Newspapers / The coastland times. / Aug. 19, 1955, edition 1 / Page 1
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/OLUME XXI NO. 7 BEAUTY AND GLORY OF OUTER BANKS AT ITS BEST IN FALL A Profuse Panorama of Color; of Magnificent Scenes and Pleasant Temperatures By VICTOR MEEKINS For some 30 years of travelling frequently the length of North Carolina’s coastline from Virginia Beach to Ocracoke, this writer, along with countless others have said the glory and the beauty of the Outer Banks is at its best in Autumn. Despite some warm and humid days in early September, it is this month which ushers in the harbingers of a delightful season on the coast. Temperatures are always pleas ant, and even in midwinter the Gulf Stream’s influence wards off the bitter cold so often found in land. But all through September, October and November, will be found out-door weather; the early half of this period being suitable for ocean bathing, the nearer one gets to Hatteras, the warmer the water. With Autumn comes cessation of the hurricanes that arise in the Carribean and come north to harass vacationists. It is always pleasant outdoor weather. There come many still evenings, and still mornings for quiet strolls along the byways and the beaches. Autumn is great for sleeping, for then the nights become cool enough to call for a light blanket in un heated houses. And sometimes a driftwood fire is called upon for new thrills. Autumn brings the time when fishermen and hunters enjoy the coastland most of all. All of the surf-fishing and bottom fishing devotees find fishing at its best. See BEAUTY, Page Eight HIGHEST TIDES IN MANY YEARS HIT DARE MAINLAND igh Waters Enter Stumpy Point Homes; Store and Bnages Damaged at Manns Harbor The highest tides in many years littered yards and ruined gardens at Stumpy Point Friday afternoon, with Connie at her highest point of fury rushing over the Dare Mainland. Waters of the bay went into the floors of numerous homes in this community, even going into the George Payne store, where the tide had never been before. Little damage to boats was re ported. These had mostly been safely moored in sheltered canals. Much damage was done to nets, both those in the sound and those spread on the marshes. Many gar dens were ruined in the village. Lumber and other objects piled on various premises floated off. There appeared no serious damage to buildings, but the losses were con siderable, nevertheless. In Manns Harbor a considerable loss was sustaippd by Mrs. Mattie Duvall whose store lost one side under the onslaught of waters from Croatan Sound. Much mer chandise was also lost, along with damage to living quarters. The store was located on the edge of the marsh adjacent to the ferry dock which was badly damaged. There was much damage to various boats and nets of fisher men, as well as premises. Damage resulted to several small bridges on U. S. 264 near Manns Harbor at points where new bridges are being built. Ferry traffic was not resumed until Monday, due to washouts and damage to ferry docks. PLANS FOR REGISTRATION OF MANTEO STUDENTS Registration for all high school students, both new students who are entering school at Manteo for the first time and students who were in attendance here last year, i s to be held for Manteo area on next Friday, August 26th, from 9:00 to 12:00 and 1:00 to 4:00 m. in the office of the high I Jhool, acording to announcement .rom the office of the high school principal, R. H. Stone. Mr. Stone will be at the Manns Harbor school on Monday, August 29th, to register any students from that area during the hours of 9:00 to 12:00 ».m. at the school, and at Stumpy Point school on the same afternoon, August 29th, from 2:00 to 0:00 p.m. to register both high school and elementary stucfents frem that area. All high school students and any students who will be attending Manteo school for the first time are urgently requested to register at one of these places. Office hours at the high school will be 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. beginning Tues day of next week. _ THE COASTLAND TIMES PUBLISHED WEEKLY IN THE INTEREST OF THE WALTER RALEIGH COASTLAND OF NORTH CAROUNA AT THE SCENE OF