of ot the tho vessels vessel carry as many as 20 fishermen None ot of the craft cratt so 0 tar far as Is known here herl herlIs her is equipped with I a aradio aradio radio transmitter |