Evening star., 1937-06-22
AUSTRALIA GOAL
OF MISS EARHART
Takes OFF Tomorrow From
Java-FueI Instruments
of Plane Repaired.
BY AMELIA EARHART.


East Indies. June % by telephone).
just an hour after our arrival in
Bandoeng from Singapore Sunday,
telephone call from New York reached
me. 1t seemed slightly miraculous.
incidentally. the connections were
quite good. despite the 10000 miles or
so intervening. for these calls, I am
San Francisco.
felt as II I might have Just
dropped into the airport at Cleveland
and found call in Maj. Jack
Berry's Office Altogether, it was
something quite honey
The conversation mostly concerned
arrangements being made for the two
flights from Lac, New Guinea, to
Howland Island and thence to Homo
lulu. The United States Navy and
Coast Guard are kindly cooperating
to help make these rather longish
Jumps a bit easier. There were de-
tails to settle about radio frequencies,
weather reports and the like.
Miss Earhart Telephoned.
A telephone message direct from
Miss Earhart at 1:20 today, Java
time, stated she would take of for
Port Darwin, Northern Australia.
at dawn tomorrow. She spoke
from the city of Batavia, 66 miles
from Bandoeng.
She reported: THE K. L. M.
technicians have licked small
trouble with my fuel regular in
struments which WAS seriously
me. It seems that the plane is
now in the best possible shape for
the Pacific flight"
Sunday, by the way, on the fight
south from Singapore. we crossed the
Equator for the third time on this air
voyage. But, though We are down
under" Bandoeng seems as temperate
as 1t is tropical. In this enchanting
place. perched among densely wooded
mountains, everything horticultural
apparently is possible, from tea and
coffee to European garden vege-
tables, from spices to flowers.
Takes Inspection Tour.
put in its hangar today and K L. NJ
Netherlands Airline) mechanics had
begun their inspection, went for an
inspection trip myself. My first OBJ
lective was an active volcano, to the
crater rim Of which one can drive in
half an hour up beautiful mountain
road where many people journeyed.
Some were laughing and chatting
others were carrying baskets and
varying loads. not often on their
heads as heretofore, but on poles over
their shoulders, Rice fields in ter
races bordered the road and on the
steepest mountain side I could see
cultivated patches.
Surely no indolent people farm
that way.
At 5000 feet the trees began to
dwarf and the vegetation became
less dense. At $500 feet only scrub
sisted. could smell sulphur fumes
for some time before rounding the
last curve leading to the lower edge
of the pit Hundreds Of feet below,
emerald water had collected in
pool at the bottom. Here and there
jets Of yellow-White steam issued
from crevices. While the last erup-
ton was IN 1910, still volcanologist
lives near and every DAY takes tenn
peratures for signs of renewed ac-
tivity.
Dogs Government Employees.
In his walks ne is always preceded
by two dogs. They are rated govern
nlent employees and receive stated
amount each week for their services.
They are first to be exposed to dan
gerous gases and save their masters
life by being first affected. One dog
has been three times overcome and
so now has a pension. No longer
need he fare forth, but he may lie still
at home while others carry on.
There is one section I did not see,
where gases have killed all trees in
the vicinity and all animals which
venture near. At the summit I was
since the start of the trip that Fred
Noonan (Miss Esrhart's navieator)
and I have had the opportunity to
shlver, We put on leather jackets
and liked them.
From the volcano We drove to the |
town. Tonight We 60 to the home
ofss one Of the K. l.. M. pilots, for |
international ground flying" is one |
off the few social events our recent |
lives have permitted
We are staying overnight at very |
eohd hotel. My room is filled with |
flowers, and everything is as neat |
and clean as Dutch reputation pre-
scHbes.
Copyright, 1879