Most 01 The News
All The Time
THE STATE PORT PILOT
A Good Newspaper In A Good Community
The Pilot Covers
Brunswick County
Volume No. 20
No. 28
8-Pages Today
SOUTHPORT, N. C.
WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 13, 1960
5c A COPY
PUBLISHED EVERY WEDNESDAY
Brunswick Recovering From
Shock Of Air Crash At Bolivia
Southport Gymnasium Used
As Morgue As Identifica
tion Of 32 Of The Vic
tims Was Established
VOLUNTEER HELPERS
FILLED MANY JOBS
Relatives Of Wreck Vic
tims Here In Numbers On
Thursday And Friday
Of Last Week
The scene of action in Bruns
wick county’s worst accident in
history shifted Wednesday after
noon from Bolivia to Southport,
when 32 bodies of victims of the
National Airlines crash were
brought here to the high school
gymnasium.
There the job of positive iden
tification began, with a team of
FBI experts in charge. They were
See LETTER TO EDITOR
from Lt. Col. Johnnie D.
Duffle on page 4.
assisted by Southport doctors,
nurses, dentists and laymen who
filled multiple duties in carrying
out this grim operation.
By the time the first bodies ar
rived, about 3 p. m. the gym was
ready, a nurse was on duty and
the coffee bar and canteen were in
operation.
Coming down with the first load
of bodies was a team of FBI
pathologists, identification ex
perts, airline officials, Highway
Patrolmen, etc. etc. and then be
gan a period of assembling needed
supplies. Blankets to cover all
doors and windows in the gym,
hospital screens, more blankets,
an operating table, buckets and
pans for water, sLacks of news
papers, searchlights, rubber
gloves, towels, more tables and
chairs.
By about 7 p. m. all the bodies
then recovered were in the gym,
local doctors and dentists were as
sisting the FBI teams, and the
first relative had arrived. The
identification team went into high
gear and the nurses who were
supposed to be relieved couldn't
find time to stop there were
four and sometime six nurses
working at the time. They secured
hospital instruments and some
helped on autopsies; others took
blood samples, others helped clean
up the bodies. At 4:30 a. m. they
called it a night, but were back
on duty at 7 the next morning. ■
In the meantime the canteen
and coffee bar had been swamped.
Search parties kept coming in,
volunteer firemen and Coast
Guardsmen on guard duty and
litter duty in the gym, Highway
Patrolmen, local police, airline
personnel, all were fed.
Earlier in the evening the head
of the FBI team had asked for
assistance in obtaining informa
tion from relatives to be used in
making identifications. All local
ministers were on hand and
anxious to help, although 95 per
cent of the victims were of the
Jewish faith. They took on the
job of cutting a stencil, mimeo
graphing forms and setting up a
suitable desk for the “relative in
terviews”. This desk was manned
by the ministers for about 36
hours straight.
Thursday was the rough day.
Relatives arrived by the dozens.
National Airline had made ac
commodations for them in a hotel
in Wilmington and the idea was
that they were to stay there, in
terviews were to be conducted
there and they were to come to
Continued On Page 2
L Brief Bite Of
-NEWSJ
BENEFIT BARBECUE
The Winnabow Volunteer Fire
Department will hold a barbecue
supper at Leroy Hook’s place in
Winnabow Saturday, beginning at
6:30 p. m. The public is invited.
JAIL SERVICES
Sunday services were held at
the jail Sunday by the Gospel
Center Baptist Church of Supply,
the speaker was the Rev. Frank
Johnson, pastor, who delivered a
very impressive sermon. It was
accepted by the prisoners.
DREDGING BIDS
Bids for additional maintenance
dredging at the Sunny Point
Army Terminal are scheduled to
be opened in Wilmington Thurs
day at 2 p. m. The work will re
quire the removal of an estimated
2,000,000 c'l. yds. of material
from the channels and turning
basins, Col. R. P. Davidson, Dis
trict Engineer, Corps of En
gineers, advised today.
