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THE NEWS-TIMES
COUNTY NEWS-TIMES
60th YEAR, NO. 79. EIGHT PAGES
MOREHEAD CITY AND BEAUFORT, NORTH CAROLINA
TUESDAY, OCTOBER 3, 1961
PUBLISHED TUESDAYS AND FRIDAYS
Admiral Visits Morehead City
News-Time* Photos by McComb
Mayor George DU1, left, escorts Vadm. Roy A. Gano, commander of the Military Sea Transportation
Service, up the steps of the Morehead City town hall yesterday morning. At the right is Brig. Gen. Frank
Tharin, commanding general of Cherry Point Marine Corps Air station.
: ;
Delmas Willis, left, Joe Morris and Arthur Lewis, who were aboard the Bunny II when she pulled seven
Potomac survivors from the water, were commended yesterday by admiral Gano.
USCG,
miral
Skips, talks with Cdr. George Phiibriek,
municipal building prior to the arrival of ad
Admiral Thanks People for Their Aid
Vice Adm. Roy A. Gano, USN,
commander of the Military Sea
Transportation Service, visited
Morehead City yesterday morning
to thank everyone who helped in
- bringing the Potomac blaze under
control. . . _
He especially commended Capt.
Arthur Lewis of the partyboat Bun
ny ii, who rescued seven of the
survivors.
The admiral, who was accom
panied by a retinue of Navy and
Marine officers, also said he want
ed to see any of the Potomac
crewmen who were still in the
area- He and his party, after stop
ping at the town hall, viewed the
port and the remains of the Po
tomac. . , „
At the town hall, he was intro
duced by mayor George Dill to
Cdr. George Philbrick, USCG, who
was in charge of fire-fighting op
erations; Cdr. T. F. Bacheler,
Navy Bureau of Ships; Lt. John
Riddell, USCG, commanding offi
cer of Fort Macon group.
f«va comiMianers Dam Femia
and D. J. Hall; town civil defense
director Ray Hall, county civil de
fense director Harry Williams;
Captain Lewis and two of the men
with captain Lewis aboard the
Bunny, Joe Morris and Delmas
Willis.
Admiral Gano said to the skipper
of the Bunny: “You’ve saved a
lot of lives, sacrificing your own
to help others.” He warmly com
mended Mr. Morris and Mr. Wil
lis. A fourth man aboard the Bun
ny, Joe Huber, was not present.
Navy officers accompanying the
admiral were Capt. R. L. Smith,
a former resident of Swansboro;
Lt. Cdr. Lou Olivari, Cdr. O. C.
Foote, Capt. Harry Cross, Capt. W.
S. Lawler, MD; Lt. Pete Baum
gartner, and Lt. Cdr. J. L. Blondin.
Captain Cross is public informa
tion officer for the Military Sea
Transportation Service, bureau
Which operated the Potomac. Ac
companying him was Lamar Holt,
editor of The Sea Lift, official
MSTS magazine.
Commander Btoodia was pilot af
the Convair, on which the adfniral
and his party flew from Washing
ton, D. C., to Cherry Point yester
day.
Marine officers with the"admiral
were Brig. Gen. Frank Tharin,
commanding general of Cherry
Point Marine Corps Air station;
Maj. R. E. Britt, base provost
marshal; and Capt. Ed Schultze.
CWO John Donnelly, head of
Cherry Point crash crew, who was
at the scene of the fire, and Mike
Jowdy, air base fire chief, were
also present.
A spokesman for the Navy said
that Cherry Point air base, New
River and Seymour Johnson, bases
supplied with gasoline from Avia
tion Fuel Terminals, will be sup
plied from Norfolk and Charleston
until tankers can come in again
at Morehead City.
He said that gasoline will be
sent out from Aviation Fuel Ter
minals on Radio island as long as
there is gas in the tanks.
There are now only three Navy
Coast Guard Will Begin Official
Inquiry on Potomac Disaster Today
A Coast Guard inquiry into the burning of the Navy
tanker Potomac will get under way today at the Coast
Guard Reserve building, Fort Macon.
Officers in charge will be Capt. Joseph Bresnan, chief
of staff, Fifth Coast Guard district; Lt. Cdr. W. Goddu,
officer in charge of the marine inspection office, Wilming
Fire Halted
Barge Loading
For Several Days
# Esso-Humble Head
Reports on Fire
• Flames Went Toward
Oil Terminal, Port
Jim Hux, manager of Esso-Hum
ble oil terminal, said Saturday
that the burning Potomac in More
head City harbor made it neces
sary for the terminal to send oil
to Washington, N. C., by truck last
week.
