The coastland times. [volume] (Mnateo [i.e. Manteo], N.C.) 1947-1959, 1958-10-10
HELENE BROUGHT
MANY ADVENTURES
TO OCRACOKE ISLE
Here is a Fine Account Which
Reaches Us Late Because OF
Post Storm Mails

cane Hazel to beaches south of US,
Ocracoke suffered but minor in
juries from Helene's fierce on
slaught. The greatest public loss
was damage to the highway. The
three miles of steel mating at the
northern end was almost complete
ly swept away by tides and winds,
making approach to the ferry land
ing impossible. Chief Engineer
BSpruill, John Wilson, and Frazier
Peele made a trip to Ocracoke Viii
lage on Monday to confer with
citizens about emergency ferry ar
engagements. 1t was decided to run
the ferry all the way from Hat
teras to Ocracoke Village, about a
three hour trip, once daily each
way for the present. Leaving time
at Hatteras will be 1880 am. and
the return trip from the Park
docks at Ocracoke harbor will be
about noon. A temporary landing
place is being made there. Sec
tions of the ten mile stretch of
paved highway were washed out,
at the edges, but Mr.. Spruill said
this was not too serious. Capt.
Frazier Peele has made several
trips in the little dear ferry,
bringing over passengers who are
met on this side by trucks, though
even trucks cannot get to the fur
Their end of the island at this time
and there is a long, long walk of
about two miles to Styron's hills.
Supt. Robert Gibbs with Ranger
Hazen Brooks inspected damage
to sand fences built this past year
by the National Park, Service and
found that scarcely a fourth of the
fencing over the sixteen mile
stretch is still standing. The rest
represented almost total loss.
Individual losses at Ocracoke
came to commercial fishermen
whose gas boats We're sunk in the
harbor. There were eight or ten of
these. Many of them, and many
skiffs, were carried high up on
land around Silver Lake. Tides
estimated at five or six feet above
normal came over the Island, caus-
ing some damage, but greatest
loss came from the winds, which
were estimated at between 10 and
1875 miles per hour. Several homes
are minus chimneys, many have
damaged shingles. The two trailers
at the Wikstrom place were blown
into the marsh, one garage was
/ destroyed, many trees were up
rooted. Two of the tall chimneys
at the Barksdale summer home
were blown down. r. S. Wahab's
houseboat 'Fish Hunt" at Quork
Hammock was blown over but its
occupants, Bill Waller and Jerd
Williams, escaped injury.
About fifty people took refuge
at the U. S. Coast Guard station.
Most tourists had left the Island,
but at Silverlake Hotel were Mr..
and Mrs. C. A. Sinson of Hanni-
bal, N. Y, DR.. and Mrs. Paul
Richmond and daughter from Nc
Lean, Va, Peton Holloman, Jr.
and Dave Rogers of Washington,
D. c., and at Wahab Village Hotel
were Lefty Frank and his party of
seven fishermen from New Jersey.
They were rewarded today for
their courage in staying over by
catching six good sized drum, fish
ing with Capt. Thurston Gaskill in
the "South Wind"
Those suffering from damage to
boats included Elijah O'Neal,
Needham Simpson, Washie Spen-
Ger, Junius Austin, Herman Spen-
Ger, Charlie Williams, Charlie Gar
IRISH, V. B. Boos.
The local Coast Guard reported
that two 126-foot barges were
stranded about five or six miles
up the Island, high and dry on
the sound side. These belonged to
the Barber Boat Works of New
Bern and We're carrying sand and
mari to housing project on Hat
teras Island. They had been torn
from anchorage at Cape Channel,
Buxton.
Five or six of the Ocracoke
banker ponies lost their lives in
tho storm. This is unusual and in
dictates the intensity of the storm,
since in the past the ponies have
usually got themselves to shelter
on the high dunes. One lof those
lost was the beautiful young colt
belonging to Ward Garrish, an
other belonged to Jerry Midget,
a member of the local Scout
Troop, three belonged to Capt. Van
Henry O'Neal, another was one of
those owned by the Scout Troop.
Some residents found themselves
stranded at Hatteras with no sure
way of getting home. Mrs. Thurs