The independent. [volume] (Elizabeth City, N.C.) 1908-1936, 1921-07-01
ASPECIAL SHOW
FOR CINEMA MEN
Coast Guard Pulled Real Thrills
Especially For the Movies

the entertainment given them by
Elizabeth City this week, the
Surfmen's Mutual Benefit Asso-
citation at the close of it's annual
convention here "Wednesday ev-
ening voted unanimously to re-
turn to Elizabeth City again
next year. These Surfmen have
held their conventions at Boston,
Providence, Coney Island, Allan
tic City, Ocean City and Norfolk,
Va, but no where do they have
the good time that they have at
Elizabeth City.
The convention of Surfmen, all mem
bers of the Q. S. Coast Guard, brought
hundreds of visitors to Elizabeth City
of the visitors the Coast Guard gave
a lively exhibition of their methods of
handling the rescue of men in ship
wreck. And while they pulled their
stunts in the river at the foot of Main
street, cinema camera men representing
the Fox and Pathe exchanges took NOV
ing pictures for the screen. But what
few people in Elizabeth City knew was
that special exhibition of Coast Guard
work was staged Wednesday morning
for the camera men and the
country next week were not the pic
lures made Tuesday, but the pictures es-
pecially made Wednesday morning. The
pictures made Wednesday morning will
show a Coast Guard airplane coming
head on toward a stranded schooner,
passing frightfully close over the bow of
the vessel and dropping a life line so
close that the camera shows the splash
of the line in the water. The camera
men also secured a closeup picture of
a life boat capsized, throwing every
man under the water, and the men COM
ing up instantly and righting the boat.
The camera men also got a closeup of
the firing of life line from a mortar
ON shore and when the cannon from
which the line was fired acted funny
and turned a somersault from the re-
coil, the camera men kept their nerve
md got the picture, The show staged
under the direction Of Capt. 81: r. Hite,
for the camera men, contained
more thrills than the actual show staged
for the public Tuesday afternoon.
Very little business was transacted in
the convention of the Surfmen's Asso-
ciation. Capt. A. L. Barco, of Cape
Henry, Va, was reelected president;
Capt. D. NJ. Pugh, of Elizabeth City,
first vice-president; Stark Harris, of
Elizabeth City, second vice-president,
and Capt. NJ. P. Hite was reelected sec
,etary and treasurer.
The report of the secretary-treasurer
that the Association is on a
better financial basis than it has been
1T any time in recent years and the
is growing steadily. The
:otal membership of the Association is
low S21, 232 of whom were enrolled
Turing the past year. There are $500
men all told in the Coast Guard SER
7ice and a campaign is to be waged to
enroll the majority of these in the Surf
mems Mutual Benefit Association.
The convention brought a number of
HeH 10 LIlZdDetH N1Iy, uuduy
If them with wonderful records of he
'oic service. Among the visitors was
Commodore W. E. Reynolds, of Wash
ngton, Commandant of the U. S. Coast
Guard, who mixed freely with the men
# the service and left the impression
hat he is thoroly human and humanity
in the service. Oliver NJ.
Iaxam, chief of the division of opera
ions cf the Coast Guard was also down
rom Washington. He is no stranger
o the men and enjoyed himself inn
nenselys
Jne Surfmen were right royalty en-
ertained by the Chamber of Commerce
nd Merchants Association every hour
# their stay here, the entertainment
oncluding with an automobile ride over
he brick road to WeeksViila Wednes-
oy afternoon, with a barrel of lemon
de and boxes of cigars at the end o:
..e road. The convention was held in
he assembly room of the Chamber of
Commerce and the Chamber of Com
1erce furnished the visitors with tick
is good for cigars, cold drinks, ice
ream, ETC., at the various drug store,
nd admission to the Alkrama theatre.