Task Completed
THANKS—H. B. Taylor of National Airlines bids
farewell to Mrs. Susan King-, Executive Secretary of the
American Red Cross, prior to his departure Saturday. On
the back row arc Mayor Roy Robinson, Sheriff E. V.
Leonard and Highway Patrolman J. C. Taylor.— (Hunt
ley Photo.)
Expresses Appreciation
H. B. TAYLOR
For National Airlines
“National Airline, wishes to express its deepest gratitude to
the citizens of Bolivia, Southport and ali of Brunswick county
for the wonderful help and cooperation throughout the tragedy
of the plane crash. We have seldom witnessed such fine human
spirit and such generous offers of help when it was most need
ed. We are deeply grateful.
“It would be impossible to single out every one who has help
ed, but National would like to express its thanks especially to
Mrs. Susan King and all of the Volunteer Red Cross Workers;
to Mayor Roy Robinson and city officials including the Volunteer
Firemen and Rescue Squad; to the members of the Bolivia
Development Club; to Coroner L. B. Bennett; to Sheriff E. V.
Leonard and members of the Brunswick County Sheriff’s De
partment; to members of the State Highway Patrol; to officers
and men of the Brunswick County Civil Air Patrol; to Lt. Col.
Johnnie D. Duffie and the personnel of Sunny Point Army
Terminal; to members of the U. S. Coast Guard; to the morti
cians of Brunswick county; to the doctors and nurses; to the
ministers of all denominations—in short, to aii ot the wonderful
people who gave so unselfishly of their time and services during
this trying emergency.”
Methodist Plan
Wider Program
Pastors Of Four Of Six
Charges In Brunswick
Hope To Expand To In
clude Other Denomina
tions
The pastors of the several Meth
odist charges in Brunswick Coun
ty held their regular monthly
meeting Monday at Zion Metho
dist church Monday with four of
the six charges represented.
The Rev. Lawrence Bridges,
president, presided. After a review
of the past record for the month
several matters of interest were
brought forward and each was
discussed on the merits of its im
portance. Among those matters
was that of enlarging the local
organization to include as a coun
ty group ministers of all the
churches in the county. Plans
were set up to hold a meeting in
Southport on the first Monday in
February at 10 o’clock at which
time all pastors interested wi!’.
gather to discuss and determine
the course to be taken in effect
ing such an organization.
Another item which was dis
cussed was that of arranging for
Day Craft Camp for youth, meet
ing as often as expedient for this
type of work and looking to both
educational and spiritual training
as well as craft work.
Still another item considered
was that if arranging for picnic
and recreational programs in sev
eral parts of the county at places
where grounds could be provided
and supervised to care for the
young people and children. Such
places as the church grounds at
Yaupon Beach, Zion Church, Shal
lotte and other parts of the coun
ty where the church and pastor
privileges could be obtained were
considered. This would be non
denominational in scope; but
Continued On Page 2
District Census
Office Located
District Office For 1960
Census Of Population And
Housing Will Be In Fay
etteville
Establishment of a district of
fice for the 1960 Census of Popu
lation and Housing at 210 Bur
gess St., Fayetteville, is an
nounced by Director Joseph R.
Norwood of the Census Bureau’s
regional office at Charlotte.
Ray V. Revels of Lumberton
will be supervisor of the district
office. He will direct a force of
27 crew leaders and 438 census
takers in the following counties:
Bladen, Brunswick, Columbus,
Cumberland, Harnett, New Han
over and Robeson.
Taking the 1960 Census na
tionally will require the services
of 160,000 enumerators, 10,000
crew leaders, and 400 district
Supervisors, all temporary work
ers.
The district supervisors, work
ing under the general direction of
the permanent regional field
directors, are responsible for all
phases of the census in their
districts.
Duties of the district supervisor
include the recruiting of the crew
leaders, obtaining space for crew
leader training, recruiting and
training a small office staff, re
viewing the completed question
naires, and direct supervision of
the field canvass which begins on
April 1.
