The coastland times with which is combined the pilot and herald of Belhaven and Swan Quarter., 1962-04-06

eA-~1
where they kept decoys, nets
and other fishing equipment.
Lonnie pulled his mother on
q mattress but the hours in
the water and freezing tenn
peratures proved too much for
her. She died before they
reached higher ground.
The landing house was about
200 yards from where Griggs
fO'Neal and his mother took shell
tier. Lonnie and his son-in-law
left their families in the fish
shack to carry the body Of Mrs.
O'Neal to her family. Then they
returned to the landing house
to wait out the night.
Thursday morning Griggs
climbed through a second story
window and placed a red flag
lin hopes of signaling for help.
About noon a Navy helicopter
saw the flag and landed nearby.
The pilot tried to take the FAM
lilies out but they each still
Thought some Of their posses
sions could be salvaged and re-
fused to go. Only the elder Mr..
lo'Neal could be persuaded to
leave.
i Meanwhile Lonnie's brother,
Ernest, had gotten word to the
Coast Guard through the Wash
woods Station that families at
4 lPenny's Hill may need help. He
did not realize that his own
mother was a victim Of the
lstorm.
Bodies Recovered
Chief Gray of the Virginia
Beach station happened to be
lat Little Island Station survey
ling the damage. Ernest Bowden
lbroke in on their lines with his
distress message. Gray managed
to get to the two families with
a truck and brough the bodies
of the two women back.
Griggs and his wife joined the
Bowdens in the landing house
where the two families stayed
until Friday when friends, trav-
eling by Jeep trucks, brought
!, them out.
Lonnie Bowden's house is
gone, only the roof remains
intact. His mothers home is
standing butts beyond repair.
The O'Neal house is also be-
} yond repair. Everything they
: have in the world is gone.
ii The local unit Of the Ameri.
) can Red Cross learned of the
lplight Of these two families q
few days later. With a little de-
: tective work, Mrs. Pearl Mallory
= and Mrs. Nancy Batchelder 10.
Gated them and wheels were Sc,
, in motion to offer them help.
i Friday morning the Nationa'
) Guard furnished five guardsmer
: and two Army Jeeps to take ;
; Red Cross representatives to the
disaster scene to see what was
} needed.
!, Only devastation greeted the
, group. What buildings remain ir
the area are damaged, all of the
} furnishings ruined. Progressing
: from one damaged home to the
other, Mrs. Mallory, Mrs. Bat
chelder and Field Representa-.
i tive Art Bodkins of Brookneal
: IVA, talked to residents.
"If the Red Cross don't help
another soul down here" one
old fisherman told them, "you
ought to do something for that
O'Neal family. That Mrs. O'Neal
collected for the Red Cross ev-
ery year she was able. She was
mighty loyal"
The National Guardsmen, all
members Of Battery C Sd -AW
Bn (SP) 111th Arty. from
Portsmouth, were also impressed
with the needs.
Upon their return Friday aft
ernoon, Capt. Luther D. Melton,
lJr., backed up the Red Cross
Representatives in telling Maj,
Gen. Paul M. Booth, Adjutant
General of Virginia, here from
Richmond to confer with city
officials on other matters, Of the
Washwoods situation. General
Booth cleared the way for them
to take National Guard supplies
Into the area.
The group left again Saturday
m or ming with two Army
DUKWs loaded with furnishings
flor 8 bedrooms, 8 kitchens,
many blankets and other odds
and ends.
Accompanying Mrs. Mallory,
Mr.. Bodkin and Capt. Melton
were LIST Sgt. Charles w. Kelly,
M/Sgt. George E. Howard, Sgt.
Horace v. james and Spa
George F. Carroll, Jr.
While the stricken families
have been staying with relatives,
| the Red Cross has furnished