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VOLUME \LIII?NUMBER 68 Williamslon, Martin County, North Carolina, Friday, August 23, 19W. ESTABLISHED 1899
Damage Continues To Mount as Flood Waters Recede Here
Organization Acts
Quickly To Extend
Aid To 500 People
Effective Work Being Han
dled Under Direction of
Harry Biggs and Qthera
Taxed almost to capacity in han
dling the needs of flood victims
along the upper Roanoke, the Red
Cross last Tuesday placed its work
ers on an over-time schedule and
under the direction of Field Super
visor Leo Wilhelm moved into Wil
liamston to render aid to the flood
victims in this section. The emer
gency relief organization, under the
direction of Mrs. Jeanette Grainger
and with the able coopeartion of
County Chapter Chairman Harry A.
Biggs, committees and other work
ers, advanced an efficient work be
fore night fall when dozens of fam
ilies hastily moved as the muddy
waters lapped at "their homes.
An incomplete survey made late
yesterday shows that 102 families
have been forced from their homes
in this county. Slightly more than
500 names had been placed on the
Red Cross register, nearly all of
whom are dependent upon their
neighbors or relief agencies for food
and clothing Ninety-four colored in
dividuals. most of them children
whose ages range as a rule in the
tender-age group, are being housed
and fed in the colored school Possi
bly a few of the families will start
moving back to their homes late this
afternoon or tomorrow, but it will
be several days before the emergen
cy relief station can be closed.
Colored families were hard hit on
Williamstons' east side, but most of
those driven from their homes in the
island section of Williams Township
were white.
Red Cross officials today would
offer no estimate of the damage, but
it was learned that the loss will be
far greater than they first anticipat
ed it would be. Ten colored families
are said to have lost everything. In
several cases their shanties will not
be tenable after the waters recede.
Centering their attention on the
emergency as its effects the home
leas, Red Cross workers will later or
as soon as possible make a survey
of the losses which will be reported
to an award committee. It is possi
ble that damaged property will be
restored in many of the cases by
the organization.
It is quite evident that the Red
Cross plans to do everything possi
ble in relieving suffering and in re
habilitating the victims.
Advised of the serious danger fac
ing this immediate section, Harry
A. Biggs, chapter chairman, went
into action helping establish tem
porary headquarters for a dozen
Coast Guard crews. Aided by Mrs.
Grainger, committees were named
and emergency" headquarters estab
lished in the courthouse. Just prior
to that time, local people, sensing
the danger, aided a number of fam
tlies In moving from the path uf the
flood.
Charles H. Manning was appoint
ed disaster chairman. C. B. Roebuck
?ltd J. U Manning were named on
the survey committee. Miss Mary
Taylor, Mrs. A. R. Dunning, Mrs.
Daisy Purvis, Mrs. Joel Muse and
J. C. Manning were appointed on
the food and shelter committee. N.
C. Green, Roy Peel and J. W. Man
ning handled the transportation
committee work, and Mrs Wheeler
Martin and Mrs. Joseph A Eason
registered the victims.
_ An awards committee will be ap
vey of the damage can be complet
ed.
Any floocDNatim who has not reg
istered with the Red Cross is direct
ed to the headquarters in the court
house.
No drive for funds to finance the
relief work is anticipated here, but
cash donations and old clothing are
needed and will be gladly received
at the courthouse.
Plays The Part Of
A Good Samaritan
J?.
Playing the part of a good neigh'
bor and a friend to thole tn need.
Envoy Chas. Cook, head of the Eliz
abeth City Salvation Army, drove
all the way to Williamiton Tuesday
and served dinner (supper) to at
least 75 people on relief due to the
devastating flood which has swept
this section for the past four days.
Mr. Cook, an Englishman by birth,
he came not because he was call
or that his services were criti
cally needed. "I Just wanted the peo
ple of this section to know that we
were thinking about them and that
our services were available if need
ed." Mr. Cook said.
The dinner was served at the ex
pense of the Elizabeth City Salva
tion Army. In leaving, Mr. Cook said,
"I am going home with a feeling of
genuine satisfaction for I feel that
I have been ef some assistance in
this terrible flood. Your people were
very appreciative and I shall re
member this trip and mission with
ihuch pleasure."
