The coastland times. [volume] (Mnateo [i.e. Manteo], N.C.) 1947-1959, 1954-11-19
REMOVING MOTORS
FROM FORMER S. S.
BEACHED IN DARE
Closing Chapters of Wreck of
Omar Babun Being Writ
ten in Norfolk Now

length Of her stay, nor got more
publicity, most of which was
highly favorable to E. A. Canipe,
than the S. S. Omar Babun,
which came ashore on Pea Is
land, some three miles north of
Mirlo Beach, Rodanthe, last
spring.
The old ship is now tied up in
Norfolk where her motors are
being removed, it appearing that
she is not worth the cost of put
ting her into commission. The
vessel is only 200 feet long, and
is built of wood, a former Navy
net tender.
Great publicity attended the
salvaging of the cargo and of the
floating of the stranded ship af-
ter many weeks ashore on the
coast of Pea Island. Somehow
the word got out that she was
the only ship ever saved from
final destruction on these shores,
once having been stranded here.
AS matter of fact, many ships
have been unloaded and refloat-
ed after spending much time in
such uncomfortable a surround-
ings.
But the attendant publicity
made it a great thing, and it
sounded as if Mr.. Canipe, a new
conner from Havelock, had ac-
complished a stupendous under
taking. So much so in fact, that
it now appears he is receiving
offers from distant lands to I'M
dertake salvage operations,
business in which the Omar
Babun was his first undertaking,
less than eight months ago.
Mr.. Canipe was a visitor to
Rodanthe this week, and settled
up with a number of local peo-
pie who aided him in his salvage
operation. 1t was not all easy
shedding, getting the heavy cargo
of machinery out of the ship and
across the beach, and onto
trucks, and hauled to Morehead
City for shipment anew to Cuba.
But he finally handled the
Z al, and squared accounts with
s neighbors on the beach.
Anent the more recent happen
ings to the Omar Babun, now
tied up in Berkeley, Virginia, the
Virginia Pilot tells us:
E. Arnold (Nip) Canipe, the
Havelock, N. C. automobile deal
er, who robbed the Graveyard of
the Atlantic of the Honduran
freighter Omar Babun may soon
have a go at salvaging vessel
beached on the far-away shores
of Guatemala, a victim of the re-
cent Guateamalan revolt.
Canipe told the Virginian-Pi-
lot last night from his Havelock,
N. c., home that he is consider
ing an offer to salvage the
Springfjiord, freighter of about
300 feet build in Britain in 1887
and abandoned after it was
bombed during the recent revolt
in the Central American coun-
try. He said home business
would keep him from getting his
crew down to Central America
Immediately "but I'm sure think
ing about going down there. , :"
The president of the Canipe
Salvage Company "a business
formed to salvage the Omar
Babun) said his plans for the Ba-
bun, presently call for dismant-
ling the engines and selling indie
pendently of the hull. Canipe is
not sure of the fate of the hull
of the Omar Babun, formerly
the Stagbush, built in 1914 as a
United States submarine net ten
der, but he is against the expense
involved in having it toWed to
North Carolina.
Fixing the ship up as sal
wage vessel also probably would
be prohibitively expensive-'it
would take at least $4,000" An
idea in the back of Canipe'S
thinking for using the Babun as
a heavy salvage vessel was dealt
a severe blow by damaging fire
which swept up from the Ba-
bun S engine room during Hurri-
ane Hazel.
Canipe's exploits of last May
Snd June in which he rugged the
Babun to winch herself slowly
off the beach just north of Cape
Hatteras and saved $250,O00 In
machinery bound for a Cuban
sugar mill, attracted national at
tention.
Gets More Offers
The publicity, Canipe said, has
brought his several salvage Of
fers. the most noteworthy OF
which were the Guatemalan Of
fer and an offer from Canadian
interests for a salvage operation
in Holland. Canipe said ne is
still making efforts to learn
more about the Holland salvage.