Newspapers / Carteret County News-Times (Morehead … / Sept. 20, 1955, edition 1 / Page 1
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CARTERET COUNTY NEWS-TIMES ??< NEWS-TIMES OFFICE 504 Ar.ndell St. Monhwd City PboM 6-4175 44th YEAR, NO. 76. 1 W PAGES MORE HEAD OtT AND BKAUFOKT, NORTH CAROLINA TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 20. 1958 PUBLISHED TUESDAYS AND FKIDATl Hurricane Wrecks Coastland Again ? ? 1 ? ? * 11 ? 1 ? 1 1 ? Tftn? Vina loff on/1 in Vi n*> uioIta ta a ?Vi a mKlaa Haul Paii. Amphibious Trucks to Carry Food, People Across River Governor Hodges Arrives In Morehead City Sunday Business Sections Sustain Serious Damage in lone Not a business place on Front Street, Beaufort, escaped damage from lone. The same was true on ( Evans Street, Shepard and Shackle ford Streets, all waterfront streets in Morehead City. Big plate glass windows were blown out in most business places, awnings and signs are down and yesterday morning in Beaufort water was being swept out of places with brooms and brushes. The Beauty Bar was seriously damaged. The root was blown off and all the equipment inside soaked with water. The water rose about 10 inches in the Hill ware house on Front Street, damaging bags of salt. Water came up 1 H feet in Paul Motor Co. but most of the equip ment which water could reach had ? been moved Sunday. Roofs were seriously damaged and stores and fish houses with their rear on the water front really caught It this time. Webster Willis's boat was torn loose and rode up between Dan's Radio Hospital and Paal Motor ? Co. There it was mdored to park ing meter posts. The W. H. Potter boat, Piggl I.ee, sank at the dock and nume-' rous other smaller eraft went down. Seventeen clean up crewmen were on the job yesterday morning in Beaufort picking up debris. Two ( extra trucks were also on duty. Dan Walker, town clerk, said that the ground was so saturated with water there were washouts as far from the waterfront as Mulberry Street. Chief Herbert Griffin of the Morehead City Polici. Department voiced the opinion of many when he said lone was one of the most destructive hurricanes to hit this , area. Mayor George Dill said lone was the worst storm since 1S33. One waterfront house was moved off its foundation on Shackleford Street, the side of Fred Hester's house, 1010 Avery St., was taken off. and a new garage built by Luther Tillcry, 1000 Bay St., was carried away. One hundred twenty evacuees were housed in the town hall, the Christian Church, the Sunday School building of the First Bap tist Church and W. S. King School in Morehead City. One hundred twenty-five wer# in shelters in ' Beaufort. Dan Walker, town clerk, asked people to be patient and requested that they not rake debris into catch basins. "It would be helpful if they would keep the catch ba sins clear until we can get around to them," he laid. "If the town crew is needed any where, call the town hall and who ever answers the phone can issue the work order. People don't havo ' to talk to me peraoaally,". Mr. Wal ker emphasised. Senator, Wife, Army Engineer Visit Beaufort 4 Sen. Kerr Scott, accompanied by bit wife tad Col. R. L. HU1, dis trict engineer, U. S. Army, Wil mington. paid a half-hour visit to Beaufort late yesterday morning. They arrived by automobile ra ther than by boat aa planned. Mayor Clifford Lewi* apoke to the senator relative to repair of the breakwater on Bird Shoal op posite Beaufort. TTie mayor told the senator that the breakwater, consisting of about 3.200 feet of heavy rock, had settled and in , some places waa lower than the low water mark. Aa a result, the breakwater fur nishes little protection against storms. The mayor aaid that Senator Scott waa sending some men to survey the situation and to make 1 Flying back (rom Hot springs.i Va . and then starting out {rom Raleigh at 7 o'clock Sunday night. Governor Luther Hodges arrived at the Morehead City Municipal Build ing at 10:52. He had given a talk at a convention at Hot Springs. The governor was greeted by Mayor George Dill and the mayor'i two children and a number of re porters. In reply to queries about condi tions on the trip from the state capital to this area, the governor stated that he hadn't had any trou ble getting through, though he had seen some high water in the vicin ity of Newport. Governor Hodges stated that he was staying in this area until the Hurricane lone had passed. He asked the reporters to accom pany him to the beach area, and though the winds were howling and the rains coming down in torrents, there