Newspapers / The Kings Mountain Herald … / Jan. 31, 1978, edition 1 / Page 2
Part of The Kings Mountain Herald (Kings Mountain, N.C.) / About this page
This page has errors
The date, title, or page description is wrong
This page has harmful content
This page contains sensitive or offensive material
7 7 Page 2—MIRROR-HERALE)—'•^leiday, Js-uary 3’, 1978 Metropolis wreck set off scandal On the night of January 31,1878, the steamship “Metropolis” ran aground off Currituck Beach, N. C., with loss of 102 lives. This tragedy, ooig>led with the events which followed it, set off a national scandal which is said to have been largely responsible for the estaUiahment of the modem U. S. Coast Gu^. Later investigations established a pattern of incompetent seamanship an unseaworihy vessel that should never left port, and grossly inadequate rescue and relief facilities, even though the wreck had occurred within sight of the new Oirrituck lighthouse. The captain had attempted to beach his sinking vessel, but'it caught on a reef several hiaidred yards from shore. Survivors clung to the wreckage for most of the following day, while a “crashing hell” of surf pounded it to pieces. After several efforts to get a line aboard the vessel failed, the few Rescue So^ce men available gave up efforts to save them, at- tonpting instead to pick up those who washed ashore. Conflicting reports emerged about the events which followed. The area, a section of the Outer Banks, was described as “the loneliest and most isolated portion of North Candina.” Even so, a nianber of peo|de were attracted to the scene. Some acted with bravery, dashing repeatedly into the icy, dangerous waters to rescue survivors. Others stripped and €D SMITH crossing of Lord Corawallis's British Army. Davidson was commander of the militia forces from Mecklenburg and Rowan counties. Davidson College and Davidson County were named in his honor. According to family tradition, the General was not killed by British troops but by a local Tory enemy who was scouting for the Redcoats. Althou^ the man fled at the end of the war, members of Davidron’s family succeeded in tracking him down on the frontier some twenty years later and killed him. -1- Ml i*TT*n 11^ .r •oOo- looted them, dead and injured aUce, and left them lying where they were. The Ules of mistreatment which later spread through the nation’s press were probably maggerated, for in that isolated area little could have becsi done to feed and shelter the sur vivors at best. The 250«dd survivors suffered badly from cold and exposure, however, and a clamor emerged in Congress for improved rescue services to prevent such kture happenings. -oOo- On Feb. 1,1781, General William Lee Davidson was killed at Cowan’s Ford on the CaUwba River, attemptii^ to prevent the The day after Cowan’s Ford, February 2, 1781, a footsore, cold and hungry American Anny halted its retreat near Salisbury. While there, a patriotic innkeeper, Mrs. Eliubetb Stede, revived a disoouraged Nathaniel Greene’s spirits by giving him a hot meal and a bag of gold, her life’s savii^s, to help keep his army in the field. -oOo- Deeply touched by her action. General Greene took a picture of King Georgelll tom the tavern wall, wrote “0 George, hide thy face and nMum’” across it, and hung it face to the wall, where it is saidtohaveronainedfor years. i -oOo- Cta February 4,1834, Wake Forest Institute opened its doors. In 1956, the school, now a full fledged university, moved to a brand new campus in Winston-Salem. The original campus in Wake Forest is now a Baptist seminary. GDITORM OPIHOI Kings Mountain in spotiight Nest Sunday night WBTV will telecast a half-hov program on Kings Mountain and Its ability to gather in the government sheaves. Mayor John Henry Moss will be the spokesman for the main part and there will be Aimed footage of the numerous projects in the community that ha ve been funded under the grants programs. TTie mayor will be interviewed by Doug Mayes and some of the questions answered will give KMers a bit more insight into what it takes to gather the data, fill out the applications and obtain the grant finds being offered. It should be an informative program and can’t heip but shine the spotlight on the historical dty once again. The program is a special edition of Mayes’ “On The Square” and will be telecast beginning at 6:80 p. m. Sun., Feb. 6. Be sure and catch it. Maybe system needs checking Mother Nature gave us a pretty good scare last week by sending high winds whipping through the area. And at bad as it was, it could have been much more devastating. The winds were strongest through the tops of tall trees. Had that strength been at ground level we could have kissed goodbye to a lot of homes and buildings and possibly human life. Discounting the trees that fell on homes and vehicles, the worst part of the storm was the lorn of electrical power and through that, lights and heating facilities. A lot of people spent a miserable eight or two because of this problem. The city’s electrical crews worked continuously