Evening star., 1937-08-19
CLIPPERS CREW
PRAISES COURSE
Southern Arc Flight of Ex.
ploration Ends at Fayal
Island.
BY HAROLD K. GRAY.

| CAptAlh ran American Clipper Ill.
| b. RAD, to The Star.
HORTA, Fayal Island. August 10
(N.A,N,A).-swingins along = wind
course untraveled since the sailing
clipper ships of another century, the
Pan American Clipper accomplished
its first successful crossing Of the At
lantic over the southern arc from
America TO the Azores. It was
leisurely run Of under 1917 hours from
the Bermuda Islands, our first STOP
ping point of the American main
land
AS we circled over the foliage
trimmed bay OF the little port OF
Horta in the early morning hours YES
terday. enthusiastic islanders lined
the shores and waved greetings to the
first American flying boat to reach
the islands since the historic flight
OF the United States Navy NC boats
in 1919. Every vessel in the open
harbor that boasted 4 mast ran at
least streamed OF welcome while
the whistle on the big German mother
ship Schwabeland. riding at anchor
OF the open roadstead, sent up
plume of white
Another few minutes and the Clip
per was gliding over the choppy sur
face of the harbor and was quickly
moored.
Light Winds Steady.
We have to report only a most
pleasant flight. Weather conditions
were moderately good all the way
through. The winds, although they
averaged las miles per hour for the
course. were so light at times AZ to be
unmeasurable in velocity.
But. true to the findings of the old
time clipper shippers of another day.
they held remarkably constant. Only
once during the long 2.200-mile dog
leg course did they vary. Then with
in a period OF an hour they swung
entirely around the compass and
reached light gale force only to fall
back again TO their charted cycle.
For the first 800 miles we saw moth
ing OF the sea, but from then on the
surface was almost constantly In
view-long CLASSY swells for long
stretches at time, and at no time
was more than a moderate sea roll
ing. Our fight level at 10000 feet
was cloud-free most OF the way. Only
once did the clouds from below reach
our predetermined altitude lane, and
then only light misty tops spread
across our course.
Flies Dry Course.
So well did our meteorolo2ists chart
the weather map. that. despite the
fact there were only four steamers
whose reports could aid them in their
forecasting, they plotted for us a dry
path through two merging ther
fronts. They moved toward each other
near the center flashing broad streaks
OF lightning, but they came no nearer
to us than a hundred miles.
Much faith has been pla ced in the
southern course by our engineers, who
have for seven long years laid such
careful plans for the establishment Of
a dependable scheduled passenger
service across this Atlantic Ocean be-
tween America and Europe The ma
ture of the weather on it Is markedly
different from that characteristic of
the northern sections
Our tempera ture range throughout
the entire fight was within 20 degrees.
What centers We could see during the
night were broader. and, therefore.
less intense than those encountered
farther north, and the tops Of the
higher clouds reached out of sight.
The clippers fight officers remarked
on the similarity between this and the
Caribbean weather. on which We
were all brought up.
The steady routine of the fight Was
broken only by an unconscious 1850
citation Of our fight with the old time
clippers. over whose course We were f1v- |
ing. The striking beauty Of the moon
set and the burning sunrise AZ it burst |
up from a cloud banked horizon At
2:30, Eastern standard time, Yesterday
morning, when We were still 500 miles |
of the Azores Those are things
which even the least emotional must |
notice, We welcomed them, looked
forward to them. actually, during the !
long night. for the same reason that |
we have little pool among ourselves
for the first one to sight whale On |
the northern flights the pool was on |
the sighting of icebergs
Turn Jones Corner.
For the first 1900 miles we cruised |
directly east until we reached the
4oth parallel. Jones Corner. where
we had to turn from the old Clippers
course to Africa and the south and
make our heading north and est. We
made that point in excellent time and
made our turn at 1:10 am. Eastern
standard time-within II minutes OF
the time we had set for this mark long
before our departure.
Another two hours and gray light !
broke on the horizon to starboard. An
other hour and the first dark smudge
on the northern horizon appeared. AL
though the early morning haze dis
torted the form Of the land, we were
soon able to make out clearly the high
volcanic peaks on Pico Island. A few
minutes later the lower-lying land
fall of Fayal appeared
Beyond Pico we could see San Jorge,
then the bigger island Of Terceira. We
were almost within sighting distance
of the town of Horta before little
Graciosa Island came into view well
behind Fayal. In the early morning
light, the rugged green hills and sharp
| featured coastline Of the Azores were
welcome sight
All new land is interesting to Sc for
the first time. On long ocean flight.
especially the first over an uncharted
course. the making Of a landfall on
strange island coast is exciting proof
Of the means and methods Of your en-
tire transport operation.
Shin Functions perfectly