weren't any dissenters. Bob Gately, formerly with the NEWS -TIMES and now with United Press, and Hal Shapiro, NEWS-TIMES sports editor, rode in the lead car with State Highway Patrolman J. E. Sykes and another member of the State Highway Pa trol. The governor didn't ride in his limousine to the beach, but rode in a State Highway Patrol car instead. His Cadillac, wjth the number 1 li cense plate, was used by three Red Cross personnel and a Canadian Army lieutenant. The convoy drove through More hb*d City to tlM beach an* when the party arrived there at 11:30 p.m., the wind was blowing the water back from the seawall, and occasional gusts forced waves through the street openings in the wall. All of the party were pelted by rain, wind and sand and were most thankful to start back to Morehead City. The governor and hi< party, which included Judge Thomas Goodman. Thomasville, Ga., Civil Defense director for the South eastern United States, stayed at the Jefferson Hotel. They had hoped to get to other sections of the coast Monday morning, but all roads were impassable due to high water. lone Played Havoc With Printing Too lone delayed today's NEWS TIMES. Power failure made it im possible to turn any printing ma chinery Monday. To get THE NEWS-TIMES to you as quickly as possible sev eral short cuts were taken. Black and white comics and the edi torial page have been dropped. Regular Tuesday editorial page features and Tuesday's black and white comics will be included in Friday's paper. Fort Macon Sent Out Small Boats Before Storm Hit Small boats from the Coast Guard baic at Fort Macon were in operation on a standby basis at Swansboro and Cape Lookout dur ing Hurricane lone, according to Chief Boatswain Kenneth Baum, commander of the station. Mr. Baum said that from all his reports the boats survived, but he hadn't as yet heard from the boats on duty at Nelson's Bay and At lantic during the storm. The Buoy Tender Conifer tied up at the state port and she rode out the storm without any damage. Commander Baum said that the Coast Guard had little to do dur ing the fast and furious storm, except ride it out. He said the Diamond Shoals Lightship had broken her moor ings and drifted from the base, but that she anchored again and the second mooring held. According to the barometer read ing at the Coast Guard station, pressure dropped to 28 39 as the center o I the storm hit this sec tion between 8 and 7 o'clock Mon day morning. Road Superintendent Warns Highway Users J. L. Humphrey, county road su-* perintendent, yesterday asked peo- . pie to be extremely careful in driv ing over roads and highways. "We've got washouts marked wtih lights and barriers," he said, "but the motorist will have to do ? little bit to look out for himself." Superintendent Humphrey was out all Sunday night and all day Monday checking county roads. Be fore part of the North River Bridge washed away Sunday night, one highway employee was sent down-east to keep check on the situation there. "But I can't contact anyone now," Mr. Humphrey said last night "I sent word to the district superin tendent. Mr. C. V. Griffin, New Bern, about the condition of the North River Bridge but 1 oan't talk to him or to Mr. Markhara." (No long distance calls were going out of the county yesterday). R. Mark ham is also a highway official. As of Monday night. Highway TO at Newport was closed. Highway 24 was washed out in spots, and the Nine-Foot, Roberta, Big and Little Deep Creek Roads wen im passable. Maynard Hicks, Snow Hill, high way commissioner for the second division, assured Carteret Coun tians Sunday nigM in a telephone conversation with a NEWS-TIMES reporter that the highway depart ment would do everything in its lower to get the roads in passable londition as soon as humanly poui Ue. Firemen Meet Tealght ? fa The County - wide Firemen's School will begin at 7 p.m. tonight t at the Morehead City Ffre Depart- t mailt. The first aesslon last light fa wai cancelled because of the h stofm. Capt Otis Dowdy of the Charlotte Fire Department wfll eratfoct the aaaaioaa. Work Progresses On Phone Lines Work is progressing .at rapidly u possible to get phone* in op iration throughout *11 Carteret bounty, Lonnie Daniel*, manager >( Carolina Telephone and Tele [raph Co., Morehead City, said resterday. Mr. Daniel* said that he is ex acting extra work crews, but they :an't come in immediately becauae >f high water. He *aid that he ladn't been able to notify the dis rict office at New Bern or the lencrsl office at Tarboro, since all ong distance circuit* are out. He said