SECTION
TWO
The Day Edenton Sank
by Wilborne Harrell jJWiSjfc
1A CHOWAN HERALD FICTION STORY
This story is not entirely fantasy. • It
is a grim reminder of what can and j
may happen, if the big powers cannot
work out some solution to the prob
lems that beset the world today'. It is
imperative that the path to peace—
lasting peace—be found. There is no
alternative—either that or a holocaust
such as this story describes will des
cend upon the world.
Ort- Wednesday, October 25,
1961, the radio and television
newscasts were alive with the
sudden breaking off of diplo
matin relations with Russia and
V China. Nobody seemed to know
much about it. Edward R. Mur
row merely stated the incident
without comment—he had no
information to comment on. The
White House Public Relations
Chief also was vague and wary.
Eric Severeid in his analysis of
the news gave a scholarly and
erudite and also verbose account
of the diplomatic rupture that
purportedly explained the situa
tion but actually explained
nothing.
Something was afoot in the
world—but nobody knew what.
Also on October 25, unidenti
fied submarines were sighted
simultaneously off the East
Coast and the West Coast. Un
identified, fast and high-flying
aircraft were also reported over
the United States. The radios
crackled with the news and the
commentators and newscasters
had a field day. But they told
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The Norfolk & Carolina J
Telephone & Telegraph Co.
NOTICE!
To Chowan County
TAXPAYERS
•
The Tax Books for the year 1959 are
now in my hands for the collection of
taxes. We urge you to pay your taxes
now and avoid the penalty which will
begin on February 1.
~ i
A PENALTY OP 1 % WILL BE ADDED ON 1959
TAXES NOT PAID BEFORE FEBRUARY 2. AN
OTHER 1% WILL BE ADDED MARCH 2 AND AN
ADDITIONAL V 2 OF 1% WILL BE ADDED FOR
EACH ADDITIONAL MONTH TAXES ARE UNPAID.
EARL GOODWIN
1 SHERIFF OF CHOWAN COUNTY
*
THE CHOWAN HERALD
nothing and it was obvious they
knew nothing.
On Thursday, October 26, at
precisely 10:30 A. M., EST, out
of a blue sky—literally blue, for
most of the country was ex
periencing beautiful weather —
the United States was attacked.
A-bombs and H-bombs simul
taneously showered down on the
large cities, military installations
and seaports. Then, darkness
fell and 'the beginning of a
1000-year-long night . . .
On the morning of the 26th
of October, 1961, the little town
of Edenton, North Carolina, was
just coming awake. The local
radio station gave a 7:00 o’clock
newscast and repeated only what
everybody knew —nothing. There
was a tenseness in the air that
even the prospects of a beautiful
day could not dispel.
Time crawled on and by 9:00
o'clock most of the business es
tablishments were open and
ready for business. It was going
to be just another hum-drum,
small-town day . . . but for the
vague uneasiness of SOME
THING impending. But nobody
seemed to know what . . .
The Twentieth-century Barber
Shop .had a few early morning
customers, and the chief topic of
discussion was the lack of news
on radio and in the morning pa
pers. Why were diplomatic rela
tions broken off? The official
sources that should have known
were as much in the dark as the
man in the street.
One of the customers, getting
a haircut, spoke up, “I don’t
think it means war. Russia
wouldn’t dare. Our massive re
taliation would clobber them
communists good, and they know
it.”
“Well,” said another, looking
at his watch, “it’s almost 10:30 —
I’d better be going. I got—”
The composing room of The
Chowan Herald was putting to
gether the weekly paper. Poli
tics was foreign to these fellows
—football and last night’s game
was being seriously and critical
ly discussed.
