The Oklahoma City times. [volume] (Oklahoma City, Okla.) 1908-1984, 1919-05-23
HISTORIC AZORES,
HALFWAY HOUSE
FOR AERIAL Lane
Country Rich in Lore Of Past
GlOrieS,

WASHlNGTON.-Thc Azores Is
lands, proposed as md-Atlantg res
pte for the trans ocean arplane
flight have been an oceanic hallway
house ever since Columbus halted
there TO offer thanks for his success
upon his way home after discovering
America, says bulletin from the
National Geographic society The
bulletin continues
Farthest from continent OF any
Atlantic island group, the Islands lie
$50 miles west OF Cape de Ia Roca
Portugal and more than 1000 miles
southeast OF Newfoundland, nearest
North American land.
Volcanic cruptionS and ,arth-
quakeS. while the former were active,
made the Azores objects OF scientific
interest akin to that eyinced in the
now famous Mount katmal region IN
Alaska. Sub oceanic cruptlons some
times pillng up islands which soon
disappeared we're characteristic phe.
nomena One early description ot
such an event tells how the earth
and waters we're rocked for eight
DAYS by earthquakes, followed by a
vast cauldron OF fire that seemed to
sweep the seas surface and consume
the clouds. Spewing enormous masses
of earth and rock. Then there ap-
pearcd a ground OF rocks ever grow
ing higher and wider, until an area
OF several square miles was con-
tanned in this mo mans land y Later
it was shattered and subsided as the
result, oi more earthquakes.
Three Groups OF Islands.
The Azores comprise three groups
OF islands. Their total area Is less
than that OF Rhode Island; their
population about equal to that OF
Kansas City. Mo. Most OF the in
'habitan,s are Portuguese The res,
are Flemish and Moorish. with few
immigrants from the United King
dom
Fruits and fish constitute the prln-
ciPal exports Oranges are supplanl-
ing pineapples, but the other prod
ucts-lemon, ci,ron, japanese medlar
and bananas--maintain their popu-
larity. The principal fish are the
mullet funny and boniio,
St Michaels, largest island OF the
group, has lava beds, caves which
NAV be trayersed for miles, and \
mammoth crater with two jeweled
lakes. one azure, the other emerald,
at its bottom.
On Santa Maria is the church
where Columbus knelt OFF Tercelra,
a submarine volcano made its ap-
pcarance as recently as half a cen
tury ago. On Corvo have been un-
ear,hed coins which suggest Car
thaginian visits and an Arabian
geographer Of the twelfth centur,
described islands OF the "Westeri
Ocean thought to have been th'
Azores.
The Settlement.
About the middle OF the fiftecn'i
century the Portuguese sent expedi
,ions 10 settle upon them. One is
land, Fayal, was presented by Al
phonso V OF Portugal to his aun,
Isabella, Duchess of Burgundy. !
was upon her marriage to Philip tn
Good Duke OF Burgundy, that h
founded the famous knightly orde
OF the Golden Fleece.
In 1920 supporters Of Maria d
Gloria agains, Miguel, in the strug
gle for the Portuguese crown, estab
lished themselves on the islands, AM
for the three years following Quee
Maria lived at Angra, one OF the sea
ports of importance, Others are Pont
Delgada and Horta.
Treasure fleets from the West In
dies Il olden days put IN at the Azores
Celebrated In British naval traditio
is the exploit of Sir Richard Gren
vile, whose ship. Revenge" aeci
dentally separated from its fleet, hel
out for fifteen hours against fiftce
Spanish ships.
Previously Grenville commando
the fleet sent out by Sir Walter RAJ
eigh, his cousin, which landed o'
what now is North Carolina. Th
doughty commander died ehortl
after he was taken aboard the Spar
ish flagship. The Revenge ha
borne Drake in his battle with II
Armada, Of which Tennyson says
a poem about this famous encounter
ship after ship. the whole nigh
long. their high-built galleons cam
Ship after ship, the whole night lonl
with her battle thunder and flame
Ship after ship, the whole night lon
drew back with her dead and HI
shame;
For some were sunk and many wei
shatter'd, and so could fight n
more
God of battles, was ever a. battle lil
this in the world before p