that the circuit* down 'a*t went out Sunday night, cir ulta to 'Marshallberg went dead it 8:00 p.m. and the circuits to Atlantic at 8:90 p.m. Long distance circuits through t?leigh went dead at t:tO p.m. it/nday night and tha circuit* hrough New Bern were out, a* i I a.m. Monday morning. Ikree pole* are down between leaufort and Morehead City, and pproximately eight pale* are town between Beaufort and Ai ls tic. Telephone circuit* continued In peration, with minor trouble*, ictween Morehead City and Beau ort during the storm. Morehead "My to Newport calls alao could ? made yesterday. Mr. Daniels said that he heard hat there waa a line failure be ween Newport and New ? Barn, ot Ma exact location was ua nown. ? Morehead City Recorder's Court >a* bald jraattrtlay. a day late. Three amphibious trucks (DUKWS) were dispatched from New Bern to Carteret County this morning and were put in operation at North River where the ends of the bridge were washed away. Sheriff Hugh Salter tried to get "ducks" from Camp Lejeune late Monday afternoon but was told that all those available had been aent to Craven and Pamlico Counties. Miss Ruth Peeling, county Civil Defense director, then requested ducks in a radio message, sent via State Highway Patrol to Gen. Ed ward Griffin, state Civil Defense director, Raleigh. General Griffin sent word back that ducks would be sent to this county. Commanding officer of the duck flotilla is U. J. W. Harmon, USMC, Camp Lejeune. Sheriff Salter flew over the east ern part of the county yesterday morning to see how many bridges were out and where ducks should be put in operation in addition to the North River spot. Loss of the bridge there elim inated the last means of communi cation with the vast part of the county east of Beaufort. If it hadn't been for a State Highway Patrolman, Nathan Rob inson, there would have been no communication with the eastern section of the county until phone lines were restored. Patrolman Robinson made the treacherous journey in his patrol car to Sea Level and Atlantic Sunday night. Then, because of high water west of Sea Level, he could not estab lish contact with highway patrol men in Morchead City until Mon day afternoon, after the storm was on its way and water had gone down. Down-East Hard Hit The down-east section suffered extensive damage from high water and wind, but no lives were lost, according. to information available late Monday. Carteret was notified at 3 p.m. Sunday by Maj. James Denning of the State Civil Defense office, that a CAP radio unit was "on its way" here. Upon its arrival, it was to be sent east of North River, sta tioned preferably at Sea Level (where the men could be housed and fed). However, no such unit arrived. Equipment from Wilson came in early Monday morning but by then Highway 70 down-east was impassable. At 8:30 p.m., realizing that no upstate radio unit was likely to ar rive in time to be sent to the east ern part of the county, Miss Peel ing requested two ham radio op erators with their own personal radio equipment in their cars, to be sent here from Have lock. Hams Arrive Adam Mayer, ham operator at Morehead City, notified Miss Peel ing that the men were available U they were needed. At 10:15 p.m. Sunday the two men. Gene Lam bright. K4BIC, and Paul Carter, W4MON, arrived at Carteret Elec tronics. across from the Jefferson Hotel, Morehead City, where Mr. Mayer's transmitting equipment is located. Miss Peeling contacted Sheriff Salter in Beaufort relative to giv ing the men an escort down-east, because the storm was getting seri ous and they were unfamiliar with the road. Sheriff Salter said he doubted that they could get to the eastern part of the county, but they'd try. The sheriff and the two ham op erators started out but had to turn back becauae of high water on the itretch of road east of the North River Bridge. All telephone circuits dewn-east had long been out and when the sffort to get the two ham operators Lhrough, failed, hope of establish See DUCKS, Page t Worthy of Mention . . (EdiUrlal) When disaster strikes and many folks play unusual roles, it's difficult to single out heroes. For, at this point, anyone who has lived calmly through Connie, Diane and lone, in our estimation, has the stuff of which heroes are made. There are some folks, however, whom we would par ticularly like to mention . . . Gov. Luther Hodges ? He didn't have to come down here to see what a hurricane looked like. He saw that during Connie. He could have sat snug as a bug in Ra leigh, but no, he rode into the storm with the rest