Tobacco Prices Continue To
HoldFirm on Border Markets
Although late report* that the av
erage is not holding up to the 20
cent figure reported on opening day
last Tuesday, tobacco prices on the
border markets continue firm. Bet
ter quality leaf is being offered and
farmers are generally satisfied.
Since the opening Tuesday, aver
age prices have hovered around the
20-cent-a-pound level compared with
averages for the 1938 auction sea
son of 14.60 a pound in South Caro
lina and 15.49 in North Carolina.
Factors responsible for this im
provement. experts agree, include a
comparatively short crop this sea
son; a three-year control plan re
cently voted by growers: and the
presence of British buyers m? among
the heaviest purchasers of cigarette
type leaf?bidding for the Commod
ity Credit Corporation, which is
buying the weed for storage and
price stabilization.
Reports by markets include:
Whiteville?Sales Supervisor M.
S. Smith said competition was keen
and prices appeared to be stronger,
especially during the afternoon.
Lumberton?All recorded grades
appeared to advance around $2 per
hundredweight, declared Supervisor
J. C. Fulton.
Fair Bluff?Prices were steady, of
ficials said, with sales running well
over 200,000 pounds and the average
just under $20.
Mullins, S. C?Sales Supervisor
Lawson Jordan said prices yester
day were "much higher" on all
grades and that quality of offerings
was better than on previous days.
Approximately 850,000 pounds were
sold for an estimated average of
$21.50 a hundred-weight, it was an
nounced.
Dillon. S. C. ? Around 200,000
pounds sold yesterday at an average
estimated at 19 cents a pound. Good
bright lugs brought 20 to 30 cents
and trashy leaf 12 cents. One farmer
sold 3,500 pounds for an average of
$26.40 a hundred.
Two Persons Rescued
In High Flood Waters
Schools To Open
Term In County
On September 5
Meeting in special session here
last Wednesday afternoon, the
Martin County Board of Educa
tion definitely determined to
open ail the schools in the coun
ty on Thursday, September 5th.
It had been suggested that the
opening date be delayed one
week that the little folks might
continue to help with the tobac
co harvest.
All members of the board were
present and after discussing the
conditions in their respective
communities they decided that
the later date would not mater
ially affect the harvesting work,
that It was possibly advisable to
get the schools started Just as
soon as possible.
While discussing the opening
date, the board fixed the holi
day schedule for the year. Two
days will be allowed for Thanks
giving and the Christmas holi
days will get underway on Fri
day, December 20 and continue
through January 1st.
Long-Range Guns
Bombard English
Night Air Raids Are Made On
London For First Time
Thin WeeL
?
Germany, apparently failing to
conquer England in the air, yester
day turned its long-range guns on
the Channel Coast at Dover, 22 miles
from the French city of Calais, and
now claims the mastery of the all-im
portant water route between France
and England
Hie bombardment by the German
"Big Bertha" guns from 20 or more
miles across the channel was direct
ed against a 35-mile stretch of the
southeast Kent coast, but most of the
big shells landed in the Dover area.
The heavily bombed "Hell's Corner"
region and-Gateway to London.
Homes were blasted and there
were dead and wounded as the toll
of the first real bombardment of
British soil since 1914 when the
Kaiser's fleet shelled the coast.
Some of the long-range projectiles
were shrapnel shells, timed to burst
befol-e landing.
Not a single bomb fell on British
soil from dawn to darkness yester
day, the Air Ministry reported, as
wavea of? British bombers swept
(Continued on page four!
TELEPHONE SNAKE I
In addition to being bit by a
toll charge for a short call, Jesse
Heath was threatened by a
small snake as he talked over the
telephone at Merchant L. C.
Nurney's store over in Williams
Township this week. Heath was
In fnll conversation as the foot
long moccasin snake started
erawllng out of the telephone
box at the base of the transmit
ter.
Apparently determined to
complete the conversation and
antra the toll fee. Heath defied
the soake without harm to him
self. There was a complete tele
ae cleaning bandied before
bejle box was need i
Sisters Taken From
Surging Waters In
The Island Section I
Minn#-* Annie ami Garrie Dell |
Gardner Are Saved By
Heroic Work
The treacherous Roanoke, rolling |
on to the sea in record flood stage,
nearly claimed two lives in the |
Smithwick Island section of Wil
liams Township lost Tuesday after
noon. Help, delayed a few more I
minutes, would have meant certain |
deet+rfor Misses Anntv Mar and Car
rie Dell Gardner, according to a re
liable account gained from L. C. \
Nurney of the near-tragedy.
