The coastland times. [volume] (Mnateo [i.e. Manteo], N.C.) 1947-1959, 1955-09-30
OcRACOKE
Continued from Page One)

crates (good props) begin to dis
appear from the stores. Electric
refrigerators, deep freezes, stoves,
are the first things to be hoisted
up out of water-reach if possible.
Extra crates can hoist them higher
ard higher as the tide comes up.
QGSr blocks are handy for get
til pianos, bedsteads, bureaus,
and other furniture out of harms
way. In the storm of "A Ocracoke's
oldest resident, lady in her nine
ties, sat out the storm in her rock
ing chair atop the living room
table, with the water gradually
mounting higher beneath her.
People with second storeys are
fortunate. Lots of things are
laboriously carried upstairs. The
loud cackling from a neighbours
yard tells us that the chickens are
being caught and put up on the
top roost, with wire stretched
beneath it to keep them there. The
ducks resent this treatment; they
prefer to be penned outside where
the swimming is good. The pet
dogs and cats are called to safety.
1--WE still remember the sad tale of
the old cat that didn't come home
when called and was later heard
meowing pitifully on a sill under
the house. Floor board and board
was ripped up, but to no avail, as
the water rose higher and higher
And this reminds us too Of Big
Ike's story: when he lifted out a
floor board to let the water in,
he was hit in the head by a fly
ing duckD Flashlight batteries,
candles, oil, food are stocked for
emergency use; also a good supply
of drinking water. Two precal-.
tions must be observed: ~ before
the storm gets too bad and the
salt spray begins to blow through
the air, disconnect the cistern or
water barrel, and (2) before the
tide gets too high, let the water
come into the house. Don't try to
keep it out, or you might float
away! This never bothers us per-
sonally; our house is old and full
of cracks and crevices, with well
come signs for any and all of
natures invaders. eve were told
that in the storm of IA the Navy
Base here was warned to drill
few holes in their hardwood floors,
less they float out to SeaD
Some people, like the Rond-
thalers, always wait til the last
minute; it would be Just too bad
to do lots of hard work for nothing.
In last years Carol we watched
the waters of the sound slowly
approach the porch before we be-
gan to make the first up and down
trips with our belongings; and the
last trip conceded with the first
inch of water over the kitchen
nor. We had been looking for the
ter to seep in first around the
fireplace in the living room; it
was interesting to learn that the
kitchen floor was the lowest point
in the house. Hazel was different;
she came rushing up the roadway
from the sea; Tapped madly at the
top porch-step, and as quickly re-
coded down the roadway to the
harbor. The advent OF an outgoing
tide was just in time to prevent
her entrance. lone did not reach
us with either sea or Sound tide;
only pools of rain, sailed with
spray in the low places around the
house. We were not here for Con-
ME or Diane. Way down in New
Mexico we read about them in the
newspaper and wondered what
damage they were doing to our
home, but we didn't have anything
to worry about; our good Ocracoke
neighbors took the same prccau-
tons with our place as with their
own, and arriving home late in
August, we found electro boxes
up on coca colas crates, furniture
piled high downstairs, and 10. of
it safely stored in the second
storey. Lots of good folk here at
Ocracoke.
Radio threats from lone kept
us up most of Sunday night, ex-
cept during the low-tide hours
when we didn't expect trouble.
It's hard to leave the radio; we
like to know what's going on "out