SEND RENEWAL
OF SUBSCRIPTION
BEFORE EXPIRATION
DATE ON ADDRESS
VOL. XXV NO. 22
KILLED SUNDAY BY
EXPLOSION OF GAS
IN MANNS HARBOR
Donald Wilbert Midgett Dies
Quickly During Night; Blaze
Extinguished
Donald Wilbert Midgett, 30, died
shortly after a gas explosion in
his home at Manns Harbor Sun
day morning shortly after mid
night. He was burned severely
about the face from the explosion.
It is believed he had attempted to
light a stove with the aid of oil,
and that the ensuing blaze caused
an explosion from a leaking gas
stove in an adjoining bedroom.
Indications were that Midgett
had made his way into the kitch
en and jammed himself into a cor
ner, with his face over his hands in
an attempt to get away from the
gas. His father-in-law, Louis Hoop
er, heard the explosion and rushed
across the road at once, and was
able to put out the fire with the
aid of a garden hose. The Manteo
fire department was called, but the
fire was ah’eady out when it ar
rived. It was not known until later
that Midgett was in the house.
It was not known at the time
why Midgett had come home from
Norfolk, where he lives with his
wife in a trailer. It was thought
that he had caught a ride to Dare
County with a friend, and decided
to spend the night in his home,
which had been vacant for quite a
while. Apparently, hfl had immedi
atofiy tried to light a fire, aiyJ- the
resulting flame had set off gas
that had been leaking a long time.
Later reports gave it his wife
didn’t know he had left Norfolk
at all, and his car was found next
day in a side road not far from
the home; indications being that
he had come alone to Manns Har
bor.
He was a lifelong resident of
Manns Harbor, he was employed
by Southern Materials Co., of Nor
folk as mate on a tug. He was
a son of Mrs. Mary L. Midgett and
the late Louis Lathan Midgett.
Besides his mother he is sur
vived by his wife Mrs. Nina
Hooper Midgett; two stepsons,
Richard L. Rowe and Danney E.
Rowe of Manns Harbor; two sis
ters, Mrs. Nellie Mae Ambrose of
East Lake and Mrs. Hazel M.
Crosewhite of Mt. Clemons, Mich.,
and two brothers, Louis Howard
Midgett of Portland, Ore., and
Louis Lathan Midgett of Manns
Harbor; two half sisters, Mrs. Mel
rose Tillett of Manns Harbor and
Mrs. Catherine Jordon of Sun
bury. . . ~
Funeral services were held at
the Mt. Carmel Methodist Church
of which he was a member, Tues
day at 3 p.m. by the Rev. Charles
R. Olson, pastor, with burial in the
church cemetery, at Manns Har-
Funeral services were conducted
by the pastor, Rev. C. R. Olson.
Hymns sung were “F art he r
Along,” “Last Mile of the Way,”
and “Safe in Arms of Jesus,” with
Roger Gard accompanist. The pall
was of red and white carnations.
Pallbearers were Harry Mann,
Huff Mann, Earl Ray Mann, Rol
lins Tillett, Jaccie Burrus and
Frank Hemilwright.
HYDE COUNTY MAN
TO SEEK A SEAT
IN STATE SENATE
For several months now, it has
been fairly definitely established
that Rep. Dick O’Neal of Hyde
County will be a candidate for
the State Senate from the Second
District in 1960. Hyde occupies
the position of being one of the
“Smaller Counties,” of the Dis
trict that has not had a Senator
in more than a quarter of a cen
tury. •
It has been customary for
Beaufort, and. Martin, the two
larger counties of the District to
keep a Senator in office at all
times, either from one county,
or both, and usually by prece
dent, for two terms. In the recent
session both counties had a Sena
tor, but young Elbert Peele, Jr.
of Martin was filling out the sec
ond term what would ordinarily
have gone to Robert Cowan who
abdicated to enter Government
service in Washington.
As Mr. Peele will respect the
precedent which has prevailed in
the District for long years, the
way is open for one of the smal
ler five counties of the District.
All of them have had senators
.since Tyrrell, which last had a
Senator in 1920 Herbert L.
Swain; and Hyde, which last had
a Senator in 1926—Carroll Spen
cer.
