Newspapers / Daily Herald (Roanoke Rapids, … / Nov. 5, 1942, edition 1 / Page 15
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JOHN EWELL, SURVIVOR OF THE WASP, TELLS OF EXPERIENCES AT SINKING _ 2If--—_ Chief 'Warrant Officer John Ew ell, U. S. Navy, was a guest of his brother, Patrollman Sam Ew ell in Enfield last Wednesday. He was on the ■ U. S. Aircraft Carrier Wasp at the time of its sinking on September 15th in the Solomon Islands region, and had been with the plane carrier since it was com missioned. Like all the survivors of the Wasp, many of whom were on leave throughout the U. S. be fore the Navy announced its sink ing. Chief Ewell gave no indica tion of the disaster to even his family and closest friends until after the news had been given out for publication. He was below decks when the first torpedo struck the tanks of aviation gasoline stored in the ship. He said that they had been off their course heading into the wind in order to permit planes to take off from the deck. It was just as the ship was returning to its course that the torpedoes were sighted. Ewell says that the Captain of tne Snip saw Lilt; waive ui cue ic thal charges as they approached, and maneuvered the vessel in such a manner as to prevent their striking the rudder, at which they were aimed. The principal reason for the carrier’s destruction was the fact that aviation gasoline had just been drawn from the 100,000 gallon tank to refuel planes, he said. He explained that under ordinary circumstances there would have been no air pockets in the gasoline tanks, but there had not been time enough to refill the tank with sea water, according to custom. To leave any air space in * the tanks, Ewell added, was to make them highly explosive. This caused the Wasp to catch fire. Being Chief Warrant Officer, it was Ewell’s duty to see that all men were evacuated from the ship with inflated life preservers before abandoning it himself. When this had been accomplished he started out of the hatch, but found the fire raging too fiercely at that point to make it, so he had to make another start. Ewell's life jacket was not inflated when he jumped overboard, and he had to blow it up himself. As he was struggling in the water, attempt ing to inflate the jacket, a bullet came ricocheting from the explod ing ammunition aboard the ship’s inferno, and he had to duck to save himself. Chief Ewell said that there was a perfect din resulting from the firing of the carrier’s supply of ammunition, including torpedoes, hand grenades, bombs and ma chine gun bullets. In his opin ion, many of those who were lost were killed by these stray bullets that were spewing in every direc tion over the blazing sea. ‘All of the 2200 men in the crew were saved with the exception of 237, having been picked up by accom panying destroyers. Three of the attacking submar ines were sunk by depth charges within a short while after the dis aster, according to Ewell. He says the destroyers dropped these charges right and left all over the area. They saw one of them shoot out of the water and burst in the air. Conclusive evidence of the destruction of the other two was furnished by oil slicks. In order to prevent the enemy (from acquiring her, one of the (destroyers returned to the Wasp and finished her off with a tor jpedo, sending her to the bottom. 1 Chief Ewell will remain on leave (for thirty days before returning to iduty aboard the training ship, <U. S. S. Arkansas at Norfolk. < -- < J. H. Joyner of Spencer spent i the week end here with his family. Mrs. R. V. Hope has returned tfrom Duke Hospital in Durham. I « Miss Marjorie Hazelwood has Returned from a visit to Maxwell |1 field, Ala., where she visited Ca * let Fred A. Mills. Attention Given Clothes Repairs Aurelian Springs For the past few weeks the sec ond year Home Economics girls at Aurelian Springs school, under the direction of Miss Mabel Rich, studied reconditioning of garments. Some of the activities in class are as follows: three skirts that were too short were made longer; six dresses handed down from older sisters were made to fit; three el bows in coats were patched; two skirts were made from old dis carded coats, and several collars and dickeys were made in class to make old garments look new The proper care and repair of garments was studied by this group. Mary Frances Robertson and Roxie Joyner have selected reconditioning of garments for the family for their home project. Every girl in this class recogniz es reconditioning of garments for the individual or for others when ever it is practical to do so as a patriotic “must.” TIRE BOARD j NEWS i October 29, 19!,2 NEW TRUCK & BUS Weldon Fruit & Produce, Wel don, wholesale merchants, four j tires and four tubes; H. L. Fahey, Ici'y, plumber, two tires and two tubes; James Johnston, Littleton, pulp wood hauler, two tires and two tubes; T. C. Williams, Hollis ter, pulp wood hauler, two tires and two tubes; Produce Transport Co., Delray Beach, Fla., produce hauler, two