Marooned by the rapidly-rising
waters Monday night and early on
Tuesday morning, the two wvnen
started out in a small boat with Rob
ert Parrisher for high land. They
hud gone only a short distance be
fore the swift current tossed the
boat around as if- ft were a chip,
throwing the Misses Gardners and
Parisher out and into the raging
waters. The three of them were car
ried swiftly by the current into the
woods, and both women were near
ly drowned before thev ooniH
hold of a tree limb. Catching hold
of a tree, Parrisher extended the boat
paddle to one of the women and
field her against the strong current
for thirty minutes or until niH
reached them. They were nearly at
the point of exhaustion when they
were rescued.
An aged colored man, traveling
just ahead of the group, was unable
to render aid with his small boat, but
he quickly summoned help. LeRoy
Godard, starting across the high wa
ter in a mule and cart, was thrown
into the water when the body of
the vehicle floated off its wheels
and he was floated down stream with
the mule and cart body. Seeing the
danger that the two women
were ip, he deserted the vehicle and
saving their lives. The mule was la
ter cut loose from the cart and aid-1
ed to high land.
Learning of the precarious plight!
the victims were in, Bennie Hardi-|
son, Ernie Hardison, Irving Rober
sori, Joe Lawrence Coltrain, How
ard Hopkins and possibly others
rushed to them. TTiey effected the
rescue with great difficulty as two
of the victims were almost helpless
The two women and Parrisher had
been in the water more than half an
hour when they were rescued. Miss
Annie Mae Gardner, who held on
to the boat during the long hour, was
given first-aid treatment and plac
(Continued on page four)
Boat Turns Over
In Main Street
?e ?
A small boat driven with an out
board motor was swamped here yes
terday morning with a cargo of
men, women and children. The boat
was transporting passengers from
the bottom of the hill to the Roan
oke River bridge on a sight-seeing
trip.
The water was not over three or
four feet deep and about all the
damage done was a good wetting for
all the passengers. However, one of
the ladies in the boat, said to have
been from Washington, lost her
pocket book containing $10.00. Mr.
Joe Ayers, of Oak City, also a pas
aenger in the boat, lost his shoes
when trying to rescue the children
and got a wetting from head to foot.
Ole Man River Ls
Difficult To Guess
When On Rampage
Old Theory for Determining
Rise Here in Advance
la Disproved
Going on its record-breaking ram
page here this week. Ole Man River
disproved the old theory that a foot
rise in the river at Weldon would
boost the rise at this point by one
inch. It has held in time gone by.
but this week, the calculation meth
od was knocked into a cocked hat.
In January, 1936. the river was in
flood and reached a depth of 14.7
feet. That rise was based on a 46
foot rise at Weldon Instead of get
ting 46 inches or nearly four feet
the river here rose only 42 inches.
This week Weldon reported 58
feet of water, but instead of rising
58 inches here, the river rose 125
inches or 10.5 feet above flood stage.
The rise and fall of the river from
August 1 up to the present and rain
fall for the same period are recorded
by days as follows:
Aug.
Depth
Variation
Kalnfll
1
4.8
0.0
.00
2
5.9
1.1
00
3
8.3
2.4
.00
4
8.1
2
96
5
7.6
5
.00
6
5.3
9
.58
7
5.3
.9
.58
8
5.0
?it?
.05
9
4.8
.2
.31
10
4.7
1
.02
11
5.1
.4
.91
12
5.3
2
.01
13
S.2
?* .1
.01
14
5.0
2
.37
15
5.9
.9
3.07
16
9.4
3.5
1.09
17
9.6
.2
21
18
9.9
3
.87
19
10.8
9
.06
20
16.3
5.5
00
21
19.6
3.3
.00
tt
20 4
ST
:oo
23
19.8
.. - .6 ?
