Mount Vernon (AP 22) - Naval Cruise Book

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isiiillfif l:!li ii ull!! 5953? iiiii Eggs fini I a':ii Glazed wi+h ice and cuHing +hrough fhe freezing winds of fhe Norl'l1 Allaniic, fh M e ounf Vernon a+ lasl found her course plorfed for New York and home. Bur 'rhe frip was 'ro be inierrupfed. Through lhe fog came ihe d' + ' ' is ress signals of a burning Norwegian ianker. The homewarel course was alfered as preparaiions for rescue began. Blow iorches were needed +o mel+ +h ' ' e ice holding +he lifeboais 'ro 'rhe davirs. Fire and Rescue crews assembled 'rheir equipment Fog was hugging fhe surface of ihe wafer and slee+ was driving againsi lhe declcs as fhe burning vessel came info view. For +wo hours +he Moun+ Vernon s+ood by, leaving only affer assisfance was on +h ' ships. Enfry info New Yorlc harbor was made in lhe early morning: spefllal sea de+ails wer 'r e se a+ 0200 and for four hours fhe crew shivered while ice-covered lugs maneuvered fhe ship up fhe ice-jammed harbor and alongside Pier 5l. e way in fhe form of Coasf Guard rescue New York became a cily of individual memories for +he men of llle Moun+ Vernon . I+ ' ' s size swallowed lhem up m 'rhe affernoon and sep- arafed ihem uniil morning. Here a+ las'r ihey found liberfies suifable +0 every +as+e. Of cour fh ' ' se ey saw The slghis of fhe criy-+he Empire Sfdfe ll .- L I I . I i . I :ilu H' ': a . ll' ll is:

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fhe signal men became famous. QM was fhe sfory of fhe famous mes- S596 of fhe Mounf Vernon fo fhe shore sfafion af Gibralfar. Whaf ship? , asked fhe shore sfafion. Queen Mary--Whaf rock is fhaf? , was 'rhe reply. The ROCK OF GIBRALTAR, domi- neering and seemingly unapproachable had fowered above fhe ship as she had passed fhrough fhe Sfraifs on previous occasions. How hard and how domineer- ing would fhe Rock be fo visifors?--To Americans? Gibralfar welcomed fhe ship and her men as fhey had never expecfed fo be greefed, warmly. They opened re- sfricfed and secref areas of fhe Rock for explorafion. The galleries, fhe honey- comb of funnels, fhe Moorish casfle, fhe monkeys were shown in defail. Brifish froops biIIe'red on fhe Rock dis- played fheir good humor, foo. Their Army personnel presenfed a variefy show and concerf for fhe M.V.'s crew on fhe Arena. The ship's company arranged an evening's supper in refurn. The River Clyde and fhe shipping in- dusfry combine fo make GLASGOW. SCOTLAND fhe mosf imporfanf seaporf 4: .M I of fhaf counfry. Her proximify +0 Lggh Lomond and Edinburgh made her more lmporfanf in 'rhe eyes of fhe Mounf Ver. non's globe fravelling crew. Forfunafe were fhose who fraveled by yon bonnie banks . . . of Loch Lomond . Liquid green of fhe hillsides flowed info fhe frue blue of fhe wafer. The music of Bobby Burns' Iyrics and fhe advenfure of Sir Walfer Scoff and Roberf Louis Sfevenson rose from 'rhe land round abouf. EDINBURGH was hisforical seaf of fhe Kings of Scofland and 'rradifional summer home of fhe Kings of England. High above 'rhe cify broods 'rhe casfle of Roberf Bruce, scene of fragedy and friumph. Among 'rhe cas'rIe's famous prisoners was Mary, Queen of Scofs, prefender fo fhe crown of England. Alfhough she died, Iafer, in fhe Tower of London, her son, James VI lived fo reign as James I of England. Each year, 'rhe reigning King of Eng- land walks fhe Royal mile from fhe casfle 'ro I-Iolyrood Palace as a proof of his rule over Scofland. The sfreef passes Sf. Jiles church, scene of infrigues, and John Knox's house, birfhplace of fhe Presbyfer- ian church.

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building, Radio cify, and Times Square, buf fhey saw fhem alone or in groups of fwo or fhree, nof in fhe large parfies which grew in smaller and sfranger porfs. Legifimafe fheafres augmenfed fhe movie programs, music and mu- seum fours were available. To fhe sea-weary men of fhe ship, however, if was counfless small bars, fhe dinner in scaffered resfauranfs, fhe bawdy floor shows of fhe nighf clubs, fhe horse-drawn buggys in Cenfral Parlc fhaf af lasf formed fheir memories of New York. One sfeward's mafe shiffed his weighf uneasily from one foof fo fhe ofher as he sfood before fhe capfain af masf. The capfain briefly scanned fhe charge sheef, rubbed his chin, and loolced fhreafeningly af fhe man. You're charged wifh being absenf over leave. Whaf have you fo say for yourself? l missed fhe subway, suh. When fhe man furfher explained fhaf his home was in Harlem fhe cap- fain gasped, and re-examined fhe charge sheef. He musf have misread if, buf no, fhere if was in clear, black prinf .... Absenf over leave for a period of 'fhree days, I7 hours, and 45 minufes'.