VOLUME XXIII NO. 5
ARTIFICIAL RAINMAKING ON
TYRRELL TIMBERLANDS HAS
BEEN GOING ON FOR MONTH
Manteo Rotarians Monday Night Hear How
West Virginia Company Has Been Inducing
Rainfall to Protect Its Holdings; Operation
Carried on by Boston Rainmaking Company.
Rains in Tyrrell County, created ■
by chemical stimulation sent up
from the ground to the clouds,
have been greatly increased during
the past months, and aided in put-J
ting out the remains of a destine-<
tive forest fire. So the Rotary Club
of Manteo was told Monday night
this week in an address made by a
Boston meteorologist.
Robert Popham, a bright young
employe of Wallace-Howell Asso
ciates of Lexington, Mas?., pro
fessional rain-makers, who have
been employed by the West Vir
ginia Company, delighted the mem
bers with his description of the
methods employed to induce rain
from cloud which otherwise might
become dissipated and of no value
as rain producers.
• A mechanical device, operated by
a battery, and producing silver di
oxide fumes from a burning wick,
is ?et up at earth level, and the
particles which issue and ascend,
are said to produce rain, in most
instances in less than an hour. The
method is credited with 20 to 40
per cent increase in precipitation.
There is another method of pro
ducing rain, Mr. Popham said, one
of which is the seeding of clouds
with dry ice from an airplane. All
methods he described as being ex
pensive, but he said he was con
vinced of the effectiveness of the
raiiimaking program. William
Erhst, Jr., company manager, told
the club he was confident of the
success of Mr. Popham’s work,
from this company’s standpoint.
Mr. Popham said there are only
about five rain-making companies
operating in the United States.
In the setup to bring about more
rain fall as needed on the West
Virginia company’s 300,000 acres
of land in Dare, Hyde, Tyrrell and
Washington counties, rain-making
machines have been located at Kil
kenny, Belhaven, Stumpy Point,
Creswell and on the Charlie Pritch
ett farm near Sandy Point. The last
r.amed place is in the vicinity of the
destructive forest fire several
weeks ago originating from a burn
ing Navy plane which crashed in
eastern Tyrrell on lands not com-
See RAINMAKING, Page Pour
CARS DAMAGED AS
TRUCK UPSETS AND
GAS CARGO SPILLS
Manns Harbor Freight Truck Los
es 3,000 Gallons Gasoline at
Nags Head Monday
Bad luck came to T. O. Sutton
of Manns Harbor after a long rec
ord of safe operation of a freight
line between Elizabeth City and
the Dare County mainland. Mon
day night at Nags Head, Mr. Sut
ton’s big truck, driven by his son
in-law, Harry N. Armstrong, up
set, spilling out more than 3,0fi0
gallons of gasoline carried in three
tanks and nine steel barrels. The
gas was valued at more than S7OO,
the truck was damaged about S3OO
worth, and damage was sustained
by two other nearby vehicles.
Armstrong, who has been charg
ed with, careless and reckless driv
ing, is reported to have been
speeding in a 35 mile zone, arid
was attempting to pass a pick up
truck which he had been following
south. When he approached a car
driven by Mrs. Eunice Burgess of
Alexandria, Va., he attempted to
apply brakes and pull back into
line, but the truck turned over,
one of the tanks struck the Dodge
driven by Mrs. Burgess, and dam
aged it SBOO worth. Another car,
parked in front of the Virginia
Dare Restaurant and owned by
Joseph D. Taylor of Harbinger
was struck and damaged to the
extent of SIOO. The gas spilled on
the highway and was soaked up
by the sand.
LIONS TO HEAR GUEST
SPEAKER NEXT TUESDAY
Manteo Lions Club members will
have the pleasure of a guest speak
er next Tuesday night, August «.
A representative of the U. S. Fish
and Wildlife Service will appear
at the regular 7:15 dinner session.
Topic will be “Fish and Wildlife
Conservation” and will be illus
trated with a film of about 30-
m inute length.
Thia i» one in a series of in
teresting programs being arranged
for the twice-monthly meetings.
Visitors are invited to attend these
special programs.
THE COASTLAND TIMES
PUBLISHED WEEKLY IN THE INTEREST OF THE WALTER RALEIGH COASTLAND OF NORTH CAROLINA
TO BE THE LOST COLONY’S
GUEST MINISTER SUNDAY
I"*'*
gj|
fil
THE REV. GEORGE BLAKE
HOLMES, rector of historic Saint
Paul’s Episcopal Church at Eden
ton, will be guest minister at the
weekly religious services in the
Lost Colony’s Waterside Theatre
at Fort Raleigh near Manteo on
Sunday morning, August 4, at 11
a.m. This will be the sixth in a
series of Sunday worship periods
which are religious features at
Fort Raleigh during The Lost
Colony’s season.