Prior to the start of the cen
sus, all households will receive in
the mail an Advance Census Re
port Eoim, a new census-taking
device which is designed to speed
up the field canvass and provide
more accurate statistics. Distribu
tion of this form, which contains
the basic population and housing
questions, gives the family a
Continued On Page 2
Body Of Carlos Ramos Val
daes Of Havana Is Only
One Not Recovered; 33rd
Body Recovered Saturday
WRECKAGE COVERS
AREA OF 20 MILES
CAB Officials Plan To As
semble Wreckage In Ef
fort To Determine The
Cause Of Accident
Science and technology have
taken over the aerial disintegra
tion of a National Airlines DC-6B,
early Wednesday, that killed 34
persons.
Today Civil Aeronautics Board
officials are moving ahead with
plans to assemble the wrecked
passenger plane, study its en
gines, to ascertain why it failed
in the air, tore apart, and drop
ped its 29 passengers and crew of
five to their deaths.
Discovery of wreckage, in
cluding portions of the fuselage,
along Kure Beach and at Ft.
Fisher on the Cape Fear penin
sula, strengthened theories that
the plane got in trouble some 22
miles from where the bulk of the
wreckage was found.
The body of victim 33, identi
fied by the Federal Bureau of
Identification, as Julian A. Frank,
32, Westport, Conn, attorney, was
found at Snow’s Marsh, Saturday
by Civil Air Patrol from New
Hanover county.
Snow’s marsh is just upriver
from the isthmus of the Cape
Fear. A 34th person, Carlos Ra
mos Valdes, Havana banker, is
still missing.
Continued On Page 2
Three Students
Finish College
Brunswick County Boys Atad
Girl Complete Work For
Degree At East Carolina
College
Of the 153 students who com
pleted their work at East Caro
lina College at the end of the fall
quarter three candidates for de
grees were from Brunswick Coun
ty, Registrar Robert L. Holt has
announced.
They are James Harold Russ,
Southport, AB; Betty Jean Gil
bert, Bolivia; and Jerry Douglas
Watts, Southport, B. S.
With other members of the
Class of 1960, graduates of the
fall quarter who are eligible
for degrees will receive their dip
lomas at the annual commence
ment exercises, scheduled for Sun
day, May 22.
All of the fall-quarter graduates
at East Carolina are North Caro
linians except twelve, who come
from California, Louisiana, Maine,
Maryland, Pennsylvania, South
Carolina, Virginia, and Washing
ton, D. C. The 141 North Caro
linians represent 45 counties of
this state.
Those completing their work at
the end of the fall quarter include
112 candidates for the bachelor of
science degree, which is awarded
in the field of teacher education.
Sixteen will receive the master of
degree; and twenty-five the bach
elor of arts degree.
E. J. PREVATTE
Southport Man
Named Officer
On State Board
E. J. Prevatte Is Elected
Vice-President Of Gen
eral Board Of Baptist
State Convention
E. J. Prevatte, Southport at
torney and member of the South
port Baptist Church, has beer
elected vice president of the Gen
eral Board of the Baptist State
Convention, at the semi annual
meeting of the Board in Raleigh
this week. The other officers
elected to serve with him include
Rev. Nane Starnes, Asheville, as
president, and Rev. Z. Miller Free
man, Gastonia, as recording secre
tary.
The General Board of the North
Carolina Baptist Convention is
charged with the responsibility oi
the execution of policy and proce
dure relevant to the convention’s
interests whi e the convention is
in recess from its annual meet
ing. Its membership is constituted
by both pastors and laymen repre
senting the 75 District Associa
tions of Baptist work in North
Carolina.
Prevatte has served as a mem
ber of the General Board for twc
years and has been a member oi
its executive committee. This hon
or signals his interest in the Bap
tist work of both his local church
and the State program. He has
served various posts in his own
Church including Sunday School
Superintendent, deacon, teacher
and trustee of properties.