THE ELIZABETHAN GARDEN <*' •' • 7• - / J: • " ‘ ■ STATUARY AND A PERFORATED WALL OF ANTIQUE BRICK center the above shown section of the Elizabethan Garden on Roanoke Island near Fort Raleigh, which was dedicated Thursday afternoon in ceremonies arranged by the N. C. Garden Club, sponsoring organiza tion, and the Lost Colony management. HURRICANE STOPS TOURIST BUSINESS OF SIOO,OOO DAILY Connie Did Plenty to Dare County Beach Business Houses, Boats, Guides, Etc., In A Week Hurricane hysteria, worked to a pitch on the radio, several days in advance of the winds that led Hurricane Connie up the coast, is estimated to have halted a tour ist expenditure of approximately SIOO,OOO a day on the Dare County coast, and Ocracoke Island. Frightened beach visitors packed up and left their domiciles several days ahead of the coming of Con nie, who arrived on Friday. Some of them left on Saturday and Sun day before. Beginning with a trickle of tourists making their way out of Dare County, within three days the beaches were prac tically closed. While the interests of the Dare Coast were fortunate in that the proprety loss was negligible, a hurricane that spares us can prove costly indeed. Many people left almost before their vacations had begun; others cancelled reservations, and didn’t, of course many others bare ly finished theirs. In some six days BC, (Before Connie) and some four days after, namely Friday, Saturday, Sunday and Monday, it is estimated ex penditures for seashore entertain- See BUSINESS, Page Eight R. L FINE ARTS SCHOOL TO PRESENT "SPRING FOR SURE" Show Scheduled For Monday Night Aug. 22 A two act musical comedy, “Spring for Sure” by Katherine McDonald and Wilton Mason, will be presented on the stage of Wa terside Theatre at Fort Raleigh, Monday night August 22, at 8:15 o’clock. The production with its mountain setting is the current season’s summer project of Ro anoke Island School of Fine Arts, which in past seasons has pre sented such productions as “Peer Gynt” and “Dark of the Moon." The production will be presented only for one night, but Lost Colony Manager R. E. Jordan, under whose supervision the School of Fine Arts is operated in connec tion with the Paul Green sym phonic drama, stated that in event of rain-out the show would be presented on the following Mon day night, August 29. All instructors in the various departments of the island summer school here have cooperated with their students in producing the play which is under the direction of James Byrd. They are: Gloria Charlis, Children’s dance school; Marvin Gordon, dance and choreog raphy, Valerie Gwozdecki, ehil dren’s ehoir; William I. Long, stagecraft; Irene Rains, costume execution; Elizabeth Welch, voice and diction and Nena Williams, chorus. Prominent in the cast is Lillian See SCHOOL, Page Eight ELIZABETH CITY HIGH SCHOOL BAND ATTENDS Elizabeth City High School Band under the direction of Scott Calla way, returned to Roanoke Island on Thursday to pay musical hom age to America’s first child of English parentage. Thursday night, August 18, each year is Vir ginia Dare Night at TheiLost Col ony, and each year for many sea sons, a feature of the program at Waterside Theatre in memory of this famous child, the Miles Clark sponsored band has presented a pre-performance concert from the great stage. MEETING SEPT. I FOR ELECTRICAL CO-OP AT AVON First Annual Meeting in Two Years Scheduled To Elect Directors Another annual meeting has been called for stockholders of the Cape Hatteras Electrical Mem-'” bership Corporation to be held at Avon School building Thursday night, September 1 at 7:30 p.m. Last year’s annual meeting didn’t materialize for Hazel came and prevented the meeting. Secretary George H. Meekins of Avon has sent notice to the mem bers to come and hear a report of the financial status of the co-op, and to elect nine directors to serve the coming year. Candidates are being nominated now, ijnd others may be nominated at the meeting. Voting will be by secret ballot. Other matters may also be brought up at the meeting, he says. Due to rapidly increasing use of electrical current on Hatteras Is land, many are expecting a splendid financial report. The plant has been maintaining good service for all seven villages of the island. 