Washington has had several
Senators, and within the past 15
years, both Dare and Pamlico have
held the Senatorship for two
terms. By custom and right, Tyr
rell or Hyde should now have an
opportunity to share in this hon-
See O’NEAL, Page Seven
THE COASTLAND TIMES
WITH WHICH IS COMBINED THE PILOT AND HERALD OF BELHAVEN AND SWAN QUARTER
PUBLISHED WEEKLY IN THE INTEREST OF THE WALTER RALEIGH COASTLAND OF NORTH CAROLINA
HONORS GIVEN MRS. GARDNER IN WASHINGTON
S'
»» ■ JI hl WSI
K. Jrijifai J|
fIS ■
jgK
1 f fel wl ,
At the reception last week in Washington, D. C. honoring Mrs.
Fay Webb Gardner, widow of the late Governor O. Max Gardner, two
other women who have occupied the Governor’s mansion in Raleigh
attended. Mrs. J. M. Broughton, left, and Mrs. Luther Hodges, wife
of the present governor on the right, were honor guests. Other living
women who have occupied the mansion as wives of Governors are Mrs.
J. C. B. Ehringhaus, Mrs. R. Gregg Cherry, and Mrs. W. Kerr Scott.
Mrs. Gardner often visits on our coast, with the Fred Morrisons at
their Kill Devil Hills beach home. She is a long-time member of
the Roanoke Island Historical Association, a friend and active boost
er of the Lost Colony.
Mrs. O. Max Gardner, of Shelby,
was feted in Washington, D. C.,
Thursday night, November 19 as
an outstanding citizen, patron, and
benefactor, when she was the honor
guest of the North Carolina Din
ner of the Woman’s National Dem
ocratic Club. A citation was pre
sented to her on behelf of the Club
by Dr. Frank P. Graham, formex
president of the Greater Universi
ty, in Washington with Mrs. Gra
ham from his United Nations post,
fox - the Gardner dinner.
Distinguished leaders of the
See RECEPTION, Page Seven
NAMED ON WHITE HOUSE
CONFERENCE COMMITTEE
Isl
Hv
m wu
1 fIW
MRS. MAE COHOON CARA
WAN of Columbia has been hon
ored by the N. C. 1960 White
House Conference nominating
Committee, on a list of some 70
nominees submitted to Governor
Hodges to represent the state at
the Golden Anniversary of the
White House conference on chil
dren and youth. The committee
said it had made every effort for
a delegation representative of the
broad interests of children and
youths throughout the state.
The list includes leaders of both
races, and from the eastern area
are Senator Elbert Peel, Jr. of
Williamston, Mrs. Glenn Pendle
‘on, RF D. 1. Elizabeth City,
Dr. Harold L. Trigg, former pres
ident of State Teachers College,
Elizabeth City, now coordinator
of Negro activities of the N. C.
Prison Dept., and Ed Rankin, the
governor’s present private secre
tary.
Mrs. Carawan is chairman of
the Tyrrell Co. 1960 White House
Conference Committee, and Vice-
President of the N. C. Council of
Women’s organizations.
23.9 POINT GAS REACHES
DARE CO. AT KITTY HAWK
At last, the price of gas has
dropped to 23.9 cents in Dare
County, where gas prices have been
up so long. The Outer Banks Serv
ice Station opposite the new Kitty
Hawk school was featuring regu
lar gas this week at the lower
price. On the 16th, the station
went under the management of
two young men of the community,
Lewis A. Garrett Jr., and Fred D.
Scarborough. It is a new Pureoil
Station, completed at the end of
the summer by Emmett Winslow
of Hertford, and has been operated
during the interim by Pat Bayne
of Nags Head, who has established
a good trade. He extends his ap
preciation to his patrons and.
wishes success for the new opera
tors. I
—Washington Star Photo.
KILKENNY YOUTH
ON VISIT HOME
SLAIN BY COUSIN
Playing With Pistol Ends Life of
Floyd Dale Brickhouse Near
Fairfield
Floyd Dale Brickhouse 16, was
fatally shot Saturday atfernoon
while he and a cousin were frol
icking with a .32 calibei’ pistol in
Kilkenny community at the store
of his uncle, Roy Brickhouse.
