The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1919-08-15
IRMEN are preparing to make
the Azores islands the aerial
junction Of the future. They

1A junction of the future. They
predict that this garden spot
OF the Atlantic, with its mild climate
and other health giving qualities, will
become the stopover for all overseas
travel by airplane and dirigible. They
point out that the exploit of the United
States navy in effecting a crossing has
virtually put the islands on the map,
as far as the general public is con-
cerned; that for many years problems
Of construction will limit the over
seas route to the Azores, where fuel
and other supplies may be replenish-
ed, says the New York Tribune.
Rising to a height Of more than
1000 feet-as in the case of Pico--
and at the lowest $50 feet above sea
level, as the island of Corvo, the is
lands form an oasis in a desert Of wa
ter and mist and heavy banks of clouds
clouds that rise off the water in the
morning and blot out everything from
view, narrowing the horizon to few
feet for the anxious aerial pilot and his
navigator.
Already navigators are at work on
instruments to eliminate these diff
culties. They count on the Azores with
all of its mists and clouds to furnish
them with correct weather reports,
radio stations and rescue ships in case
of accident to the planes.
Pleasant Place for stopover.
And stopover at the Azores will
not be in the nature of hardship to
overseas passengers. What would
tourist find, for example, if his plane
dropped him at Ponta Delgada, the
capital Of st. Michael's? On ap-
preaching the islands he would find
great cloud of dense, gray mist resting
on the horizon. Nearer it becomes a
reddish brown dotted with moldy
green.
veering to the southeast toward
Ponta Delgada he would see the city
first as a formal white line, or, if the
gaze could pierce the cloud, it would
be broken line extending back from
the sea wall with series of white
splotches, small conical hills of bright
green and stiff white houses edged with
black trimmings.
The white lines would become
walls the next instant, disclosing
orange gardens, and the passenger
would drop into little harbor clut-
tered with eramp sailing ships of a
half-dozen nations. The harbor Is a
busy one, far superior in commercial
aspect to the town itself, which has
been maintained In all its primitive
state by the early Portuguese settlers.
The admixture of Moorish and Elem
ish has not served to quicken the pace
of the community, nor that Of any
other in the island groups, for that
matter.
The clouds are most dense in the
morning. Toward noon the humidity
Is source of discomfort if one is in
the city, but not so on the mountain
slopes.
The thermometer has never been
known to go below 48 degrees in jan
uary, the mid-winter month, and it
never has risen above 80. The aver
age is 72 degrees the year round.
Weather Is Always Mild.
Some of the finest homes in the
world have been built there by wealthy
and often titled continentals, princi-
pally Portuguese. In the farming dis
tricts (and there are large farms
among the various islands) many Of
the natives wear costumes entirely
red-short jackets, vests and knee
breaches, with CATERS buttoned over
the feet, which are often bare. When
anything at all Is worn on the soles
1t usually consists of leather san
Sials.
These people are Of retiring dis
position, rarely visiting the commune
ties for fear that some one viii laugh
at them and their dress. In the
towns, however, German, English,
Portuguese and American commercial
visitors have introduced modern modes
of dress and influenced social and bust
ness life. A.
The natives do not overwork,
unless in caring for the many tray-