38 ALASKA FISHERIES AND FUR INDUSTRIES IN 1917. 



The companies operating in central Alaska were fortunate in that 

 only minor losses of equipment and gear, valued at $3,607, were sus- 

 tained. 



The losses in western Alaska consisted chiefly of vessels. The 

 Alaska Salmon Co. lost the steamer Thistle, valued at SI 0,000, when 

 it struck a rock in British Columbia while northbound to engage in 

 the season's operations. The Bristol Bay Packing Co. lost the 

 launches Corinne and Grace, valued at $9,500. On May 14, the ship 

 Standard (1,461 tons net), belonging to Libby, McNeill & Libby, 

 went on a shoal near Cape Constantine and was lost with her cargo, 

 the total value of both being $97,000. The same company lost the 

 ship St. Francis (1,757 tons net), when it went on the rooks in 

 Unimak Pass on May 14. It was valued at $30,879. On May 9, the 

 bark St. Katherine, owned by the Red Salmon Canning Co., was 

 stranded at King Salmon Point, Ugashik River, while loaded with a 

 cargo of cannery supplies for the season's operations. Cargo valued 

 at $65,000 was lost. New supplies were immediately rushed to the 

 cannery from San Francisco by steamer, and reached there just before 

 the salmon started to run. The St. Katherine was refloated by the 

 aid of divers, pumps, and assistance rendered by the steamers Lehua 

 and KadiaJc, and was towed in ballast to San Francisco, where repairs 

 were made. The cost of floating the vessel, towing charges, and re- 

 pairs, was estimated at $75,000. Fishing gear and miscellaneous 

 equipment to the value of $25,691 was also lost in western Alaska. 



Considering Alaska as a whole, the value of property lost in the 

 salmon-canning industry in 1917 was $884,249. The loss of life was 

 greater than usual, 26 men having been drowned or otherwise acci- 

 dentally killed. 



MILD CURING OF SALMON. 



The production of mild-cured salmon in Alaska in 1917 aggregated 

 3,563 tierces as against 4,898 in 1916. This decline of about 30 per 

 cent was due not only to the fact that there was a smaller catch of 

 king salmon, but for the reason that a larger number of kings were 

 used for canning than in the preceding season. But little, if any, of 

 this product was exported to European countries, in former years its 

 chief market. 



Southeast Alaska continues to produce the bulk of mild-cured salm- 

 on, although approximately 100 tierces were packed in central Alaska. 

 No mild-cured salmon were reported in the western district. 



A total of 23 operators engaged in the mild-cure industry in south- 

 east Alaska, prominent among whom were the Alaska Herring & 

 Sardine Co., Port Walter; Jakobsen & Hansen, Forrester Island; 

 Noyes Island Packing Co., Noyes Island; Pacific Mild-Cure Co., at 

 Hoonah, Port Conclusion, Taku Harbor, Tyee and Waterfall; Vend- 

 syssel Packing Co., at Tyee; and the Northland Trading & Packing 

 Co., at Saginaw Bay and Port Alexander. In central Alaska, the 

 Kachemak Canning Co., at Tyonic, put up practically the entire mild- 

 cured product of the district. This was incidental to the herring 

 operations of the company. 



