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' VOLUME XXVIII NO. 3
EXPANDED PARK PROGRAM
POSES MONEY PROBLEM
‘ GENEROUS DONOR NEEDED
Otherwise, It Appears That North Carolina
Will Have to Finance Acquisition of Land;
Virginia to Be Sounded Out on Joining in
Coastland Recreation Area Development;
House Passes Inlet Bridge Fund Measure
National Park Service Offi
cials in this area are watching
with closest attention this
week’s developments in the
wake of a proposal by interior
Secretary Stewart L. Udall and
Governor Terry Sanford at
Nags Head Saturday for the
extension of the seashore park
to Cape Lookout and possibly
the Shackelford Banks.
The immediate problem ap
pears to be money. The Cape
Hatteras National Seashore
holdings were acquired 'by
means of a donation from the
Mellon Foundation, matched by
a State appropriation. As of
now, it looks as though a donor
must be found, or, lacking that,
the State must assume the en
tire cost of the projected new
land acquisitions.
Surveys Necessary
Some surveys already have
been made in the area. Others
must follow, to determine just
what land will be included in the
public domain, and what will be
left out. Both State and Federal
legislation probably will be
necessary to implement the pro
ject.
The State already has acquir
ed considerable land on the Core
Banks, and has done some ex
perimentation in building sand
fences in the area, through the
N. C. Water Resources Depart
ment.
The proposed new parkland
begins with Portsmouth Island,
immdiately south of Ocracoke
Island, and of about the same
size and contours. Next come
the Core Banks, which extend to
Cape Lookout. The Shackleford
Banks run from Lookout to the
mainland.
Virginia Sounded Out
Meanwhile, Virginia is being
sounded out on the possibility of
including at least a part of the
Back Bay barrier reef area in
the National Park program. This
area runs from Sandbridge
south about 14 miles to the
North Carolina line.
Conrad Wirth, Park Service
director, said Monday the pro
posal will be taken up with
Virginia officials on an explor
atory basis.
See PARK, Page Four
SINGLE FERRY
NOT ADEQUATE
FOR OCRACOKE
Lase Arrivals at Atlantic Left
Behind; Only One
Run Daily
The single ferry that links
Atlantic, on the North Carolina
mainland, with Ocracoke Island
is proving inadequate to meet
the needs of motorists as the
summer season advances, ac
cording to word from Ocracoke
this week.
The ferry has two claims to
fame of a sort. It is the only con
nection with the Outer Banks
from the south, and it is the
only toll ferry operated in the
State.
The tolls are no joke, either.
The cost for car and driver is
$6.75, with $2.75, for each ad
ditional passenger and sl.4s for
each child under 12.
Operating Costs High
Toll charges are said to be
necessary because of the high
cost of operation. Last year, this
is declared to have run more
than $300,000 above receipts
from fares.
Recent passengers on the
ferry were Mr. and Mrs. Jeff B
Wilson of Raleigh, on their way
to Nags Head to complete a
honeymoon that began with a
trip to Miami and other Florida
points and Nassau. Wilson is
editor of Tar Heel Wheels, or-,
gan of the trucking industry in •
North Carolina, and his wife,
the former Edith Upchurch
Young, is associated with Bill
Sharpe in publication of The
State Magazine.
In Line Overnight
Wilson drove up from Florida
to Atlantic. Arriving there, he
put his car in line for the ferry
trip so as to be able to leave
next morning at 7. This is the
usual procedure, he said, and
when the ferry departed, sever-
See FERRY. Page Six
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
MISS BASNIGHT CHOSEN
TO VISIT CHICAGO CAMP
Sa.
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■
MISS NANCY COLES BAS
NIGHT of Manteo has been se
lected as North Carolina’s rep
resentative to the Danforth
Leadership Camp in Chicago,
Illinois. Miss Basnight’s selec
tion was announced on Thursday
by L. R. Harrill, State 4-H Club
leader who praised the young
4-H worker for her “outstanding
leadership” in club work.