of us. Politics, you say ? Call it anything you like. How can a chief executive of a state deal intelligently with the state's problems if he doesn't know what the people have to face? It isn't this hurricane or the next one that is worry ing the Governor and other top officials. They want to know what steps to take to protect the coast and eastern Carolina farmlands from damage in years to come. That's a big order. And while we're grimly trying to pull out from under this last blow, it's gratifying to know that someone in an important place is trying to become well enough acquainted with the situation to fight it more effectively in the future. Irvin W. Davis, County Red Cross chapter chairman, and all paid and volunteer Red Cross workers ? Mr. Davis was on the job at the courthouse early Sunday afternoon. Not much later, Red Cross workers from up state arrived, and in cooperation with other County Red Cross officials and Miss Georgie Hughes, county welfare superintendent, things were in readiness to take care of refugees. Law enforcement officers, Sheriff Hugh Salter, mem bers of the State Highway Patrol, and members of the municipal police departments ? during the storm they performed above and beyond the call of duty. Adam Mayer and Carl Modlin ? They operated the ham radio station which linked lone-stricken Carteret with the outer world in the darkest hours. Radio stations ? They broadcast hurricane warnings and Civil Defense information advising preparation for the storm. Wilson Civil Air Patrol ? These men came to More head City early Monday morning and with their emer gency power equipment . were, in every respgfib .life savers at the Morehead City Hospital. U. S. Marine Corps ? Without the emergency gen erator and fire truck from Cherry Point, Morehead City Hospital would have been in a dangerous situation. Ducks at North River, manned by Marines, are now link ing the east and west parts of the county. Undoubtedly there are other folks, too, wrho are re sponsible for our well-being and whom we haven't men tioned ? firemen, State Highway road repair crews, state and regional Civil Defense officials ? all these and more have played a hero's role in another drama, which came too uncomfortably close to home. Morehead Hospital Battles lone; Air Base Sent Power Although there was more wind and water than during Hazel, Morehead City Hoapitai was a bit better prepared to meet tt this time. A couple thousand dollars in supplies waa lost during Hazel, "but not this time," Hoyle Greene, hospital adminiatrator said yester day morning. The hospital, located right on Morehead City waterfront, was. in bad shape Monday unitl a large emergency generator from Cherry Point arrived shortly after noon. Very early Monday morning CAP equipment from Wilson arrived in Morehead City and their emer gency generators were used to keep the lights going. "They were a great help to us," Mr. Greena said. Word had been received from the 8tate Civil De fense office Sunday afternoon that a CAP unit was on its way here. But a more powerful generator was needed to operate oxygen tents and operating room equip ment. Dr. Joseph Hertel of the Red Cross and Miss Ruth Peeling, Patrol Took Over After Governor Hodge* returned [rom Atlantic Beach late Sunday light, be *vaa in a predicament. His only pair ot trouaer* was *aak ng wet But, the State Highway Patrol took over and as uaual soon lad the aituation well in band. Said Cpl Ernest Outhrie, who is , i tattooed at JackaonvUle, but waa lispatched to Carteret with the governor, "We've got to get the Governor some dry panta." He turned to Patrolman J. W. iykes (this waa at 12:30 a.m. Hon- ' lay), and Mid. "Call diaries Wil ' is and tall him to go down to the I itore and get the Governor a pair I )( trousers." ' Patrolman Sykes replied, Charl^ll think I'm either crM* | * drank!" i man *u rigni, hm tne cor poral, "go ahead and nil him." Well, Mr. Willia, who works at Hill's store In More he ad City DID think Patrolman Sykee waa (lightly off hit rocker, bfat be waa finally convinced that the chief executive of the Mate of North Carolina needed a pair of dry pants. "All right,'' he Hid. "come get me and HI go d own to the store." Corporal Guthrie and Patrolman Sykes. accompanied by Mr. Willis, ?rent in the store, found a pair of pants tba right length and circum ference ? 