? .00
The depth referred to above
does not represent the actual depth
of the stream. It is so fixed to cor
respond with readings at the mouth
of the river and at the weather sta
tion in Weldon. This record can pos
considers flood stage at 10 feet.
With no such flood on record, it
is difficult to say how long it will
take the stream to get back in its
harness. Possibly by Monday, trav
el around the river front will be pos
sible. but it will be at least a week or
ten days before anything like a
normal level is likely to be reached.
In January, 1936, the stream reach
ed -a. record high ul 14.7 feet, Hugh
Spruill at the river here recording
the fall day by day as follows, in
feet: .5, .9, 1.0, 8, .5, .3, .3, and .4
The high water at that time was
eight days getting back into the
banks.
Early this afternoon the river had
fallen a fraction over nine-tenths of
a foot, Bridgekeeper Hugh Spruill,
who has stuck to his post night and
day, stating that it was so close that
one could call it a short foot.
Local Lions Club
In District Meet
The Williamston Lions club held
an interesting meeting Thursduy
evening, combining District Gover
nor's and Ladies Night in one pro
gram. Local Lions were present with
their wives or other guests, and sev
eral visiting Lions from Hertford
attended, including Lion Norman
Trueblood, who is chairman of this
zone, and his wife, together with
the president of the Hertford club
and a number of members from
there. Also the new District Gover
nor of district 316, Lion James li
Parker, of Clinton, and Mrs. Par
ker .were present, and Lion Shipp,
also of Clinton, accompanied Gov
ernor Parker here.
Lion Parker delivered the ad
dress of the occasion. This was his
(Continued on page four)
TRAPPED
Eli Bryant, axed codfer of
Conoho. his young wile and
four children, had a narrow
escape when flood waters sur
rounded their humble home last
Monday night Afraid to risk
their lives on a trip down the
elver In a small bout the mo
ther and father and kids climb
ed Into the boat and anchored
It Inside the house. By early
Tuesday morning, the water had
seat the boat over the door top
level, and they were trapped.
Coast Guardsmen from the Oak
Island Station, accompanied by
Officer J. H. Allsbrooks. spent
long hours cutting their way
through tree tops and drift wood
trying to reach the family. The
rescue was effected early Tues
day morning. The guardsmen did
an able work there and also In
other sections, but most Inhab
itants In the lowlands had tak
en heed of the warnings and
te safety.
River Reaches Crest of Twenty
Feet and Five Inches Thursday
Morning; Down A Foot At Noon
Neighboring Sections Offer
Aid to Local Flood Victims
Genuine neighbor liness was'
brought out this week when a num
ber of towns in this section of the
State willingly and voluntarily plac
ed any assistance or facilities avail
able at the dospisl of Williamston
and its flood victims When reports
went out telling about the five-foot
rise in the river over night and the
disastrous effects for numbers of
families, telegrams were received
immediately, offering every aid pos
sible.
Elizabeth City's mayor, Jerome B
Flora, advised Williamston's Mayor
John L. Hassell to call on them if
they could be of service.
Mayor Pro Tern S M Silver
thorne, of Washington, wired, "City
of Washington, N. C. deeply sym
pathizes with you in your disaster.
Any assistance or facilities we can j
furnish are at your disposal "
The following wire was received
from J Edwin Buff lap, Edenton's
Chowan Herald editor "Extending
sympathy for flood conditions. If I
or this town can be of any service,
please call on me "
Rocky Mount officials also extend
ed aid, and semi-public agencies and
others readily came to the aid of the
victims.
Expressing appreciation on the I
part of the homeless, Mayor J L ]
Hassell pointed out that the situa- I
lion was well in hand, and that re
habilitation work would be advanc- ]
ed as soon as the flood waters re- i
cede.
Reports from other areas indicate J
that the damage is far greater than
it is in this territory. ,
Ten Cases ('ailed
By Recorder Peel
In Court Monday
Several Defendant* Are Giv
en Short Sntenee* On
The Rout I*
- -Rains and flood* may come, but I
the Martin County Recorder's Court
continues to go on with its average
number of cases slightly greater
^ttran was the case a year ago dur
ing the summer slump. Ten cases
were called.in the court Monday by
Judge II. O. Peel, the proceedings
requiring more time than usual.
