Fryeburg Academy - Academy Bell Yearbook (Fryeburg, ME)

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THE ACADEMY BELL 32 We put up lunches enough for fifteen, and after supply- ing Mister's truck with gasoline and oil and filling the back part with old mattresses, we finally started off at 9:30 A. M., from the dorm, singing Hit the line for Frye- burg. Those who went were as follows: Betty Rundlett, Eleanor Chase, Maggie Harmon, Irma Fehlandt, Miriam Chase, Ruth Pratt, Bill Gannon, Marion Barker, Char- lotte Wentworth, Priscilla Wilkinson, Betty Andrews, and I. The teachers were Miss Mildred Smart, Miss Ruth John- son, and Miss Ruth Piper. Mr. Hinie Heartz was our chauffeur. Our first mishap was just a few miles out of Fryeburg. The steering gear was very loose and we were going about twenty-five miles an hour, when, as Hinie tried to steer the car one way it went another. We nearly got ditched, but luck was with us and we did not meet with any serious accident. We stopped both at Char1otte's and Ruth's house at Jackson for a few moments and then started on again. The trip was very pleasant until we reached Jackson. Here our trouble began. We were going down a little grade when something came off the under part of the car and dragged on the ground. Hinie stopped and found that the exhaust pipe had dropped down. He took it off and tied it to the run- ning board. By the time we had substracted part of the truck I do not wonder that it would not go right. Soon we came to a hill which we could not make, so all the girls got out and walked up. By the time we had

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30 THE ACADEMY BELL The first night out I was taken to the wheel house and taught the secrets of steering a large steamer. I learned very rapidly, and after an hour or so I could handle it alone. I soon became quite skilled in this art and had a steady wheel watch while at sea. I had the first mate's watch which gave me a wonderful opportunity to observe the functioning of nature at sea. I saw the beautiful sunrises and sunsets, which would have been lost to me if I had one of the other watches. I ap- preciated the sunrises at sea, because each day was exactly like the preceding one except for the weatherg and the sun was a prophet for the weather that was coming. I also saw the rain storms sweep across the broad ocean, but then, you have to be a sailor to appreciate that sort of thing. To me the Working of nature at sea is always a perpetual source of wonder. One of my duties as helmsman was to ascertain the temperature of the water we were in. This was done to de- termine our position in regard to tidal runs. One day, after reporting the temperature to the mate, the officer told me to be on the look out for marine life as we were crossing the Gulf Stream. I relieved the man at the wheel, and soon afterwards saw my first school of porpoise. I also saw black fish, sharks, dolphins, whales, and turtles Q there Were, besides, many strange sea birds, which were feeding on different types of small fish which abound in these Waters. I asked many questions that day, but the men were very patient with me, telling me many strange things about the great fish. I am inclined to believe they stretched the truth a little at times. We were at sea nine days when one of the men re- ported land in sight. I rushed on deck and beheld far down on the horizon a dark, grey cloud which finally developed into hills covered with tropical trees and a stretch of sandy beach. After sailing a few hours, I was able to see the masts of the government station at Colon. We finally reached Colon and dropped anchor beside the entrance to the canal. Nine hours later we were steaming into the broad Pacific, headed for San Pedro. GORDON CUTLER, '30. OUR TRIP ON CARTER DOME On September 22, 1928, the Dormitory girls of Frye- llgurg Academy made their memorable expedition to Carter ome.

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32 THE ACADEMY BELL mastered several hills in this fashion, we finally reached the Glen House at the foot of Carter Dome. The truck was left at the foot of the mountain and after each one took an orange and put enough sandwiches in the pack that Hinie carried, we all started up the moun- tain. We managed to keep together for a while, then some got ahead of the others. Finally Priscilla and Betty Rundlett passed us, leaving seven of the girls behind with more teachers behind those. We could not keep up with them because we were tired and stopped often to rest. Every half mile we saw a sign that said, Four and one half miles, Four miles, Three and one half, and so on until we reached the top. The Tote Road was an easy trail and very pleasant. We picked berries on our way and ate them. By the time we reached the top, we were nearly starved. Priscilla and Betty kept ahead of us all the time and reached the summit nearly an hour before we did. When the seven of us finally did reach the top, we climbed up into the lookout station and ate our dinner. We waited for about an hour for the teachers to come, but decided that they had taken the wrong trail and prob- ably would be a longer time coming up than we were, so we started down but had no sooner reached the foot of the lookout station when Miss Johnnie and a few others came up the mountain saying that the rest were waiting for us to come down that Way as they were so tired that they could not get up. Hinie decided to go down and bring them up while we waited. It was about four o'clock in the afternoon then and growing colder every minute. I started down the path to meet some of the other girls as they said it would be warm- er down there, suddenly I tripped over some rocks and went flying into the air. When I finally did strike terra jirma I was a total wreck. My arms were bruised and my legs all scratched up. Nevertheless I was able to walk again. We finally asked the teachers if we might go down for it was cold and getting late, but they said, No. When they weren't looking four of us strolled quietly down the trail, not saying a word to them.. When we did get out of sight we ran as fast as we could. Ruth Pratt and I were in front and two other girls behind. The trail was so steep that we had to run nearly all the way down, stumbling now and then on a rock. When we came to the main road we found to our dismay that it was not the place from which we had started. We did not