98.75, on sale for |S, ind the deal waa closed. So that's how the Governor got ? pair of dry trousers after a bout *tth lose. 1 & county Civil Defense director, coa tacted Gov. Luther Hodges who wis in Morehead City Monday morning and aaked him to uie hli influence to obtain a generator from Cherry Point. Governor Hodges approved the request and Thomas Goodman, re gional Civil Defense director from Thomaaville, Ga., authorized con tacting the commanding general, Cherry Point Marine Air Baae. The generator arrived in sev eral hours and the hospital con tinued to operate on that power until l p.m. today. The hospital basement started flooding at 9 o'clock Monday morn ing. but basement doors were nailed up tight and with pumpers from Morehead City and Cherry Point Fire Departments, one in the elevator shaft and the other in the boiler room, the water got no deeper than 8 inches at any time. The water was pumped out on Evans Street. Mr. Greene had high praise for the firemen who did the work. All supplies and laboratory equipment had been moved out of the basement Sunday. "Damage we got waa Just addi tional damage to that which wai not repaired after Previous storms." Mr. Greene said. He added, "The Red Croes waa really on the ball. They offered ua emergency medical supplies and nurses and It waa worth ? lot to know we could call on them," he Mid. Moat of the hospital staff re ported to the hospital for the emergency. Only those nurses liv ing down-east could not get there. "We had a houseful of patients, as we usually do In a hurricane," Mr. Greene said. At sue time Mon day morning, the hospital waa com pletely surrounded by water and the Red Croes had even obtained a skiff for evacuation of patients If necessary. They would have been evacuated to the Morehead City nie and Diane did not measure up to the latest storm's ca pacity for destruction. For the third time in less than five weeks, the North Carolina coast has sustained millions of dollars damage as the result of a hurricane. Carteret County was hard hit. lone moved inland just south of Morehead City, just miss-* ing by i few miles forecasters' pre diction that she would come in at the Cape Lookout-Hatteras area. Farm owners, businessmen and homeowners, who had just started making repairs after Diane, were pinned to the mat again. Hardly a building escaped the fury of the wind or the onslaught of torrential rain. Fortunately, no one was kill ed or injured. Rain Starts The rain started Sunday morn ing, but there was little wind. The wind didn't pick up until about 5 p. m. when the storm was reported 280 miles southeast of Cape Hat tcras and moving in this direction. Three hours later, winds had in creased to 33 miles an hour and lone was Just 160 miles away, mov ing toward the central North Caro lina coast. By dark, refugees by the scores w*re flocking to the build ings designated for their care ? churches, schools, the courthouse in Beaufort and the town hall in Morehead City. Right on the heels of refugees were higher winds and rising tides. The storm passed inland about 7 o'clock Monday morning but all day Monday there was high wind and pelting rain. Winds nocked at 90 The only wind-measuring device in operation, at Fort Macon Coast Guard Station, recorded winds at 90 miles an hour. But that was as high as the velocity instrument could measure. Wind velocity is believed to have reached at least 100 miles an hour. Mammoth plate glass windows were blown out in business houses, plastic awnings were ripped down, fences toppled, heavy light poles at ball parks pushed crooked, and telephone wire* torn loose, roofs seriously damaged, and TV anten nas thrown down. Tides were estimated 6 to 8 feet above normal and many homes close If the water were extensively damaged as the tide covered the floors. ? ? ? v ^ School Closed There wao no school Monday or Tuesday. Impassable roads pre vented school busses from taking their accustomed routes and many .school house roofs were leaking. H. L. Joslyn, county superintend ent of schools, said yesterday morn ing that Beaufort, Morehead City and Newport Schools would prob ably be open tomorrow morning. He was in doubt about schools east of Beaufort. The storm moved north from this section, causing widespread de struction in eastern Carolina, Vir ginia, and bringing heavy rains to eastern Maryland and Pennsyl vania. High winds continued here until late Sunday night. But as usual, after a severe storm, the sun came out bright and clear today. Fire Damages D. G. Bell Home A fir* at 5 a.m. Monday burned a hole in the roof of the D. G. Bell home, 70S Bridgei St., More head City. The fire atarted when wirea fell acroaa the root. The wind waa blowing ao hard that water could not be ahot to the roof from the ground, ao two firemen