When we're away enjoying our adventures, we need to have peace of mind that our home is protected. If you leave family at home, you're all set. If you hire someone to 'house-sit,' you're all set. If no one is there, what do you do?
My late, beloved parents, Adeline and Reuben, had a fancy security system in their home in Sacramento, California, U.S.A. They lived there from 1970 to 1990 and frequently drove all over the country visiting me and my brothers. One brother lived in Ireland, and mom and dad especially loved to visit him and his family which included a wonderful group of his wife's relatives. They also loved to go on cruises with friends to Europe, the Mediterranean, Hawaii, and Alaska.
The first and only time their security system alarmed, they actually were in town having dinner. Police alerted them that someone had broken into their house. Later the neighbors told them, "There was this screeching loud siren, then several minutes later the police cruisers ran in, and nearly the same time, the police helicopter appeared over your house!" Their neighbors also reported, "The teenagers across the street were sitting on their roof watching the show. We wonder if they broke into your house to see what would happen!" Nothing at all was disarrayed or taken from their home.
Nowadays the security systems are much improved, with fire/smoke detection also included, for a price. You may want to invest in outdoor motion-sensitive lights around your doors. I'm told that you don't even have to get the light fixtures, you can buy motion-sensitive light bulbs to put in your present fixtures, but I haven't personally looked for them.
Of course, you want to double-check that all your windows and doors are locked, yard gates closed, and that your garage door is down before you leave. Stop delivery of all mail and newspapers when you'll be gone. You want your home to look like you're still there. Timers on lights are suggested, to turn off and on those lights during your usual pattern of being at home. Arrange for lawn care, if needed. Don't forget to water your houseplants before you leave, or ask a friend to care for them (plant sitter?). Make sure your fire detector batteries don't need replacing.
When I was eight years old, my family moved to Louisville, Kentucky, U.S.A. It was a big old house in a neighborhood without street lights. One Sunday, when my Army dad was out of town, mom took us kids to the 'country' to visit our aunt, uncle, and cousins. We came back later than we had planned. The double wooden garage doors were open. That was the first thing we noticed. Mom worriedly said, "I don't remember leaving those open."
Our house was pitch black dark. Mom unlocked the back door and we went in. Mom turned on the kitchen light. She immediately ordered us, "Something's wrong. We're leaving and getting Grandpa to come over and look around." Later she reflected, "The door to the (unfinished) attic was open. We rarely went up there. I knew someone had been here and thought they still might be inside somewhere."
We came back with Grandpa, brave old Grandpa and his baseball bat! He looked everywhere, in the attic, in the basement, in every room. Whoever had been there was gone. Relief! We went in. Nothing looked disturbed. But mother started looking in closets and cabinets. She had arthritis in her fingers and couldn't wear her diamond wedding rings. They were stolen from a kitchen cabinet. Several pieces of silver utensils were taken along with my piggy bank heavy with pennies. Chicken was taken from the freezer! Upstairs in the attic, thieves didn't take the expensive movie equipment. Police theorized that, "This must have been teenagers because of what was taken."
The next day mom chatted with neighbors. They explained that, "We saw your house lit up and all the shades down. We figured you were playing cards or something." They promised to alert mom if anything similar ever happened, which it didn't.
Don't forget to unplug your TV. One of my brothers told me about a friend whose TV was OFF & started a fire due to a malfunction and fire of the part that keeps it ready to turn on quickly. I don't know if this just pertains to the old 'tube' TVs or for all of them.
A huge barking dog, I'm told, is the best crime prevention you can get. One of my daughters had her German shepherd weighed yesterday: 126 pounds, more than she weighed! Their dining room window in the front of their house is tall and very low to the floor. The big dog doesn't let anyone pass by the street without vigorous barking and pacing by the window. No one would dare come in! If you don't want to protect your house that way, I'm told there are recordings that are motion-sensitive to sound like there's a big dog in your house.
You may want to ask your local police department to keep a closer watch on your house. I'm fortunate that a close family friend is a local police officer who frequently comes in the house while I'm gone, "Just to make sure everything's OK." Think I'll leave him a special box of cookies with his name on it the next time I'm gone!"
Do you know of any other security measures? You probably don't have to be concerned about the chickens in your freezer!!
Sunday, October 20, 2013
Saturday, October 19, 2013
Of French Castles
The French aristocracy built hundred of chateaus, or grand houses, that qualify to be called 'castles,' in the seventeenth century. In the October, 1930, issue of National Geographic Magazine, is a quite lovely 8-page section of color photos, "Chateau Land - France's Pageant on the Loire." As I particularly enjoy architecture of all varieties, this was 'eye candy' for me.
Only one of the castles, Cinq-Mars-la-Pile, was mentioned to be in ruins. I googled the rest to see if they had survived the revolutions and great wars: yes, they are still intact in 2013. My late father, Reuben, who served in the United States Army 1937-1957, once told me of the Allied Forces 'pin-point' bombing during World War II: "They purposely avoided targeting historic sites." Amazing!
Each castle is different from the others in style but most are constructed of grey stone with black roofs. One of them, Chambord Castle, is reported to have taken 1,800 men fifteen years to build. Many of the castles are on the shores of the Loire River, the longest in France.
Much of France's history is intertwined with these castles. St. Joan of Arc, the famous girl-warrior who united and spurred on France's armies to victory, and was rewarded by being burned at the stake, was associated with many of the castles.
We citizens of the world are so inter-connected! "Between Chateaudun and Tours is Vendome. The castle is nothing remarkable, but no American can pass through the town without recalling it as the birthplace of Rochambeau, who aided Washington in capturing Yorktown" (p. 475).
Next week I'll be in France briefly, and would love to share photos of chateaus with you but, alas, my visit will only be a brief stay in the Paris de Gaulle airport!
