THE JONES COUNTY
RNAL
NUMBER 24_TRENTON, N. C. THURSDAY OCTOBER 21, 1954 VOLUE SIX
Y’
inis was one of many Kinston
homes that had a sodden and
most unwelcome visitor Friday
as Hurricane Hazel dropped limbs
and trees recklessly about the
North Carolina landscape. This
particular tree has a bit more
story than the average. It is pic
tured astride the home of Miss
Lottie Canady at Qtieen and
Washington Streets. Paradoxical
ly Miss Canady several years back
had pulled her rank on city
workers' who were attempting to
remove the tree and had chased
them away. Now the tree re
turned her valiant cry of “Wood
man, spare that tree’ by sprawl
ing upon her home. Not too much
damage was done to the Canady
Home, however, and city work
ers, with a twinkle in their eye,
this time removed the tree with
out objection by Miss Canady.
(Polaroid photo-in-a-minute by
Jack Rider)
Small headlines and brief ra
dio reports told of the birth of
this Huzzy Hazel.
At first she was a tiny whirl
wind, hardly worth the bother
of weather observers, but then
she began to grow in size and
fury and the headlines grew
uncertainly ahead.
When people dropped off to
sleep Thursday night Hazel was
still out in the Atlantic Ocean,
kicking up what a weather ob
server called “monstrous seas”.
Friday morning when radios
were turned on for the early
weather news, rather anxious
young men were reporting that
Hazel had decided to come a
shore between Myrtle Beach and
Wilmington. The Kinston vicini
ty could expect winds from 70 to
80 miles per hour around noon
Friday.
By the time this general in
formation was In the hands of >
rural school officals busses had
(already begun making their i
rounds a big portion of the ■
county school children were on
their way to classes. But as soon i
as county officials learned that
Hazel was a lot closer than the
night before principals were
ordered to return all pupils to
itheir homes at once.
In Kinston, it was a little less
quickly agreed upon.
School Superintendent Jean
a brief
study of the, situation they also
decided to send back home the
students that had arrived and
the radio stations began telling
those who had not left home to
"Stay Home”
By 10 Friday morning Hazel
was making her personality felt
around Kinston. Limbs began to
fall from the giant oaks that
line most of the town’s streets.
By llo’clock some of the trees
began to follow the limbs. Shortly
after 11 the police radio tower
toppled over and swung wildly
over the sidewalk in front of the
fire station on West King Street.
Utilities and fixe department
nen were receiving calls far fast
er than they could be answered.
Limbs falling, wires falling, cars
smashed, streets blocked. The
This was the most capricious
antic Hurricane Hazel cut up
around the Kinston area. The
The entire second floor of the
eastern building of Smith Heat
ling, Inc. was swept away by
this careless gal named Hazel.
All workers had left the building
at the time the second floor and
roof decided to take a drop.
(Polaroid photo-in.-a-minute by
Jack Rider)
streets became deserted by aJ
but a few hardy souls who hai
more curiosity than intelligence
Polks who had been incline<
to sneer a little at Hazel begin
to show more respect. The sherif
This picture is of a delayed
action blow from Hurricane Ha
zel. Cecil N. Smith of Kinston
route four, driving east on Shine
Street at about 6 a.m. Monday
Tammed hid 1954 model Ford
lead-on into lagre oak limbs that
had been dropped into the street
by Hazel. Smith suffered a se
vere blow to his left knee as the
^harp-ended limb pierced his car
from about the right front head
light area though and out-the
left door as seen here. Smith,
Injured though he is, may well
consider himself extremely lucky,
'since one foot further to the1
right would hare meant a most
horrible death. (Polaroid photo
in-a-minute by Jack Rider)
This is another Kinston vicini
1 ty home that was severly dam
1 aged by Hazel last Friday. It be
l department’s radio tower top
l pled over into Queen Street. First
■ one, then another and finally all
■ three of Kinston’s three com
mercial radio stations went off
the air. Might as well cut off
since nobody had electricity in
(Continued on page 8)
longs to Eugene Brown, a Cas
well Training School employee,
and it is located directly in. front
of the Frosty Morn Meat Pack
ing plant on the Goldsboro high
way. Brown and his family were
'in the kitchen end of their home
at the time this huge oak made
its unscheduled visit, so the dam
age was all to the house and no
one in it was hurt. (Polaroid pho
to-in-a-minute by Jack Rider)
This Is, or was the Kinston
Wheel and Alinement Company
just southeast of Kinston on the
Trenton Highway. Hazel dropped
it flat upon two cars that were
in the shop tor repairs. All per
sonnel had departed from the
shelter before it collapsed.
(Polaroid photo-in-a-minute by
Jack Rider)