70 DAYS TO HUNT GEESE AND DUCKS SAME BAG LIMIT Longer Season Expected to Mean More Business for Coastal Areas This Winter. Seventy instead of 60 days will be permitted for shooting of ducks and geese in North Carolina and other states in the Atlantic Fly way, the U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced this week. This season will be ten days longer than the pa3t season. The service ex plains the longer season with the statement that there is a bigger crop of geese and ducks this year. Flights are expected to be the best since 1952. Dates for the opening and closing of the season will be an nounced later. The Fish and Wildlife Service said daily bag and possession limits will remain at four and eight on ducks and two and four on geese.. The season on brant will be the same as for ducks and geese. Daily bag limit of six and posses sion limit of six will be retained. For wood ducks, the daily bag limit of one and possession limit of two will remain unchanged. Coot bag and possession limits are 10 and 10, the same as last year. The Fish and Wildlife Service sets basic regulations governing waterfowl shooting in the major flyways. Individual states then See HUNTING, Page Eight REGINALD LIONEL PARKER KITTY HAWK NATIVE DIES Death came Sunday to Reginald Lionel Parker, 31, a veteran of the Coast Guard, and a native of Kitty Hawk, in McGuire Hospital, Richmond. Mr. Parker was the son of Callie E. and Alethia Sander lin Parker of Nags Head, and the husband of Mrs. Joyce Beacham Parker. He had six years of serv ice in the Coast Guard, and had been ill for 10 months. He is also survived by two chil dren, Reginald L. and Iris A. of Nags Head, a brother, Luther E. Parker of Norfolk, and a sister, Mrs. Milton Henley of Nags Head. He was a member of the Nags Head Baptist Mission where the funeral was conducted Wednesday at 2 p.m. by the pastor, Rev. Frank Dinwiddie. The body lay in state one hour prior to the services Burial was in Austin Cemetery at Kitty Hawk. MANTEO, N. C., FRIDAY, AUGUST 19, 1955 NO CELEBRATION NEXT WEEK AT CHICAMACOMICO Coast Guard Event Postponed Until Later Date Due to Weather and Program The big celebration planned for last week at Rodanthe in honor of Coast Guard veterans, and post poned to next week on account of Hurricane Connie, has been post poned indefinitely, according to Chairman W. W. Edwards. Mr. Edwards has called a meet ing of his committee for Saturday night of this week to set a date and make plans for a celebration sometime in September. The origi nally planned event scheduled for three days, August 12-14 was an elaborate one. But due’ to previous committments, some of the fea tured speakers and other attrac tions cannot attend next week. The whole program will have to be worked over, Mr. Edwards stated. “Some of our best attrac tions were to be staged with the cooperation of Coast Guard bases,” Mr. Edwards saids, “but due to unsettled weather, we cannot count on their participation, and will have to wait awhile for this.” But the celebration will be held, Mr. Edwards said, and timely notice will be given. - - ROANOKE MARSHES LAST LIGHTHOUSE OF ITS KIND GOES Built 87 Years Ago, It Guarded Southern Entrance to Croatan Sound; Being Torn Down. After more than 80 years of service, the old Roanoke Marshes lighthouse, which guarded the southern entrance to Croatan Sound, and brought joy and delight to many an anxious mariner, through the years, is being torn down. It has gone the way of some 16 others of its kind, superseded and abandoned in the past 25 years, the result of improvements in mechanical automatic equip ment and faster motorized craft whereby many lights may be at tended by one man. The last keeper of this light is Ralph W. Burrus of Manteo. He came ashore this month. It will be replaced by an automatic light on a post,, and this week Elijah W. Tate of Coinjock, who took the job of dismantling the building, is reassembling his wrecking equip ment after the rough treatment given it last week by Connie’s high tides and winds. Mr. Tate was already working on the job when the storm canie. , This type of lighthouse is