The dead youth was a son of
Mr. and Mrs. James Brickhouse of j
Kilkenny, Tyrrell County, P. 0. ad- j
dress Fairfield, Route 1. He was I
a sophomore at Maury High
School in Norfolk, and was visit
ing fox’ the week end. He grew up
in Kilkenny.
The cousin with whom he was
playing was Coley Roy Brick
house, 15, son of Mr. and Mrs.
Roy Brickhouse of Fairfield,
Route 1.
His uncle took him to Columbia
Hospital, but he was pronounced
dead on arrival by Dr. James
Howerton, who said he was shot
in the right upper chest and that
death apparently was instantane
ous.
Accompanied by his father, the
other - youth, in a state of hysteria
i -nd shock, gave himself up and
asked to be locked up, Sheriff
Chir E. Morris said. Morris said
that he released the youth pend
ing an inquest. No charges were
made at the time.
Besides his parents, surviving
are two brothers, Jimmie Brick
house of Norfolk and Frankie
Brickhouse of Fairfield, Rt. 1,
and his maternal grandmother,
Mrs. Amanda Hudson of Fair
field.
A funeral service was held at
Nizareth Christian Church at
Kilkenny Monday at 2 p.m. by the
Rev. Joseph A. Brickhouse, pas
tor. Burial was in the family
cemetery nearby.
NO NINE LIVES FOR CAT
WHICH TROUBLED PASTOR
When the Rev. Frank Dinwiddie
of Nags Head started his motor
after concluding a visit at the
[home of Tom Dough near Fort Ra
[ leigh Friday evening, he heard an
unusual and ten’ific noise under
the hood.
The noise instantly subsided into
a slight hum, and he drove four
miles to Manteo where Charlie
Shannon, erpert mechanic soon
found tire trouble.
It was an adult cat that the fan
had picked up, chewed into frag
ments and distributed about the
motor. The first impact had thrown
off the fan belt. The cat will not
have nine lives. Shannon picked
out the fragments of cat, read
justed the belt and no severe dam
age to motor was done. He said
it was the first instance of his kind
in a lifetime of mechanical work.
The cat had crawled up inside to
enjoy the warmth of the motor
while the preacher was visiting the
sick.
THANKSGIVING DANCE
The Manteo High School P. T. A.
is sponsoring a Thanksgiving Sock
Dance at the Manteo High School
Gym on Friday, November 27,
from 9-12 p.m. for grades 9-12 and
college students. Entertainment
will be provided, and the admis
sion is 75f for couples and 500 for
stags.
MANTEO, N. C., FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 27, 1959
FIRST FLIGHT TO
BE OBSERVED BY
MILITARY FLYOVER
Kill Devil Hills Celebration Plans
Shaped Up For Decem
ber 17th
KILL DEVIL HILLS.—Air Force
supersonic jets will salute the
Wright Brothers in an exciting me
morial formation flyover on De-1
cember 17, during the 56th anni-|
versary ceremonies of the first
heavier- than air, powered flights
in 1903.
Lt. Col. Olin C. Cook, a native
of Boone, N. C., who is deputy di
rector of operations, Headquarters
354th TFW, Myrtle Beach Air
Force Base, flew here on the week
end to complete local arrangements j
for the flyover.
The Ninth Air Force has as-!
signed Col. Cook as project officer
for the aerial phase of the annual
celebration commemorating tire
Wrights’s famous first flights j
here.
With officials of the Kill Devil
Hills Memorial Society and the
National Park Service, Col. Cook
visited the first flight site and
outlined plans for the flyover. He|
stated that with FAA approval/
now pending, the Air Force plan
ned to have a formation of 12 jet
fighters, two transports and one
multi-engine bomber in the fly-
See FLIGHT, Page Seven
THOMAS COOLEY ENTERS
UNIVERSITY OF PARIS
BBL Wfeys: . : ■' ■
flfl ’
-aft •
Kli
THOS. COOLEY, who has made
numerous friends in Dare County
during his visits to his aunt, Mrs.
Wilbur Pinner in Manns Harbor in
the summers, and who is a talented i
musician is again pursuing his ar
tistic career in Europe and has en-1
rolled in the Universtiy of Paris/
in France for the year. In this!
(city university) a famed seat of
learning, a third of the students}
are French, a third American and;
a third from other countries. He
will study music, language and!
art. Last year he was enrolled in!
