The coastland times with which is combined the pilot and herald of Belhaven and Swan Quarter. [volume] (Manteo, N.C.) 1959-1973, 1961-08-25

stranded there with only q cat
aboard. The fate of the crew was
never discovered. After being blown
of the shoals by dynamite, part
Of the Deering drifted ashore on
0cracoke Island. Since bleaching, she
has moved many times and has
been covered and uncovered by the
sand often.
North of the Cape lies another
shipwreck. The G. A. Kohler was
beached there in 1888 after eight
men and a woman Were rescued
from her by Coast Guardsmen from
the Gull Shoal and Chicamacomico
stations. She lay there for 10 years
before she was burned for the
scrap metal in her hull. Now the
surf plays daily with the remains.
Slowly it is sanding her rough,
charred timbers smooth and eating
away at the few remaining iron
spikes. Occasionally the sand will
crawl another inch up her side, but
the angry surf washes it back from
time to time to keep the Kohler
from becoming completely buried.
On Hatteras Island the Park
Service has excluded the villages
of Rodanthe, Waves, Salvo, Avon,
Buxton, Frisco and Hatteras. These
villages have been excluded from
the Federal area in order to leave
room around each for their inde-
pendent growth as tourist centers
to provide accommodations for the
many visitors. Near Frisco the Bill
ly Mitchell Airport named for a
general who proved planes could
bomb ships effectively, has recently
been constructed. General Billy
Mitchell based his aircraft on Hat
teras while carrying out the bomb
ing experiments.
When Congress, in 1887, author
lied this National Seashore area it
also provided that only those parts
of the area which are especially
adaptable for such recreational uses
as swimming, boating, sailing, fish
Ing aiiaa c ether seas..1ae activities
should be developed as such. 1t
further provided that the rest Of
the area be permanently set aside
to preserve the plant and animal
life and the primitive wilderness
shoreline. Pea Island National
Wildlife Refuge is a part Of this
preserve.
The Pea Island Refuge is bound
ed on one side by Pamlico Sound
and on the other by the Atlantic
The narrow barrier island consists
of beach, dunes, and marsh and
contains about $3.50 acres. Begin
ming at Rodanthe it extends north
to Oregon Inlet and is, in winter,
the home of snow geese, Canada
geese, brant, and almost all species
of ducks that winter on the North
Carolina coast.
Here also is the only large con-
centration Of gadwall nesting along
the Atlantic coast. As many as "a
species Of .shorebirds have been
noted in the 400 observed species
recorded in the refuge.
Since the refuge was created in
1888 it has been cultivatd by the
Federal government to support
wildfowl. Work has been carried
out to stabilize the dunes, bikes
have been built to provide fresh
water marshes, duck foods have
been planted and a program of
planned control has been establish
ed. Artificial marshes have produc-
ed an abundance of food for the
waterfowl.
In addition to the food provis-
ion development work, the admin
istration has provided for construc-
ton of sand fences" to help build
barrier dunes. These dunes prevent
sea water from washing into the
fresh water marshes and at the
same time preserve the beaches for
public recreation.
Even though the Pea Island Ma
tional Wildlife Refuge is under the
administrative jurisdiction of the
Fish and Wildlife Service, it is still
a part of the National Seashore
Recreational Area and recreational
uses not inconsistent with the pur-
poses of the refuge are being work
ed out jointly with the National
Park Service.
Near the northern tip of Pea
Island are picnicking grounds,
campgrounds and a public use area.
Many visitors come here for chan.
mel bass fishing and surf casting in
late summer and early fall.
In addition to the Pea Island ia
cilities, Hatteras offers several
ocean and bird observation plat
forms as well as parking facilities
along the sandy beach.
Near the southern end of the is
land at Cape Hatteras is the Cape
Hatteras light. This light, distin-
guished by its black and white spi-
raj stripes, is 208 feet tall and
is the tallest brick constructed bea-
con in the world. The lighthouse is