The session, lasting until almost one
o'clock, attracted a fairly large au
dience^
The proceedings:
Elmo Clements, charged with lar
ceny and receiving, was found not
guilty
Pleading guilty in the case charg
ing them with disorderly conduct
and an affray, dlenry Griffin and
Linwood Williams Were sentenced
to the roads for a term of thirty days
and were taxed with the costs. The
road sentences are to begin at the
direction of the court ~at any time
within the next two years.
Charged with larceny, Willie
Dickens was sentenced to I he roads i
for a term of four months He plead
ed not guilty.
Hebrew Dickens, pleading not
guilty in the case charging him with
?an assault?with a deadly w? upon,
was adjudged guilty and sentenced
to the roads for sixty days
Willie Howen, charged with lar
ceny and receiving, was sentenced 10
the roads for a term of sixty days.
The case charging Julian Fagan
with trespass and larceny was con
tinued one week.
Considerble time was spent in
trying the case charging J. E. Fur
gurson with drunken driving. The
midget offered a strong defense and
got a verdict of not guilty
A continuance was granted irr-the
case charging Homer Clements with
assault on-a-female'
Fred Williams was sentenced to
the roads for a term of sixty days
in the cuse charging him with an as
sault.
The case charging S. L Purvis with
non-support was continued under
prayer for judgment until the first
Monday in October.
Recovering From Operation
In A Rocky Mount lloupital
Miss Eva Peele, who underwent
a major operation in a Rocky Mount
hoapitai early Wednesday afternoon^
is reported to be getting along very
well today. Miss Peel had experienc
ed tailing health for several days
when she entered the hnspttal for
treatment a?d-4e4e?^ tor opera
tion.
Will Ambers Critically
III At Ilia Home Here
Will D. Ambers, fur years opera
tor-owner of Ambers' Dry Cleaning
Works, is critically ill at his home
on West Main Street. In III health
for some time, he had a slight stroke
several days ago. Yesterday morning
he suffered a severe stroke and con
tinues unconscious today.
Firemen Answer False
Alarm Here This Morning
The local volunteer fire depart,
ment received a false alarm this
morning at 10 o'clock. Advised that
there was a fire at the underpass,
the volunteers went there. Finding
no fire they turned around and had
the truck back In its stall within five
minutes.
Issue W arning To
Victims Of Flood
la Martin County
Realizing the danger to pub
lic health following floods, Dr.
John W. Williams, county health
officer, today issued a special
warning; to victims of the high
water. He urged all those who
have been in contact with the
flood waters to be immunized
against typhoid fever, to have
their wells chlorinated and oth
er vitally necessary precautions
taken before they move back
into their homes. The health of
ficer Stsir warned those who
have come In contact with the
water, including those who
have waded in the muddy wa
ter. and those who dared go
swimming in it to take the ty
phoid "shots". This should be
done even though it has been
only a year since they were im
munized.
Kringing down the dead bod
ies of hundreds of animals and
washing out thousands of priv
ies, not to mention the refuse
from the towns which Is over
flowing into the high water
through manholes half a mile
from the river itself, the stream
is said to be |H>lluted to the dan
ger point
Coventor Orders
Quick Repair 01
Wrecked Highways
Conflicting licporlK llranl
AImmiI Conditions of tin*
liiver Fill Here
Whatever the damage and regard
less of cost, traffic over the Ruan
oke River fill will he restoryH as
rapidly as possible, according
ders issued yesterday by Governor
Hoey to the highway commission
Governor Hoey yesterday handed
the Highway Commission a blank
check and Instructions Tor immediate
repair of highways and county roads
damaged by flood
The chief executive, appearing per
sonally before the 10-man commis
sion, asserted that the State's chief
consideration is clearing roads for
the public, and in handing the hoard
blanket authority, he cautioned it not
to iuu< the reconstruction program
as a means of improving roads.
If the crippled divisions wish to re
place wash-out bridges with better
structure than those wrecked by the
fluod, he said, the additional cost oT
improvement must cuuie from dlvl
(Continued on page four)
CONSOLATION
Greenville and Wllllamston
played a conaolatinn role (or
weary travelera this week. As
the Tar river blocked the high
way at Tarboro. weat traffic waa
diverted through Greenville.