Homecoming At
Concord Sunday
Dr. J. E. Garlington Will Be
On Hand For Dedication
Of Newly Reconditioned
Building
Homecoming will be observed
at Concord Methodist Church at
Supply Sunday morning as mem
bers, formers members and for
mer pastors and friends gather
to see and enjoy the improve
ments that have resulted from a
recent program of building and
renovation.
The morning sermon will be de
livered by Dr. J. E. Garlington,
district superintendent, and fol
lowing this dinner will be served
on the grounds or in the educa
tional building.
The Rev. Jerry Vaden, student
Continued On Page 2
TIME and TIDE
By JIMMIE HARRER
It was January 10, 1940, and the front page photo that week
showed two aspects of the beautiful square-rigged schooner
Swift, of Ipswich, Mass. She and another vessel, the sharpie
Santa Cruz of the same port, had been in Southport during the
last week. Their builder, Capt. William Robinson, had circum
navigated the globe in a 32-footer some ten years before, and a
lengthy story was devoted to his exploits both as sailor and ship
wright. Elsewhere on the waterfront: the training ship White
Cloud of New York had visited here en route to San Francisco,
the County Chamber of Commerce was requesting that the
battleship North Carolina be allowed to visit Southport, and
menhaden boats had made capacity catches on the Thursday last,
and menhaden boats had made capacity catches on the Thursday
last.
On the hardwoods: the Shallotte girls had defeated Southport
35-8; their boys had triumphed over the locals 13-9. Not Exactly
waxed athletic that week and opined that the Texas Aggies
should play Southern Cal in a post-post-season game to de
termine the national football championship; observed that the
ever-powerful Yankees had again made an astute trade; and
noted that David Watson and Malcolm Frink were piaying bas
ketball for ECTC.
It was January 10, 1945, and Col. Ivan Bennet, chief chaplain
for the Army forces in The Far East, had addressed a special
gathering of students at his Alma Mater, Wake Forest College.
W. R. Lingle had been named head of the county March of
Dimes; our editorial writer had shown varied taste, clipping
Continued On Page Four
Bowman Declares
He Is No Candidate
Brunswick County Repre
sentative Says He Will
Not Seek Nomination And
Reelection This Year
The first big political news on
a local level in this election year
is the announcement this week
from Representative James C.
Bowman that he will not seek re
election.
The Southport lawyer served
during the 1957 and 1959 sessions
of the North Carolina General As
sembly and earned a reputation
for being a valuable and respected
member of the House of Repre
sentatives.
His decision not to seek re
election leaves the field wide open,
but already there are rumors of
possible candidates. Among these
is Senator S. B. Frink, who has
been approached by numerous re
sponsible citizens urging him to
become a candidate for the house
in the forthcoming Democratic
primary. Frink said this week
that he is "very much interested
in following up on some of the
things that Jim and X started last
year. I’m not sure yet what I will
be able to do, but I am interest
ed.”
Following is the text of a let
ter Representative Bowman wrote
this week to Kirby Sullivan,
chairman of the Brunswick Coun
i
JAMES C. BOWMAN
ty Democratic Executive Com
mittee:
“After giving the matter con
siderable thought and after re
viewing the many factors involv
ed, I have been forced to conclude
that I will be unable to run for
reelection.
"Accordingly, you are advised
that I will not be a candidate for
Continued On Page 4
Ports Authority
Will Meet Monday
Receive Funds
For Red Gross
Appreciation to the resi-....
dents of Brunswick County
was expressed by one of the
relatives of the airplane crash
victims in the form of dona
tions to Dosher Memorial
Hospital and the Brunswick
County Chapter of the Red
Cross.
Arthur Slepian of Bridge
port, Conn., made a gift of
$25 to the Dosher Memorial
Hospital and $50 to the Red
Cross in memory of Mr. and
Mrs. Schine, Mr. and Mrs.
Kunin and Mr. and Mrs. Sil
ver, all of whom died in the
accident.
