DANGER THREAT TO CLIPPER

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Volume 81, Issue 82, 30 December 1937, Page 7

DANGER THREAT TO CLIPPER

— Press AseooJation.)

Nearby Pleasure Boat Drags Her AncHor CENTAURUS TO-MORROW

(By Telegraph

AUCKLAND, This Day. Owing to a stiff blow in the harbour the Samoan Clipper, whose return ffigfit to Honolulu was postponed at midnight, was transferred this morning to Islington Bay, Rangitoto Island, which is sheltered from the prevailing north-easterly wind. A more immediafe' reason for the transfer was the fact that one of the pleasure boats mqored in front of the Pan-American Clipper dragged its anchor during the night Captain Musick therefore decic}ed early this morning to take shelter and taxied the Clipper to Islington Bay. "It pays to be careful," said Mr Harold Gatty, spepial representative of Pari-American Airways, this morning. He added that it was better to have the clipper moored in a sheltered spot Ihan have it where constant vigilance Wgs necessary owing to the ppssibility of pleasure craft dragging their anchors. The Centaurus was able to remain at her moorings in Mechanics Bay, there being no pleasure boats moored near her. Captain Burgess and his crew were vigilant throughout the night. Mr F. Maurice Clarke, manager of Union Airways, stated this morning before leaving for the south by air that the Centaurus was not likely to be delayed by weather on the flight south to-morrow. She is leaving Auckland at 7 a.m. with twelve passengers, ineluding two Ministers of the Crown. Air mail for the Samoan Clipper now totals 21,000 letters. The peak of the jrush has passed. The Post and Telegraph' Department will take only a small part of the proceeds of the sale of air mail stamps, the prpportion being fixed by international agreepient. The bulk of the amount of the postage will go to PanAmerican Airways. The air mail postage to San Francisco is'4/6 for halfounce letters, but the biggest part of the mail will be delivered at Pago Pago, for which the rate is 6d.