Salzburg, Austria, at the academy 1
lof music and dramatic art (Mo-1
zarteum).
He received his BM degree from 1
Stetson University in 1957, and his
masters in 1958 from Chicago Col
lege of Music of Roosevelt Uni
versity. He previously held an as
sociate of arts degree and a bache
lor of music degree in piano. He
has studied privately in Europe and
this country with such outstanding
teachers as Jose Echaniz of the
Eastman School of Music and
Prof. Roger Cushman of Stetson
University. In Chicago, he has been
a scholarship student in piano with
the eminent pianist, composer, ond
conductor, Dr. Rudolph Ganz and
with Molly Margolies.
Both here and in Europe, Cooley
has been acclaimed as an outstand
ing musician and pianist. He plans
to return to the United States in
1960. His parents were at one time
residents of Manteo, while Col.
Cooley was stationed here and at
Fort Bragg. His parents are Col.
and Mrs. Thomas R. Cooley of De
land, Fla.
FISHING PIER TO
BE BUILT SOUTH
OF THE WHALEBONE
A. E. Mitchell and Mrs. B. L.
Mitchell, of Nags Head, have
made application for permit to
construct a pier in the Atlantic
Ocean two miles south of the in
tersection of U. S. Highway Nos.
158 and 64 on the east side of
Bodie Island, Dare County, North
Carolina.
Plans submitted show a pier 16
feet wide and extending seaward
approximately 700 feet beyond
the mean high water line. Plans
showing the proposed work may
be seen in the Corps of Engineers
office and in the post offices at
Manteo and Nags Head, North
Carolina.
Objections to the proposed work
as outlined above will be received
at Wilmington office until 14 De
cember 1959.
.CUCKOLD’S CREEK
FLOOD CONTROL
SURVEY NOV. 30
Project to Serve 35,000 Acres
With 15 Miles of Streams
and Canals in Area
Field survey work will begin
alwut November 30 in the basins
of Pantego and Cucklers Creeks
I near Belhaven for flood control and
[drainage planning purposes, Col.
R. P. Davidson, District Engineer
of the Corps of Engineers, an- |
nounced Saturday in Wilmington.
The work, Colonel Davidson said,
will continue for about six weeks
and will include determinations of
elevations essential to preparation
of plans now in progress to control
I floods and to improve drainage.
The project was authorized sev
' eral years ago and funds have been
received to draw up a compre- (
hensive plan. Construction funds
have not been appropriated,
j The area includes portions of
I Beaufort, Hyde and Washington
counties covering about 15 miles of ,
streams and canals, the latter con
structed in past years by local
people. ,
I In acreage, the project will af
fect 11,800 acres of good farming
land, 10,500 acres of pasture and
some 12,700 acres of woodland.
Prelminary plans provide for
cleaning out some streams and
canals and widening and deepening
others.
Congressman Herbert Bonner
has followed through on this pro
ject for several years. It will serve
a large area of the more fertile
farmlands of Beaufort and Hyde
Counties. ,
WEEK END FIRES
AT MANTEO AND
KILL DEVIL HILLS
Manteo Auto Shop Damaged and
Beach Cottage Destroyed;
aMn Killed
Three week-end fires in Dare
County destroyed one cottage,
killed one man, and damaged the
Chevrolet body shop. As reported
in another item, Donald Midgett
of Manns Harbor met death Sat
urday night in a gas explosion in
his home.
While the Manteo fire truck
had gone to Manns Harbor, the
Dare Beaches truck at Nags Head
came to Manteo, to stand by.
Shortly after midnight a fire was
discovered in the new body shop
lof Hassell & Crees Motor Co.,
[ which resulted in some $1,400
loss, including damages to one or
two cars not covered by insurance.
This fire is susupected of having
1 come from shorted electrical
j equipment.
Early Monday morning a beach
j cottage in the Delray section of
| Kill Devil Hills was destroyed by
' fire suspected of originating in
|an over-heated oil burner. The
I house belonging to Wilson Wright
[ was valued at SIO,OOO and was a
' total loss. The fire was discovered
by Donald Dough, an early riser
at the Stop and Shop grocery. The
owner had lighted the stove on
[ Sunday to keep the premises
i warm for some duck hunters ex
[ pected to arrive Sunday night.