The flaming hulk and danger of
gas vapors made it too risky to
pump gas from the terminal tanks
to barge. The Esso terminal is
located on the same side of the
harbor as the state port and lies
northwest of the Aviation Fuel
Terminals dock where the Potomac
caught fire.
Mr. Hux Srfid he was notified of
Tuesday night’s fire by Henry
Scott, Crab Point, an Esso-Humble
employee. Mr. Scott heard the
first explosion at 6:55 p.m., tan
out in his yard, saw the blaze, and
called Mr. Hux.
“One of the terminals is on fire,”
Mr. Scott said. Mr. Hux rushed
to his terminal. When he got
there, he found Walter Friederichs,
Charles McNeill, Clifton Lynch,
and *. Ci *teele, state WltUe*
sonnel.
“Everybody was calling the fire
department,” Mr. Hux relates. “I
could see the tide was Still rising
and the wind was eut of the south
east. There was a threat to the
state docks and Esso, but the im
mediate danger was the possibility
of an explosion which would dis
rupt the keel structure of the Po
tomac, spill out the gasoline, which
would catch fire and be pushed by
the tide into the docks.
“Cliff Lynch called Jewell Smith,
Morehead City, fireman on duty at
Cherry Point, and Smith told him
he had dispatched to Morehead
four foam-equipped trucks and
loads of 5-gallon cans of foam.”
Mr. Hux went out to the high
way where he spoke to patrolman
J. W. Sykes, who was keeping traf
fic off the bridge. The equipment
from Cherry Point was already
on Radio island, so patrolman
Sykes took Mr. Hux to the island.
There, two of the Cherry Point
foam-dispensing trucks were as
signed to go to the Esso-Humble
terminal and the state docks, as
well as a Vanceboro fire truck and
a truckload of canned foam.
By this time, an hour had elaps
ed since the start of the fire. “We
didn’t get the explosion we expect
ed, but the tide rose enough so
that more fuel had gotten on the
water. Flames came to within 100
feet of the east end of berth 3
(southernmost berth of the old.
dock at the state port). The end
of our dock had flames against it,
but it did not ignite. Two camels
at berth 2 caught fire.”
“Camels” are pontoons used as
fenders to keep large ships away
from the dock. One of the Car
See FIRE, Page •
tankers, like the Potomac, afloat.^
The Maumee, a sister ship, first
came into Morehead City harbor
in March 1960.
Admiral Gano returned to Wash
ington from Cherry Point yester
day afternoon.
sorry
Sorry we couldn’t fill the de
mand for Friday’s papers cover
ing the explosion and burning of
the tanker Potomac in Morehead
City harbor. Extra copies were
printed, but even these were in
sufficient.
Another lesson learned: no
matter how much is said on ra
dio, tv and in other papers, peo
ple still want to read it in THE
NEWS-TIMES. We consider this
a compliment and will do our
best in the future to foresee the
demand when “big news”
break*.—The Editor.
Hon; and Lt. Cdr. Harry Gardner,
chief of the investigating section,
marine inspection, Norfolk.
The inquiry is expected to con
tinue for several days.
Cdr. George Philbrick, USCG,
commanding officer of the Chilula,
who was in charge of fire-fighting
operations, reported that all flames
aboard the Potomac were extin
guished at 4:30 p.m. Sunday.
The hull was cooled with water
and then boats moved in to fight
the remaining flames with foam.
When asked why it was decided
to extinguish the remaining flames,
commander Philbrick said the fire
had burned out to the extent that
it was felt safe to put the blaze
out without setting up conditions
conducive to explosion.
At 6:30 p.m. Sunday, the Coast
Guard discontinued all its opera
tions and let the salvagers take
over. The salvagers, Merritt,
Chapman and Scott, with Capt. C.
L. Peterson in charge of opera
tions, put portable generators
aboard the hulk and started work
ing immediately under lights. They
will work around the clock.
Estimates on how long it will
take to get the wreckage of the
Potomac out of the harbor range
anywhere from 7 to 60 days. If
the hull can be floated, removal
time will be less than if it had to
be taken out in sections.
Here to oversee salvage opera
tions for the Navy is Cdr. T. F.
Bacheler, Bureau of Ships. Com
mander Bachelor said the salvage
tug Cable left a job in Galveston,
Tex., Wednesday, stopped briefly
at its home port at Key West, Fla.,
before coming into Morehead City.
The Coast Guard is maintaining
a safety patrol in the harbor. Ship
ping operations are generally back
to normal, according to Lt. ■ John
iAMittr ettfltaiMdtng - officer* sf"
Kwt Mfecon Coast Guard group.
Toll: One Dead,
One Missing
The toll in the Potomac tanker
fire remains at one dead and one
missing.
