Butler High School - Magnet Yearbook (Butler, PA)

Page 30 text:

■ sv JhsL TYlcu noL 1 he motors were now turned to emergency position, and every precaution taken to bring their silver-winged monarch of the air to rest safely. Down they glided, swiftly skimming the surface of the water for a few seconds: and then, with a gentle swoosh,'' water splashed against the cabin windows, and the Philippine Clipper rested safely on the waters of Pearl Harbor. As the ship was brought to its moorings, the crowd on the shore seemed to wait in breathless anticipation; and when Captain Tilton and the crew appeared through the after hatch, they were greeted with a crescendo of applause and all on board were decorated with flowers. Thus, with a most impressive and lovely gesture of welcome, ended the second momentous air-mail trip across the broad Pacific. (With acknowledgments to National Geographic, from whose articles the facts of this trip were obtained.) THINK TWICE (before consenting to write a poem) Harvey McCandless 1 was walking through the hall last week On my way to chemistry. When a fellow-Senior shouted: Mac, Wait there a second for me! Gee. but you're looking good, said he, And I of course agreed. Now. what I want to have you do Is write a poem for me. The Magnet on its worthy page Your signature would print Among the jokes and other things—•” Why couldn’t I take a hint? But I sat me down and thunk and wracked” My brains ’til they were sore. And I’ll be darned if I could get The first few lines or more. But quit—not I ! I kept right on And worked till my eyes did smart; And if some day a great poet am I — This will have been my start. Pdgc Twenty-six

Page 29 text:

-—---------- — JPul 71 laqwL — 1 engineers read dial after dial and made notations. Any change on the ship's operations was recorded here. Opening a door and ascending a short ladder, they came to the flying bridge. A window was open and it was cold and inky black, but the instrument panel silhouetted two men sitting comfortably with arms folded. They were Captain Tilton on watch, in command, and Captain Ralph Dahlstorm, First Officer, who, with his hands in his lap, was piloting the Philippine Clipper on its 2,400-mile flight above the black Pacific! Dahlstorm smiled and pointed to a replica of a plane on the dial. We are using the automatic pilot,” he shouted. The Sperry mechanism, modern miracle of aeronautical engineering, was flying the Clipper across the Pacific, even though she carried a crew of nine men. The explorers returned to the lounge, past an officer busy at his radio, and the navigator’s compartment, where throughout the night two men studied the stars and charted the ship's course. During the inspection, the ship had been climbing and was now at 11,000 feet, with the clouds below, giving oft a reflected silvery light from the full moon riding high in the heavens. It was 8:15 P. M. and they had been on their way five hours when they overtook the S. S. Maunales. Evidently the steamer was unaware of their proximity, and no greetings were exchanged as the two ships passed in the night. The Maunales was soon forgotten, however, in the beauty of the night, as they watched the navigators take a celestial reading. But at the same time they were chilled to the bone as the cold, biting wind sucked through the opening. 1'hey commandeered all the sweaters and overcoats, to no avail: and in desperation finally burrowed under the canvas mail sacks. Gradually warmth and drowziness prevailed, and for five precious hours they slept on the deep— among mail bags. Daylight was not far off when they awoke. Outside it was clearing, warm pink rays of the still invisible sun peering over the blood-red horizon. The sunrise was magnificent, the colors almost eluding description as the first rays changed from palest pink to deepening gold until the sun itself burst forth in blinding brilliance. Captain Tilton passed through the bridge, and told them they should soon be sighting Maura Key, rearing up 1,385 feet on the island of Hawaii. All eyes peered ahead. They could see nothing but clouds and more clouds. At 10.08. Pacific time, Captain 1 ilton spoke again. 1 here s Maura Key just west of south of us.” The crew sighted it immediately, and from the bridge came the signal that the land fall had been made. To unpracticed eyes the island seemed only a slightly darker haze among the billowy clouds. Maura Key lay ahead, but only the experienced eye of real air mariners could have recognized it as land. The long over-water jump was done, but Diamond Head lay nearly an hour away, an hour that seemed endless. Very shortly the ship began to descend to get below the clouds. As they came lower, it was dreary and moist, and the heat suddenly became oppressive. Then, just off to the right, across a stretch of foaming water, they sighted Honolulu, just twenty hours and fourteen minutes from the time they had left Alameda Airport. Both Captain Tilton and Captain Dahlstorm were at the controls now. Tilton, having landed there several time before, was explaining the course and pointing out the dangers. They flew low over the land and were surprised at the mountainous aspect of the islands. They could now make out people waving to them, and the sky to the right and left was filled with planes from the Navy base. Passing the naval station, they turned and began preparations for landing. Page Twenty-five

Page 31 text:

------------ — JhsL WTjctqnoL —...... His Adventure Robert Cohn “He lived within the village. Where life had not a thrill: Where nothing ever happened. And nothing ever will . . . . Martin Pike and his wife. Margaret, ran a combination general store and post-office in a small village in Maine. During the winter months the town and its inhabitants settled down to a quiet routine, but in the summer it was a beehive of industry, because it was a popular resort for vacationists. Martin was popular and well-liked by all. He was a friendly, jovial, and kindly person, fond of adventure, which led him to the habit of reading all the postal cards that came into the post-office, in the hope of finding some there. This habit distressed his wife very much, because she thought it was not the most honorable thing to do. But when she remonstrated with him, he laughed good naturedly and said, Who knows, Margaret, maybe some day I’ll find something really exciting on one of those cards. Life went monotonously along, when suddeny one day, while sorting the out-going mail, he paused a moment to read the one postal card among the letters. To his amazement, he read the following: Dear Brother: By the time this reaches you, I shall be dead. My children have not come home to see me for over a year. I am very lonely. No one needs me. Good-bye. Your brother, Jim.” Martin knew it could be none other than Jim Pierce, who lived over the hill. Here was excitement. He grabbed his hat, called to Margaret to take care of everything, and started for Jim's place as fast as he could run. He was not a minute too soon, for just as he got there, he found the old man, sitting on a cot. with a gun in his hand. Jim,” cried Martin, don't do it: don't take your life. You have a lot to live for. Your children need you. No, answered Jim, they have forgotten they have an old father.” However, Martin stayed more than an hour, talking and trying to show the old man he had every reason in the world to live. Come over to my house with me, Jim, and stay for supper. Martin pleaded, believing that at last he was beginning to make the despondent man realize the foolishness of his intended actions. I guess maybe you were right. Martin, said Jim; perhaps it would have been a foolish thing to do. So, arm in arm, the two men walked along to Martin's home. Come and walk down to the train with me, Jim. will you? I have to take the mail down to the train. As the train was pulling in, and Martin was getting ready to put the mail on it, Jim's face suddenly lit up. What is it, Jim? Why are you looking like that?” Look, Martin—getting off the train—my children!” Jim rushed over to the train, and at the sight of his children, broke into tears. Martin looked happily on the scene, and feeling that his work was well done, went quietly away from the happy reunion. Thus did Martin find his big adventure—right out of a post card. Page Twenty-scrcn