Only one of the castles, Cinq-Mars-la-Pile, was mentioned to be in ruins. I googled the rest to see if they had survived the revolutions and great wars: yes, they are still intact in 2013. My late father, Reuben, who served in the United States Army 1937-1957, once told me of the Allied Forces 'pin-point' bombing during World War II: "They purposely avoided targeting historic sites." Amazing!
Each castle is different from the others in style but most are constructed of grey stone with black roofs. One of them, Chambord Castle, is reported to have taken 1,800 men fifteen years to build. Many of the castles are on the shores of the Loire River, the longest in France.
Much of France's history is intertwined with these castles. St. Joan of Arc, the famous girl-warrior who united and spurred on France's armies to victory, and was rewarded by being burned at the stake, was associated with many of the castles.
We citizens of the world are so inter-connected! "Between Chateaudun and Tours is Vendome. The castle is nothing remarkable, but no American can pass through the town without recalling it as the birthplace of Rochambeau, who aided Washington in capturing Yorktown" (p. 475).
Next week I'll be in France briefly, and would love to share photos of chateaus with you but, alas, my visit will only be a brief stay in the Paris de Gaulle airport!
Friday, October 18, 2013
Preview of Italy!!
Have you heard of the Classic Roman poet, Vergil? W. Coleman Nevils, S.J., D.D., PhD., has explored his work on geography in "The Perennial Geographer: After 2,000 Years, Vergil is Still the Most Widely Read of Latin Poets - First to Popularize Geography of the Roman Empire," National Geographic Magazine, October, 1930. The occasion for the article was the Bimillennial Celebration of Vergil's birth on October 15 in 70 B.C., over 2,000 years ago.
Vergil was born in the country, sickly and unfit for work such as farming or soldiering and thus became highly educated. He caught the attention of a wealthy Roman politician who decided he could use Vergil to glorify the land and the pursuits of agriculture and help inaugurate a "back to the farm movement" Vergil's patriotism inspired him to write "The Georgies - four books, giving a treatise on agriculture" (p. 442).
Nevils portrays Vergil as "Rome's most patriotic geographer. While he did, indeed, take delight in Italy's natural splendor, he went beyond this to instill in his fellow citizens not merely an admiration for their land and all its resources, but he would mingle the useful with the lovely, and strove by his lay to stir men to help in peace the country that had won such renown in war" (p. 451).
Vergil's greatest poem is the story of Aeneas and the founding of Rome, 9,896 lines long! Mr. Nevils tells us the complicated, exciting adventure. The part I found most interesting was a prophecy that was believed to be the coming of Jesus Christ: "The poet tells of the new golden age to come during the reign of Augustus - the birth of a wondrous child. The earth is to be freed from guilt and fear and dread. He shall be given a life divine" (p. 464).
In another part, the hero of the poem, Aeneas, visits his dead father in heaven after passing through hell and burying a man someone has neglected to bury.
The author comments, "It is no wonder, then, that amid the world-wide commemoration of the Vergilian bimillenary, the Italians should lead in grandiose festivals and gorgeous celebrations. . .The Italian Academy has offered a prize of 5,000 lire for the best ode on Vergil. Arnaldo Mussolini, brother of the Duce, has been superintending the development of a memorial park near Mantua. A set of bimillenary stamps has been issued by the Royal Post Office. . ." (p. 465).
Vergil: "But Rome! 'Tis thine alone with awful sway
To rule mankind and make the world obey." (photo caption, p. 448).
As far as the prospect of reading about a dead classical poet, I'll admit I was not excited. But the photos in this article brought back peasant memories of my trip to Italy in June of 2005 with daughter #3, Cathy. We visited some of the places shown in this article's photos, St. Peter's Basilica, Castle of St. Angelo, the Victor Emmanuel II Monument, all in Rome, plus the Grand Canal in Venice.
Jan: "But Rome! I'll return to you soon
Under the light of the same bright moon."
(you may laugh at my feeble attempt!)
Vergil was born in the country, sickly and unfit for work such as farming or soldiering and thus became highly educated. He caught the attention of a wealthy Roman politician who decided he could use Vergil to glorify the land and the pursuits of agriculture and help inaugurate a "back to the farm movement" Vergil's patriotism inspired him to write "The Georgies - four books, giving a treatise on agriculture" (p. 442).
Nevils portrays Vergil as "Rome's most patriotic geographer. While he did, indeed, take delight in Italy's natural splendor, he went beyond this to instill in his fellow citizens not merely an admiration for their land and all its resources, but he would mingle the useful with the lovely, and strove by his lay to stir men to help in peace the country that had won such renown in war" (p. 451).
Vergil's greatest poem is the story of Aeneas and the founding of Rome, 9,896 lines long! Mr. Nevils tells us the complicated, exciting adventure. The part I found most interesting was a prophecy that was believed to be the coming of Jesus Christ: "The poet tells of the new golden age to come during the reign of Augustus - the birth of a wondrous child. The earth is to be freed from guilt and fear and dread. He shall be given a life divine" (p. 464).
In another part, the hero of the poem, Aeneas, visits his dead father in heaven after passing through hell and burying a man someone has neglected to bury.
The author comments, "It is no wonder, then, that amid the world-wide commemoration of the Vergilian bimillenary, the Italians should lead in grandiose festivals and gorgeous celebrations. . .The Italian Academy has offered a prize of 5,000 lire for the best ode on Vergil. Arnaldo Mussolini, brother of the Duce, has been superintending the development of a memorial park near Mantua. A set of bimillenary stamps has been issued by the Royal Post Office. . ." (p. 465).
Vergil: "But Rome! 'Tis thine alone with awful sway
To rule mankind and make the world obey." (photo caption, p. 448).
As far as the prospect of reading about a dead classical poet, I'll admit I was not excited. But the photos in this article brought back peasant memories of my trip to Italy in June of 2005 with daughter #3, Cathy. We visited some of the places shown in this article's photos, St. Peter's Basilica, Castle of St. Angelo, the Victor Emmanuel II Monument, all in Rome, plus the Grand Canal in Venice.