Most of the crewmen have re
turned to their homes. Marine
military police were on duty on the
Morehead City bridge and at either
end of the bridge Sunday to warn
sightseers not to smoke on the
bridge. The officers also kept
traffic moving.
Thousands of cars poured into
Morehead City, filled with people
interested in viewing the remains
of the $7'/4 million tanker.
The “no smoking” warning was
felt necessary because high tides
were floating oil from the ship
around the bridge. It was believed
that a cigarette tossed or match
tossed in the water could have
started a new blaze. Traffic was
stopped from crossing the bridge
for a short period Saturday after
noon.
Rescue squad members of More
head City and civil defense per
sonnel directed traffic away from
the bridge Saturday.
NCEA Meeting
The Carteret unit, North Caro
lina Education Association, will
meet at 7:30 tonight in the Beau
fort school auditorium. Harry Wil
liams, county civil defense direc
tor, will speak.t
Former Candidate
Commends Board
On Fiscal Policy
Josiah Bailey, former candidate
for mayor of Morehead City, who
had as one of the planks in his
platform, town fiscal policy, has
commended town commissioners,
by letter, on the budget adopted
for the current fiscal year.
He also suggests that $5,390
budgeted for Morehead City hos
pital for earmarked for streets and
be the first money set aside in a
long-range street improvement
program.
Mr. Bailey commented that the
general fund of the town operated
without a deficit during the past
fiscal year. He expressed the hope
that the same happens during the
current fiscal year, saying that he
,is urging “the cooperation and un
derstanding of all our citizens in
support of” the board’s efforts.
Salvage crews are now aboard the once-glorious USNS Potomac. The
afternoon, a period of live days. Coast Guard craft are continuing safety patrol of
until 4:30 Sunday
area.
County Commissioner Proposes New
Hospital Referendum; Deed Offered
Police Seek
Pogy Boatman
Who Left Court
A Negro pogy boatman, charged
with burglary, walked out of the
Morehead City courtroom last Mon
day „afternoon and officers are
‘Slin looking for Mni.
Dave Anderson, 32, a member
of the crew of the Aleutian Mail,
waived hearing on four counts of
breaking and entering, damaging
property and possessing burglary
tools. Judge Herbert Phillips set
Anderson's bond for appearance in
superior court at $1,000.
Later in the afternoon when of
ficers started looking for Ander
son, he was nowhere to be found.
They thought he was sitting in the
courtroom.
The defendant was caught red
handed by Lt. Joe Smith of the
Morehead City police force in Long
ley’s Supply Co., highway 70 west,
last Sunday night.
Lieutenant Smith said Anderson
had climbed the fence around the
place and broke in the back door.
Perry Taylor, Morehead City, was
riding by and saw a man go over
the fence. He reported it to the
police.
Lieutenant Smith also climbed
the fence, went in the building and
found Anderson. He said Ander
son did not resist arrest—the of
ficer had a .38 calibre pistol train
ed on him. (Lieutenant Smith also
apprehended a burglar red-handed
in Eastman's store about two
years ago.)
For the Longley job, Anderson
has been charged with breaking
and entering and having in his
possession burglary tools.
Under questioning, he admitted
that he also damaged property in
the 18th street Laundromat Friday,
Sept, 22, broke a lock off the Weeks
and Andrews Construction Co.
warehouse, 1701 Fisher St., the
same night and also on that night
went in the Rollerhaven Rink by
breaking in the back door.
He said he went into the Piggly
Wiggly store Tuesday night, Sept.
19. He gained entry by breaking
a lock off a door at the rear. The
only thing missing at Piggly-Wig
gly was a quart of orange juice,
according to Sgt. Bill Condic.
The sergeant said nothing of
consequence was missing at the
other places.
Lieutenant Smith said Anderson
had with him at Longley's a cro
bar and other tools.
Anderson’s hometown is Monroe,
La. Police say he has no previous
record here.
Tide Table
Tides at the Beaufort Bar
HIGH LOW
Tuesday, Oct. 3
3:22 a.m. 9:45 a.m.
3:43 p.m. 10:21 p.m.
Wednesday, Oct. 4.
4:21 a.m. 10:37 a.m.
4:40 p.m. 11:08 p.m.
Thursday, Oct. 5
5:15 a.m. 11:25 a.m.
5:30 p.m. 11:52 p.m.
Friday, Oct. •
6:02 a.m. 12:10 a.m.
6:15 p.m, -
County commissioner S. A. Chalk"
yesterday proposed a resolution
calling for a new referendum on
the county hospital, and R. R.
Barbour, Morehead City,'presented
a deed for 20 acres of land for the
hospital. The land is located in
Mr. Barbour’s development, Coun
try Club Heights, between high
way 70A and the Country club
road.
The county commissioners, in
session at the courthouse, deferred
action on Mr. Chalk's proposal and
Mr. Barbour’s deed presentation.