“Hey, you fellows,” one of
them said, “time’s awasting—it’s
10:30. Get a wiggle on. We—” '
The sun had climbed into the
sky and cast long shadows on
the Court House Green. At the
foot of the Green the Albemarle
Sound lapped quietly at the
breakwater. Overlooking the
Green, in quiet dignity, the
Court House looked on. Atop
the Court House, the old clock
belfry pointed its vaned spire in
an almost accusing gesture into
the sky. Its hands rested at
exactly 10:30
The quiet sanctity of the
churchyard of St. Paul’s church
was broken bv the twittering
and scolding of early morning
birds. A Deace that reminded
one of Grey’s Elegy in a Church
yard pervaded the tombstones
and the ivy-covered walls.
Across the street, a- car stopped j
in front of the Post Office and I
a woman alighted. She ran up
the Post Office steps and into I
the building. Inside, she drop-'
ped a letter into the mail slot a
and as she turned to leave she
glanced at the clock in the" lob
by. Its hands were almost
. touching 10:30. She started out
! anfl back to her car—
l The Cupola House which
housed the town library had its
morning quota of book lovers.
To one of the patrons, the li
brarian said, “If you are inter
ested in the atom bomb and
what might happen here if we
ever had an atomic war—not
that anything like that might
happen —you should read ‘Alas,
Babylon’, by Pat Frank. It is
a tremendously readable book.
j I recommend it.”
The patron picked up the book
and perfunctorily scanned its
; pages. Then she looked at her
1 watch. “Goodness, how time
flies. I promised Mary I’d meet
her in the drugstore at 10:30.
It’s almost that now. I’ll pick
up this book next time I’m in—”
Broad Street was busy. A bus
was just rolling in, a little ahead
of its scheduled time, which was
10:30 Cases and drugstores were
doing a booming coffee break
and Coke business. People
threaded in and out of stores and
cars moved up and down the
street, each about his own busi-1
ness. But each human carried,
on his person or on his wrist his 1
own individual destiny—a watch.
Each was hurrying toward an
awesome rendezvous, and time
was running out. And at pre
cisely 10:30 time stood still, and
all the watches were stilled . . .
At 10:30 A. M., on October 26,
1961, an A-bomb intended for
the Norfolk Naval Base area
wavered from target a few de
grees and landed in the Albe
marle Sound bay, a half mile
offshore from the foot of Broad
Street. A gigantic column of
water and smoke and fire rose
into the air topped by the fa
miliar mushroom shaped cloud.
Instantly in the flash area of
Edenton everything was atomiz
ed The water tank on the shore
of the bay disappeared, and the
buildings were razed as though
a huge hand had swept them
from the face of the earth. Then
the concussion that followed the
flash extended the area of deva
station still farther. The waters
of the Albemarle Sound overran
its banks and Edenton became a
lake . The town had disappeared.
Hundreds of years of history, a
noble background and what the
lifetime of thousands of people
and their ancestors had built up
now lay destroyed.
The countryside was blacken
ed and marred by blast and
fire, houses flattened and crops
leveled. And even the ground
became a menace when fallout
made it radioactive. All bridges
spanning the Albemarle Sound
and Chowan River, railroad and
vehicular, vanished. Hayes and
all Soundside plantations ceas-]
ed to exist. The waters of the
Albemarle was pushed up into
the Chowan River, overflowing j
its banks. What the bomb hadn't
destroyed the waters inundated.
Old
Quaker
STRAIGHT
BOURBON
WHISKEY
l§ik S 3 SS
v • ■*-' > •.. i.
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MPIOOF • Oil QUAKER OISTIIIIHt (0., UWItENCENK, INB. ' •
Bandon plantation, although out
of the flash area was complete
ly demolished, its fields and
grounds blackened and much of
its acreage claimed by the waters
of the Chowan River. Dead fish
floated upon the surface by the
thousands, and the stench float
ed upward to mingle with the
smoke and fire of the burning
forests.
A town, a people and away
cf life lay dead, irrevocably des
troyed. Armageddon had struck;
all was primeval.