Jan: "But Rome! I'll return to you soon
Under the light of the same bright moon."
(you may laugh at my feeble attempt!)
Thursday, October 17, 2013
High Adventure in Snowy Mountains!
How amazing: "China still holds within its borders vast mountain systems wholly unknown not only to the Western World, but to the Chinese themselves" (p. 385, "The Glories of the Minya Konka: Magnificent Snow Peaks of the China-Tibetan Border are Photographed at Close Range by a National Geographic Society Expedition," National Geographic Magazine, October, 1930, by Joseph F. Rock. This definitely calls for a closer look!
The author's expedition journeyed to south China to the Minya Konka mountain range, photographed the peaks, mapped them, and explored the slopes. The party took along supplies for seven months, including 46 mules and twenty local men. Mr. Rock began his trip by visiting lamas (monks) in a Kulu monastery and a king on the China-Tibet border, the same procedure as that of a previous one to the Amnyi Machen Range to the north (see this blog, September 7, 2013, "Climbing Mountains!").
One of the lamas accompanied the group and facilitated relations with local tribes. Many dangers were faced and overcome: blizzards, robbers, rivers with no bridges, and a civil war in northwestern Yunnan.
"And then suddenly, like a white promontory of clouds, we beheld the long-hidden Minya Konka rising 25,600 feet in sublime majesty. I could not help exclaiming for joy. I marveled at the scenery which I, the first white man ever to stand here, was privileged to see" (p. 413). The towering, rocky, snow-covered mountain was flanked by glaciers. The glaciers, as photographed by Mr. Rock, looked like frozen rivers between mountain peaks.
The party had other tasks in addition to photographing and mapping the mighty mountain range. They collected specimens of plants. One particular treat for them was passing through a birch tree forest. At one point they bought several yaks which could carry their supplies with ease through the snow. The yaks, apparently, were sturdy yet temperamental. In some rivers the mules and yaks had to swim to cross, but in one they were pulled upside down across a rope bridge. The author reports, "The pack animals kicked and brayed and objected to this method of crossing the river" (photo caption, p. 422).
Mr. Rock was privileged to stay in one lamasery (monastery) in their sacred shrine room, in which was kept the mummified remains of the last living buddha (leader). He wondered, "Was this the year 1929, or had time been set back a thousand years? Did I dream, or was it all reality" (p. 426). Four lamas then came into the room to chant prayers and his meditation before sleep was broken. The lamasery was six hundred years old and was isolated by snow from the outside world for six months of the year.
In one town through which they passed, Tatsienlu, population 20,000, I was surprised that there was a Christian church in this remote land of lamas.
Prior to returning home, the expedition was marooned for two months due to the civil war. Mr. Rock reports, "When threatening letters arrived and 2,000 of the rebels came within forty miles. . . I decided that it was high time to leave. I did not care to be held prisoner while rebels dickered with government troops over my release, and then risk losing my head should terms be rejected!" At last, with the help of friendly locals helping them cross the raging Yangtze River, the group was on their way home. The brave explorer concludes, "Once more our guardian angel was with us and brought us safely back, with the lesson that all things worth while are difficult of attainment" (p. 437).
The author's expedition journeyed to south China to the Minya Konka mountain range, photographed the peaks, mapped them, and explored the slopes. The party took along supplies for seven months, including 46 mules and twenty local men. Mr. Rock began his trip by visiting lamas (monks) in a Kulu monastery and a king on the China-Tibet border, the same procedure as that of a previous one to the Amnyi Machen Range to the north (see this blog, September 7, 2013, "Climbing Mountains!").
One of the lamas accompanied the group and facilitated relations with local tribes. Many dangers were faced and overcome: blizzards, robbers, rivers with no bridges, and a civil war in northwestern Yunnan.
"And then suddenly, like a white promontory of clouds, we beheld the long-hidden Minya Konka rising 25,600 feet in sublime majesty. I could not help exclaiming for joy. I marveled at the scenery which I, the first white man ever to stand here, was privileged to see" (p. 413). The towering, rocky, snow-covered mountain was flanked by glaciers. The glaciers, as photographed by Mr. Rock, looked like frozen rivers between mountain peaks.
The party had other tasks in addition to photographing and mapping the mighty mountain range. They collected specimens of plants. One particular treat for them was passing through a birch tree forest. At one point they bought several yaks which could carry their supplies with ease through the snow. The yaks, apparently, were sturdy yet temperamental. In some rivers the mules and yaks had to swim to cross, but in one they were pulled upside down across a rope bridge. The author reports, "The pack animals kicked and brayed and objected to this method of crossing the river" (photo caption, p. 422).
Mr. Rock was privileged to stay in one lamasery (monastery) in their sacred shrine room, in which was kept the mummified remains of the last living buddha (leader). He wondered, "Was this the year 1929, or had time been set back a thousand years? Did I dream, or was it all reality" (p. 426). Four lamas then came into the room to chant prayers and his meditation before sleep was broken. The lamasery was six hundred years old and was isolated by snow from the outside world for six months of the year.
In one town through which they passed, Tatsienlu, population 20,000, I was surprised that there was a Christian church in this remote land of lamas.
Prior to returning home, the expedition was marooned for two months due to the civil war. Mr. Rock reports, "When threatening letters arrived and 2,000 of the rebels came within forty miles. . . I decided that it was high time to leave. I did not care to be held prisoner while rebels dickered with government troops over my release, and then risk losing my head should terms be rejected!" At last, with the help of friendly locals helping them cross the raging Yangtze River, the group was on their way home. The brave explorer concludes, "Once more our guardian angel was with us and brought us safely back, with the lesson that all things worth while are difficult of attainment" (p. 437).
Wednesday, October 16, 2013
Under the Sea!
