FROM THE WATCH TOWER

Sun (Auckland), Volume IV, Issue 1052, 16 August 1930, Page 8

FROM THE WATCH TOWER

By

"THE LOOK-OUT MAN.”

VAGUE VERSES It Mr. Forbes, the Budget man, Accomplishes his present plan. And sails across the sea to meet His I\M. friends in Downing- street, The voice of conscience he’ll be lullin’ By haying lunch with Mr. Scullln. When Hubert Wilkins, as a boy, Became his parents’ pride and joy, Perhaps they did not make it clear That any normal man’s career Does not include aquatic, mole-nke journeys to the Northern Pole. I’m sure that none of you can guess The feelings of the great U.S. When, after many tiresome years Of scarce and artificial beers, The national sport of keeping “dry” Has been adopted by the sky! % M.E. YA C FIT IN G SUP REM ACY One of several reasons why it is difficult for Knglaud to wrest the America Cup from the United States is that, under the existing rules, not only must the deciding race be held in the waters of America (the holder), but the challenger must cross the Atlantic under her own sail. Using a much smaller mast and mainsail than that designed for racing, Shamrock V. has completed the journey, and is now. preparing for the trials. The America Cup originally was the Queen’s Cup, presented by Queen Victoria. In 1851 the schooner America visited Britain and won it. Six years later the cup was conveyed by deed to the New York Yacht Club, where it has remained and been gloated over ever since. In 1889 Sir Thomas Lipton, who lias devoted a lifetime and a considerable percentage of his business profits to the task of winning the trophy back, made his first attempt. Since then fully half a dozen British and three Canadian attempts have been made without success. Sir Thomas has spent from £150,000 to £200,000 on each of his Shamrocks. This year, perhaps, his tide of luck will turn, and the Good Queen’s Cup will come home. If so, it’s the tea “as does it.” AID TO HEARING

Air-minded Americans have become as familiar with the sensations of flying as the majority of us are with the mild thrills of motoring. In consequence, the airplane is now* being put to homely, every-day use. For example, in Pittsburg recently a wealthy manufacturer named Dittman decided to test the theory that shock sometimes relieves deafness. Accordingly he went aloft with a pilot named Chester Pickup. The rest of the story is told succinctly by the magazine “Time”: —“At 10,000 ft Pilot Pickup put his plane into a power dive. At 7.000 ft the terrific pressure shattered the windshield, the glass cutting Pickup’s face, momentarily stunning him. Unable to regain control, Pickup motioned Dittman to jump with him. Dittman, whose ’chute failed to open until he had dropped to I,oooft, landed on the rcof of an open hearth furnace of Carnegie Steel Co., directly alongside the wreckage of the plane. Questioned by mill police, Dittman heard.” SECT TON A L SHIPS

It experiments at present being carried out are successful, designers of British ships will be one up on King Neptune. It is proposed to build the latest giant Cunard liner in three sections. Each of these will move independently, and, in rough weather, the bows and stern will rise on the crests of rollers while the midships section sinks into the trough. In seeking opinions on this innovation, he L.O.M. interviewed a retired sea captain with the following result: —“When I was a lad ships were ships, not . . . (pause for inspiration) . . . not . (another pause) . . . not ruddy snakes! What do I think of it? WHADO I THINK OF IT? I THINK THAT The remainder of the interview being unsuitable for the drawing room, the kitchen, the tramcar, or wherever you happen to be reading this, we must dispense with the comments of oldtime experts. Perhaps it would be better to yra.it and see whether such a maritime novelty is really practicable. One thing appears almost unavoidable: If the sectional ship comes into being, the passengers who are accommodated beyond the midships section will stand a chance of being neatly guillotined unless they exercise extreme caution in proceeding to their cabins on rough nights. APPROPRTA TE Listeners who tuned in to 2YA (Wellington) last evening heard and accepted the apologies of the announcer. He explained that the delays between items were on account, of trouble with the microphone. After a prolonged silence he said that the next offering would be a vocal item —“Soothing Spells” from “The Marriage of Figaro.’- i