CH^|
News
By CATHERINE AMAN
Assistant Home Economics Agent
Emmett Jones, Jr., and I re
turned Saturday from Asheville,
where we attended the 13th an
nual North Carolina 4-H Club
Farm and Home Electric Con
gress. The Congress was held
October 29-31 in the George
Vanderbilt Hotel, and was spon
sored by the four electric power
companies in North Carolina.
This state convention is held to
recognize territory winners in
the 4-H farm and home electric
project work, chosen from the
county electric winners.
The Congress officially open
ed with a buffet supper on
Thursday night. After greetings
from the Asheville Mayor, L. R.
Harrill, State 4-H Club leader,
spoke on the “Purpose of Con
gress.”
The boys and girls enjoyed a
very lively “Get Acquainted
Party” in the city auditorium.
Games, stunts and dances kept
us all well entertained for the
remainder of the evening.
Friday,' the program started
off with a formal breakfast be
ing served to the some'2so peo
ple present. During all of the
meals the tables were very ap
propriately and beautifully deco
rated—one meal the centerpieces
were witches with broom sticks.
During the morning session
forums were held separately for
the extension agents and the
4-H’ers. In this program we
learned how the Home Service
Department of the power com
panies can aid us in the 4-H
1 electric project, and what they
! have to offer in the teaching
I field of electricity.
The highlight of the luncheon
on Friday was the address, “A
Catalyst for Youth,” given by
Dr. Alfred P. Haake, consultant
of General Motors. Dr. Haake
told his listeners that, “Faith
and work still make miracles;
with them boys and girls can
save our country.”
“In my judgment,” he said,
“4-H Club work is tremendously
important in doing the one job
that is necessary to preserve this
country and the freedom for
which it stands.”
Dr. Haake praised 4-H lead
-1 ers for helping build “a new
generation of new men and wo-
I men who are dedicated to the
| same principles upon which our
| founding fathers wrote our Con
stitution and built this nation.”
Dr. Haake won a standing ova
tion. by the group of agents and
4-H members.
After the luncheon, the group
! toured the Biltmore Estate.
The program on Friday night
formally ended the Congress.
Following the banquet the
: territorial award winners were
| named. The winners from this
j area, served by VEP Company,
| were: First place girl, Anna
! Joyce Dunn, Halifax County:
second place girl, Sally Ann
Benton, Perquimans County;
first place boy, Robert A. Glas
gow, Halifax County, and second
p'ace boy, Allen Ray Sutton,
Beaufort County.
After the awards were mad ■
Hie group was entertained by
Pan Handle Pete,” a one-man
| band, and by a square dance
i fi rou P from Buncombe Countv.
Some of the agents and 4-H’ers
then enjoyed dancing to the mu
! sic of Reddy’s Frolic group in
j the West ball room, while, some
i people participated in games in
the East ball room. The curtain
then closed on the 1959 State
j 4-H Electric Congress.
Saturday morning we left
| Asheville on the chartered bus
| and arrived in Edenton around
j 7 P. M. Emmett reports having
Save a Lillie Eaeli Pav Day.
•i *
You Will He Surprised lo See
How Fasl It W ill Grow.
The Place To
SAVE
In Edenton
IS
EDENTbN, NORTH CAROLLNA
3% Interest Paid On Savings Accounts
MEMBER FEDERAL DEPOSIT INSURANCE CORPORATION
DEPOSITS INSURED TO SIO,OOO
Thursday, November 5,1959.
EDENTON, NORTH CAROLINA
a wonderful time and I can cer
tainly say I thoroughly enjoyed 1
the Congress and feel it is a'
most worthwhile project for the
power companies. Too, I feel it
is very important that the boys
and girls learn as much about I
electricity as possible, because |
more and more of our lives are j
being affected by the many j
varied uses of electricity.
LIST OF 1960 INCOME TAX
DEDUCTIONS AVAILABLE
The. National Society of Tax
Consultants, Inc., national pro
fessional organization for tax
specialists, has released a list of
105 business and individual in
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