It's wonderful how quickly I'm "hooked" into each and every National Geographic Magazine article. Try this out and see if you agree: "If the sea went dry along the east coast of Queensland, a thousand miles of coral "maze" would be revealed." So writes Charles Barrett in his September, 1930, article, "The Great Barrier Reef and Its Isles: The Wonder and Mystery of Australia's World-Famous Geographical Feature." "Then there are the isles, mountainous and forested of the inner zone, and the atolls and cays that are true coral islands" (p. 355). I must read on, and hope for lots of color photos.
In addition to the history of the Barrier Reef's explorations, the dangers of navigating amidst the reefs, and the various theories of the origin of the reef, Mr. Barrett details "boring" ventures. Not what you might think, this concerns drilling cores into the reef at different points to try to determine its age. The evidence provided no conclusions, even to a depth of 1,100 feet.
Imagine the great proliferation of animal life, both under the sea, on the islands and beaches! Sea turtles are one of the most fascinating of creatures, living in both worlds. "Sea turtles are seldom seen out of the water in the daytime. They steal ashore at night to lay eggs" (photo caption, p. 360).
My sister-in-law has a friend whose daughter is a doctor of marine biology who has made numerous trips to Australia to study the sea turtles. "They attain a length of five feet or more. . . we counted nearly 300 one morning along the western beach (Masthead)" (p. 375).
A photo on page 373 shows the author in a small rowboat leaning over the edge looking into a sort of long metal cylinder. "The water telescope reveals beauties of submarine gardens far below." In the background is a lighthouse on an island complete with palm trees. Sigh! I love lighthouses!
I was having visions of the movie, "20,000 Leagues Under the Sea." Remember that? The undersea life was spectacular. My friend, Rosemary, took scuba lessons in a local pool in preparation for going snorkeling in the ocean one summer. Maybe I should try that. . .
Snapped out of my fantasy by crocodiles! "There are two species of crocodiles in northern Queensland: the huge seagoing variety, which has taken toll of human life, and this small species that frequents only inland waters" (photo caption, p. 377).
The author noted thousands of sea birds on the beaches. "Some light-keepers are bird lovers, and at the North Reef I found the herons so confiding that close-up photographs were possible. But the gulls, the dainty silver gulls which nested on the fringe of vegetation, were suspicious" (p. 378).
I collect sea shells and never tire of arranging them in decorating for the summer. Now I have a new name I can call myself, "conchologist!" "A conchologist might be content to spend a lifetime collecting and studying the mollusca of the Great Barrier Reef" (p. 379).
"The coral's living beauty may not be captured in words. An hour on a reef at low tide, or a cruuise in a boat equipped with a water glass, reveals a new world of loveliness. Or going below, with the diving helmet on, one discovers fresh beauties in familiar things" (p. 382).
Mr. Barrett concludes, "Crocodiles bask on the mud banks of north Queensland rivers and lurk among the mangroves by the sea. Nature has not yielded all her secrets yet, in this country of the cassowary and tree-climbing kangaroos. But the Great Barrier guards a hundred secrets where the mainland has one. Is is not a wonder of the world?" (p. 384).
(p.s.: for a view of an unusual, beautiful, flightless bird of Australia, Google "cassowary." I had never heard of this before. BTW, by the time I got to the end of this article, I didn't mind at all that there were no color photos.)
In addition to the history of the Barrier Reef's explorations, the dangers of navigating amidst the reefs, and the various theories of the origin of the reef, Mr. Barrett details "boring" ventures. Not what you might think, this concerns drilling cores into the reef at different points to try to determine its age. The evidence provided no conclusions, even to a depth of 1,100 feet.
Imagine the great proliferation of animal life, both under the sea, on the islands and beaches! Sea turtles are one of the most fascinating of creatures, living in both worlds. "Sea turtles are seldom seen out of the water in the daytime. They steal ashore at night to lay eggs" (photo caption, p. 360).
My sister-in-law has a friend whose daughter is a doctor of marine biology who has made numerous trips to Australia to study the sea turtles. "They attain a length of five feet or more. . . we counted nearly 300 one morning along the western beach (Masthead)" (p. 375).
A photo on page 373 shows the author in a small rowboat leaning over the edge looking into a sort of long metal cylinder. "The water telescope reveals beauties of submarine gardens far below." In the background is a lighthouse on an island complete with palm trees. Sigh! I love lighthouses!
 | ||
| Palm trees on Waikiki Beach, Hawaii, July, 2013. Not as far as Australia, but I met several friendly families from Australia. Does that count? |
 | ||
| St. Augustine Lighthouse, June, 2013. Who could NOT admire these stately edifices! |
Snapped out of my fantasy by crocodiles! "There are two species of crocodiles in northern Queensland: the huge seagoing variety, which has taken toll of human life, and this small species that frequents only inland waters" (photo caption, p. 377).
The author noted thousands of sea birds on the beaches. "Some light-keepers are bird lovers, and at the North Reef I found the herons so confiding that close-up photographs were possible. But the gulls, the dainty silver gulls which nested on the fringe of vegetation, were suspicious" (p. 378).
 |
| Seabirds rest on my kitchen counter in the seascape in the summer. They've flown north (upstairs) for the winter already. They are fairly quiet and don't require frequent feeding. Good pets. But I couldn't say the same for the orange octopus attacking the sailboat! |
"The coral's living beauty may not be captured in words. An hour on a reef at low tide, or a cruuise in a boat equipped with a water glass, reveals a new world of loveliness. Or going below, with the diving helmet on, one discovers fresh beauties in familiar things" (p. 382).
Mr. Barrett concludes, "Crocodiles bask on the mud banks of north Queensland rivers and lurk among the mangroves by the sea. Nature has not yielded all her secrets yet, in this country of the cassowary and tree-climbing kangaroos. But the Great Barrier guards a hundred secrets where the mainland has one. Is is not a wonder of the world?" (p. 384).
(p.s.: for a view of an unusual, beautiful, flightless bird of Australia, Google "cassowary." I had never heard of this before. BTW, by the time I got to the end of this article, I didn't mind at all that there were no color photos.)