Mr. Slepian, who was in
Southport to assist in identi
fication of his relatives and
friends, said he “had never
known people could be so
kind”.
District School
Boards To Meet
Brunswick County Man Is
Vice-President Of This
Organization
The annual meeting of District
Five of the North Carolina School
Boards Association will convene
at James Kenan High School in
Duplin County on Wednesday af
ternoon, February 3.
James Kenan is a consolidated
school located on State Highway
No. 24 between Warsaw and
Kenansville.
More than 200 superintendents,
principals, Board of Education
members, local committeemen,
county commissioners, legislators
and P. T. A. presidents are ex
pected to be in attendance.
The Fifth District is composed
of Duplin, New Hanover, Pender,
Sampson, Brunswick and Wayne
counties.
Registration will begin at 3:30
p. m., followed by a business ses
sion, discussion groups and a clos
ing banquet. The meeting will ad
journ at 8:15 p. m.
Continued On Page 5
Capture Still
Near Southport
“Boys, you’d better go out and
get that still we’ve been watch
ing", Sheriff E. V. Leonard told
his deputies Saturday. “With all
these service men plowing through
the woods we might be keeping
somebody out of trouble”.
The result was capture of Dan
McKay, Southport colored man,
and the destruction of a 250-gal-!
Ion still and 300-gallons of mash.
Location of the plant was near
Southport.
Taking part in the raid were
Deputies Charles Skipper, Drew
Long, Alex Ganey and Milton
Bowen.
McKay will be tried Monday in
Recorder’s court.
Southport Will Be Scene Of
Monday Evening Session
Of North Carolina State
Ports Authority
MEMBERS WILL BE
GUESTS AT DINNER
Authority Members Will
Attend Ceremony Tuesday
In Wilmington Dedicat
ing New Facilities
The North Carolina State Ports
Authority will hold its first meet
ing of the year in Southport Mon
day evening, following a dinner in
honor of the members in the Com
munity Building.
Members of the Ports Authority
are expected to arrive here early
in the afternoon and to spend
some time in visiting points of
interest in this area. Their Mon
day evening meeting, following
the dinner, will be a regular bus
iness session.
Heading the visiting delegation
will be Chairman John M. Reeves
of Pinehurst, whose mother ori
ginally. was from Brunswick coun
ty; D. Leon Williams, director of
the State Ports Authority; E. E. ■
Lee, Director of Commerce and
Traffic; Ruff DeVane, controller;
and Phil Ellis, newly appointed
public relations director, also will
attend.
Host for the dinner will be the
City of Southport, and several
officials and private citizens will
be on hand Monday afternoon to
show the visitors various local
points of interest which may tie
in with prospects for harbor de
velopment at Southport.
The $500,000 fund that is avail
able for use in development of
port facilities at Southport may
be spent only upon the recom
mendation of the State Port Au
thority. Local interests as well as
the State Ports Authority are in
terested in making a full inves
tigation of existing prospects and
possibilities.
Following their overnight stay
in Southport, the Ports Authority
delegation will be in Wilmington
Tuesday morning for the dedica- j
tion of new facilities at the State
Port Docks.
March Of Dime
Workers Named
Mrs. Landis G, Brown Is
Chairman Of Campaign
In Southport Area This
Year
The March of Dimes Campaign
is now underway in Brunswick
county with committees being set
JP in each community by Mrs. !
M. H. Rourk, county chairman.
Heading the campaign in
Southport is Mrs. Landis G.
Bro\yn, who has named the fol
lowing workers to assist with col
lections:
The following persons are work
ing in the Southport area:
Mrs. Ray Walton, Mrs. Art
Newton, Mrs. C. Ed Taylor, Mrs.
Robert Thompson, Mrs. Harold St.