The Danforth Leadership
Camp is attended by state lead
ers throughout the nation, who
assemble yearly for a confer
ence on club work and the dis
cussion of mutual problems and
ideas. Miss Basnight will receive
an expense-paid trip to Chicago
See BASNIGHT, Page Four
MANTEO POLICEMAN
RESIGNS FROM FORCE
The Manteo Town Board has
officially accepted the resigna
tion of R. Seldon Francis, night
policeman. The resignation be
came effective on last Saturday,
July 14, according to Mrs. Juan
ita Parker, town clerk.
Mr. Francis stated on Monday
that his resignation was tender
ed because of has desire to re
turn to his trade of carpentry.
M. C. Mitchell, former town
Chief of Police is serving on the
night police shift, until a re
placement can be found.
The board is expected to ap
point a new policeman for the
night force no later than the
second Monday in August, the
time of their next regular meet
ing.
SPACE CAPSULE STIRS VISITOR INTEREST
f kv . • I
TWO PROMINENT VISITORS to the Outer Banks joined the
thousands of weekly guests at the Wright Brothers Museum in
Kill Devil Hills recently for a glimpse of the space capsule replica
on display there by the Park Service. The pair, shown discussing
the cocoon-like space vehicle, are George Tames (left) White
House photographer for “The New York Times” and Ralph White,
executive director of the National Aeronautical Association. Mr.
White was in the area to prepare for the 60th Anniversary of pow
ered flight, which will be observed at Kill Devil Hills next year.
DISTINGUISHED QUINTET AIDS IN WATERSIDE THEATER DEDICATION
■ 4WK 11
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A DISTINGUISHED WELCOMING COMMITTEE turned out to meet Interior Secretary Stewart
Udall (center) and Congressman Herbert Bonner (far right) as they arrived at Manteo Airport
Saturday for dedication ceremonies at The Lost Colony’s Waterside Theater on Saturday night.
The group includes (left to right): Conrad Wirth, National Parks Director, Governor Terry San
ford, Sec. Udall, Mrs. Fred W. Morrison, Chairman of the Roanoke Island Historical Association,
and Rep. Bonner. All took prominent roles in the services honoring the theater’s restoration and
the 375th Anniversary of the Birth of Virginia Dare.
BONNER'S BILL TO
GIVE HALF MILLION
ON BRIDGE PASSES
Overwhelming Voice Vole Fa
vors Congressman's Efforts
For New Bridge Ap
propriation
Congressman Herbert Bonner’s
effort to get more federal funds
to aid in the construction of the
Oregon Inlet bridge which is
now well underway was success
ful Monday when the House of
Representatives by an over
whelming voice vote, passed a
measure to give an extra half
million in Federal- funds for this
project.
The State, which normally con
tributes half the costs, and the
Federal Bureau of roads the
other half, will get a big lift
on the project. Congressman
Bonner was successful in this
cause because of the Cape Hat
teras National seashore project
which has been instrumental in
bringing a heavy traffic increase
to the area.
Congressman Tollefson of
Washington, who was recently a
visitor to this coast, along with
several other distinguished offi
cials, made a strong speech fav
oring the measure . . These visi
tors, who were guests of Mr.
Bonner, were favorably impress
ed with the area, and like in
numerous other instances, when
he had brought other visitors
here, went back to Washington
strong in praise of the Cape
Hatteras National Seashore, and
convinced of the merits of the
bills which Mr. Bonner has in
troduced, all of them usually be-
See INLET, Page Six
MANTEO, N. C., FRIDAY, JULY 20, 1962
SBA LOANS AVAILABLE
FOR RAINFALL DAMAGE
Small business concerns in
Beaufort, Hyde, Tyrrell and
Washington Counties are eligible
for consideration for Small Bus
iness Administration loans pro
vided they can show substantial
damage from excessive rainfall
July 2,3, and 4.
These and 10 other Eastern
North Carolina counties have
been declared Excessive Rainfall
Disaster Counties in a directive
issued by Robert B. Horning,
Charlotte branch manager of the
SBA.
Farmers and stockmen are not
eligible for financial help from
the SBA under this progrram.
They should apply to the Farm
ers Home Administration.
ELECTRIC SHOCK
KILLS COLORFUL
JAMBOREE KING
Spires Singleton (Doc) Austin
Dies in Accident
at Hatteras
A shock from an electric
sander killed Spires Singleton
(Doc) Austin, 36, a noteworthy
figure in the annual Dare Coast
Pirates Jamboree for several
years, Tuesday about 1:30 p.m.
while he was preparing to paint
a boat on the Marine railway a
longside the Burrus Texaco dock
at Hatteras Village.