Mr. Chalk proposed that the peo
ple vote again on the hospital Issue
Nov. 7, stating whether bonds
should be issued for a hospital,
whether the board should select a
hospital site, or whether some oth
er site should be chosen.
Mr. Barbour specified that the
land he would give should be used
only as a hospital site and con
struction should start within two
years. A letter accompanying the
deed also stated that he would sell
additional land if the board wanted
it.
He asked that the board give
him an answer "within a reason
able time."
Henry Hamilton
Drowns While
Setting Nets
The funeral service for Henry
Hamilton, 49, Harkers Island, who
drowned Saturday, will be held at
2 p.m. today in the Free Grace
Pilgrim’s Holiness church. The
Rev. Billy Walker, pastor, will of
ficiate. Burial will be in the Virgie
Mac cemetery.
Mr. Hamilton drowned Saturday
afternoon while setting nets across
from Harkers Island on White
shoal. He had put out three of his
nets and apparently fell overboard
as he was about to set the fourth,
which was still in his boat.
Harkers Island boats started
searching for the body Sunday,
found it about mid-morning near
the point where the nets had been
set and turned it over to the Coast
Guard.
The body was taken to the post
office dock in Beaufort where it
was picked up by the Bell-Munden
funeral home.
Lester Hamilton, a relative of
the fisherman, found the boat
about 5:15 p.m. Saturday and no
tified the Coast Guard.
The deceased fisherman made
news Sept. 18 when he caught a
105-pound tarpon in his net.
Surviving are his wife, Rosa
Bell; a son, Ralph; a daughter,
Mrs. Roger Resor; one brother,
Jesse; and four sisters, Mrs. Ma
mie Hamilton, Mrs. Georgie Lew
is, Mrs. Grade Willis and Mrs.
Carrie Guthrie, all of Harkers Is
land, and three grandchildren.
County Commissioners
Hear Road Requests
The following residents presented
road requests at the county board
meeting yesterday:
Presenting the requests were W.
D. Roberts, Bogue Sound, Robert
Creech, WildwoOd, and K. S. Swin
son, Mansfield. A petition from
residents in Jones Village, Beau
fort, was also presented.
Springle Bam
Burns Saturday
L. D. Springle, Russells Creek,
estimates the loss in his bam fire
Saturday morning at $9,000 to $10,
000. Mr. Springle said he has
very little insurance.
Lost in the blaze was farm equip
ment, motors, Kales, insecticide,
and burlap bags- Mr- Springle
managed to save his lV4-ton Ford
truck which was half loaded with
corn.
He discovered the fire at 8:05
a.m. He was returning from town
and noticed smoke coming out of
the barn. He had left for town
three-quarters of an hour before
and said he noticed nothing amiss.
The barn, 32 by 38 feet, was
about 600 feet from the house. The
Beaufort Rural Fire association
truck and Beaufort town truck No.
5 answered the alarm, but Mr.
Springle said there was very little
they could do.
He has no idea as to how the fire
started. The Beaufort truck re
turned about 5 p.m. to put out fire
that had sprung up again.
Mr. Springle expressed appre
ciation to the firemen and neigh
bors who tried to help, “but there
was nothing they could do,” he re
marked.
He said that he expects to re
build some day but can’t do so very
soon.
Outtage Laid
To Vandalism
Vandalism is ascribed by George
B. Stovall, local manager of Caro
lina Power & (.ight Co., for the
hour-long power outtage which af
fected the entire county late Sat
urday afternoon.
A two-foot piece of aluminum
molding, probably thrown over the
high fence surrounding the 110,000
volt substation on route 70A, More
head City, shorted all six bushings
of the regulator, a device which
maintains proper voltage cycle as
power demands increase and de
crease.
Power went off at 4:50 p.m. Sat
urday and was restored gradually
from 5:30 to 5:50 p.m.
The backflash from the regula
tor short caused a brush fire
around the substation which tem
porarily hampered damage repair.
The immediate known cost of
damage to equipment is better
than $2,000, Mr. Stovall reported.
CD Personnel Assist
During Tuesday Emerge
Civil Defense personnel were on
hand to assist with traffic control
and radio communications Tues
day night when the Potomac burn
ed.
Harry Williams, county CD di
rector, said Cliff Tilghman, Beau
fort; George King and Lester
Turnage, Morehead City, helped
direct traffic.
Mr. Williams activated the CD
radio network at 10 p.m. Tuesday.
The CD radio office is in the old
jail, Beaufort. He expressed his
appreciation to the Mount Olive
Rescue squad, Jim Hatcher, CD
director, Mount Olive, and other
[rescue squads who sent men and
leqaipment hake.
- i