The Wilmington morning star., 1940-07-24
HEWLETT REVIEWS
AIRPORT HISTORY
Chairman OF County Board
Speaks Before Rotary
Luncheon

The history of work which mas
been done at Bluethenthal airport
and plans for the future of the air
port were traced befor> the Rotary
club at its weekly meeting at the
Cape Fear hotel yesterday after
noon by Addison Hewlett, chair
man of the New Hanover county
board of commissioners.
Prior to the program H. A.
Marks and D. H. Howes, members
of the club, were presented with
certificates showing they attained
100 percent attendance records dur
ing the year 1939-40.
A. S. Grist, theatre manager
here, was introduced as a new
member of the club.
Hewlett in his talk told OF the
first airport being located near
Winter Park and of its being inter
sected when the Wrightsville speed
way was built. At the request OF
group of young men, he said, the
county then made available
landing planes certain property
owned by the county. Crude run
ways were cut by county prisoners
and efforts to improve the helo
continued at times until 1927.
In 1890, he recalled, the present
hangar was built, and a CWA pro-
gram to improve the field was Sc
cured. Lack of planning made this
program rather inefficient, he said.
That inef6ciency on the part Of
one organization, he said, has led
to an opinion that lot of work has
been done and a lot of money has
been expended at the airport but
little has been accomplished.
Actually, he said, much has been
accomplished, but the most of it is
not visible.
Along the road which borders the
airport, he pointed out, the land is
level, but away from the field there
was much rough land, covered with
heavy growth and timber and there
were many deep branches.
When the north-south runway
was built it became necessary to
clear the land, stump it, and, at
the southern end to build fill OF
nearly Is feet, requiring thousands
of yards of material.
When the northeast-southWest
runway was built, the workers en-
countered a deep branch beyond
which lay a high hill. The hill had
to be moved into the branch, in
volving anot her tremendous
amount of fill.
In lengthening the east-west run
way, additional land had to be
bought, cleared and leveled.
Then drainage became a prob
lem, he pointed out. At first it
had been thought feasible to take
the water down the runways to a
low point and then let it out over
runways.
But with the 1engthening of the
runways it was found the water, on
such a long run, cut the field badly,
and the installation of underground
tile became necessary. After thou
sands of feet of this were laid, he
said, grades had to be changed to
divide the water and catch basins
had to be built.
With the conclusion of the drain
age project, he said, the airport
now has a satisfactory drainage
system which serves it's needs ad-
mirably.
After drainage was completed,
the problem of grass arose. Grass
would not grow in the new cut and
topsoil had to be secured a n d
spread over those places where
cuts and fills had been made. This
was done and today the field has a
good covering of cane grass.
He traced efforts to secure hard
surfaced runways for the airport
and said the county now has a
WPA project, to cost total of
100000, of which the county will
supply 100000 in cash and credits,
which will give three hard-surfaced
runways, lights for the field and
will provide for moving of the
present hangar to more appro-
pr, ate site.
The program will take about a
year to complete, he said, but upon
completion will provide the county
with. complete airport.
He pointed out that the field has
been offered to the federal govern
ment for use in it's defense pro-
gram and that a committee left
the city last night to go to Wash
ington to offer the field and its fa-
cilities to the government. It may
be, he said, the government will
accept and will aid the county to
do a better job quicker than we
could do it alone" l