Ihc Island has eroded considerably
since ii was first accurately surveyed.
The site of the houses may be buried
under sand dunes or possibly even
under the water of the sound now.
Л
Surge of Water
In order to have a dangerous storm
surge in the settlement area, it would
be necessary to have a very slow
moving hurricane of severe intensity
and heavy rain move into the Roanoke
Island area from the southeast or
before it reached the North Carolina-
Virginia border area, it would have to
turn sharply to the northeast or east-
northeast and increase in forward
speed. Most hurricanes of severe in¬
tensity produce heavy rain. Many hur¬
ricanes moving slowly northward
come under the influence of a strong
westerly wind and make a sharp turn
northeastward. It just has not hap¬
pened in modern limes in the Roanoke
Island area with that great reservoir of
water, the Albemarle Sound to the
northwest.
The author, a native of North Caro¬
lina. has watched weather and its ef¬
fects on t his area for 30 years both from
a personal interest standpoint and also
in a professional capacity as a Fore¬
caster w ith the National Weather Ser¬
vice: he made many hurricane fore¬
casts. Some were made for the area of
coastal North Carolina. A re-evaluation
of the report written by Governor
White, with emphasis on his observa¬
tions at the site, the finding of the clear
sand at the bottom of the excavated
ditch around the fort, in the light of
modern meteorological knowledge of
the generation and effect of the storm
water.
The author believes that a severe
hurricane from the Atlantic moved into
the Roanoke Island area very slowly
from the southeast or south. Mean¬
while an easterly wind on the north
side of the hurricane had been pumping
water through the inlets and over the
lower portions of the Outer Banks into
the Albemarle Sound and Roanoke Is¬
land area. This action together with a
been at its highest. The combination ol
possibly 5 to 10 feel above normal,
over the Albemarle Sound and
Roanoke Island area.
The Survivors
Soon thereafter, as the center
moved north of Roanoke Island it
came under the influence of the west¬
erly winds at high altitudes, took a
sharp turn to the northeast or east
northeast, and increased in forward
speed. This produced a rapid increase
in northwest wind of strong hurricane
This caused a great wave of water,
often called a storm surge, to build up
as it approached the settlement area.
This wave could have been 8 to 12 feet
above the flooding level of the water
but the breaking component of the
wave as it struck the north end of the
island would have been much higher.
As the wave struck it moved in over
the houses, causing them to collapse.
Will Rogers used to say that all he
knew was just what he read in the pa¬
pers. The little town of Carthage is left
born and have been living right here in
Carthage all of my entire universal
solid Confederate career.
Down here in Carthage we call presi¬
dent George Washington "Cousin
George.” and we have a right to do so.
Dr. George Howard Glasscock lived
here in Carthage. He was a surgeon in
the continental army and a first cousin
Washington. Dr. Glasscock had a
The material of which the houses were
contructed was washed away toward
the southeast. Only the heavy metal
objects later found by White, did not
wash away. Most likely a few of the
stronger men who were good swim¬
mers. were able to save themselves by
grasping some of the trees and keeping
above the water. The others were
drowned and their bodies swept away
toward the southeast.
The year of the storm was most
likely 1588 during either August. Sep¬
tember. or October, the worst hurri¬
cane months. Spanish records showed
that the Hnglish were still there in June
1588. If it had been June 1589. John
White would have noted some of the
effects of the great water. Two years of
time gave nature the opportunity to
hide the scars on the land.
The few w ho survived built the pali¬
sade as protection from future floods.
Eventually they lost hope and disap¬
peared into history.
Chub's
dered. She married Jesse F. Muse Jr.,
they had six children and one was
named Fannie Glasscock Muse. She
had three children after she married
John McNeill and John McNeill was
my great grandfather. The father of
Alexander Hamilton McNeill, the fa¬
ther of my mother Ella B. McNeill.
Fannie and Jesse F. Jr. also had a son
named Lemuel Muse, who had a
daughter named Nannie Muse who
married squire Jesse Frye, a famous
Carthage character. James B. Muse
married Elizabeth "Betsy" Glasscock
and through them came Howard.
Muse. Alex Muse, and others all from
Carthage. You can see why we always
refer to the first President of the United
States as "Cousin George."
A Tailor Named Johnson
A president of the United States
once lived in Carthage and was a tailor.
My great grandfather was buried in a
THE STATE. SePIEMBER I9B2
daughter named Mary, but they called
these forces would have caused an ac- her "Molly." She was only six weeks
cumulation of water of several feet, old when Dr. Glasscock was mur-
10
south. Then shortly thereafter, long force that drove the water of the sound
southeast toward Roanoke Island.
surge, all lead to the conclusion that
the Lost Colony was destroyed by a
hurricane-induced storm surge of out of most of the papers, but I was
born here and I am now living in less
than two hundred yards of w here I was
very heavy rainlall ol possibly 15 to 20
inches or more caused a great ac¬
cumulation of water over the Albe¬
marle Sound and Roanoke Island area.
As the hurricane center approached
the settlement area the tide may have
of George Washington. The mother of
Dr. Glasscock was Esther Ball but
they called her "Easter." Her father
was Richard Ball, who was a brother of
Mary Ball, the mother of George
Cousin
Carthage
What everybody ought to know about
the Capital Of The Sandhills.
К
i
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II. F. “CHUB” SEAWELE. JK.