a large building, surmounted by a lantern in a cupola reached by a stair. It was a large comfortable dwelling, built on a platform some 12 feet above the water, with stor age space for firewood and coal and davits for suspending the keeper’s boat. The platform is sup ported by piles screwed in the bot tom of the sound. When this light was built it was the counterpart of numerous others stretching from North River and Albemarle Sound to New Bern. At one time there were 16 of them in the area mentioned, and doubtless others in the lower corner of the state. When built in 1871, it was near the mainland of Dare County, and about two miles from what is now Wanchese wharf. One of its early keepers was John Pugh of Wan chese whose son Charlie was later keeper for many years. Other keepers of this light were Peter Gallop, Ephraim Riggs, Moses D. Lane, Charles P. Meekins, Unaka Jennette, R. M. Jennette, Chauncey Meekins. Keeper Moran Scarbor ough of Avon is said to have been drowned while on duty ak this light. Mr. Tate recently moved the Roanoke River light by barge to Edenton, it having been purchased for private use. Last year he also dismantled the Wades Point light at the mouth of Pasquotank River. During the freezer of 1918, the lighthouse at North River bar was dismantled by the ice, and was never replaced except by a post light. Among other screw-pile type lights discontinued through the years were Long Shoal, Pamlico Point, Crdatan, Bluff Shoa), Gull Rock, Neuse River, etc. In early days, one man usually kept the light, and was relieved by an as sistant when the keeper’s liberty period came around. Often the man attending the light would keep his wife and children with him for weeks at a time. It was usually wonderful in summer, where cool breezes and good hook and line fishing prevailed. Flies and mosquitoes were usually ab- See ROANOKE, Page Four BAPTIST MINISTER TO SPEAK AT LOST COLONY I i i b. | I y X"'" -I THE REV. WARREN CARR, pas tor of Watts Street Baptist Church, Durham, will be guest minister in the eighth of a series of Lost Colony season worship services at Waterside Theatre Sunday. His sermon topic will be “God’s Call—Man’s Inquiry.” A native of Lexington, Ky., the Rev. Mr. Carr received his mas ters degree from Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louis ville, Ky. In addition to the sermon by the Rev. Mr. Carr, a feature of the worship services will be the fa mous Lost Colony chorus under the direction of Fred Haley this Sun day, with Hedley Yost at console of the organ. DIANE DOES MUCH DAMAGE TO LOWER COAST WEDNESDAY Save for Disrupting Business Hurri cane Spares Dare Coast and Outer Banks Hurricane Diane has come and gone with little damage done the Dare Coast, or any part of the Outer Banks for that matter. Chief damage has been the interruption of business, the mopping up of the incessant rains for two days. Cot tages previously damaged by high tides at Kitty Hawk were under mined still more by Diane. Some shifting sands were driven by winds to block entrances and driveways. Hatteras Island and Ocracoke were spared by the storm. Blow ing sands created annoyances in these areas, and some sections of the road were covered by water, some of it tide-water and some of it rainwater. High winds kept fer ries from operating Wednesday, but service was resumed Thursday morning early. Greatest damage to the area has been loss of businesss. It was not ideal weather to be enjoyable to tourists. Very few vacationers re mained in the area during dismal Diane’s reign Wednesday. The lower beaches of North Carolina in the Wrightsville, Wil mington area suffered much dam age. Many cottages at Atlantic Beach were damaged. Highways and bridges suffered damage in the lower part of the state. The storm continued across the state through the Raleigh area, greatly damaging crops. High waters imposed great hardships in Beaufort and Hyde counties. Washington, Belhaven, Swan Quarter and Engelhard suf- See DIANE, Page Eight LONG TIME TENDER OF WRIGHT BRIDGE IS DEAD A man highly regarded in Dare and Currituck was Percy Lee Smith, for many years tender of the Wright Memorial Bridge over Currituck Sound. Mr. Smith died Sunday night