A native of Norfolk, the Rev.
Mr. Holmes has served the min
istry in Illinois, Wisconsin and
Virginia. He came to St. Paul's
at Edenton from St. John’s Church
in Roanoke, Va.
He has announced that his ser
mon topic will be “Prophetically
Speaking.” ,
During World War 11, he served
both in the Army and Navy. His
primary interests are youth wel
fare and child guidance and also
the mental health programs.
As during each of the Sunday
morning services, The Lost Colony
choir, under direction of Dr. El
wood Keister with George Perry
at the console of the Hammond
organ, will be featured.
The Sunday services of The Lost
Colony will continue throughout
the summer and until Labor Day
Eve on September 1. In the mean
time during its 17th season, The
Lost Colony is being shown night
ly except Mondays in Waterside
Theatre.
COMMISSIONERS PLAN NEW
TYPE OF APPRAISAL OF
DARE COUNTY PROPERTY
Dare County Commissioners got
a law passed this year to get
around the usual quadrennial re
valuation of property. In this man
ner, they have postponed the re
valuation until next year, when
the results will not be known un
til after the primary election.
As a possible further means of
passing the buck, they have de
cided to spend some $22,000 to
bring in a firm of appraisal spec
ialists and let them do the job.
Bids which were opened this week
revealed only two firms which
were interested.
The low bid of $22,000 was sub
mitted by Associated Surveys of
Raleigh, and the only other bid,
which was for $23,000, was sub
mitted by Southern Appraisal Co.
of Greensboro.
Commissioner Hallett Perry of
Kitty Hawk was the only member
of the Board who opposed the new
plan. It is hard to tell what is best
to do. Those who know how coun
ty business is run do not expect
much good from any sort of ap
praisal, when Commissioners or
other officials may later change
the values to favor friends. There
are many cases of inequality on
the books, perhaps the worst yet
known. Some properties are ap
praised at full value, some at 10
per cent, 20 per cent, 40 per cent.
In some cases, property of persons
some county officials dielike is tax
ed at double the rate of property
on either side. The county has been
spending SIO,OOO a year to do the
tax work, and plans to spend $20,-
000 next year, in addition to the
$22,000 it may spend for the out
side revaluation.
ONCE OVER U. S. CAPITOL NOW FLIES AT KITTY HAWK
■ Hlfli - 11 1 '
A BRIEF but unusual ceremony at the Croatari Hotel, Kill Devil Hills, Friday morning was opened by
Hon. Lindsay C. Warren of Washington, N. C. The former First District Representative who later was U.
S. Comptroller General explained that as the result of an idea of Mrs. Isabel Murphy to encourage proper
ty owners to display flags along Highway 158, thus creating an “Avenue of Flags,” he had procured for
his friends, Mr. and Mrs. Tom Briggs of the Croatan, one that had once flown over the U. S. Capitol
building in Washington. After praising the Briggses for their successful operation of The Croatan, he intro
duced the Rev. R. W. Turner, of St. Andrews Episcopal Church, Nags Head, who opened the ceremonies
with prayers for peace and the leaders of this nation. Capt. Van Every, U.S.N., spending a vacation at
The Croatan, was then introduced and he spoke briefly on the significance of the American Flag and the
flags of the Free Nations of the World. Capt. Avery’s young son then led the group in repeating the
Allegiance to the Flag, after which Capt. Every and Mr. Briggs raised the flag on the hotel’s flagpole.
Shown in photo with flag is Mrs. Susie Briggs, Rev. Mr. Turner, Mrs. Murphy and Major Murphy, Mr.
Briggs and Mr. Warren. A friend of the county and the hotel, Warren B. Francis, Washington, D. C.
newspaperman, was instrumental in getting the flag. Flying the national ensign is not a new practice
at Nags Head however, where Capt. and Mrs. C. P. Midgett have flown it at the First Colony Inn for 20
years, and the Arlington and several other hotels have displayed the flag.—Aycock Brown photo.
CONTRACTS APPROVED FOR
NEW HIGH SCHOOL PLANT AT
MANTEO COSTING $342,125.60
Board of Education Finds It Necessary To Omit
Auditorium from Contract Now, But Hopes
That Surplus Will Remain After Bids Are
Opened for Kitty Hawk School So That Audi
torium Can Be Built.
