P I The
ERQUIMANS
IX.b^WKKKT.V
"News front Next Door"
JANUARY 2, 2013 - JANUARY 8, 2013
Perquimans’ Pettaway
I is making her mark
Pettaway at Clemson, Page 6
50 cents
Cold weather brings memories of disasters
From staff reports
T he coldest two months of
the year bring back memo
ries of the three largest di
sasters in the history of Perqui
mans County.
All three happened in Hert
ford.
January 10 win be the 35th
anniversary of the Winslow
Oil fire that occurred on Grubb
Street back in 1978. January 13
is the 79th anniversary of the
Eastern Cotton Oil explosion
that happened back in 1934
where Missing Mill Park is now
located. February 21 is the 56th
anniversary of the military
jet crash into the school bus
shop and garage at Perquimans
County High School back in
1957.
Each leaves its own legacy,
written forever in county his
tory books and in the memories
of those who lived here when
each occurred.
Winslow Oil fire
Most notably is the Winslow
fire that, according to the 1978
edition of The Perquimans
Weekly (TPW), is'remembered
as the worst fire in this little
town’s history.
An initial explosion in an oU
tank reportedly set off at least
four more explosions and result
ing fires that destroyed nine of
11 oil tanks at the facility. Also
destroyed were the company’s
office, warehouse, three oil
transport rigs, and three service
trucks. The local feed and seed
store located adjacent to the oil
company was also destroyed,
and Reed Oil Company, located
nearby, received damage to its
warehouse, dock, and pier.
PHOTOS COPIED FROM 1957 SCHOOLANNyAL
This 1957 photo of the Navy jet crash at Perquimans County High School bus garage is from a cook book published by Hertford Fire Department Auxiliary.
Hertford Fire Department
responded quickly with 19 men
and three pumpers. The fire
chief Charlie Skinner imme
diately called for help from the
brotherhood of firefighters in
the area.
Approximately 125 firefight
ers from the surrounding areas
and some even from Virginia
responded to help contain the
blaze that sent thick black
smoke billowing into the air
that could be seen as far away
as Elizabeth City and Edenton.
Many firefighters stayed on the
scene for up to 51 hours. At least
six firefighters were injured.
As a result of their heroic
efforts, a fire that could easily
have destroyed the small town
was contained to the immedi
ate area. In fact, the residential
home located just in front of the
oil company was saved although
its garage in the back was
destroyed.
There were no deaths result
ing from the initial blast and
fire even though employees were
inside the building at the time of
the first explosion.
According to published news
accounts, two employees crawled
from the office building and
plunged into the Perquimans
River without injimy Authorities
believed that a spark (perhaps
from static electricity) may have
set Oil the first explosion as two
transport tankers were loading
fuel at the facility.
Guardrail impales van on U.S. 17
Woman loses a foot
in morning accident
From staff reports
One woman was seriously
injured Dec. 27 when the mini-
van she was riding in struck a
highway guardrail that impaled
her passenger’s seat and pushed
the front seat to the back of the
minivan.
According to the North Caro
lina Highway Patrol, passenger
Martha Taylor, 72, of Galloway,
N.J., was trapped inside the van
for about two hours while fire
fighters worked to free her from
the single vehicle crash.
Trooper J.F. Bray said Taylor
suffered a severed foot and other
injuries during the crash, which
occurred around 11:25 a.m. in
the northbound lane of U.S.
Highway 17 between New Hope
Road and the state’s transporta
tion shop in WinfaU.
See WRECK, 4
PHOTO COURTESY MICHAEL HURDLE
Firefighters from Winfall and Hertford extricate Marttia Taylor, 72, from a van she was riding in after it ran off the north
bound lane of U.S. Highway 17 and struck a guardrail near the state’s transportation workshop in Winfall,Thursday.
Roberts gives records, tapes to museum
By GENE DENISON
Special to The Perquimans Weekly
Frank Roberts of Hertford
recently donated a collection
of more than 2,600 LP records
and 8-track musical tapes to the
Brady C. Jefcoat Museum of
Americana located in Murfrees
boro.
Roberts, a local personality
89076 47144
known throughout Tidewater
Virginia and northeastern North
Carolina for his witty reviews of
area music events and his deep
baritone voice on radio, has col
lected everything over the years
from classical to rhythm and
blues, ballads, pop, folk, country
and much more.
“Fd rather give my collection
to this wonderful museum than
have the items disappear and
be unappreciated,” said Roberts
with a twinkle in his eye.
His varied career took him
See ROBERTS, 4
PHOTO COURTESY
GENE DENISON
Valeria and
Frank Roberts
enjoy a display
of Frank’s recent
donation of more
than 2,600 LP
records and
8-track tapes
to the Brady C.
jefcoat Museum
of Americana in
Murfreesboro.
Approximately 16,000 gallons ,
of burning fuel also spilled into
the adjacent river. Members of
the Atlantic Strike Force re
sponded to help contain the spill.
Many law enforcement and
military agencies responded to
help as well.
The Winslow fire saw the local
commimity rally in supporr
and assistance during a di/fficult
time. !
I
See DISASTERS, 2
Firm hired
to pian
new sports
compiex
From staff reports
The Perquimans County
Board of Education has
agreed to pay an engineer
ing firm to develop plans and
costs estimates for building a
proposed high school athlet
ic complex in phases rather
than in one large construc
tion project.
The board agreed recently
to pay Albemarle & Associ
ates, Ltd. $14,800 to come up
with a preliminary engineer
ing design and cost estimates
dividing the proposed com
plex into two phases.
Phase I would include a
competition football field
with scoreboard and light
ing, an eight-lane running
track, stadium seating for
1,000 home fans, and seating
for 500 visitors.
Also included in Phase I
would be a press box/stor
age/restrooms facility, a
more conservative main
entrance/concessions/rest
rooms building, a smaller,
more conservative field
house, grade and seeded soc
cer and practice fields, and
stone parking lots.
Education leaders don’t
want Phase I to cost over $3
million.
Phase II would include
building a competition
See COMPLEX, 2
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