at 11:55 at the home of his daughter, Mrs. E. L. Beasley at Grandy. He was 60 years old. He had been ill for six months. He was a native of Chowan County and a resident of Point Harbor in Currituck County for 25 years, serving as keeper of the Wright Memorial Bridge. He was the son of the late John and Sarah Byrd Smith and husband of Mrs. Lillian Thompson Smith, and a member of the Bethlehem Chris tian Church in Perquimans Coun ty. He is survived by his wife, Mrs. Lillian T. Smith; three daughters, Mrs. Ralph M. Nixon of Norfolk, Mrs. Jesse Perry of Kitty Hawk and Mrs. E. L. Beasley of Grandy; one son, Carlton Smith of the U. S. Coast Guard, Kitty Hawk; one sister, Mrs. Arthur Garris of Washington; one brother, Henry K. Smith of Columbia and 11 grandchildren. Funeral services were conducted Wednesday afternoon at 3 o’clock in the Powell’s Point Christian Church at Harbinger by the Rev. Harry Powers, pastor. Burial fol lowed in the Church cemetery. ELIZABETHAN GARDEN IS DEDICATED ON AUGUST 18, VIRGINIADARFSBIRTHDAY Dr. Frank Graham Delivers Address at Ceremo nies Arranged by N. C. Garden Club, Spon soring Organization, and Management of the Lost Colony Dr. Frank Graham, former president of the University of North Carolina, and now United Nations representative for India and Pakistan, delivered the prin cipal address Thursday, August 18, at the formal dedication of the Elizabethan Garden on Roanoke Island, vfhich took place on the 368th anniversary of the birth of Virginia Dare, first white child of English parentage born in the New World. The ceremony was arranged by the Garden Club of North Caro lina and management of The Lost Colony. Taking part in the dedica tory exercises which began at 5 p. m. was Capt. H. G. Lyddon, OBE, Royal Navy of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization’s British representatives in Norfolk. He was here ss the personal rep resentative of Vice Admiral Sir John Stevens of the Royal Navy. Also present were Mrs. Bradley Morrah, president of the National Council of State Garden Clubs, ( and Charles H. Jenkins of Ahoskie, a member of the N. C. Board of Conservation and Development. Mr. Jenkins was personal repre sentative of Governor Luther M. Hodges, who was unable to be , present due to other commitments. Others present were Mrs. George Little of Lilesville, presi dent of the Garden Club of North Carolina and members of her staff of officers and board of directors who head up the 10,000 member state wide organization responsible for the creation of the Elizabethan Garden. Inglis Fletcher, distinguished author of Bandon Plantation, Edenton, representing Roanoke Island Historical Association, play ed a prominent role in the cere monies. Mrs. Fletcher and Mrs. Charles A. Cannon of Concord conceived the idea for an Eliza bethan Garden, as a major project of the Garden Club of North , Carolina. Ceremonies The ceremonies included the planting of two magnolia trees on | the Mount of the Garden. The Rev. George Frank Hill, Episcopal rec tor of Elizabeth City, took part in this phase of the dedication along with costumed members of The Lost Colony cast. Most of the valuable statuary presented by the Whitney Estate to the Garden Club of North Caro lina has been erected at the Eliza bethan Garden and the Mount and Knot Garden have taken shape. The Knot Garden is surrounded with perforated brick walls. The statue of Virginia Dare which has an unusual historical background has also been erected. See GARDENS, Page Four TOURIST BUREAU ATTRACTS INTEREST IN WEST AFRICA While to many persons the Dare County Tourist Bureau is appar ently only a local organization, operators of this organization know that since its founding four years ago, its work has attracted international attention. No longer is it unusual to receive inquiries from Canada, South America, Europe and even Asia. This week a Dutch family living in Tsumeh, South West Africa wrote Bureau Manager Aycock Brown for infor mation about vacation accommoda tions in 1956. From Mrs. J. N. Ong, the letter datsd August 9, follows: “I shall be very pleased if you will send me a list of accommoda tions on the Outer Banks. “We are coming to ths U.S.A, to