Tuesday, October 15, 2013
What Difference Does COLOR Make?
Can you number yourself among us very senior citizens who knew life before color TV? Are you old enough to know when cameras only took black-and-white photos?
I have so long enjoyed the color photos in the pages of the National Geographic Magazine, that it was quite a change to begin my reading of issues from the 1920's, when all but a few photos were in black-and-white. Fortunately, I knew what was coming, that there would be more and better color photos in future years.
In this National Geographic Magazine article, "The Color Camera's First Aerial Success", September, 1930, Melville Bell Grosvenor (a future editor of the journal), presents the difficulties of taking natural color photographs from an airplane:
1) "natural-color plates require from fifty to sixty times the length of exposure to light necessary for black-and-white pictures" (p. 344). The planes move too fast for this.
2) brilliant light was necessary, therefore, a calm and hazeless atmosphere was needed.
Mr. Grosvenor and the National Geographic Society worked with the U.S. Navy's Bureau of Aeronautics; experimental photos were taken in the Goodyear-Zeppelin dirigible (blimp) Mayflower. "The first successful natural-color photograph was made of the National Capitol (in Washington, D.C.) . . . When the photographer was in position for the proper composition, the pilot in charge of the Mayflower was given a signal, the motors were momentarily cut off to eliminate vibration, and the big bag floated quietly while the brief exposure was made" (p. 353).
The author continues, "Not until he travels with possibilities of the natural-color camera in mind does the airman fully appreciate the brilliance and the variety of the kaleidoscope that is constantly passing beneath him" (p. 353).
Oh, praise you, Lord, for instilling in us humans a certain curiosity! We, truly, in our inventions and explorations of our inner world and the outer worlds, stand on the shoulders of uncounted giants who had to try, had to find out, what might be done. Bravo, Mr. Grosveor!
(To read more about Blimps, please see this blog, September 27, 2013, "Around the World in 21 days in a Blimp.")
I have so long enjoyed the color photos in the pages of the National Geographic Magazine, that it was quite a change to begin my reading of issues from the 1920's, when all but a few photos were in black-and-white. Fortunately, I knew what was coming, that there would be more and better color photos in future years.
In this National Geographic Magazine article, "The Color Camera's First Aerial Success", September, 1930, Melville Bell Grosvenor (a future editor of the journal), presents the difficulties of taking natural color photographs from an airplane:
1) "natural-color plates require from fifty to sixty times the length of exposure to light necessary for black-and-white pictures" (p. 344). The planes move too fast for this.
2) brilliant light was necessary, therefore, a calm and hazeless atmosphere was needed.
Mr. Grosvenor and the National Geographic Society worked with the U.S. Navy's Bureau of Aeronautics; experimental photos were taken in the Goodyear-Zeppelin dirigible (blimp) Mayflower. "The first successful natural-color photograph was made of the National Capitol (in Washington, D.C.) . . . When the photographer was in position for the proper composition, the pilot in charge of the Mayflower was given a signal, the motors were momentarily cut off to eliminate vibration, and the big bag floated quietly while the brief exposure was made" (p. 353).
The author continues, "Not until he travels with possibilities of the natural-color camera in mind does the airman fully appreciate the brilliance and the variety of the kaleidoscope that is constantly passing beneath him" (p. 353).
Oh, praise you, Lord, for instilling in us humans a certain curiosity! We, truly, in our inventions and explorations of our inner world and the outer worlds, stand on the shoulders of uncounted giants who had to try, had to find out, what might be done. Bravo, Mr. Grosveor!
(To read more about Blimps, please see this blog, September 27, 2013, "Around the World in 21 days in a Blimp.")
Monday, October 14, 2013
Defying Death in the Skies
"The Philippine Islands are not all so thoroughly civilized and so thickly populated as Americans generally believe. . . 25,000 square miles, . . . most of it mountain jungle land is listed on Government survey maps as 'unexplored' " (p. 310, September, 1930, National Geographic Magazine. So begins Lieut. George W. Goddard, U.S. Army, in "The Unexplored Philippines From the Air: Map-making Over Jungle Lands Never Before Seen By White Men.".
Lieut. Goddard was an U.S. Army pilot on a flying expedition to map land on the island of Luzon, largest of the Philippines. He was excited to begin flying over new territory but also feared that, in case of an emergency, there was no place to land.
There were three planes and nine persons working together on the aerial photography. "We succeeded in photographing altogether about 5,000 square miles; also we found and photographed a 500-feet waterfall - never before seen by whites so far as we know" (p. 310).
The group left from the town of Aparri. Crowds came to see them and the planes. They had to post guards for fear souvenir hunters would disturb their equipment. Shortly after leaving, they flew over a beach on which a wild tribe of Filipino natives was "terrified by the great bird that swooped down out of the sky" (p. 313). This is exactly what explorers encountered on the island of New Guinea (see this blog, August 14, 2013, "Back to Islands!").
To appreciate our passenger planes of 2013 climbing to over 30,000 feet quickly, this helps: "Our working level was 12,000 feet. It took about an hour to reach this height" (p. 314).
At one point, Lieut. Goddard's plane's engines stopped. He relates, "I figured we had enough altitude to get to the Pacific on the east side of the island, so we turned around and started a long glide. I switched over to my emergency gasoline tank in the upper wing of the airplane and pumped frantically. We made the coastline, but when we reached it, one look at the enormous swells dashing against the rocks made me wonder if we wouldn't have done better to make parachute jumps back where the motor started missing" (p. 315). They managed to head back to Aparri and land safely.
I held my breath while reading the rest of the article! The flyers found the Mayon volcano erupting and flew over it to get a closer look! The next day they came back for more photos, then took them immediately to town where they were sent to world-wide news services. The Red Cross especially wanted this so everyone would help the fleeing natives.
