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VOL XXVI NO. 8
A PROJECT INTO
WHICH WENT 14
•f YEARS OF EFFORT
Oregon Inlet, 111 Years Old, Is
Now Ready to Promise Much
to Our Coastland
By STEVE WALL
The extensive waterway devel
opment project, which was recent
ly completed and which will be
recognised by official acclamation
at Wanchese on Labor Day, had
its beginning in March 1946 when
a public hearing on the proposal
was held here in Manteo, after
the late A. H. Ward and Victor
Meekins had waged the initial
campaign in behalf of the project.
While the public hearing was
the first official act in this area
to get the ball rolling, the need
for deeper water in our channels,
basins and especially the Oregon
Inlet bar channel goes back scores
of years.
The vital necessity for improv
ed channels, from both an econom
ic as well as a military point of
view, was well expressed by the
late Ben Dixon Mac Neill at the
hearing.
Mr. Mac Neill, whose ashes were
loosed some months ago to the
surging waters of his beloved
Buxton-on-Hatteras, caught all
ears when he said, “The inlet if
getting so shallow that the fish-*
ermen feel the fish to see if they
rubbed the skin off’n their belliet
coming through the inlet.”
Then Ben Dixon took his lis
tendera through a factual account
of the losses fishermen suffered
l>ecause of the lack of water
depth, boats stranded on the bar
>ff-«shore waiting for high water
while their catch spoiled in the
holds. He also pointed out the
idvantages to be gained by open
ing up the only entrance to Pam
ico Sound between Hatteras In
et and Norfolk, how boats could
each shelter during storms and
low military craft could stand by
or emergency runs to Diamond
Shoals. His audience well knew
the import of what he was say
ing because everyone there had
been a witness in one way
another to the dozens of ships
sent to the bottom of the ocean
by enemy submarines with result
ing loss of life and other lives
maimed for the rest of their days.
Four years later in 1950, the
Congress approved what our sea
faring people had been asking for
for so long.
The Act is officially recorded
as House Document Number 310,
81st Congress, first session, ap
proved by the. Rivers and Har
bors Act of May 17, 1950. It
authorized a channel 14 feet deep
and 400 feet wide from the At
lantic Ocean over the bar and
through Oregon Inlet, thence 12
feet deep and 100 feet wide via
Old House channel to that depth
in Pamlico Sound; a channel 12
feet deep and 100 feet wide from
Oregon Inlet to and including a
burning basin 12 feet deep and
200 feet wide and 600 feet long
at Manteo; and a side channel 12
feet deep and 100 feet wide from
the Manteo-Oregon Inlet channel
in Roanoke Sound to wharves in
Mill Creek near Wanchese, includ
ing a turning basin there 200 feet
square.
The development of the system
of waterways represents a dredg
ing output of 4,273,000 cubic yards
of material at a cost of $1,300,000.
Here are the steps
by which the project progressed:
The Old House channel was com
pleted in July 1957 at a cost of
$510,000; the channels to Manteo
and Wanchese and respective ba
sins were completed in March
1960 at a cost of $542,000, and the
relocated channel at Oregon Inlet
August 20, 1960 at a cost of
$166,000.
The Norfolk Dredging Company
dredged the Old House channel,
Atkinson Dredging Company the
Mantai and Mill Creek channels,
and basins, and the LaPorte
Dredging Company the relocated
channel at the inlet.
The ocean bar channel, consid
ered the most perplexing task
and perhaps the phase of great
est importance, was completed this
month in two stages by the Corps
of Engineers hopper dredge Hyde
at a cost of $89,000.
It is interesting to point out
here that nature appears to have
extended a helping hand in the
bar channel phase of the project
When the Hyde was approximate
ly half finished with the channel,
she was called away for emer
gency woric farther north. Upon
returning to the area a few weeks
later, it was found that the chan
nel was in even better shape than
it- was on her departure. The
depth had increased, the survey
crew found, and the current ap
peared to be carrying away sand
rather than dumping it in the,
newly dredged channel. A* en
couraging as thia condition ap-
See PROJECT, Fa* Fear
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
STATF. FPDPRAL AND COUNTY OFFICIALS CONFER ON HATTERAS HIGHWAY
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THIS GROUP, meeting at the Carolinian Hotel Monday evening discussed the great value of the Hat
teras Highway, and the importance of bridging Oregon Inlet. See story elsewhere for details and names
of persons in the group.—Aycock Brown photo.