Austin was standing in the
boat when ne picked up the
sander, according to eye wit
nesses. He apparently received
lethal shock when an extension
plug fell into the water. His
body was recovered by Oliver
Gilbert, a dredge owner from
Elizabeth City, who said he
“heard a yell and Austin fell
backwards into the water.”
Widely Popular
Austin, an expert cabinet
maker, was a popular and well
known figure on the Outer
Banks. His luxuriant black beard
and swashbuckling way made
him outstanding in the annual
jamborees. As Blackbeard, king
of the pirate crew in 1961, he
helped publicize the coast coun
try both at home and as a mem
ber of the Dare contingent that
visited Cincinnati, 0., and Char
lotte on missions for the Dare
County Tourist Bureau.
In numerous T V appearances,
his lushly whiskered face be
came familiar to many thou
sands in his home State and
beyond. He is one of the most
colorful figures in the film,
“Variety Vacationland,” which
will be released by the State
soon.
Native of Hatteras
A native of Hatteras, Austin
had been self-employed as a
carpenter and upholsterer for
the last two and a half years. He
formerly was in the Coast Guard
I for four years.
Austin showed no sigh of life
'when he was pulled out of the
water after the shock. However,
oersons on the scene administer
ed artificial respiration while
others went in search of Dr.
Virgil Wilson of Winston-Salem,
who is vacationing in the area.
Dr. Wilson pronounced him
dead some 45 minutes after the
accident.
Surviving Relatives
Son of Mrs. Virginia Oden and
Augustus Austin, he is survived
See AUSTIN, Page Six
7 FIRST LADIES
WILL SEE COLONY
SATURDAY NIGHT
Intermission Ceremony Will
Honor Six Former
Ist Ladies
The Lost Colony will play
host to six former occupants of
the Governor’s Mansion in Ra
leigh on Saturday night when
Mrs. O. Max Gardner, Mrs. Blu
cher Ehringhaus, Mrs. Melville
Broughton, Mrs. Kerr Scott,
Mrs. William Umstead and Mrs.
Luther Hodges attend First La
dies Night at the Waterside
Theater. >
The ladies will be introduced
to the audience by Mrs. Terry
Sanford wife of the present Gov
ernor. Mrs. Fred W. Morrison,
Chairman of the Roanoke Island
Historical Association, will pre
side over a special ceremony in
their honor, which will take
place during intermission at the
drama.
The program will feature ad
dresses by Mrs. Morrison, Mrs
Sanford and Mrs. Hodges. A
brief historical narration by
Paul Gold, historian for the
play, and a choral rendition of
“Auld Lang Syne” will climax
the entertainment for the 25th
Anniversary Year program.
Edgar Thomas, manager of
See SHOW, Page Eight
BEACH PATROL
UNDERTAKEN ON
LIMITED BASIS
Jeep With Resuscitator to Be
Put in Operation in
Few Days
Steps to set up a systematic
beach patrol from Southern
Shores to the Seashore Park
boundary south of Nags Head
were taken last Thursday night
at a meeting at the Carolinian.
Attending were members of
the Dare Board of County Com
missioners, Nags Head town
officials, representatives of the
Coast Guard and the Nags Head
Volunteer Fire Department, and
beach service personel.
The group decided to begin a
limited program as soon as
practicable, possibly by the first
of next week. The use of a jeep
was given by Lionel Edwards, a
Nags Head town commissioner.
It will be equipped with a resu
scitator on loan from the town
of Kill Devil Hills.
On Daily Basis
A daily patrol will be main
tained by Lloyd Horton and
George Richardson, who oper
ate a beach umbrella and chair
service. Horton also is life guard
at the Cavalier Motor Court at
Kill Devil Hills, and the jeep
will be parked there between
runs. Horton and Richardson are
donating their services.
Assurance was given that the
Dare County Commissioners
would make a limited allocation
for gas and oil for the jeep. At
the start, it was indicated that
only one patrol trip a day would
be possible, due to lack of
money. However, the Nags Head
Town Board is considering giv
ing some financial aid.
Those sponsoring the program
hope that by another year it can
be put on an adequately financ
ed and firmly functioning basis.