settle next June and would like to settle in North Carolina if we can find a place to our liking.” MRS. J. M. BROUGHTON AND SISTER AT FIRST COLONY INN Mrs. J. Melville Broughton, widow of the late Senator and former Governor who was so pop ular on the N. C. coast is spend ing several days in company with her sister, Mrs. Clifton Beckwith of Raleigh, at the First Colony Inn at Nags Head. For many years the Broughtons have been the guests of the C. P. Midgetts at the Inn. Her sons Bobby and Woodson of Raleigh are also at the beach, where they are the guests of Dr. Hill at their cottage near the I and Mrs. Frank Graham of Chapel Arlington Hotel. Single Copy 70 HATTERAS ISLAND SUFFERS NO GREAT DAMAGE BY CONNIE Many Yards Littered and Some Small Boats Battered by Tides Friday Night Thursday and Friday the blaring of radio receiving sets reciting the dangers of “Connie the Hurri cane” and the damage it was do ing on its dreadful voyage up the coast, drowned out the sound of the winds that came ahead of the big storm on Hatteras Islland. Just about all the summer visitors had gone, and things were dead as a dodo, so far as business goes. The people of the Island did a good job of battening down and buttoning up just in case. Coast Guard units on the Island were on the job, ready to take any and ill who would go, to places that might be'safest, should the storm :ome in fury. But a grateful people saw the storm go by in late afternoon with ibout as little damage as might be expected. A lot of rain fell, ind strong gales drove it through jrannies and cracks to the annoy ance of housewives. The tide came up in severe 1 areas, something like a foot deep or less in the Ro danthe area, but into nobody’s louse. The tide came in quickly shortly after day, and soon receded. It was occasioned by the southwest wind across Pamlico Sound. Chief damage, was in premises littered by floating trash and grass left when the waters went out, and by some expensive losses to boats which were not adequately moored Jr brought ashore. R. D. Owens it Rodanthe lost a rowboat which See DAMAGE, Page .Five >OME OF THE SPOTS ANNOYED MOST LAST WEEK BY HURRICANE The Buccaneer restaurant owned jy Claude Parker sustained about £5,000 damage to building and fix tures at Kitty Hawk beach about 7 a.m. Saturday morning. Fire re sulted from explosion of gas when a water heater was lighted. The high west wind kept the flames from spreading to the mo tor court in the rear. High waters Friday night spread across the highway to Wanchese, just about the entire length from Midway Service Station to Wan chese Methodist Church, and other spots further south on the island. It entered some of the homes in the Mill Landing area. It covered several yards immediately south of Manteo, and entered several stores on the Manteo waterfront. A large part of Jennette’s pier at lower Nags Head was swept away by the ocean; hurt by high seas for about the third time since it was built. Damage occured to the Kitty Hawk pier, requiring much repair. Abie Williams, operator of The Anchor tourist center on the Nags Head Causeway will be put to considerable expense to replace the underpinning at the rear of his building, which was under mined by the tide. Cavalier Motor Court at Kill Devil Hills lost a porch roof from one of its cottages. Several houses built on lots on the narrow strip of lower Kitty Hawk beach were threatened by the seas, when the high waves washed out the sands from the east side, and left the houses suspended, and some of them perhaps subject to total loss, should equally rough seas return. These cottages are owned by T. S. Mann Jr., J. B. Jenkins Jr. of Elizabeth City and by Charles Griffin of Edenton. Littered premises, broken trees, occasionally an overturned out moded outbuilding were to be seen In many directions. Many boats were cast ashore, many smaller ones cast adrift. The remains of a motor boat burned at Oregon In let about ten days before, made its appearance some seven miles to the north at the Roanoke Sound bridge. It finally drifted under the bridge and is perhaps to the Currituck Bridge by now.
Aug. 19, 1955, edition 1
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