Contractors are expected to be
gin work shortly on the construc
tion of a completely-new Manteo
High School, for which the school
district in August 1956 voted a
$250,000 bond issue and which will
serve high school pupils from all of
Dare County except Hatteras Is
land. Awarding of contracts for
the new school plant, to cost $342,-
125.60, was approved Thursday
afternoon of last week by the coun
ty board of education after consid
eration of the bids submitted and
the funds available.
Since low bids and architects
fees on the complete school plant
as advertised totaled $388,485.86,
the board exercised an option omit
ting the auditorium included in the
plans in order to bring the cost
down to within the amount of
funds presently available. The
board took action, however, which
may make it possible to have the
auditorium built at the same time
as the rest of the school by means
of a transfer of funds.
Mrs. Helen Briggs, board mem
ber from Kitty Hawk, offered a
motion which was passed by the
board providing that after bids
have been opened on the Kitty
Hawk School project, funds avail
able beyond those required to build
and equip the Kitty Hawk School
shall be used toward the comple
tion and equipping of Manteo High
School. The school board plans to
open bids within the next 90 days
for the eight-classroom elementary
school project at Kitty Hawk;
funds available for that project are
$200,000 from the sale of district
bonds, plus $75,296.13 of state
funds ear-marked by the county
board for the Kitty Hawk project
The architects have estimated that
the Kitty Hawk project should not
cost more than $210,000.
The, board voted, upon motion by
R. O. Ballance, to accept the low
bids with the alternate for the
omission of the auditorium and
with the right ,of reinstating the
Aldi tor ium within 90 days. All the
contractors have agreed to permit
the inclusion of the auditorium in
the project within this period for
the amount of their original bids.
The low bids as accepted with
the auditorium excluded were: gen
eral contract, Kellogg-Cuthrell,
Inc. of Manteo, $237,250; heating,
Howell Plumbing and Heating Co.
of New Bern, $32,302; plumbing,
Cauley and Pitt Plumbing Co. of
Kinston, $29,030; and electrical,
Talley Electric Co., Inc. of Greens
boro, $24,178. The fee of the archi
tects, Burett H. Stephens and
See SCHOOL, Page Four
MANTEO, N. C., FRIDAY, AUGUST 2, 1957
WORK BEGINS ON
RELOCATING 158
ON DARE BEACHES
Work began Monday on the
project to relocate Highway US
158 on Dare County’s beaches, ac
cording to the State Highway
Commission engineer’s office at
Manteo. The 15.3 mile long project
extends from a point 1.4 miles east
of Currituck Sound Bridge down
through Kitty Hawk, Kill Devil
Hills and Nags Head to Whale
bone, the new route lying general
ly several hundred feet west of
the present US 158.
F. D. Cline Paving Company of
Raleigh holds the $888,777.77 con
tract for the grading and paving,
and Crouch Brothers of Moores
ville has the $62,650 contract for
the moving of buildings.
The new route is needed to re
lieve congestion on the beach dur
ing the summer tourist season.
DRINKWATER FETED
WITH LAWN PARTY
Celebrating his 83rd birthday,
Manteo’s Alpheus W. Drinkwater
was guest of honor Wednesday
afternoon, July 31, at a lawn party
at his summer home “Drinkwater’s
Folly", near Fort Raleigh. Host
ing for the occasion were his
daughters, Miss Dorothy Drink
water and Mrs. John Booth, and
Mr. Booth. Mr. Booth served
punch and the daughters saw to
it that everyone was supplied with
generous supplies of hors
d’ouevres.
An old ship’s bell was rung 83
times in his honor, and a huge
surprise birthday gift was carried
to him. When the package was
untied out jumped Dianne Rous
seau, this summer’s “Eleanor
Dare” in “The Lost Colony”.
More than a hundred friends
gathered to help Mr. Drinkwater
celebrate. Many came from nearby
and others from neighboring
towns and cities and many mem
bers of the Lost Colony cast were
there. It is an annual event to
which all his friends look forward.
MacNEILL HAS OPERATION
AT KECOUGHTAN HOSPITAL
Ben Dixon Mac Neill of Buxton,
the well-known newspaperman and
avid writer about the Outer Banks,
is in Kecoughtan hospital at
Hampton, Va., where he has un
dergone an operation and expects
to be there for several weeks.