As of now, they say, even a min
imal safety program is better
than none.
S. UDALL CALLS
BANKS BEACHES
AMERICA'S BEST
Interior Secretary Lauds the
Outer Banks and
Leaders
Secretary of the Interior
Stewart Udall praised the Outer
Banks as containing “the finest
tract of beach area left in this
country,” during intermission
ceremonies at the Lost Colony
last Saturday night, when he
joined with a host of dignitaries
and a sun-tanned, shirt-sleeved
and perspiring audience of over
1,050 persons in a dedication
services for the new Waterside
Theatre.
Secretary Udall shared the
Spotlight with Governor Terry
Sanford, Congressman Herbert
Bonner, National Parks Direct
or Conrad Wirth, playwright
Paul Green, theater designer A.
Q. Bell, Southeast Park Director
E. M. Leslie, Virginia Dare Com
mission Chairman Keith Fear
ing, Jr., and National Park
Directors H. Reece Smith and
Robert Gibbs during the impres
sive intermission ceremony
marking the 375th Anniversary
of the Birth of Virginia Dare.
Lauds Drama
The Interior Secretary show
ered praise upon the drama dur
ing its 25th year. He called the
pageant “a venerable and in
spirational production.” “Be
cause of your desire to make the
16th century’s history live in the
20th century, this important
nart of the American heritage. .
is enjoying a better fate than
the oblivion which overtook the
Raleigh colonists.”
Although the colony itself
was “lost,” he added, “its cause
will never be forgotten.” “For
British tenacity and genius won
in the end,” he said.
“I think it would 'be most dif
ficult for any of us to leave this
island tonight without exper
iencing a deeper willingness to
give our total selves to the ‘un
lost’ cause for which this colony
was lost,” he affirmed.
Praises Leadership
In referring to what he called
the “unspoiled wealth” of coast-
See UDALL, Page Four
LINK WITH LONG LOST THEODOSIA
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Naomi Christensen of Minneapolis, Minn., vacationing at Kill
Devil Hills, wears an earring said to have belonged to Theodosia
Burr, whose disappearance on a sea trip from Charleston, S.C.,
to New York in 1813 remains a mystery.
Earrings Once Owned by Theodosia Burr
Now Belong to Nags Head Hotel Manager
By RALPH POOL
Two small, exquisite memen
toes believed linked with Theo
dosia Burr have come to light
at Nags Head.
They are gold earrings beau
tifully fashioned and set with
small oval white stones, like un
carved cameos.
Long, long ago, they belonged
to a lovely, happy girl who could
not know that she was marked
for tragedy. Who could not
know that tragedy, when it
came, would be linked with Nags
Head, as are the earrings today.
And now for the story of these
pathetic baubles.
Two Stars Fall
Theodosia’s father, Aaron
Burr, had been Vice President
of the United States, one short
step from the Presidency that he
coveted. He had killed his bril
liant rival, Alexander Hamilton,
in a duel; and as Hamilton fell,
so had Burr’s political star fal
len.
Jefferson had just bought
Louisiana from Napoleon. Be-
SEASHORE PARK EXTENSION
SERIOUSLY CONSIDERED BY
N. C. AND INTERIOR DEPT.
Proposed Plan Discussed by Governor San
ford, Secretary Udall and Congressman
Bonner would Extend National Park from
Virginia Line to Cape Lookout and Ensure
Beach Stabilization along the Outer Banks.
DISTRICT ENGINEER AND
STAFF VISIT COASTLAND
Mg! ?
■' -S figs
COL. JOSEPH S. GRYGIEL,
recently assigned to the Wil
mington District as Engineer in
Charge, paid his first visit to
the Walter Raleigh Coastland
area this week, and made con
tacts with many residents inter
ested in waterway projects.
Staff members Cecil Henderson
and D. A. Gardner of the dis
trict office, both of whom are
well known in Dare County, ac
companied him. This was a get
acquainted trip, and Col. Gry
giel looked over some of the
inlet and harbor problems, as
See GRYGIEL, Page Eight
yond its borders lay the vast,
insecurely held Spanish colonial
empire. His ambitions in the
United States thwarted, Burr
began to dream of carving a new
dominion out of Spain’s tenuous
holdings in Texas and Mexico.