HIGHWAY OFFICIALS' WIVES LIKE THIS REGION
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oi mgnway officials visiting Dare County this week,
found themselves most favorably impressed witth the region’s hospi
tality, and enjoyed the Lost Colony drama on Sunday night. They vis
ited Hatteras and Ocracoke Islands Monday. Left to right they are
Mrs. W. F. Babcock of Raleigh, Mrs. Rex Anderson of Atlanta, and
Mrs. W. N. Spruill of Ahoskie.—Aycock Brown photo.
VOTING ON SEPT. 10
ON SANITARY DISTRICT
AT KILL DEVIL HILLS
An election will be held at the
Kill Devil Hills town hall on Sat
urday, September 10th, whereby it
is proposed that all of the terri
tory in Atlantic Township, which
lies in the Dare Beaches Sanitary
District, north of the south bound
ary of the town of Kill Devil Hills,
be removed from the District, and
no longer be a part of it, or to
pay taxes for its purpose.
See VOTING, Page Four
MISS NORTH CAROLINA AT LOST COLONY THURSDAY
MISS ANN HERRING who will represent this State as jmim iNorth
Carolina in the Miss America Beauty Pageant next month was guest
star in The Lost Colony on Thursday night, August 18, commemorat
ing the 373rd anniversary celebration of the birth of Virginia Dare—
the first child of English parentage born in the New World. Other
celebrities at the special performance were Commodore I. F. M. Newn
ham of the British Royal Navy and LieuL-Governor Luther Barnhardt
of Concord.
BIG CROWD; MANY NOTED
PEOPLE EXPECTED SEPT. 6
AT WANCHESE FISH FRY
“It is beginning to look like the
Oregon Inlet channel celebration
at Wanchese on Labor Day, Sept.
sth is going to be a mighty big
one,” Melvin R. Daniels, who with
J. W. Davis, Mack Etheridge and
others are leading the committee,
said yesterday.
“Senator Everett Jordan, Con
gressman Bonner, and just about
all the members of the Legisla-
See CROWD, Page Four
MANTEO, N. C., FRIDAY, AUGUST 19, 1960
RUSSIAN TRAWLER
OFF DARE COUNTY
AROUSES INTEREST
Dan Lewarlt and Willie Etheridge
Notice Odd Fishing Craft;
Navy Is Alerted
For the second time in five
months, Atantic Fleet planes are
riding herd on a radar-laden Rus
sian trawler off the Virginia-
North Carolina coast.
Like the trawler Vega of last
March, the Murmansk is plying
; vaters 30 to 40 miles off the
coast, carrying little-used deep
tea fishing gear and an unsual
amount of electronics equipment.
The Russian trawler was first
reported by Capt. Dan Lewark,
skipper of the fishing boat Duch
ess out of Oregon Inlet. He and
his fishing party spotted her Mon
■’•'y morning about- 40 miles east
of the inlet.
■■ Atlantic Fleet headquarters ad
mitted Tuesday it was “award of
“•he trawler, which is in intema
*-:onal waters.” No special surveil
lance has been ordered by Adm.
Robert L. Dennison, U. S. and
NATO Atlantic commander.
“It is normal to keep track of
any Russian vessels which are in
waters near the continental Unit
ed States,” was all Dennison’s
staff would say about the situa
tion.
Recounting his experience Mon
day, Lewark said:
“The trawler came out of the
northeast. I was fishing and she
came right up to me and stopped.
There was a marlin around there
we were messing with.
“The crew on the trawler were
watching me try to hook it. They
were jabbering away at me in
what was Russian, I guess. There
were about 35 or 40 men aboard,
all very young, and one woman.
“I finally went up to the traw
ler (about six feet away) and
stopped and looked her over, in
close. This one guy came out with
a vodka bottle in his hand, wav
ing his arms. I thought it meant
he was inviting us aboard but I
wasn’t about to go.”
Lewark said the trawler had
the word “Balaclava” on her hul’
along with name “Mypmanck”
Russian for “Murmansk.” Bala
clava is a small Soviet Crimean
village on the Black Sea. It be
came famous in the Crimean war
of 1854 when Russian forces at
tacked the combined force of
Great Britain, France and Turkey
which were besieging Sevatopol.
The Navy, while admitting its
planes are tracking the trawler,
would not say how long it has
been under surveillance or where
else it had operated.
Antisubmarine Task Group Alfa,
headed by the carrier Randolph,
is operating off the Virginia
Capes, but is not particularly
concerned with the trawler, a
source said.