Prior to this last visit two weeks
ago, he had spent several days at
the hospital, and returned to Bux
ton for a brief respite.
PATROLMAN'S WORK
PLEASES THE PEOPLE
HATTERAS ISLAND
Hope Expressed For Additional
Drivers License Examiner
Service
During recent weeks, a notice
able improvement in behavior of
drivers on Hatteras Island’s long,
rough, narrow and dangerous high
way has been noticed, all of which
is pleasing to the people and giv
ing them a more comfortable feel
ing. This is what several of the
citizens have told this newspaper.
The improvement is attributed to
the activity of Patrolman Brown
who has recently been located at
Buxton, added to the good work
that has been done by Patrolman
Fields of Manteo.
Activity of Patrolman Brown in
taking to court a number of the
island’s reckless drivers, and sev
eral rattle-brained racers has had
a good effect, they say. A number
of dangerous cars and some in
competent drivers have been kept
off the roads. Heretofore little at
tention has been paid to the for
mality of taking out a driver’s li
cense. It wasn’t considered neces
sary, so long as one remained on
Ocracoke or Hatteras Islands. This
formality was neglected a long
time, due to the hardship and
inconvenience entailed in traveling
to the office of the Drivers License
examiner’s office.
In order to get a license at the
nearest place, one must take an
examination in Manteo, which may
See BEHAVIOR, Page Four
DARE SCHOOLS TO OPEN
TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 3
Students Must Ba Assigned In Order To
Enroll On Opening Date, Says
Superintendent Evans
Mrs. Dennis E. Evans, Superin
tendent of Dare County Schools,
has made the following announce
ments regarding opening date of
schools:
1. All schools in the county will
open on Tuesday, September 3, at
9 a.m.
2. Only those students who have
been assigned to particular schools
may be enrolled on the opening
date. Parents of all children who
did not attend a school in Dare
County during the 1956-57 term or
who have not been sent a notice of
assignment should contact the su
perintendent immediately so that
assignment may be made prior to
the opening of schooy
3. All children entering the pub
lic schools for the first time must
be six years of age on or before
October 15. The Attorney General
has ruled that a child bom on
October 16 would become six years
of age on October 15; therefore, a
child whose sixth birthday fallsßm
October 16 will be entitled to en
rollment No student whose sixth
birthday falls after October 16 is
entitled to enrollment for the 1957-
1958 school term.
4. Parents of all first gratters
should be sure that all required
immunisations and vaccinations
have been completed.
HIGH COST OF COUNTY
GOVT. INCREASED AGAIN
FOR DARE CO. PEOPLE
Well Above Quarter Million Mark, Commission'
ers Set Up $266,410.17 Budget for Current
Year, a Jump of $25,437.17 Above Last Year;
No Tax Levied For School Bonds To Be Issued
This Year.
TO SPEAK AT DANIELS
REUNION AUGUST 19th
JONATHAN DANIELS, editor of
the Raleigh News and Observer, is
to be the main speaker when the
annual Daniels family reunion is
held at Wanchese on August 19.
Mr. Daniels, son of the late Jose
phus Daniels, in addition to hav
ing served as an author and edi
tor, held several government posi
tions during World War 11, in
cluding assistant director of civil
defense, administrative assistant
to the President, and press secre
tary to the President.
This year’s reunion will be the
16th held by the Daniels clan. An
See DANIELS, Page Four
DISTRICT MASONIC
MEETING MONDAY
CAPE HATTERAS
Much Activity on Outer Banks
Among Masons and the
Eastern Star
For the first time in their new
lodge hall, Masons of Cape Hat
teras Lodge No. 698 will be host
to the members of lodges in the
53rd Masonic District, on Monday,
August sth. Grand Master Charles
A. Harris of Roxboro, will be the
principal guest at this district
meeting, and other officials are
expected to attend, including
D.D.G.M. R. O. Ballance of Man
teo.
The district includes Columbia,
Manteo, Wanchese, Engelhard,
Fairfield, and Swan Quarter. A. H.
Gray, Jr. of Waves is Master of
Cape Hatteras Lodge which is
about three years old.
The Lodge will convene at 3:30
P.M., and 6:30 P.M. a supper will
be given at the Cape Hatteras
High School.
A large attendance is expected
from Wanchese, and Manteo
Lodges.
Ample accommodations will be
provided at various places for
those who remain overnight. For
those who feel obliged to return,
it is stated they can leave their
cars on the north side of Oregon
Inlet and go over on the 2 p.m.
ferry where transportation will be
provided to Buxton. By returning
to the inlet at 10 p.m. they will
be brought back to their cars, in
a small boat.