without rest or sleep to restore the power again and again because the wind continually knocked the lines down or slapped them together to cause bum-outs. Not being electrical engineers, it is difficult for us to understand, however, why so much of the city was without power during this event. And maybe we are not too far out of line by suggesting a general look-see atthe entire system in order to make sure there isn’t something that hasn’t been done to give the system greater stabflity in inclimate weather. At any rate, what happened here last week is about the best argument we’ve heard lately favoring an imderground wiring system, or st least a much improved above ground system over what Kings Moimtain presently has. ' Groverites need facts saga of Andrew Jackson Dellinger Andrew Jackson Dellinger has bemi in the tree business since he was IS years old, working fulltime for Wilson Tree Company of Shelby. It’s been many years since Andy was 15, but he’s still in the three business, in the business for himself. At his home on Cherryville Rd. he has trucks and logging equipment that earn him IMihood. Loggers are usually portrayed as a hardy breed and in Andy’s case, at least, the portrait is true. Aspen Tree Co. once hired Andy to serve as foreman on a dUficult Job in the battleground area. They started him at $200 a week and he hired his own men. He went throu^ 15 hands befwe the Job was finished. “Then they up andgiveme a $100 a week raise,” Andy said. “So I asked the boss why he was paying melSOO a week. The boss told me he thought I was, worth it. I told Urn I knew I was worth it, but a man Just don’t give you that kind of money unlesa he’s planning to ask you to do something you don’t wsnt to do. , . “It wasn’t three weeks ’til he called and told me I was to report to Winston-Salem on a Job,” Andy said. “I asked him where did he want me to leave Us truck so he could pick it up.” But even Apdy will admit there are days when a tree man might as well stay in bed. Saturday was one of those days. Dmrell Austin, general manager of The Mirror- Herald, hired An^’s cousin, Mike Patterson, to top some trees in Us yard over on Sherwood Dr. last Saturday. Mike asked Andy to give him a hand and a few pointers. “I shoulda knowed better than to go,” Andy said. “I don’t mind helping, but this kind of work takes some skill. It can be dangerous.” Andy said Satirday afternoon one of Darrell’s nei^ibors came over to talk about the Uackgum tree in Big D’s yard. The tree is huge and leaned toward the neighbor, Tm Tate’s home. Thte offered to pay for the tree if Darrell would consent to having it cut down. Darrdl agreed and Tate paid Andy $65 to do the Job. Poet^s Comer TO MY GRANDMA 1 realiy love you Grandma, And thoiight you’d like to know. But how can I put into words The way I love you so. Grover’s town fathers are coocemed that citlxens may not support efforts to construct a sewage ooUectlon line aisl pumping stations to handle waste treatment under the federally-sponsored $01 Facilities Plan. The majority of the $$$ customers inside the town’s boundaries have Invested in septic tanks to hande wasls. There are a few town’s peopleon the Mlnette Mills collection line. Lastweekthelown’seiiglneariiigflrm,JofanEdwar(k,helpedMayorW. W. McCarter host a public bearing on the 201 plan as it now stands. It was the first community hearing of any commimity par ticipating in the Gaston County facility planning p^^am and the engineers were snmuslastic because of the grants money and loans already offered Grover to complete the estimMed $809,900 project. The problem comes in that the town must come up with $80,000 cash and float a bond Issue to pay back a $170,000 Farmers Home Administration loan. The snglosars feal that M least DO of the 238 potential customers must agree to tapon the city’s sewage oolleetlon line in the begiming or the town will not be able to afford the system. The town fathers are wise in planning an education program for the citliens to explain the benefits of having such a syatsm. The Mirror-Herald would like to add its two cents worth in urging Gtoverltes to get the facts on the system and do not decide before hand the system is not for you. I promise you I’ll not forget Your little acts of love. They always seemed to be sent Doom from Heeven above. No one can replace you Oryow lovi^ways Like your hot Just baked bread Onthoeecoldand rainy da]W. You never forgot a birthday Or any other special date Your gifts are always full of bve Evan If they are lata. Whan God taventsd grandmas It was the bast thing He’d ever done But I thank Godfor my Grandma ’Cause I got the very best one. TOM MclMTYRG Darrell said Andy went up and swung around in that tree cutting off limbs like Tartan. “tffke’s got this young boy working for him. I don’t know Us name,” Andy said. "Anyhow, I told Urn what to do. I strung the rope up in tte tree and tied it off to the truck, then I told this boy to watch for my signal. When I said ‘Go’ I mean’t for him to haul hinney and don’t stop.” Andy started cutting the tree, then waved frantically at the yoiaig boy in the truck. ‘“The tree started falling and that dang boy Just sk there and watched it,” Andy said. “Shore enough the tree hit Mr. Tate’s house. Just like I told that boy it would if he didn’t pull it away with the truck.” Darrell said Tom stood there with his arms folded watching the tree fall snd saying, “It’s gonna hit my house. It’s goma hit my bouse... It hit my bouse.’ R€(M)€R DI^LOGUG An exciting year Tb the editor. At the beginning of tUs year, the Shelby Art League launched the 1978 membership drive and the foirth year of promoting the visual arts in ClevUand Oointy throu0i exUbits and lectures of excellent quatity. Last year we emerged from a local organixation into one of national prominence in the art world. We realiie, however, that our best efforts and oentinued growth are mtirely dependent upon memberships in the local oonununity and are hopeful by the end of February of having at least two hundred regular, patron and sponsor mem berships which are tax deductible. We greatly appreciate yoiar support and are looking forward to a very exciting year!! SHELBY ART LEAGUE, INC. Harvey B. Hamrick President. The result is, according to Andrew Jackson Dellinger’s estimate, that Tom Tate’a damage repair is going to require 21 feet of gutter, 16 boards measuring one by six and 16 measuring one by four, one bundle of shingles, one pound of roofing nails and one pound of eight-penny nails. The total coat — $600. Who has to pay for this? Andrew Jackson Dellinger. “I told Tom and Andy that whatever happened was between them, before three was cut down,” Darrell said. “They agreed.” Andy shook his head “1 was Just trying to show my cousin how to do something. Next time 1 do a Job like that I do it with people I can depend on. I still can’t get over that boy Just sitting there watching the tree fall and me yelling for him to go, go!” Harry (Dutch) Wilson, Eugene L. Waldroup, Charles Myers, Willis King, Michael Clack, John Roberts and Basil Hoyle, all of the city’s electrical department, will find aomething extra in their envelopes Utis week. ,, No, not money, but letters of commendation tom the city officials on the dedication these men showed in restoring power to the dty during last week’s high wind destruction and ice storm damages from the week before. The letters in part say, “Such perseverance as you have demonstrated indicates that you are aware of the responsibilities of the Kings Moun tain Electrical Department and Interested in the welfare of your fellow citizms. You are to be highly commended for your part in restoring electrical service to our citizens .. . .” And they are, too. These men and employe tom other departments worked around the clock and then some during both the ice storm and the wind storm.” -oOo- There were other side effects to the power outages last week. Because the electricity was off telephones would not ring. The phones are still working alright. You could call out, but when you reached your number that phone would not ring. Over in Larry Hamrick’s office he and his staffers said they answered huntfreds of calls during the outages. How is that passible? “By Just picking up the phone and saying hello,” Larry said. “When we finished a call we hixig up. waited a moment, then picked up the receiver again. There waa always some new caller on the line. > With deep appreciation From my sslaetioas MYRTLE GOFORTH To the editor. On Fri., Jan. 20our family was one of many in this area withoik powqr because of the icy weather. That eventaig we both warmed and lighted our living room with a log fire. Before we knew it had happened there was a firo tat the roof of our home. We called the Bethlehem Volinteer Fire Department and they responded tpiicfcly, aided by the Grover Fire Department. If the fiieflghters had arrived a few minutes IMsr than they did, we have beoi told, our home would be nothing but charred ashas now. We wish to exprass our deepfslt appreciation to the members of the Bethlehem VFD and to the Gtrovar unit for their quick action during our time of trouble. When somsthing like this happms you never really know how much you appreciate the efforts of otbws on your behalf. BEATRICE HOWELL 1417 Grover Rd. Kh«s Mountain, N. C. ifiiiflC-aaomiTasii MIRMRlBaD TUflOAV ANDTHUfftOAV TOM McMTYm WMwaii'tiAiitr •AOVtTIWAAT lAtfU l«H«r CLVOtHILL MIMilROF NORTH CAAOLINA RRIti AIIOCIATION Th« Mirror Htroid N RuRiiiAtd fev OdAtrai RuRiithinf Companv. P. o orawar rst, Kinfa Mauntatn.N C .noia. ■utinataand adllarlal aHicaa ara locataa at |04 Soutti Aitamant Ava. Rhana 79 ?aH. Sacana Claaa aaataft aai« at Kinta AAaaniaM, N C Unfit oaav ts canH ftubacriftiaA rataa: M m raariy in atata. U i$ ala mantha; ft.ID yaarfy a«t-at* atatt, IS tiR mantna; Ituaant rata tar nlna-Rtanttia U 74
The Kings Mountain Herald (Kings Mountain, N.C.)
Standardized title groups preceding, succeeding, and alternate titles together.
Jan. 31, 1978, edition 1
2
Click "Submit" to request a review of this page. NCDHC staff will check .
0 / 75