Weather
Continued warm with showers
likely by late today, frlday,
clearing and warm. Low today,
68; high, 85. f
' L- ? ?
The
Published Every Tuesday & Thursday
Serving All
Times
I 0^ Franklir
Comment
in County
*" Hard work Is probably a good
thing for mankind, but there are
many people who want very
Uttle of the good thing.
T?l 0Y 6-3263
(Ton C?nts)
Loutsburg, N. C.. Thursday. June 9. 1966
(Ten Pages Today)
97th Year? Number 32
f _ --btotf Khotos by Clint Fuller
Nash Gets Paving, Franklin Gels Paint
An Editorial
We are not too disturbed that Nash (and other surrounding counties) are getting road improvements. It doesn't'
cause us too much concern that they are getting bright new signs letting the motorist know he is leaving another
county and entering Franklin. In fact, we are happy for them
We are, however disturbed and concerned at what continues to happen or rather, not to happen to Franklin
County. It's about time this red-headed step child stood up on his hind legs and yelled Everybody in the wiprld
might not like Franklin County. This is their loss. We. who live here, like it and to us, it is as important as
any place in the state.
The world about us seems to be closing in on Franklin County. Leaving the county in almost any direction and
on almost any North Carolina Primary highway a traveler can tell, without looking, when he passes into the
neighboring county. There's a difference in the roads. We say this, in case there is anyone who might not have
noticed.
The latest difference is pictured above, left, where Nash county meets Franklin county 4 5 miles east of Pilot
The Nash county portion of N C. 64 has just been finished with a complete repaving job. Franklin remains as it
has been for years and years . . . patched. Even the patches need patching now.
The same exists on N. C. 56 where Nash meets Franklin. The same exists where Wake meets Franklin on
U. S. 401. The same exists where Johnston and Wake meeLFranklin below Pilot and in other places. Soon it
will exist where Vance meets Franklin on N. C 39
Since Franklin county citizens, at last report, were still paying their state taxes, including the gasoline tax
to retire the old road bonds, it seems in order to us, and to many others, that Franklin get some answer from some
body as to why' Why are we being surrounded with heavy expenditures of highway funds and none here7 Is Frank
lin to be isolated by deplorable roads from the remainder of the 'state7 Is it a pattern7 Certainly it se.ems so
Highway 56 (only promised project in the past ten years) is still sitting in some Raleigh office gathering dust
When is this one coming out7
There may be a road in greater need of repair than N. C 56 frpm Louisburg to the Nash County line, but we
doubt it. There may' be a road which holds an older promise of repairs than N C 56 We doubt this too Piesent
administration officials said, last fall in writing, that N C 56 vwuld be repaired and indicated that work should
have started several months ago. The obvious question is', Why hasn't it7
One official, reportedly said some time ago, that the reason Franklin has not gotten its share of road money
was because no one had asked for it There are a number of county officials ready to deny this statement But,
just to set the record straight, we're asking now for Franklin's fair share of road improvements^ They are long
overdue This is a fact, not an opinion. A ridaover the county will verify this and State Highway officials should
take such a ride. And please watch for the holes after you pass the county line. u
While other counties get paving, Franklin gets paint. We want some of {tie paving And it's.time we got it
Pilot Killed As HOI Jat Crashes At tan Hope
" Smokirtg Ruins of RF- 101 Jet Plane
Body of Pilot Lies Beneath Parachute
Tail Section Wedged In Trees
Hundreds of spectators flocked to the scene of the crash of an Air Force RF-101
Voodoo Jet, in which Ma'jor William L. Strait of Shaw Air Force Base, S. C. was
killed, yesterday near New Hope in Franklin^ County,
The crash occurred shortly after 3,1p.m. in a heavily wooded area, about a mile and .
half off N. C. Highway 98 in the New Hope community. Odell Arnold, a Louisburg
barber, who lives at New^ Hope notified the Louisburg Kescue service, W Iliuil Uio
patched every available uhlt. State highway patrol and local officersi were also
called to the scene. \* << 4? I ' ' * ,
Billowing black smoke from the burning wreckage could be seen for several miles,
but Rescuers had some1 difficulty finding the location of the crash.
Public Information Officer
Dare Garwlck of Seymour John
son Air Base, Goldsboro, N.C.
told The franklin Times thla
morning that the cauie of the
accident waa^stlll undetermin
ed. He stated that a team
"qualified Air Force officers
from Seymour Johnson was at
the icene late Wednesday and
and Investigating team from
Shaw Air Force Base, S. C.
would arrlte at the scene thla
morning."
According to the officer, Ma
jor Strait waa flying a Jet re
-?.r- - ,
fueling mission at tne time, of
the crash, ovtfr the North Caro
lina refueling area, the 35
year old senior pilot, with 4,000
dying hours to his credit, was
assigned to the 4411th Combat
Crew Training WJng at Shaw.
The pilot was married and
the father of two sons. His
wife, Mrs. Hucllle K. Strait
lives In Dalzell, S. C. and hlr
parents, Mr. and Mt**?-> Alletv
N. Strait, lire In Austin, Texas.
Witness io the crash told
somewhat conflicting stories of
the incident with some report
Ing sighting at least three para
chutes In the air Just before
the plane (ell. Others said
only one chute was seen and
this one was draped over the
tall section of the plane.
One New Hope resident said
he and others heard what they
thought to be two explosions
and saw the plana turn on Its
side Just before plunging earth
ward. The plane, apparently
dropped straight down Into the
wooded area.
Only trees In the exact vicinity
of the crash were sheared.
There was no indication of any
Slid* by the aircraft prior to
landing. There was only a
short path of skid following the
crash.
The plexiglass canopy, ap
parently Jettisoned Just , prior
to the crash, was sighted about
200 feet from the scene of
the crash and the pilot's seat
was lying against a tree about
80 feet from the crash The
body of the pilot was found
between the crashed plane and
the seat, about IB feet from the
??at. What was believed to be
T
the seat ejection rod was found
a few feet from the seat., ?
Observers theorized that the
pilot was unable to jettison the
seat and was carried to his
death, being thrown from the
falling plane Just moments be
fore It hit ground.
The body was reeovered by
the Loulsburg Rescue Service
following Investigation by
Cornoner James H. Edwards.
Major Strait was flying with
the 29th Tactical Squadron out
of Shaw Air Force Base at the
tlipe of the accident.
A slater Jet, flying with MaJ.
Strait at the time of the acci
dent, hovered over the area until
fuel supply caused It to toad
for home. A Coast Guard
four-propellor rescue aircraft
picked up the position shortly
thereafter and continued to
circle the .area. A rescue
helicopter from Seymour John
son Air Base arrived about an
hour after the crash and landed
near the scene with Air Force
personnel. Other Air Force
personnel are on the scene to
day searching for clues In an
effort to determine the cause
of the accident.
' Several young crop*, mo*tly
cotton and tobacco, suffered
damage In the general area of
the crash as spectators, afoot
and on- cars, moved through
freshly plowed and planted
fields In an effort to get to the
scene. Fire from thewhlte-tiot
blaze of the burning craft, was
llmlted>to the immediate area.
Loulsburg Mayor and Rescue
Chief V. A. Peoples headed the
Rescue Service at the scene
with Stat* Troopers v. c. Day
an d Gary Kearney and others
on duty In the area. Sheriffs
Deputies Dave Batten and Tom
Powell plus county forest war
den Joe Smith and others were
on the sceM.
The eras)) occured within a
few miles of the site where a
Navy trainer plane landed safely
In 1944. Following an engine
repair, the tfcry plane took off
using the rural paved road a* a
runway.