Evening star., 1935-10-15
BY r. o. d. SULLIVAN.


= BY r. o. d. SULLIVAN.
GUAM, october IS N-A.N.Ao.-
Tbs flight we have just completed In
the<Pan-American clipper. from Cal
ifornia, $500 miles across the Pacific,
to .this little Island, the last way
station on Pan-Americap Airways'
route to the Orient, marked the hnal
chapter In a four-year record OF
pioAeering, the last step in construc-
tion of a 9,o00-mile aerial bridge to
link the Western World with the
East. rs.
our arrival at Guam completed the
longest ocean flight yet scheduled. 1t
extended the airway to within 1000
miles Of the Coast Of Asia and made
ready this route for the first through
transport service.
With our arrival at tiny Wake Is
land. the third ocean air base on the
westward route from California, the
Pan-American clipper completed U.s.
600 miles Of scheduled flying across
the Pacific. In the comprehensive
Pan-American engineering program,
each successive step became q part
OF che final 1,560-uile fight still fur
ther westward, which we have Just
completed. ~
: Upper Air Sounded.
The American colony on Wake Is
land bustled with activity long before
daylight, preparing for departure OF
the Pan-American clipper. The blue
flames from the exhausts Of the
warming engines contrasted sharply
with the light of the pale full moon
In an almost cloudless sky. Into the
radio station came weather reports
covering the entire western halt OF
the Pacific Ocean, and the observers
at Wake had completed upper air
soundings to 10000 feet before the
familiar two bells sounded the signal
that We were to board the clipper.
With the first few pale streaks OF
gray in the East, We TAXED into the
lagoon. We left the blue-green water
of this midocean lake just as the tip
of a red sun appeared over the
horizon. Climbing Immediately to
1000 feet, we found the tail wind the
observer had promised at that level
and held that altitude for the entire
trip.
Heavy cloud banks and scattered
showers lined our course. Two hours
after our take-off, We circled around
a water spout. For four hourse more
We 'cruised through unsettled weather
over this lonely stretch Of the Pacific,
far of the charted steamer lanes.
For the next three hours we were
above a solid floor Of clouds, flying by
celestial navigation, the long arms OF
our radio compass stations reaching
out from Guam ahead and Wake be-
hind to guard US on our course. When
we were $50 miles Oh Guam, the first
holes appeared in that solid floor and
we caught glimpses Of the deep green
sea and occasional whitecaps.
Island Sighted.
Nine hours and 80 minutes after the
take-off, first officer Tilton sighted the
island dead ahead. Thirty minutes
later, we were cruising over the low
northern coastal stretch Of Guam.
All along the coast we saw crowds
OF people. AS we circled the little
city of Agana hundreds lined the
waterfront and waved. -Four minutes
later we we're settling down to the
clearly marked channel Of Pan-Amer-
ican Airways' fourth midocean base
at Sumay Point, across from old Fort
Santa Cruz.
Aided by the tail wind, We covered
the 1850 miles in IL minutes more
than 10 hours, nearly 2 hours faster
than this distance normally would
be flown. But our early arrival did
not take the natives by surprise; the
entire population, headed by the naval
officials, was on hand to extend a
cordial and enthusiastic welcome to
the first airplane that ever landed
in Guam from any point beyond the
island.
Within q day or so, depending on
when our ground explorations can be
completed here, the Pan-American
clipper again will head eastward for
California, to make ready for the first
regular transocean service, which will
soon follow our trail westward.
(C1pyrisht. 1885. by the North American
, Newspaper Alliance. Inc.)