For those who wish to spend
the night at Buxton, reservations
are being made by the following
committee: S. H. Midgett, Hat
teras; W. W. Edwards, Waves;
and W. L. Scarborough of Buxton.
Cecil Gibbs of Mirlo Lodge, Ro
danthe, says he can take care of
Masons who wish to stay in that
area, and will provide early break
fast.
Eastern Star Meeting
Thursday night of last week, the
See MASONS, Page Eight
MORE BIDS TO OPEN FOR
OREGON INLET DREDGING
Another step in the dredging at
Oregon Inlet will be taken on Aug
ust Bth when bids will be opened
at Wilmington on a project 12 feet
deep, 100 feet wide, and 6.600 feet
—much over a mile long. This proj
ect reaches toward the inlet from
the junction of Old House Channel
and the Manteo Channel. This i?
considered a small job. It was orig
inally part of the project for a
400-ft wide and 14-foot deep job
across the inlet bar, but had to be
separated for lack of
Single Copy
With their customary method of
doing business, the Dare County
Commissioners passed the buck
recently in setting up the budget
for the current year, and did not
levy the taxes necessary for pay
ment on the school bonds to be
issued this year for buildings at
Manteo and Kitty Hawk.
But the budget set up is the
highest in the county’s history,
having been increased by $25,437.-
17 above last year’s budget, and
is well above the quarter million
dollar mark. The Board plans to
spend a total of $266,410.17 to run
the county, much more than is
spent in many other progressive
counties, with larger populations
and greater valuations of property.
The figures set up, do not include
the $22,000 to be spent on bring
ing in a firm of tax experts next
year to set valuations on the
property in the county.
In spite of an increase of about
a half million dollars in property
in Dare County during the past
year, the Board has increased the
tax rate to $1.05, which is a 15
per cent increase during the past
six years.
The Board will spend about one
sixth of the budget for schools.
Almost as much is being spent for
welfare as for schools. Schools,
$46,000; welfare $43,837.
Some of the big jumps in ex
penses show the sheriff’s budget
increased by $2,050 or $7,000 more
than the cost in Chowan County,
with double Dare’s population. In
stead of SBOO to run the jail, it
will cost $3050, or an increase of
$2,250. The register of deeds of
fice was decreased by $135.
Operating the Welfare Depart
ment was increased $1,560 to $lB,-
950. Veterans’Service office $350
to $3,409. Increase in Tax Super
visors office was $9,820. Special
improvements to courthouse last
year were $8,875, this year $9,225,
increase $1,050.
The school budget was increased
only $6,000.
STRUCTURAL FLAWS
DELAY OPERATION
OF NEW FERRIES
Bad Luck Attends Effort to Im
prove Service Across Alliga
gator River
Bad luck has attended the State’s
efforts to improve the ferry service
across Alligator River. The first
two of the new $147,000 boats can
not be operated, and this week one
of them went back to the builder,
Barbour Boat Works in New Bern.
If it can be made to work all right,
the second will be sent down within
about two weeks.
Attempt was made to operate
one of the boats Sunday, and trips
across the river were made in 24
minutes and 26 minutes. Os course
the propeller was being revolved at
a speed of only 1400 while the
motors are new, but usual speed
later should be about 1,800 rpm.
One trouble of the boats is their
propellers are not completely sub
merged. But the worst feature is
the difficulty of steering the boats
with the hydraulic equipment in
stalled. It is believed to be too light
and larger units may be tried out.
Apparently, some miscalculations
were made by the designer, Harry
W. Keeling of Norfolk.
The boats are double-enders
equipped with two 240 h. p. G. M.
diesel motors, but only one of the
motors operates at a time, one be
ing located in each end of the boat,
so it is not necessary to turn the
boats around in order for cars to
drive on and drive off.
The first great miscalculation oc
curred when the boats were plan
ned, in that they were designed to
operate at Oregon Inlet. The boats
draw more than four feet of water,
and with only 240 hp operating at
the time, as compared with the
three 165 h.p. motors operating in
each of the old type boats now
used at the inlet, it was soon ap
parent that this offered a risky
osition. But worst of all, the depth
proposition. But woifst of all, the
depth of the boats would not per
mit their operation across the
shallow shoals at Oregon Inlet.
All of which adds up to this fact,
that the state’s efforts to provide
See FERRIES, Page Eight