Lewrak said the trawler was
between 125 and 150 feet long and
was riding low, as though heavy
laden.
He said the nets and other fish
ing gear looked “like they hadn’t
been used in six months.” The
nets were dry and trawling gear
rusty, he said.
Another fishing boat, the Chee-
Chee, also out of Oregon Inlet,
saw the Russian visitor about the
same time. Skipper Willie Ether
idge, Jr. gave much the same ac-
See TRAWLER, Page Four
OES PICNIC AUGUST 25
Members of the Roanoke Island
Chapter Order of Eastern Star are
reminded of the family picnic to
be held at six o’clock Thursday
afternoon, August 25, on the lawn
of ltrs. Jack Wilson’s home.
CONSERVATION BD.
DUE HERE MONDAY;
ANNUAL SESSION
Two Days of Hearings and Busi
ness Scheduled August 22-23
at Carolinian Hotel
The two-day annual meeting of
the N. C. Board of Conservation
and Development is scheduled to
open at The Carolinian Hotel, Nags
i Head, Monday, August 22 at 9 a m.
Governor Luther Hodges is sched
uled to preside. William P. Saun
ders is director of the Department.
This will be the first business ses
sion of the Board.
The invocation will be given by
the Rev. Joseph Burroughs, pastor,
St. Andrews by the Sea, Nags
Head.
Victor Meekins, chairman of the
Dare County Board of Commis
sioners, will officially welcome the
Governor and board members to
Daare county. The response will
be given by Board member H. C.
Kennett of Durham. Gov. Hodges,
board chairman, will then recognize
guests present for the meeting.
Director William P. Saunders of
the Department of Conservation
and Development, and Assistant,
See BOARD, Page Four
HODGES TO ATTEND
LOST COLONY SATURDAY
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GOVERNOR LUTHER HODGES,
will attend the showing of . the
Lost Colony Saturday night, Aug
ust 20th. The Governor will be ill
Dare County for the week end
and will preside at the meetings
of the Board of Conservation and
Development at Nags Head Mon
day and Tuesday.
FISH FRY SATURDAY
Another in their series of fish
frys will be held by membei's of
Manteo Masoonic Lodge this Sat
urday, August 20, at the new lodge
hall building site. Proceeds bene
fit the building fund, and the pub-/
lie is cordially invited. Serving be
gins at 5 p.m. *
MASTER AND CHIEF ENGINEER OF DREDGE "HYDE"
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DEEPENING THE CHANNEL off Oregon Inlet bar is a faacinaating
process indeed, to both young and old. Visitors Sunday numbered some
young people. Shown in the picture are Capt. Clyde Testone, master
of the dredge; E. Trueblood, Chief Engineer, and the young people
from left to tight are Susanne Brewer of Plant City, Fla., daughter
of Wm. A. Brewer, drag tender for the dredge; Colleen Testone,
daughter of the Captain, and Warren Meekins, five-year-old son of
Mr. and Mrs. Francis W. Meekins.
“OREGON INLET” IS DEFINITELY
SCHEDULED FOR BUILDING;
ASSURANCE GIVEN BY BABCOCK
Programmed For Early Letting Among State
Projects, While Surveys and Studies Are Made
and Plans Are Being Mapped; Federal High
way Officials This Week Consider Status of
Road for Adoption into Federal System.
ROANOKE ISLAND LOSES
ITS OLDEST WOMAN, 92
MRS. DORA GALLOP DAVIS, 92,
widow of the late Daniel Edward
Davis, daughter of the late Peter
Gregory and Caroline Daniels
Gallop died Tuesday morning at
5:45 at the home of her daugh
ter, Mrs. George Baum of Wan
chese. Mrs. Gallop was born at
Wanchese May 9, 1869, and was
the oldest living member of Beth
any Methodist Church. She was
universally beloved, was going
strong until a day or two before
her death, and was taken sick only
on Tuesday morning. At 5:30 Dr.
C. F. Harris was called and ad
vised she be taken to a hospital,
and preparations being made
when she expired.
| Two other daughters survive her:
Mrs. Harold Howard of Norfolk
1 and Mrs. Esther Reifers of San
Diego, Calif.; a son, Edward M.
Davis; four sisters, Mrs. Eleazar
Tillett, Mrs. Martha Etheridge,
Mrs. Lillie Daniels, and Mrs. E. C.
Green; one brother, Ezekiel R.
Gallop all of Wanchese; also 12
grandchildren, ten great grandchil
dren and seven great-great grand
children.