tires; Weldon Ice and Fuel Co., Weldon, ice and fuel dealer, two tires and two tubes; Isaac Johnston, Essex, pulp wood hauler, two tires and two tubes;; and Newsom Oil Co., city, oil deal er, one tire and one tube. PASSENGER C. P. Bounds, Weldon, logging contractor, two tubes; William A. Allen, city, textile, one tube; Clar ence Hawkins, city, textile, one tube; L. M. Shaw, city, carpenter and farmer, one tube; Dr. F. G. Jarman, city, doctor, one tire; Lewis Edwards, city farmer, one tire and one tube; Exekiel Ingram, Skipper, Va., textile, two tubes; J. C. Banty, city, textile, two tubes; Dr. H. A. Cole, city, doctor, one tire and one tube; McKinley Nicholson, Weldon, minister, two tires; Rev. M. N. Zollicoffer, Lit I. V/I.VI1, innuoici, L> W KJ ill Co (lliu LWU tubes; and Charlie Mosley, city, textile, two tubes. GRADE TWO TIRES Ezekiei Ingram, Skippers, Va., textile, two tires; J. C. Banty, city, textile, three tires; William H. O’Neal, Littleton, textile, two tires; F. W. Baugham, city, textile, one tire; O. M. Hurst, city, textile, one tire; Reba Faison, city, textile, two tires; Willie T. Dixon, city, textile, three tires; Harvey Jen kins, Littleton, textile, two tires; J. L. Smith, city, textile, *our tires; and Charlie Mosley, city, textile, two tires. NEW OBSOLETE TIRES William A. Allen, city, textile, four tires; Clarence Hawkins, city, textile, two tires; Robert H. Davis, city, farmer, four tires. RECAPS & SERVICES Lannie J. Brown, city, preacher, one passenger; Dr. F. G. Jarman, city, surgeon and M. D., one pas senger; B. F. Johnson, city taxi, city, school supervisor, one pas two passenger; Clara J. Hearne, senger; Walter Jamieson, Little ton, Agri. teacher, three passenger, Joseph R. Johnson, city, textile, four passenger; O. T. Carson, Lit tleton, saw mill operator, one pas senger; L. M. Shaw, city, carpen ter and farmer, four passenger, Northeastern Oil Co., Weldon, gas dist., two truck; Safety Transpor tation Corp., Weldon, transporta tion, nineteen;C. S. Thompson, city, ice and fuel dealer, four truck; C. T. Oakley, city, mattress mfg. co., two truck; State Highway & Public Works, Weldon, public roads, three truck; Newsom Oil Co., city, oil dealer, one truck; Bennie Mills Jr., Weldon, painter, three truck; and B. M. Richard son, .Weldon, one passenger. BICYCLES N. A. Hartsoe & Sons, Weldon, Grocery Store. Pfc. Sidney Britton of Patterson, N. J., spent the past two weeks visiting his parents here. Walter Brown, Harvey Woodruff and Bennie Radcliffe attended the State-Carolina game in Raleigh Sa tlirdav MARRIAGE LICENSES The Register of Deeds Office continues to do “good business” in the issuance of marriage licenses. The cost of securing a license is $5.00. Of this amount the State gets $3.00 and the County gets $2.00. From Oct. 18 through the 26th a total of $35 has been made selling licenses — $21 for the State and $14 for the County. Those securing licenses are: Gar rett Purnell Love, colored of Gar ysburg and Lillian Richards of Weldon; Edward Michael O’Don nell of Staunton and Elizabeth Gill Witherspoon of Roanoke Rapids; Albert Tillery Jones, colored, and Daisey Edmonds of Tillery; David Bell of Enfield and Anne Maude Parker of Garysburg; Arthur Barnes of Roanoke Rapids and Martha Taylor, colored, of Roan oke Rapids; Cleaster Clark of Tslor- lv anrl /"Hi >»i c? f i o »-» + man of Scotland Neck; and Jack Johnston, colored of Littleton, and Annie Marie Wills of Littleton. Services Are Held Friday For Mrs. R. Francis Mrs. Roberta J. Francis, age 86, died at the home of her daughter, Mrs. C. H. Speight, 821 Monroe Street, on Thursday, October 29. She had been ill for ten years. Funeral services were held on Friday, October 30 ,at 2 p. m. from the home of her daughter, Mrs. C. H. Speight. Rev. R. V. Hope and Rev. Paul Fields officiated. Interment was in the Johnson Cemetery in Northampton County near Conway. She is survived by three daugh ters: Mrs. C. H. Speight and Mrs. Arthur Pope of Roanoke Rapids, and Mrs. Mary Pierce of Boykin, Va.; two sons, Godwin Francis of Boykin, Va., and Raleigh M. Fran cis of Courtland, Va; twenty-six grandchildren, and thirteen great _ . . $927,433,00; Each com represents 50 million dollars REVENUE FROM DISTILLED SPIRITS FROM BEER = FROM WINE ( SOURCE: U. S. BUREAU OF INTERNAL REVENUE PICTOGRAPH CORPORATION, FOR ALLIED LIQUOR INDUSTRIES. INC. I &•••• •• •• •• •• •• ••• • "The Balanced Blend' ■ The "balance" of Carstairs White • C a! is made possible by carefuf 9 selection and skillful blending 9 • from one of the world’s largest re- • • serves of choice blending stocks. » • • • • • • • • • • • • : CARSTAIRS r White Seal I * '• . I “UNDID WHISKM I s • White Seal I \ • • • • ••••••••••• • BLENDED WHISKEY. 86.8 Proof. 72% Groin Neutral Spirits, Contain Bros. Distilling Company.lnc., Baltimore, Md., /
Daily Herald (Roanoke Rapids, N.C.)
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Nov. 5, 1942, edition 1
15
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