Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-12-07
Copyright. r. b

the wireless operator flashed the conflrmmsaUn
OF disaster. As his messages were picked Mw
IN the west Indies and at Miami, they Wera
flashed around the world. The Red Cross prwa
pared for relief of the starving, and averted
plague and pestilence. Governmental hsnnN
opened channels for help to the homeless.
From Porto Rico Gov Roosevelt asked for q
Pan-American plane. In a matter Of minutes
general headquarters in New York granted q.
Medicines. doctors, distress workers went aboard.
Meanwhile radio communication had been ~
opened from the airways field =
I'm that day and the next four great txaxRs
ports brought emergency supplies and assistancGs
The commercial flying field became the base
Tor the q. B. Marine planes which the United
States Government turned to the use Il haas
mainly.
''On the second day Pan-American AirwayA
had resumed Its schedules. Throughout 90
great radio network meteorological observers
carried on their safeguarding of the planes
Roads stal had to be cleared for surfaces
transport, harbors were damned with refuse and
docks were destroyed.
"But the airways were operating on schedule
And when the dreaded tetanus ganRrene brooks
out an emergency shipment of serum was rushed
from New York and flown to the stricken 0skw
by O scheduled plane
"And farther south the air mails new Thear
courses. The famed seven-d service 70 anR
FROM North American cities went through. HIgk
the silver Of the planes flashed hack the SUM
and the commerce Of the skies sailed the baus
nOESh and south"
IT H not to be understood that because planan
hurry to port at the approach Of . hurricanS
they ny In velvety smooth air and contanuouiln
under blue skies when they do ny. Far from ik.
In the tropics there are plenty OF stoEEzs %
many varieties and degrees OF intensity, am9
rain Is 70 frequent that were the planes % -
down" nc the approach Of every dark eauuM
they would be On the ground q good share q
the tame.
TaAe tropical rain sqnat Is practically ~
everyday occurrence in the wet season. u %
annoying. but not particularly dangerous. Tn
flyers Get used TO 1t and accept 1t as inevitatae.
Just IS one gets used to the daily ringing Of the
alarm clock. These squalls seldom cause mmm
READ dttlaculty in flying the ship.
Often flying through the West Indies O pElGe
can see rain squalls In every direction. Th@
plane Eig-xags around them, goes higher 10 hos
over them, drops down again and continuAzln
lodges around.
Then suddenly without warning it runs healNs
oQ into one, unable to dodge at all and the rAa1
pours down until it is almost Impossible 10 se9
the wing tips. The pilot then flies blind unAn
the ship emerges from the rainstorm, perhaun
Is suddenly rs it had entered it, $50 -.
One American pilot who spent several mOntam
hying the tropical airlines brings back q cIassfa
story Of the rains In that region. OF course,
u isn't true, but 1t illustrates the point.
7 was Tying alone one day." he says land
noticed bunch of ducks flying along wiEh
me. just on my left wing tip. They stuck with
me Tor quite while and finally we ran into A
rain squan.
at kept raining harder and harder. hut taas
ducks kept right alongside. It was raining 1ika
nobodys business I've never seen anything Ike
1t In the States. The water came down in q
solid mass
II began to wonder how my feathered friends
were making out. 50 took a look out &ho
window. And do you know them ducks hAA
folded up their wings and was sWimmin'Fs