The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1900-02-06
VALUE APPRAISED YESTERDAY
COMMISSIONERS ALLOW $4,000 FOR
SMITHS ISLAND PROPERTY.
Thirty Acres Recently Condemned by
Government for New Light House,
~Life-Savfng Station and tervenin
Tramway Colonel Foster, Colonel
Kerchner, j. w. Davis. NJ. &. Guthrie

The value of tho thirty acres OF land
on Smiths island condemned by the
United States government for the pur-
pose Of erecting a new lighthouse and
constructing a tramway across the is
land to the life saving station was ap-
priced yesterday by a board Of COM
missioners at $4,000. . So hat Mr.. d.
Ullery, of Chicago, and others owning
interest in the island will receive that
amount from the government
AS noted in yesterdays Messenger,
United States District Attorney c.. NJ.
Bernard, United States Marshal II. c..
Dockery and others left Wilmington
Thursday morning on board the AL
gonquin for Smiths Island for the pur-
pose of having the property apprized.
There were in thep party in addition TO
the government officials named, Cap
tain =. B.. Smith, of Charleston, as
sistant engineer of the light house ser
vice; George l.. Peschau, Esq, counsel
for Mr.. D.. Ullery, principal owner of
the condemned property, and Colonel
Z. W. Kerchner and Colonel F. W. FoS-
ter, who were to serve as two of the
five commissioners who were to con-
stitute the board who would appriZe
the property.
The revenue cutter reached South
port about noon and stopped there to
take on board several other gentlemen,
three of whom were to serve On the
board of apprizers. The latter were
Mr.. j. w. Davis, Mr.. M. G. Guthrie
n Mr.. T. l.. Vine. these n Colonel
Kerchner and Colonel Foster constitut-
in gthe board of apprizers. Mr.. E. b.
Stevens, Of Southport, also accompan-
led the party to the island. When they
reached Baldhead they with Captain
Wiley, of the Algonquin, made a tour
of the condemned property. This was
not concluded until about night, I'M
on reaching the beach, from which
they had to row out in small boats
to board the Algonquin, they found
high and very rough seas, so much so
that every member of the party was
thoroughly drenched before they reach
ed the vessel.
They spent the night on the Algon-
quin at Southport and yesterday morn
ing at $50 o'clock the board of appriZ-
ers met in the cabin of the vessel,
where they heard argument by United
States Attorney c.. M. Bernard for the
government and George l.. Peschau,
Esq, for the owners of the island as TO
the value of the condemned property.
Subsequently, the board retired for
consultation and soon returned with
a verdict for the allowance of "a, 200.
h Algonquin returned from South
port with the party of Wilmingtonians
and government officials about 3 O'Clock
yesterday afternoon and report, one
and all, a most delightful trip, being
especially enthusiastic in their praise
of Captain Wiley, of the Algonquin,
by whom they were royalty enter
tanned.
In this connection, it will be of in
terest to note that the government ex-
poets to begin the work. of erecting a
new light house on Smiths Island dur
ing the spring or early summer and
the construction Of a light house tram
way n life saving station will be
pushed as rapidly as possible. The is
land is seven miles in length and three
miles wide. The proposed tramway
between the light house and life saw
ing station divides the island about in
half.