Then, when the Tar blocked
traffic at Greenville, the Pitt
capital diverted traffic via Wll
liamaton to Bethel.
No. 17 traffic, blocked by the
Roanoke here, waa diverted ov
er No. 114 to Plymouth, but that
route waa aooo cluaad by high
water at Sweet Water and
Weleh'a Creeka, and traffic then
moved through Grtfflna Town
ablp and later through Ange
town la JamaevUle 1
Damage In County
Will Approximate
Nearly $200,000.00
< "million ?f Four->lil?' I.ong
till Kt'iuuiiiH 11 VTaier
l.'ovtTftl Secifl
Receiving u terrific blow from
turbulent waters of the Roan
oke. more than 100 families today
anxiously awaited the time when
they could return to their homes.
I hoy were heartened by reports
stating that the blitzkrieg had reach
|ed a climax and was slowly falling.
I hut it will be several days, possibly
Imorv than a week before activi
ties can be resumed on anything like
I a normal schedule.
During the meantime this entire
section anxiously awaits an official
estimate of the damage toll exact
ed by th. angry waters The flood
damage is still mounting as hun
dreds of acres of cropland continue
under water and industrial plants
are held idle. Recovering slightly
| from the shock that was theirs when
they awakened early last Tuesday
morning to find the rushing waters
pouring into factories and homes and
| across the river fill, the people of
this section are now realizing that
la greater damage lias resulted from
the flood than was first expected.
Eseh hour that the angry rivet holds
to industrial plants, homes and fields
the damage figure mounts ever high,
er Costly fertilizer materials in the
huge plant, uf Liie -Shmdnrd Eertdiz
er plant are inciting away as ice
dwindles in a lila/ing sun Some of
the material Wholesales for $ti5 ?
"'"liuiul"?rt> WUS " 'alr'y large stock
ed almost to the top of the building
with the costly material had been
absorbed to a low h-vrhearly today
No official estimate of the damage
is to be had until the river falls at
least six ur seven feet, and the drop
from a high of 20 4 feet is likely to
be slow.
Preliminary estimates gained from
semi official sources places the to
tal flood damage in this county ?
approximately $200,000 This fig
ure does not take into consideration
damage done to the river fill One
report states that the damage to
tin Standard Fertilizer Company
will sustain a loss raneinv from tas .
000 to $00,000 Water in the pTTnT
reached a height of 42 inches yes
terday afternoon
Milton Goldman, of the Goldman
ai 1 age?M .1 nu fact 11 n ng?f*. 'mpnny,
estimated that his company will suf
fer a loss of possibly $8,000, includ
ing time lost and repairs that will
be iii'i.-soij lo lesliiie iiuiiusi pp.
(?rations The company has establish
ed a temporary office in the white
waiting room at the Coast Line sta
tion, arid pay checks will be issued
from that location tomorrow.
No report could be had immed
iately from Saunders and Cox mill,
out it is believed the loss there will
run between $5,000 and $10,000 or
possibly mure.
The Wicomico Lumber Company
plucesjlsjiiss in excess uf >8,000 ?
Approximately $2,000 damage was
done when the warehouse of the
Norfolk. Baltimore and Carolina Boat
lane was washed from its foundation
and dropped mhi the woods, SO feet
or more from its foundation It
is possible that the building can be
placed (in a foundation in its new
location.
The damage to homes and furnish- '
ingsi will run possibly as high as
$15,000 or more.
Nothing better than a wild guess
can be had on the damage done to
CTopg and farm equipment. The fig
ure bus been placed in excess of
$100,000 by some. More than 1,000
(Continued on page four)
Number Of Stills
Wrecked In County
???. '
In addition to their work in. con
ncchun with flood relief, county and
ABC officers found time to relieve
the pressure on the liquor laws In
the county yesterday
Returning to the Bear Grass area
the officers raptured a 30-gallon-ca
Pm"y ^pper """ ?nd wrecked two
" P,a,niL?ey P?ured ?ut 1.000
gallons of beer.
A few days ago the offciers wreck
ed five plants in a single day in the
Township0" Wti?n ?f
w,th the o'??r? ta
their drive againat Illegal liquor,
frlm .t" J?r out ? ??">
from the Martin County swamps
earlier in the week. The plant was
Bn*1'