Shortly thereafter one of the pilots (these were open-cockpit planes) flew into an immense swarm of locusts above the landing field. "He made the biggest mistake of his flying career, right there. The locusts simply plastered the ship - flattened out all over it. The Deacon's (pilot) goggles were so splashed he couldn't see. The insects got into his mouth, nose and ears" (p. 328). Eventually he landed at their air base, the only landing field in north Luzon.
FYI: Some Filipino tribes consider locusts a great delicacy and came out with baskets to gather them. "They pull the wings off and fry them" (p. 328).
When mapping the Bataan Peninsula nearly the same thing happened, but with bats. These must have been bats like we've never seen - their wingspan was four feet!
The Filipino natives were friendly after our airmen got to know them, quite unlike the primitive tribes on Pacific islands about which we've read. Lieut. Goddard reports, "I am sure they attached some supernatural significance to the "big white bird." They never discarded the notion that the plane was a species of fowl" (p. 334). They thought the plane's wheels were some kind of claw.
FYI: The Philippine Archipelago is comprised of 7,000 islands.
Several adventures involved emergency landings in the shark-infested ocean. The Lieutenant concludes, "There is power in the rivers, timber on the surface, rich soil for cultivation, and resources under the soil in the area over which we flew. Besides this, our trip proved again that the airplane is invaluable in tropical exploration" (p. 343).
Now I can catch my breath again!
Lieut. Goddard was an U.S. Army pilot on a flying expedition to map land on the island of Luzon, largest of the Philippines. He was excited to begin flying over new territory but also feared that, in case of an emergency, there was no place to land.
There were three planes and nine persons working together on the aerial photography. "We succeeded in photographing altogether about 5,000 square miles; also we found and photographed a 500-feet waterfall - never before seen by whites so far as we know" (p. 310).
The group left from the town of Aparri. Crowds came to see them and the planes. They had to post guards for fear souvenir hunters would disturb their equipment. Shortly after leaving, they flew over a beach on which a wild tribe of Filipino natives was "terrified by the great bird that swooped down out of the sky" (p. 313). This is exactly what explorers encountered on the island of New Guinea (see this blog, August 14, 2013, "Back to Islands!").
To appreciate our passenger planes of 2013 climbing to over 30,000 feet quickly, this helps: "Our working level was 12,000 feet. It took about an hour to reach this height" (p. 314).
At one point, Lieut. Goddard's plane's engines stopped. He relates, "I figured we had enough altitude to get to the Pacific on the east side of the island, so we turned around and started a long glide. I switched over to my emergency gasoline tank in the upper wing of the airplane and pumped frantically. We made the coastline, but when we reached it, one look at the enormous swells dashing against the rocks made me wonder if we wouldn't have done better to make parachute jumps back where the motor started missing" (p. 315). They managed to head back to Aparri and land safely.
I held my breath while reading the rest of the article! The flyers found the Mayon volcano erupting and flew over it to get a closer look! The next day they came back for more photos, then took them immediately to town where they were sent to world-wide news services. The Red Cross especially wanted this so everyone would help the fleeing natives.
Shortly thereafter one of the pilots (these were open-cockpit planes) flew into an immense swarm of locusts above the landing field. "He made the biggest mistake of his flying career, right there. The locusts simply plastered the ship - flattened out all over it. The Deacon's (pilot) goggles were so splashed he couldn't see. The insects got into his mouth, nose and ears" (p. 328). Eventually he landed at their air base, the only landing field in north Luzon.
FYI: Some Filipino tribes consider locusts a great delicacy and came out with baskets to gather them. "They pull the wings off and fry them" (p. 328).
When mapping the Bataan Peninsula nearly the same thing happened, but with bats. These must have been bats like we've never seen - their wingspan was four feet!
The Filipino natives were friendly after our airmen got to know them, quite unlike the primitive tribes on Pacific islands about which we've read. Lieut. Goddard reports, "I am sure they attached some supernatural significance to the "big white bird." They never discarded the notion that the plane was a species of fowl" (p. 334). They thought the plane's wheels were some kind of claw.
FYI: The Philippine Archipelago is comprised of 7,000 islands.
Several adventures involved emergency landings in the shark-infested ocean. The Lieutenant concludes, "There is power in the rivers, timber on the surface, rich soil for cultivation, and resources under the soil in the area over which we flew. Besides this, our trip proved again that the airplane is invaluable in tropical exploration" (p. 343).
Now I can catch my breath again!
Saturday, October 12, 2013
The Country with Fluid Boundaries
In 1930, the country of Jugoslavia was celebrating its ten-year anniversary. Jugoslavia, or "Yugoslavia," as we know it today, is directly across the Adriatic Sea from Italy, bordered on the south by Albania and Greece, on the north by Austria and Hungary, and on the east by Rumania. The map has surely changed since then; it will be interesting to see how the political and geographic events unfold.
"After the World War, Slovenia, Croatia, Slavonia, Bosnia, Hercegovina, Dalmatia, part of Banat, and the Kingdom of Montenegro were added to Serbia to compose a kingdom of 96,000 square miles with a population of 13,000,000" (photo caption, p. 264). This was the Jugoslavia of 1930.
Note: All the National Geographic Magazine articles of this era referred to "The World War." We would refer to it as WWI, since there was a WWII. Obviously, the people of the 1930s did not learn the cruel lessons of war. Have we??
For now, let's visit "Jugoslavia - Ten Years After," the first article in the September, 1930, issue of National Geographic Magazine. Melville Chater is the author and our tour guide.
Chater "lingered over our breakfast coffee" with friends in the city of Dubrovnik. They reminisced about the scene immediately after peace and Armistice ten year prior. There were "hysterical parades, champagne nights, looming revolutions, wholesale kissing, and rumors of old States dissolving, of new States being born" (p. 257).
Chater and party wanted to visit the interior of the country. The Karst region was desolate mountain land. Here again is a country of "waterways and largely undeveloped water power. The Danube (River) and its branches alone give her almost 1,000 miles of navigable routes, this in a State slightly smaller than Wyoming" (pp. 264-265).
