The coastland times. [volume] (Mnateo [i.e. Manteo], N.C.) 1947-1959, 1951-02-16
FIRE DAMAGED
OCRACOKE NAVY
BASE SATURDAY
Prompt Action bv &C Pre-
vents Much Heavier Loss.
Annex Completely De-
stroVed and Main
Building Damaged
By ALICE K. RONDTHALER

10y Allie IN. NUM- II LEN
Fire of unknown origin destroy
ed a small section of the aban-
doned Navy Base at Ocracoke Is
land Saturday morning. Only the
prompt and vigorous action of the
local Coast Guard unit prevented
the destruction of one entire
building and the docks. The fire
started in what was formerly the
watchman's section of the build
ing, occupied for several years by
Hunter Robinson, custodian of the
Navy Base during the time it was
the property of the University of
North Carolina. This annex was
completely destroyed and the fire
had. started to burn into the main
building. It was first noticed by
Van Henry O'Neal from the deck
of the Ocracoke freight boat an
chored nearby. Capt. O'Neal not
flied the Coast Guard and true
to their motto "Semper Paratus"
always ready, Capt. Henry
Peele and his men got their fire
apparatus to the scene and at the
same time the Coast Guard Gut
ter, known locally as the "83-foot-
err" moved from it's dock to a
place in the harbor where it's fire
hose could play upon the flames.
There was no lack of water, since
both outfits pump sea water out
of the harbor. Several privately
owned fishing boats moored to the
docks were quickly manned by
their owners and run out of dan
ger. The Coast Guard was not
able to save any of the annex,
and in view of the high winds it
did remarkably good job in saw
ing the main building, which had
it burned would certainly have en-
dangered nearby dwellings,. The
Coast Guard has the only fire.
fighting equipment on the Island
and fire is consequently greatly
dreaded by the population; ali
precautions are taken by individ-
uals to avoid it, since the Coast
Guard equipment would not suf-
flee in case of a real conflagation.
Fire Hazard
The abandoned and rapidly de-
teriorating buildings of this for
mer Navy Base have for some
time been source of local con-
Germ because of their fire haz-
ard and the Islanders have at
tempted to get something done a.
bout them through various agen-
cies, but so far without success.
The property has recently been
transferred from the University
back to the Government and is ex-
pected to come under the control
of the National Park Service and
thus of the State Department of
Conservation & Development.
Most of the buildings are already
beyond use, due to weather, wear
and tear, and general pillaging.
They were in fact not constructed
for permanent use. Local carpen-
tiers who worked on the job dur
ing the building of the Navy Base
in 1912 lamented then the use of
common wire rather than copper
or galvanized nails, knowing how
soon rust would eat them away
in the Islands salt air and damp
ness. A vigorous appeal will prob
ably be made for some construc-
tive program in respect to the
buildings, now that the fire has
definitely materialized.
Though destruction of the
buildings in their present useless
condition would not represent any
great loss, destruction of the
docks would be Of unreasonable
loss not only to the Island fisher
men, but to the many boats from
coastland fishing towns and also
from other States that make use
See FIRE. Page Eight