Continued On Page 2
Bookmobile To
Make Inaugural
Tour Saturday
Motorcade Will Make The
Rounds Of Brunswick
County To Give Citizens
First View Of New Vehi
cle
REGULAR ROUNDS
BEGIN TUESDAY
Two Trips Each Week Will
Bring Library Service To
All Sections Of Bruns
wick County
The Brunswick County Book
mobile is in Shallotte and will be
delivered Thursday after being
lettered and serviced; and already
plans are being made for a shake
rown tour Saturday to various
communities in order that citizens.
may see the new vehicle.
The bookmobile will head a
motorcade, and at the wheel will
be Mrs. Phil King, acting libra
rian. With her will be Miss Ger
trude Loughlin, who filled this
position during the summer. Oth
er persons are planning to make
the county-wide tour, and an in
vitation is extended to interested
citizens to join the motorcade.
First point of call will be at
Leland at the postoffice from
10:30 to 11 o’clock; Bolivia, Doug
las Hawe3 Store. 11:30 to 12 noon;
Shallotte, Camp Methodist Church,
from 12:30 to 1:30 o’clock;
Thomasboro, Pierce’s Store, 2 to
2:30 o’clock; Ash, Soldier' Bay
Baptist Church, 3 to 3:30; South
port, courthouse, 4:30 to 5.
Library officials invite interest
ed citizens in each community to
visit the bookmobile during the
hours indicated.
The bookmobile will be open
for residents of Southport, par
ticularly those who cannot climb
stars, on Monday morning, Jan
uary 18, from ten to 12, at the
City Hall.
Plans have been completed for
regular trips throughout the coun
ty for the bookmobile, and a
schedule of appointments follows;
LELAND ROUTE
Tuesday, January 19
Lanvale, Purvis Home, 9:40-9:55
a. m.
Jackey’s Creek, Lewis .Station,
10:00-10:15 a. m.
17-74-76 Intersection, Trailer
Sales, 10:25-11:00 a. m.
Woodburn, Mac Jones Store,
11:10-11:40 a. m.
Navassa, Navassa Grocery,
12:00-12:15 p. m.
Continued On Page 5
Draw Jury List
For Court Term
Criminal Term Of Superior
Court Will Convene Here
On Monday, January 25
The following names have been
drawn for jury duty at the Jan
uary term of Superior court,
which convenes on Monday, Jan
uary 25:
J. Dallas McKeithan, Walter C.
Wilson, Charles R. King, Wilbert
Evans, William R. Sellers, Mel
ton R. Evans, Freeland; Sidney
Caison, H. L. Brown, James P.
Clemmons, Hobby Davis, Floyd H.
Phelps, iony Hewett, J. S. Nance,
Henry Williams, John P. Varnum,
T. K. Hewett, Supply; Delmas V.
Hughes, R. W. Hughes, H. D.
Stanley, James D. Smith, J. B.
McKeithan, W. O. Ludlum, T. Pur
vis, Herman Babson, G. O. Jones,
Obbie Long, Ash; I. N. Jacobs,
L. C. McKay, Sr., Decter Raynor,
Continued On Page 5
Tide Table
Following to the tide table
tor Southport during the next
week. These hours are ap
proximately correct and were
furnished The State Port Pilot
through the courtesy of the
Cape Fear Pilot’s Association.
High Tide Low TUto
Thursday, January 14,
1:58 A. M. 8:02 A. M.
2:33 P. M. 8:20 P. M.
Friday, January 15,
2:37 A. M. 8:37 A. M.
3:10 P. M. 8:55 P. M.
Saturday, January 16,
3:16 A. M. 9:12 A. M.
3:47 P. M. 9:32 P. M.
Sunday, January 17,
3:56 A. M. 9:48 A. M.
4:24 P. M. 10:11 P. M.
Monday, January 18,
4:39 A. M. 10:28 A. M.
5:04 P. M. 10:56 P. M.
Tuesday, January 19,
5:26 A. M. 11:12 A. M.
5:50 P. M. 11:48 P. M.
Wednesday, January 20,
6:30 A. M. 12:04 A. M.
6:42 P. M. .