It is always flattering to a news
paperman when other newspapers
consider some of his writifigs worth
reprinting. Perhaps a fellow serib-
bler is, in truth, a poorer judge of
journalistic excellence than the aver
age reader, but there’s no denying
that every writer appreciates recog
nition from his own kind,
Victor Meekins, who turns out
such interesting pieces for the Coast-
land Times at Manteo, has been kind
enough to pick up some of our past
columns and pass them along to his
enthusiastic readers. This week it’s
a pleasure to borrow the following
from his column—“Then and Now.’’
“I do not know of any memories of
boyhood that stand out more clearly
and which never grow dim nor lose
their appeal, than my recollections
of the big white passenger steamer
which used to ply Croatan Sound at
the beginning of this century.
“They passed nearly two miles off
shore from my home, and they were
fascinating indeed at night with their
iights burning bfilliantly, and on
still nights one could hear the sound
of the rhythmic movement of their
machinery.
“Soon it would fade in the dis
tance, but the lights might be seen
long afterwards. These steamers
were operated by the Old Dominion
line between Elizabeth City and New
Bern. Travelers could make the night
trip, renting a state-room, eating in
the boat’s dining room, just as now
on the Baltimore steamer.
“News has recently been released
that after Labor Day the Old Bay
Line woih'J"atscontinue its passenger
business, and a historic and roman
tic service which has operated 121
years ends.
“Just a few weeks ago, anticipat
ing such, a move as not far away, J
took my six-year-old grandson on this
boat down from Baltimore to Norfolk
. at night. We took the train from
Washington over to Baltimore.
“He was quite fascinated with
roaming around the boat, and with
sleeping in an upper berth, and I
equally enjoyed the journey while
watching his delight. I wrote a col
umn about this trip shortly after
ward.
“I had many trips on this boat;
also many on the boats which ran
between Washington and Norfolk un
til 1958. Air travel has about taken
all the business which formerly sus
tained these boats. It was a delight
ful journey, particularly eating in
the ship’s dining room, with appetite
whetted by the salt air.
“When I was a boy, there were
boat lines everywhere. la was the
most comfortable way to travel. The
Old Dominion Steamship Company
ran in addition to its North Carolina
boats, night boats each way between
Richmond and Norfolk—the Brand
on and the Berkley; it ran passen
ger ships to New York.
“Passenger boat lines operated be-
tween Elizabeth City and Manteo and
to Hertford, and to Edenton, and up
the Roanoke River, and down the
Alligator River to Fairfield and to
Columbia. Boat lines ran up the
Roanoke as far as Hamilton in Mar
tin county.
“Other Norfolk boats ran to Suf
folk and to Smithfield, to Old Point
and many other places on Chesa
peake Bay and the James River, as
well as down to Currituck Sound
and Pasquotank River points.
“There used, to be passenger serv
ice by boat by sea out of Norfolk
for New York, Boston, Providence,
Charleston, Savannah and Jackson
ville. Many of these lines were ac
quired by railroad companies and
operated as auxiliary services, or
otherwise in their owner’s interests.
“All of us who enjoy the boat
trips between Nags Head and Eliza
beth City and Manteo will hold them
in cherished memory as long as we
lit'e. I am glad that the little boy got
his boat trip in time.”
(Continued on Pago 7)
The NEW
I PUBLISHED WEEKLY
IN THE HEART OP
FERN NORTH
Mr, Mrf. A. H. aROLINA
2000 Arondall St •
jter City, Hc »er Copy
uu
VOLUME 4
NEW BERN, N. C., FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 29, 1961
NUMBER 26
' 1
TRULY AN INFERNO—Nothing in the categ^ory of un
bridled fire is more vicious and destructive than, blazing
oil. Death and devastation rode the waters that lapped at
Morehead City’s shoreline Tuesday night in the wake of
this tanker explosion. The holocaust lasted for hours, and
endangered many persons and property worth millions,
—Photo by Billy Benners.
- i
I;
A NIGHT TO REMEMBER—Coastal Carolina’s story of the
week was the explosion and ensuing fire that turned a
tanker at Morehead City’s Radio Island into a mass of
madly surging flames. The Mirror was there to bring its
readers the dramatic scene you se^Js^i
was snapped, it was risky to be arf"
tion was out of control.—Photo,
-i* J
Tien thisplh
and the confT
Benners. .