PRIZE-WINNING NEWSPAPER of tlM TAR HEEL COAST CARTERET COUNTY NEWS-TIMES w 46th YEAR, NO. 30. FOUR SECTIONS TWENTY-SIX PAGES MOREHEAD CITY AND BEAUFORT, NORTH CAROLINA FRIDAY, APRIL 12, 1957 PUBLISHED TUESDAYS AND FRIDAYS Explosion Kills Broad Creek Youth Contractor Gives Report Harold Wilton, Newport, one of the partners in the firm of Wilton and Morton, who employed the men working on the Joyce home at Broad Creek, on Wednes day gave the following re port. on the explosion and his investigations : The men had been working on the new agriculture building at Smyrna School and had run out of materials. Because they couldn't continue on that job, they went to Broad Creek to work on the Joyce place, a concrete block home lo cated on the creek across from the A. J. Dixon store. With them at Broad Creek was Mr. Wilton's partner, Joe Morton. The workmen were cleaning up tile glue from the kitchen floor. They were using a burlap rag and gasoline, but Mr. Wilton says there was no surplus gas being used nor was there any open flame in the kitchen. Doors. Windows Open He also rcporlfc that two doors were open as well as four windows. In the kitchen were a gas stove and gas heater. The gas heater was disconnected, he said, but the stove was not. He believes that in mov ing the stove out from the wall, the men may have sprung a fitting on the copper tubing, causing a leak. The men, he continued, were using chiscls and a putty knife to work on the floor and a spark may have been created. In the kitchen was a two-gallon gasoline can with gasoline in it, but this didn't even burn in the explosion. Gasoline Moved Out Mr. Wilton says the can with the gasoline was moved out afterwards and put in one of the trucks. Mr. Wilton talked with Moody Morton, father of Danny, the boy who was killed, and Mr. Morton said that the first indication he had of any trouble was a loud "Whoot!" Flame suddenly was all jr him. Jimmy Lewis was in the living room at the time and Danny was in the corner behind the stove. Leo Dixon, who is in a serious condition at the Morchcad City Hospital, was badly cut with glass as well as burned. "It was all over in 5 minutes," Mr. Wilton said. A frame building probably would have been destroy ed. Proof of the heat intensity are the blistered kitchen cabinets, breakfast bar, burned curtains and scorched appliances. Mr. Wilton estimates damage to the house at $1,200 to $1,500. Cause Unknown At Mr. Wilton's request, Sgt. G. T>. Brown, who is in chargc of a demolition squad at Cherry Point, has visited the house. Although a gas leak may have been a factor in causing the explosion, no one has been able to pin-point the cause. Sergeant Brown ventured the opinion that Danny Morton was knocked unconscious by the con cussion. The flames then partially consumed his body. Early reports of the explosion stated that a blow torch was being used in the kitchen. Mr. Wilton ?aid the workmen had a blow torch with them but it was outdoors on the side of the house opposite the kitchen where the explosion oc curred. Toastmasters Elect Officers Dr. Russell Outlaw, Morehead City, was elccted president of the Carteret County Toastmasters Club Wednesday night. Gerald Hill was named administrative vieepresi dent, and Dr. T. R. Rice was named educational vicc-prcsidcnt. Other officers arc Hugh Salter, sergeant-at-arms, and Clifford Fag lie, secretary-treasurer. Officers were elected as part of the regular program at the Beau fort town hall. .laaper Bell was awarded a cer tificate of merit in special train ing. He has completed the basic training course offered by the Toastmasters national organiza tion. The new officrrs will be inatalled at the next meeting. Wednesday night at the Morehead City muni cipal building. A special ladies night program will be conducted. First AM Class Dr. Berl Lewis, Morehead City, will teach the remaining classes in the Beaufort Fire Department's first lid course. Instructor Jack Carter has been transferred by Carolina Power and Light Co. The claaaea will continue to be con ducted each Tuesday at 7 p.m. Alford Bell, Morehead City, who was putting glass in the windows of Mr. and Mrs. Robert P. Joyce's home, Broad Creek, ran across this shoe. It is believed to have been Danny Morton's. The stain be low the window is blood. Mrs. Sim Crocker, left, and Mrs. Johnny Snipes look at the re mains of a parakeet which burned to death in the explosion at the n?be> t P. J one home, Broad Creek, Tuesday. Woman Who Gave Child Intoxicants is Fined Juanita Hester was found guilty Monday in Morehead City Record er's Court of giving intoxicating beverages to a minor. Judge Her bert Phillips ordered her to pay all doctor and hospital bills for Dolly Marbly, 9, who became violently ill after drinking a beverage given her by the Hester woman. In ad dition to the doctor and hospital bills, she was ordered to pay the girl $20. Three drunken driving cases were on the docket. Larry Delmar Smith requested a jury trial and bond was set at $150. Charles Q. Willis and George Willard Owen were found guilty and fined $100 and cost! each. Found Guilty Willie Lee Cannon was found guilty of racing, running a stop sign and speeding 70 miles per hour. He was fined $75 and costs and re quired to surrender his license to the clerk of court for 30 days. Marc S. DUpont was fined $50 and costs for carelcss and reckless driving. John D. Perry was fined $25 and costs for using loud, pro fane and vulgar language in a pub lic place in the presence of ladies. Hoyt Lee was fined $10 and costs for being drunk and disorderly. He got a 30 days sentence suspended. William Guthrie was fined $10 and costs for public drunkenness. Fined $15 Carl D. Fulcher was fined $15 and costs for speeding 70 miles per hour in a 35 zone. James E. Stanton was fined $10 for speeding and $25 and costs for driving with out a license. The $25 fine will be returned if he presents a valid li cense within two weeks. Charles I). Mayo and llarold Eu gene Laffcrt.v were found guilty of driving without licenses Each was fined $25 and costs, the $25 to be returned if a valid lieennc is pre sented within two weeks. Julian Wade was tried on two Club Members Invited To Chamber Dinner J. A. DuBois, manager oC the Morchead City Chamber of Com merce. announced yesterday that Lions. notarial!*, Jaycees, F.mcri tus Club and all other civic club member* arc invited to the cham ber dinticr at <:3U Thuradav, April 25, at Uic recreation build ing. Their wives arc welcome too. A buffet supper will be served ta 6 30 p.m. at $1.50 per person. For further information on the banquet speaker see story on US Highway 70 Association page 6 section 2. charges of public drunkenness, lie was fined $10 and costs for one offense and costs for the sccond. Those who paid costs were Willie B. Stocks, David Wood Perry, Wil liam M. Brown Jr.. Robert G. Gar ner, William Lee Kiblcr and Daniel B. Alford, speeding; James Dean Taylor, running a stop sign. James W. Laughman, improper muffler and running a red light; PhjJIip D. Lutes, following too clflsc; and Tugene llessee, and William Mann, public drunkenness. Cherry Point Welcomes Argentine General A red carpet welcome including a 13-gun salute, was accorded Rear Admiral Pedro Favarom, com mandant general of the Argentine Marine Corps, when he arrived Wednesday morning for a two-day visit at Cherry Point Marine Corps air base. Admiral Favarom will return to Washington this morning after two days spent inspecting the Cherry Point base. One of his guides through the mammoth Overhaul and Repair building was llarry Shadlc of Newport. iA??otoard and extended the invitation in per son. And Mayor George Dill sent a telegram to Leo Harvey, Kinston, a member of the board, reaffirm ing Morehead City's interest in. playing host in July. Several other invitations from coastal cities were also received. The board heard a delegation from the North Carolina Fisheries Association and took action to establish a state park on Bear Island, three miles south of Swans boro. Problem Presented Garland Fulcher of Oriental, president of the North Carolina Fisheries Association, and a dele gation representing that group ask etf the toax'd's. eommercial fish eries committee to enforce regula tions designed to prohibit out-of state fishermen from fishing in state territorial waters unless they have North Carolina licensee to do so. The matter was precipitated as result, Mr. Fulcher and others said, when at least 23 Virginia commer cial fishing boats appeared in state waters off llatteras and made a huge haul of trout and croakers last month as they headed toward Virginia waters. Cecil Morris of Atlantic, commit See C&D, Page 2 Engineers Report On Sea Level The Corps of Army Engineers has announced that since property own ers along the waterfront at Sea Level have agreed to plans for dredging the harbor, there will be no further study necessary. Brig. Gen. Henry J. Hoeffer, USA, division engineer, says how rvcr that anyone having any com ment to make on the work should place it before the Board of En gineers for Rivers and Harbors, Washington, D. C., no later than May 9. A Senate resolution of April 1950 authoried "further study" of the Sea Level harbor project. General Hoeffer explains, however, that ac cording to a letter and petition from Sea Level residents, local co operation has been assured and the project is "acceptable as author ized". Clouds, Rain Give Way to Clear Skies Monday's overcast skies and brief showers of rain gave way Tuesday to the clear skies. The temperatures, even on Monday, have been quite warm during the day, and cool during the evening* and nights. Violent weekend winds, ' which damaged fragile spring blooms and whipped up shingles on many roofs, had subsided by the middle of the week. Maximum and minimum temper atures and wind direction for the week follow: Max. Mln. Wind Sunday 74 52 SW Monday 72 61 SW Tuesday 8 41 NW Wednesday 68 41 SW Two Woodrow Wilsons The Woodrow Wilson a I Beat* fort, who has been booked an * charge of assaulting a 12-year-old girl, la not the Woodrow Wilson who is an employee at the Colonial More, Morehead City.