went up a ladder with a hoae. They were Robert McCabe and Capt. Otla Dowdy of the Char lotte Fire Department, who waa here to conduct the fireman'a achool. Mr. Bell eitimated the damage at *900 to *000. but aaid it waa covered by inaurance. No one waa in the houae at the time becauae the family waa at their home on the aound. The alarm waa aent in from Box 41. The central portion of the roof, over the center hall, waa damaged. Firemen also anawered a call to a cottage at Club Colony at 11 o'clock yeaterday morning, but the fire waa put out before firemen got there. They aaid the truck could not have gotten to the cot tage, anyway, becauae of water acroaa the rami. TicU TabU TMe? ?( the Beaufort Bar HIGH LOW Tuesday, Sept. M 10:39 a.m. 4:31 a.m. 11:20 p.m. 5:07 p.m. Wednesday, Kept 21 11:43 a.m. 3:00 a.m. 3:33 p.n. Tkanday, Sept. H 12:07 a.m. 5:41 a.m. 12:30 p.m. ?:? P? Friday. Sept. 13 12:57 am 0.32 a.m. 1:17 p m. 7:57 pjfc Red Cross Takes Requests for Aid Workers Supervise Cen ters For Refugees During lone, Help Hospital Personi needing help immediate- , ly to carry on the routine of living, and who have no mean? of assist ance, should contact the Red Cross in the municipal building, More head City, the courthouse anna, Beaufort, or the Red Cross of fice to be set up east of North River. js?. John J. Komp, executive direc tor of the Broward County Chap ter, Fort Lauderdale, Fla., said yesterday morning that one appU cation had already been received at Morehead City, as well as two contributions? one of *25 and ano ther of 50 cents. Mr. Komp said the Red Cross started yesterday morning a dam age survey of the entire county. Home Destroyed One home was totally destroyed at Salter Path and extensive dam age is believed to have occurred in other outlying areas. The Red Cross provided lunch and supper for patients at the Morehead City Hospital yesterday because the hospital s fatcben equipment could not be used. Mr. Komp said that Red Croaa workers have been in contact with headquarters only through the amateur radio operator, Adam Mayer, W4ILJ "Mr. Mayer baa done an exceptional Job/* he said. "We would have been completely cut off had it not been for him. Measages to Cherry Point were Hint by Mr. Mayer for both the emergency ge?e?eUir at the hos pital and addition* pumps to ke?p the hospital b?srt?ent pumped m*. Appreciates Cooperation Mr. Komp said the Red Cross re ceived "exceptionally fine coopera tion from the police. State High way Patrol and civil authorities. They bent over backwarda to help and we couldn t have done half of what we have done without their help." . Red Cross workers who came to this area Sunday, some M whom are still on duty here, are Mr. Komp, Harry Boyd, manager of the Atlanta Red Cross chapter; Lynn Warren, Atlanta, of the national staff; Mrs. Sarah Hoyle, disaster worker from Ft. Lauderdale; MiM Sally Barrett, from the Atlanta of fice, and Dr. Joseph Hertel, medi cal director of the southeast area, Atlanta, Ga. Mra. Beatrice Lewis of the County Health Department and Miss Sarah Pake of the County Welfare Department served as Red Cross assistants. Mrs. W. J. lpock, Beaufort, alao aaaiated. Red Cross shelters opened at about 4 o'clock Sunday through out the county. Milk, coffee and meals were served at the county courthouse and the Morehead City Municipal Building until Monday morning when the worst of the storm was over. State Reduces ADC Payments The itatc of North Carolina hat ordered that all aid-to-dependent children checka, paid by county welfare departmenti, be reduced by 5 per cent aa of Nov. 1. In this county, the amount paid per ADC caae has been 79 per cent of the difference between eatiraat ed need plua the atate allotment and the reaources of the family Into which the check ia going. Under the new arrangement, the amount paid will be only TO par cent of that difference. Miaa Gear lie Hufhei. county welfare aup erintendent, aaid the cut baa been neceaaary because the ADC pay men ti have been requiring mora money than budgeted for them. The reduction, ahe emphaaiaad, ia atatewide. Carloads of Glycol Uptot At Stat* Port Terminal Two carloads of glycol wan up ?ct it the State Porta Terminal during Hurricane lone when water washed oat railroad track! la the ?outhwaetern portion at the term LnaL An undetermined amount el the product waa lo*t when the ear laada capalred, J. D. Holt, port
Carteret County News-Times (Morehead City, N.C.)
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Sept. 20, 1955, edition 1
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