The coastland times. [volume] (Mnateo [i.e. Manteo], N.C.) 1947-1959, 1955-05-20
NEW TASKS AT CAPE HATTERAS
EMPLOY A 15O-MAN FORCE TO
BUILD A SECRET INSTALLATION
Giant Outfit Of Seabees and Supplies Rolls Onto
Outer Banks. Bringing Years New Business
for Rooming Houses. Tourist Courts Cafes,
Etc. Sixteen Buildings Erected During Week.

| 6, numbering 100 officers and men
and presently to be increased to
$50 men, has arrived from it's base
in Rhode Island, together with
about 1000 tons of equipment and
established it's base a mile west of
Cape Hatteras Lighthouse and this
week began clearing the site of a
projected Navy installation just
north of the Lighthouse, the nature
of which has not been disclosed.
Although the object of their
work on Cape Hatteras has been
one of the most carefully guarded
secrets of the postwar period
there has not been for a week any
secret about the arrival of the out
fit that will erect, within the
course of the next IL months,
building and put a fence around
it. They arrived by every sort of
conveyance except aircraft and
their freight trucks and landing
craft have disgorged every sort of
equipment from the heaviest earth
moving machinery to a Con-
federate flag.
Advance units of the detachment
commanded by Lieut.. H. N Wenke,
a native of Brooklyn, began arriv-
ing early last week and by the
end of the week the detachment
was virtually complete. In a
weeks time, they moved in, erect
| ed housing facilities in the flat
lands below what the earlier maps
call Kendricker Mountain. The site
! was chosen because of it's natural
drainage and because of the avail
ability of water. Sixteen buildings
were erected during the week and
this week two quonset huts were
erected for cooking and a mess
hall.
For the most part both the Sea-
bees and the Islanders have taken
in stride the arrival of the largest
unit of Federal forces to be seen
on Hatteras Island since the Fed
eral invasion through Hatteras In
let SO years ago. Herbert Oden,
superintendent of the Cape Hat
teras Light & Power Plant worked
throughout the morning of Sunday
to complete the installation of a
transformer to take care of what
has already become the second
largest customer on the island.
The Coast Guard with it's Loran
Station continues to take about 40
per cent of the plants power pro-
duction but Mr.. Oden assures the
Navy that his production capacity
is sufficient to take care of any
requirement.
Not quite so ready were the Is
lands suppliers of necessities and
truckers who freight in the Is
lands groceries were under the
necessity of making extra runs
for milk. Both the officers and
men have made themselves at
home on the Island and a number
of the men spend their spare time
house-hunting so they can bring
their families down for a years
residence.
But there has been very little
spare time for them. They work a
"forty hour day" and they put in
seven days a week until they are
settled down. Their routine will be
taken at somewhat more leisure
ly pace when they have squared
away and started the real work on
the project that brought them to
the Island. The men of the outfit,
the Islanders have found, are
I orderly and neighborly and their
nearest neighbor has declared that
they are the quietest bunch he, has
ever lived next to-when night
falls they are tired enough to get
to sleep.
Worst sufferer so far on the
Island was the rudimentary road
that has served the Cape area
since it was laid out by the CCC
Camp 16 years ago. The first trip
over it by massive 18-wheel trucks
virtually destroyed the road but q
crew went to the site of sawmill
hauled slabs and laid a corduroy
and then over that sawdust anC
sand until by the beginning of ths
week the road was virtual,
paved. An even more permanent
surface from a neighboring noun
! tain of oyster shells is contem
4 plated. For such as have to trave
over the road the Seabees hav,
lent willing hand toward main
q tanning traffic.
q Actual building will begin a
soon as the site is clear. The loca
ton is just north of the Lighthouse,
: for about 1000 feet and stretches
e from the ocean west about $50
4 feet. Part of the pond to the RICH
!. of the road to the lighthouse will
? be drained and filled in. Bulldozer
are already topping neighborin,
See TASKS, Page Ten