Pursuing his new dream, Burr
journeyed westward into Amer
ica’s recently settled lands west
of the Alleghenies. His course
took him down the Ohio River,
to an island where a wealthy
Irishman, Harman Blennerhas
sett, had set up a small, comfor
table barony. The island was
named Blennerhassett after its
owner.
Gift To Host’s Daughter
Theodosia accompanied her
father on the journey. At Blen
nerhassett, we may assume that
she wore her earrings, and that
the young daughter of her host
admired them. At least we know
that Theodosia gave them to her.
Burr’s dream of empire failed,
and Blennerhassett was swallow
ed up in the debacle. The years
See EARRINGS, Page Six
MAIL SHOULD BE
ADDRESSED TO BOX 428
MANTEO, N. C.
NOT TO INDIVIDUALS
Pages I through 8
Single Copy 70
A plan to preserve and sta
bilize the Outer Banks from Vir
ginia to Cape Lookout was dis
cussed here last Saturday by
Governor Terry Sanford, Interior
i Secretary Stewart Udall, Rep.
5 Herbert C. Bonner and National
Parks Director Conrad Wirth.
I The lengthy talks, which oc
'curred prior to dedication cere
monies at the Lost Colony’s new
Waterside theater, anticipated a
cooperative undertaking which
would ultimately expand public
ownership along the banks, en
sure the long-term stabilization
of the beach, and increase rec
reational facilities for 200 miles
along the Atlantic Coast.
| Secretary Udall stated after
I the discussions that “if this
(plan is put into effect, it would
■ assure us of the greatest sea
| shore development in America.”
Governor Sanford, who shared
Udall’s enthusiasm, added that
i “this is one of the greatest
things that could ever happen
to North Carolina.”
Udall noted that “Over the
past 20 years, our relationships
with the state of North Caro
lina have been a model of state
federal cooperation.” “I’m con
fident we can work out plans
that will be satisfactory to
everybody.”
Commission Re-activation
The first proposal in the plan
calls for the re-activation of the
’ Cape Hatteras Seashore Com
-1 mission and its expansion to a
state level. Such a planning
‘ group could cooperate with the
Interior Department in blue
printing an overall plan for the
project.
The first step in the plan
would be the expansion of the
Cape Hatteras National Sea
shore Park southward to include
Portsmouth Island and Shakle
ford Banks. The purchase of
these tracts was undertaken in
1959 at the insistence of Gov
ernor Luther Hodges, who re
’ ceived a half million dollars for
their purchase and stabilization
from the General Assembly,
i The visionary plan, described
by Secretary Udall as “one of
the most exciting projects being
studied by my department,” has
been a dream of the National
Park Service and many North
Carolinians for years. If given
financial approval, it would
make the Outer Banks the na
tion’s most impressive and ex
tensive recreation facility.
Only Selected Parts
Sanford and Udall emphasized
that the plan did not mean that
all Outer Banks areas would be
taken into public ownership.
“While we are giving thought
to the extension of the park from
the Virginia line to Cape Look
out,” they said, “this definitely
does not mean that all of this
area is being considered as a
park, but only selected parts,
with adequate areas being re
served for private development.”
“The final decision would be
made by local residents and state
officials.” “However, the idea
does look for an overall develop
ment and preservation plan that
would be administered cooperat
ively between Federal and State
groups.”
The plan would have to be leg
’ i slated by Federal and State
- agencies with responsibility for
development of public areas and
l’ preservation of the beaches giv-
M en to the Park Service.
Local Opinion
, The Governor and Interior
Secretary made it clear that no
* See SEASHORE, Page Four
DARE COMMISSIONERS
t MEETING AT HATTERAS
k
The Dare County Board of
’ Commissioners met in Hatteras
. on Thursday morning with mem
. bers of the Cape Hatteras
5 Health Center Board of Trustees
3 to discuss medical problems in
connection with the center.
Other items expected to be
f administered by the board were:
- the adoption of the 1962-1963
t budget and tax rate, the receipt
t of applications for tax collector
t and tax supervisor, the program
z ming of dedication services for
. the Washington Baum Bridge
, and the formulation of improve-
- rnents for the East Lake Ferry
a Landing, which will be used as
a boat docking facility.