I --
'-FIRE UNIT ORGANIZES
, SETS UP OFFICERS
i
i The Nags Head unit of the Fire
[ Department of the Dare Beaches
Sanitary District was organized
r Wednesday night at The Carolini
. an Hotel, with about 15 present,
j Plans were made for the erection
t of a building near the Sand Dol-
> lar motel to house the fire truck,
which is now being kept at the
t nearby Radar Station.
Meetings will be held on the
’ third Friday in each month.
Richard Mann was elected
President, Troy Shepherd, Vice
President, and Julian Oneto, Sec
retary-Treasurer. The Captain of
the fire company is George Buck
: Mann, replacing Pat Bayne who
resigned because of other commit-
■ ments. Lieutenants are Lionel
! Edwards and Carl Nunemaker, and
> Bill Daughtry is fire chief.
: Mr. Oneto says the fire equip-
■ ment will effect a saving of 24
■ cents in the residential insurance
' rates, and this offsets the addi
i tional tax that is being charged,
so far as tax on structures go.
> At an early date, an insurance
1 appraiser is expected to meet with
I the Department, and determine
i the rate on commercial or other
structures. Regular drills will be
i gin Sunday of this week.
The group plans to erect the
■ Nags Head building by contribu
tions of money and labor. A
building for the first unit of the
District has been erected at Kitty
Hawk beach and is being rented
to the district.
WANCHESE MAN MAY
RETURN HOME IN 1960
~
* I '■ *
” • V IF
■bX' R i
I ' '■
| ‘ T- ■
GOVERNMENT PROPERTY
—That’s what Capt. Otis S. Simp
son, skipper of the Army Corps of
Engineers’ steam lighter, calls
himself. The expression is a stand
on their length of service.—Stat
en Island Advance photo.
—— ■ <
DRINKWATER GETS AIR TRIP
TO NEW YORK CEREMONIES ’
A. W. Drinkwater of Manteo
was a special guest on the week end 1
of Eastern Airlines, flying to '
New York City to witness the ded- ■
ication of a new S2O million term
inal building at Idlewild Interna- '
tional airport, on Monday. At the
age of 84, he was recognized
because of his activity in connec- •
tion with publicity attending the
first flight by the Wrights at Kill
Devil Hills a half century ago.
FINDS NASSAU WIDEAWAKE !
TO TOURIST PROFITS
\ Z --
-- ■ *
4V
AYCOCK BROWN, Tourist Bu- I
reau Manager for Dare County ■
got a big kick out of his recent
visit to Nassau. There he got
some good pointers about how
the Bahamans hold the tourist
business. Monday night of this
week Mr, Brown told the Manteo
Rotary Club about his visit. The
following are excerpts from his
talk to the Rotarians:
Perhaps he did not plan it that
way but Fidel Castro and his Cu
ban Revolution has done more for
tourism in Nassau, Puerto Rico,
Bermuda and other Caribbean and ]
Bahama Island resort areas than
anything that has happened in
recent years.
On the bayside of the patio of
Nassau’s swank British Colonial
Hotel I learned these facts:
“We are having the best tour
ist business in the history of
Nassau. Our hotels are filled with
tourist and convention groups.
They are coming in by cruise
ship and planes from everywhere,
and especially from the United:
States in sectors where Cuba was
a primary target for tourists be
fore Castro, said Don McCarthy,
public relations newsman for the
Nassau Development Board.
“We’ve been thinking about
erecting a monument to the guy,
said Gilberto V. Pesquera, Ameri
can-educated sports news director
of the University, of Puerto Rico.
In San Juan the Sheraton and
■ other groups in the business are
See BROWN, Page Seven
BROWN OFF TO MEXICO
PROMOTING BIG FISHING
Aycock Brown Dare County
Tourist Bureau Manager leaves
Saturday morning for a visit to
Mexico. He will travel by plane
from Norfolk to Miami and
thence to Mexico City.
From Mexico City he will go
to Acapulco on the west coast to
i observe the sportsfishing tourna
’ ment which will be underway
there. Several of the teams par
ticipating in the tournament are
' expected to take part in the Hat
teras Blue Marlin Tournament
scheduled for June 1960. Brown
will return late next week. He
hopes to arouse more interest in
getting more big game fishermen
to visit the Dare Coast.