The city of Sarajevo has a large Moslem population. The author considered the city to be "the westernmost of oriental cities" with many mosques and minarets, and citizens who "remain draped, veiled, and fezzed as of old" (p. 265).
Mr. Chater noted that in the city of Skoplje, there is also a sizeable number of Mohammedans who, with the Christians there, "experience little difficulty in living together haroniously" (photo caption, p. 276).
In the Kosovo region, donkeys were used for transportation and as pack animals. "Agricultural machinery is almost unknown in south Jugoslavia" (photo caption, p. 268).
Although for most of the trip, Mr. Chater traveled by chauffeured car, he and his companions "caught the northbound Orient Express" to Belgrade" (p. 284). After seeing the American mystery movie, "Murder on the Orient Express," it seemed to me that a trip on the train would be romantic and adventurous but also very expensive. (Dare I entertain that thought?)
Beograd (Belgrade) was the capital of Jugoslavia in 1930. "The spectacle of Beograd reconstructing herself is symptomatic of a nationwide process of exchanging old ways for new" (p. 285). At that time, most of the country women wove their own cloth, and were expert embroiderers. It is doubtful that artistry survives today, don't you think?
In Jugoslavia, so close to Italy, were the expected Roman ruins of buildings and aqueducts. Mr. Chater felt that in the region of Bosnia, its "enduring charm lies in its sheer wildness of woodland and water course. Often one has to remind oneself that he is not traveling in some virgin country, but in one which has known settlement and conquest since the days of the ancient Thracians" (p. 291). At one point, the party heard of nearby "baths," brought towels and bath salts but couldn't find them. A local gent then told them, yes, there were Roman baths, but they "hadn't been in working order for 2,000 years" (p. 296).
Croatia was the country's industrial province with products based on "timber, chemicals, iron, and sugar beet," yet "retarded by her lack of fuel" (p. 296). These products plus "live stock, cereals, bauxite, and cement form Jugoslavian exports" (p. 296).
At the end of their journey, the Chater group found a spa, modern, and well-equipped, and stayed there for two days.
After reading this article, I wanted to see what the country of present Yugoslavia looks like on the map. I was shocked to find (in Google) the boundaries have been changed several dozen times since 1930. Perhaps, if you or I had lived there for many years, we would have to ask, "What country are we today!"
"After the World War, Slovenia, Croatia, Slavonia, Bosnia, Hercegovina, Dalmatia, part of Banat, and the Kingdom of Montenegro were added to Serbia to compose a kingdom of 96,000 square miles with a population of 13,000,000" (photo caption, p. 264). This was the Jugoslavia of 1930.
Note: All the National Geographic Magazine articles of this era referred to "The World War." We would refer to it as WWI, since there was a WWII. Obviously, the people of the 1930s did not learn the cruel lessons of war. Have we??
For now, let's visit "Jugoslavia - Ten Years After," the first article in the September, 1930, issue of National Geographic Magazine. Melville Chater is the author and our tour guide.
Chater "lingered over our breakfast coffee" with friends in the city of Dubrovnik. They reminisced about the scene immediately after peace and Armistice ten year prior. There were "hysterical parades, champagne nights, looming revolutions, wholesale kissing, and rumors of old States dissolving, of new States being born" (p. 257).
Chater and party wanted to visit the interior of the country. The Karst region was desolate mountain land. Here again is a country of "waterways and largely undeveloped water power. The Danube (River) and its branches alone give her almost 1,000 miles of navigable routes, this in a State slightly smaller than Wyoming" (pp. 264-265).
The city of Sarajevo has a large Moslem population. The author considered the city to be "the westernmost of oriental cities" with many mosques and minarets, and citizens who "remain draped, veiled, and fezzed as of old" (p. 265).
Mr. Chater noted that in the city of Skoplje, there is also a sizeable number of Mohammedans who, with the Christians there, "experience little difficulty in living together haroniously" (photo caption, p. 276).
In the Kosovo region, donkeys were used for transportation and as pack animals. "Agricultural machinery is almost unknown in south Jugoslavia" (photo caption, p. 268).
Although for most of the trip, Mr. Chater traveled by chauffeured car, he and his companions "caught the northbound Orient Express" to Belgrade" (p. 284). After seeing the American mystery movie, "Murder on the Orient Express," it seemed to me that a trip on the train would be romantic and adventurous but also very expensive. (Dare I entertain that thought?)
Beograd (Belgrade) was the capital of Jugoslavia in 1930. "The spectacle of Beograd reconstructing herself is symptomatic of a nationwide process of exchanging old ways for new" (p. 285). At that time, most of the country women wove their own cloth, and were expert embroiderers. It is doubtful that artistry survives today, don't you think?
In Jugoslavia, so close to Italy, were the expected Roman ruins of buildings and aqueducts. Mr. Chater felt that in the region of Bosnia, its "enduring charm lies in its sheer wildness of woodland and water course. Often one has to remind oneself that he is not traveling in some virgin country, but in one which has known settlement and conquest since the days of the ancient Thracians" (p. 291). At one point, the party heard of nearby "baths," brought towels and bath salts but couldn't find them. A local gent then told them, yes, there were Roman baths, but they "hadn't been in working order for 2,000 years" (p. 296).
Croatia was the country's industrial province with products based on "timber, chemicals, iron, and sugar beet," yet "retarded by her lack of fuel" (p. 296). These products plus "live stock, cereals, bauxite, and cement form Jugoslavian exports" (p. 296).
At the end of their journey, the Chater group found a spa, modern, and well-equipped, and stayed there for two days.
After reading this article, I wanted to see what the country of present Yugoslavia looks like on the map. I was shocked to find (in Google) the boundaries have been changed several dozen times since 1930. Perhaps, if you or I had lived there for many years, we would have to ask, "What country are we today!"
