Perquimans County NcArchives News.....50 YEAR ANNIVERSARY OF JET CRASH (FEB 21,1957) AT HIGH SCHOOL February 21, 1957
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File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by:
GERALD WIGGINS gwiggins@inteliport.com February 22, 2007, 6:36 pm

THE PERQUIMANS WEEKLY February 21, 1957
COMPILED BY :
MARGARET FISHER FOR THE PERQUIMANS WEEKLY FEBRUARY 21, 2007 ON PAGE 6.
   WRITTEN IN PART.
   FOR THOSE WHO REMEMBER THAT DAY AT THE PERQUIMANS HIGH SCHOOL ON FEB 21, 1957
IT LEFT AN INDELIBLE IMPRINT ON THERE MINDS AND HEARTS AND FOR ONE MAN, SCARS
AND MEMORIES THAT WON'T GO AWAY.
   WHAT PEOPLE DESCRIBED AS RUMBLE AND LOUD EXPLOSION WAS A U.S NAVY JET 
SWEEPING AGAINST THE TREETOPS. BOUNCING ONCE ON THE GROUND AND CRASHING INTO THE
BUS GARAGE AT PERQUIMANS COUNTY HIGH SCHOOL.
   THE JET BASED OUT OF OCEANA NAVAL AIR STATION , IN 1957 WAS PILOTED BY THE
LATE ENSIGHN WILLIAM BELL OF LONGTON, KAN. HIS BODY WAS FOUND HOURS AFTER THE
CRASH ON A NEW HOPE FARM.
   TWO MECHANICS WERE OR NEAR THE GARAGE AT THE TIME OF THE CRASH. CHIEF 
MECHANIC J. VAN ROACH , 56 STUMBLED OUT OF THE FLAMING BUILDING WITH HIS
CLOTHES ON FIRE. RALEIGH PERRY , CARETAKER OF THE CEMETERY NEXT TO THE SCHOOL,
HEAPED DIRT ONTO ROACH TO SMOTHER THE FLAMES ROACH DIED AT CHOWAN HOSPITAL HOURS
LATER.
   A MECHANICS HELPER, WAS THROWN OVER A FENCE INTO THE BALL FIELD BY THE BLAST.
HE SUFFERED BURNS ON ABOUT 90 PERCENT OF HIS BODY .
   AFTER THE CRASH, STUDENTS WERE USHERED OUT OF THE BUILDING. WHEN IT BECAME
CLEAR WHAT HAPPENED, THE STUDENTS RETREATED BACK INTO THE SAFTEY OF THE SCHOOL.
OUTSIDE  THE AREA AROUND THE BUS GARAGE WAS LITTERED WITH PLANE PARTS AND 
SECTIONS OF FLAMING GRASS.
   FIRE PERSONNEL FROM HERTFORD AND EDENTON DOUSED THE AREA WITH WATER, BUT 
WERE TOLD NOT TO SPRAY WATER ON THE PLANE BECAUSE IT COULD CAUSE IT TO FLARE UP.
   ONE OF THOSE FIREMAN THE LATE JOHN DANCHISE HAD JUST JOINED THE FORCE.
   THE PLANE CRASHED THE VERY NEXT DAY SO (DANCHISE)HAD NOT BEEN ON THE FIRE
DEPARTMEMNT 24 HOURS WHEN HE HAD TO FIGHT A MAJOR FIRE A LOCAL HISTORIAN SAID.
   BESIDES FIREFIGHTERS, THE U.S. COAST GUARD , NAVY AND CIVILIAN AUTHORITIES
ASSISTED. A SITUATION OF PANIC ENSUED AS PARENTS HEARING ABOUT A PLANE CRASH
AT THE SCHOOL RUSHED THERE TO CHECK ON THE SAFETY OF THEIR CHILDREN.
   COMMUNITY VOLUNTEERS PROVIDED COFFEE AND DOUGHNUTS FOR THE EMERGENCY WORKERS.
DAMAGES WERE ESTIMATED TO BE AS HIGH AS 40,000 DOLLARS. A NUMBER OF BUSES AND 
OTHER VEHICLES THE BASEBALL GRANDSTAND AND THE BUS GARAGE WERE DESTROYED.
   



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