Two years ago, she made a trip
to visit her daughter on the W'est
coast, by airplane. She kept house
at Wanchese, but occasionally vis
ited her children for short periods, i
She was a member of the local
WSCS and of the Pocahontas Chap
iter No. 28 of Wanchese.
1 See MRS. DAVIS, Page Four
MAIL SHOULD BE
ADDRESSED TO BOX 423
MANTEO, N. C.
NOT TO INDIVIDUALS
Single Copy 70
The Oregon Inlet Bridge is def-
2 initely scheduled for construction
and there is nothing in sight to
I keep it from becoming a reality,
I accoiding to W. F. Babcock, Di-
I rector of Highways, who stated
I emphatically Tuesday that rumors
I started by doubting Thomases and
I other spreaders of discouragement
I and gloom can be laid at rest.
I Mr. Babcock was in Dare County
I early in the week, in company with
I Federal Highway officials, to make
I a survey of the Hatteras Island
I road with the object of exhibiting
I the evidence that this road now
I merits including in the Federal
I, Roards system, whereby the bridge
I I project would be entitled to its
I share of Federal funds.
Two meetings set up for this oe-
I casion brought out strong support
I from the Dare County Board of
I Commissioners, the U. S. Coast
I Guard, the National Park Service,
the U. S. Weather Bureau, The
, U. S. Engineer Corp and others.
1 At noon Monday, a meeting at
r Scottie’s Restaurant in Hatteras
, was attended by County Commis
t sioner George Fuller, Ben Williams
of the Hatteras Weather Bureau,
and interested ciitzens.
t Highway officials attending the
3 meeting were Mr. Babcock, Rex
. S. Anderson, Regional Engineer of
, the Bureau of Public Roads, At
. lanta; Lowell S. Coy, Division
> Engineer for the State Highway
r Commission, Ahoskie; L. C. Mc
. Duffie, Chief, Engineering Division,
. U. S. Engineer Corps, Wilmington,
, and several citizens of Hatteras
> Island.
Accompanying their husbands on
: the trip to the Dare Coast were
: Mrs. Anderson, Mrs. Babcock, and
1 Mss. Spruill. The party arrived at
. Nags Head Sunday evening and
• attended the Lost Colony.
> Monday evening the group met
■ in the Carolinian at Nags Head
and this meeting was attended also
' by Mr. McDuffie, Capt. Fred J.
• Schieber, representing the office
of the Commander of the Sth Coast
Guard District of Norfolk; Floyd
i Taylor, acting Supt. of the Cape
; Hatteras National Seashore; Ross
■ Sweeney and Edward Nash, engi
neers from the National Park
I Service; Col. H. C. Wolfe of the
. N. C. Department of Water Re
sources; W. F. Fowler also of this
department; D. V. Meekins and
David Stick of the Board of Com
missioners; M. K. Fearing Jr., of
Manteo.
Mr. Babcock pointed out several
i interesting facts concerning prog
| ress in bridge building. Usually
| these projects are set up five years
| ahead. Normally two and • half
I years are required, to complete
! construction after contract is let.
There were a number of positive
reasons why it would have been
impractical to build the Oregon
Inlet bridge before the Alligator
j River. First of all, the Inlet could
| not be bridged until the U. S. Engi-
I neers had completed their studies
I and definitely located the channel
| for accommodation of vessels,
I which the Federal Government ex
pects to maintain. The kind of
i bridge built will depend on the
I final approval from the engineers
when Hie size of clearance in the
chaanel has been determined.
i Some delay has been caused due
to the long effort to get approval
of the route from Whalebone to
Hatteras Inlet, which up to now
has never been considered eligible
for participation in Federal grants
in aid for secondary roads. This
makes a big item, when one con
siders Federal aid may be half the
cost of a four million dollar bridge.
But most important for Allign
tor River was, that having none of
these hurdles to overcome, and hav
ing the benefit of surveys and esti
mates that had been made in 1966,
there was no need to hold back on
I the project, just because Oregon
Inlet could not go ahead, and for
Hthis reason, the Commission was
able to get moving on Alligator
River bridge some four or five
months after it had been approved
I by the Highway Commission.
The Commission is equally anxi
, ous along with the citizens to get
, Oregon Inlet bridged. It is desired
to eave the tremendous expense of
’ operating ferries which grow rapid
ly less adequate under the force
' of the huge increase in traffic
stimulated by the National Park
See BRIDGE* Plage Four