MAIL SHOULD BE
ADDRESSED TO BOX 428
MANTEO, N. C.
NOT TO INDIVIDUALS
Single Copy 70
ATTENTION GIVEN
WANCHESE NATIVE
ON NEW YORK JOB
Capt. Ottis Simpson Covers
11,000 Miles A Year on Har
bor Assignment
(By RAYMOND A. WITTEK
In the Staten Island Advance)
They may soon erase Capt. Ottis
S. Simpson’s name from the “prop
erty list.”
And what’s a “property list?”
Listen to Simpson:
“When tney cneck through the
list and don’t find your name, they
simply add it In other words,
you’re no longer a government
employe, you’re government prop
erty.”
Capt. Simpson, who resides at
330 Rose Ave., New Dorp, (on
Staten Island) related the stand
ing service joke about employe
longevity aboard the Army Corps
of Engineers’ steam lighter Gor
ham. He’s skipper of the stubby
little ship, the jack-of-all-trades
of the New York District.
He is the son of the late Charlie
Simpson of Wanchese, and he mar
ried the former Zella Daily of Bux
ton. A brother, Jasper’ Simpson
lives in Manteo
The 54-year-old captain, who’ll
celebrate his birthday next month,
long has been on the property list.
As he recalled without any effort,
he has been with the corps “thirty
three years, six months and three
days.”
Sounds like a man with an eye
on the calendar?
“Just a good memory,” he says.
But in the same breath he’ll admit
that “very probably” he will re
tire next year, regretfully ending
a career with the corps that goes
back to 1927.
Simpson spoke of his approach
ing retirement with a certain
amount of apprehension and mixed
feelings.
On one hand, he admitted he
would miss the service with its se
curity, diversity of jobs, camarade
rie and old friendships which sur
vived the years.
On the other hand, he looked
forward to the change. Not one
to sit idle, his eyes brightened
j as he contemplated the horizon.
Skippering a yacht . . . entering
private business—not just vague
ideas, but sound job offers.
“In any event,” he said, “I’ll fol
low the water.”
Simpson has been “following
the water” ever since he was 17
and still in high school at Wanchese
on Roanoke Island. As far back as
he can remember the men on his
paternal side had been seafarers.
His fathex 1 was a fisherman and
boatman, and he spent summers
with him.
Ottis S. Simpson left home in
1923 and joined the Engineers
Corps in Norfolk, as a motorboat
operator. However, this lasted only
six or seven months, and he join
ed the Coast Guard for a year.
On leaving the service, he re
turned to North Carolina where
he worked as a commercial fisher
man and later as a ferryboat op
erator.
On Aug. 15, 1927, Simpson re
joined the corps—this time to stay.
!He served aboard a dredge in the
Gulf of Mexico and later in Nor
folk, but the job kept him away
for long periods from his family.
Then in 1936 an opportunity to
live a normal family life present
ed itself in New York, and Simp
son moved here with his wife,
Zella, and their three children,
settling on Staten Island.
Simpson served on various ships,
getting his first command in 1939.
Today he holds a master’s ticket
for unlimited tonnage and pilot
licenses for most of the major
ports between Mexico and Canada.
He was given command of the
270-ton Gorham in 1945, and as he
says, “You name it; we do it.”
The 115-foot lighter is one of the
corps small fleet of ships that
wages an unrelenting war against
driftwood and refuse found float
ing—and sometimes sunken—in the
harbor.
It differs from other ships
in the fleet in that it also de
livers general supplies to dred
ges and is used to grade newly
dredged areas. It also does con
siderable towing and hoisting
with its 45-foot-long, 12-ton der
rick.
Unlike the larger Drift Master,
which was designed especially for
drift collecting, the Gorham uses
an auxiliary vessel. This collector is
a small, catamarantype float that
scoops up refuse in a mesh steel
net.
When the net is filled with about
12 tons of refuse, it is dropped on
the deck of the Gorham and another
net is lowered. Later the Gorham
steams to a concrete barge anchor
ed off Robins Reef where the nets
are unloaded and the refuse burn
ed.
Simpson estimated that the Gor-
See SIMPSON, Page Seven