Friday, October 11, 2013
Life in a Jungle Forest
Mr. A.W. Smith was bored with life in the British Army in 1930 and decided to try something wildly different. He ended up in the largely uninhabited teak forest in Burma. His adventure is recounted for us in "Working Teak in the Burma Forests: The Sagacious Elephant is Man's Ablest Ally in the Logging Industry of the Far East," in the August, 1930, issue of National Geographic Magazine.
Smith brought with him from London six months of food due to the remote area. During the journey to his destination, he tried to learn to speak the Burmese language. "Of the 8 or 9 languages, ancient and modern, Asiatic and European, I have learned or tried to learn, Burmese is the most difficult" (p. 240).
The country of Burma is now called the Republic of the Union of Myanmar. In southeast Asia, it is bordered by China on the north and east, Thailand and Laos on the east, and Bangladesh and India on the west. (Gotta love my globe and also Google!) It has a long coastline (1,200 miles) on the Bay of Bengal. Burma has many hills with a thick tropical forest.
When finally in the teak forest, Smith was trained for two months by an experienced native elephant master. Smith would be in charge of 80 elephants and 300 men in a district of 3,000 square miles.
Anxious to get started, he was cautioned by his manager in camp, "You will see all the elephants you want to in the next month or two. . .and unless you are a born elephant master you may begin to get tired of looking over backs and feet and seeing that saddlery fits" (p. 241).
Teak trees are relatively rare in the hardwood forests, so they have to be hunted. Why go to such great lengths to harvest teak trees in 1930? "Many hundred millions of feet of teak are produced in the Rangoon mills annually, most of it to be used locally in India and Burma for housebuilding abroad, principally as shipbuilding material. Of all the timbers of the world, teak is the shipbuilders greatest prize" (p. 246).
The teak trees were located, felled, measured, and floated down rivers by the ancient, tried-and-true methods, using elephants. I was impressed that both the elephants, the natives, and the teak trees were respected, never forced, and that all habits and seasons were faithfully observed by the British, foreign owners.
The elephants were worked very hard but taken care of very well. There was a certain annual percentage of loss of elephants in the camps. Mr. Smith was extremely proud that in his first year, not a single elephant died.
Mr. Smith concludes, "I must be a born elephant master, for I never tired of it, though I have never attained to any great heights of skill or knowledge in elephant management" (p. 241).
FYI: In this year, 2013, Burma produces one-third of the world's teak wood.
Smith brought with him from London six months of food due to the remote area. During the journey to his destination, he tried to learn to speak the Burmese language. "Of the 8 or 9 languages, ancient and modern, Asiatic and European, I have learned or tried to learn, Burmese is the most difficult" (p. 240).
The country of Burma is now called the Republic of the Union of Myanmar. In southeast Asia, it is bordered by China on the north and east, Thailand and Laos on the east, and Bangladesh and India on the west. (Gotta love my globe and also Google!) It has a long coastline (1,200 miles) on the Bay of Bengal. Burma has many hills with a thick tropical forest.
When finally in the teak forest, Smith was trained for two months by an experienced native elephant master. Smith would be in charge of 80 elephants and 300 men in a district of 3,000 square miles.
Anxious to get started, he was cautioned by his manager in camp, "You will see all the elephants you want to in the next month or two. . .and unless you are a born elephant master you may begin to get tired of looking over backs and feet and seeing that saddlery fits" (p. 241).
Teak trees are relatively rare in the hardwood forests, so they have to be hunted. Why go to such great lengths to harvest teak trees in 1930? "Many hundred millions of feet of teak are produced in the Rangoon mills annually, most of it to be used locally in India and Burma for housebuilding abroad, principally as shipbuilding material. Of all the timbers of the world, teak is the shipbuilders greatest prize" (p. 246).
The teak trees were located, felled, measured, and floated down rivers by the ancient, tried-and-true methods, using elephants. I was impressed that both the elephants, the natives, and the teak trees were respected, never forced, and that all habits and seasons were faithfully observed by the British, foreign owners.
The elephants were worked very hard but taken care of very well. There was a certain annual percentage of loss of elephants in the camps. Mr. Smith was extremely proud that in his first year, not a single elephant died.
Mr. Smith concludes, "I must be a born elephant master, for I never tired of it, though I have never attained to any great heights of skill or knowledge in elephant management" (p. 241).
FYI: In this year, 2013, Burma produces one-third of the world's teak wood.
Wednesday, October 9, 2013
Our Holiday!
You and I are both getting a holiday, dear blog reader! For two days I have digested 100 pages of cool relief from the Antarctic tales of Admiral Byrd's expedition to the South Pole. I have written a longer-than-usual report ("To the South Pole!" Tuesday, October 8, 2013). So, now we have a miniscule 6-page account of an award given to the Admiral in the next article.
"Richard E. Byrd, on the evening of June 20, 1930, in Washington, D.C., received from the hands of President Herbert Hoover the National Geographic Society's Special Gold Medal of Honor" (National Geographic Magazine, August, 1930, "Admiral Byrd Receives New Honor from the Society," p. 228).
Have a nice day!
"Richard E. Byrd, on the evening of June 20, 1930, in Washington, D.C., received from the hands of President Herbert Hoover the National Geographic Society's Special Gold Medal of Honor" (National Geographic Magazine, August, 1930, "Admiral Byrd Receives New Honor from the Society," p. 228).
Have a nice day!
Tuesday, October 8, 2013
To the South Pole!
As the heat of summer lingers in Kentucky, U.S.A., this October day, I am pleased to stay in the cold, far south of the world. Richard Evelyn Byrd, Rear Admiral, U.S. Navy Retired, tells us of "The Conquest of Antarctica by Air" in the August, 1930, issue of National Geographic Magazine."
Imagine a land as large as our United States, covered by ice and snow. In 1930, there were many unanswered questions concerning the bottom of the world. "Is it a continent? Some geographers believe it is two huge islands. How far does its mountain range extend . . . How thick is the ice cap? How old? How is it fed?. . . Are there coal beds, minerals, fossils?" (p. 127).
Admiral Byrd reports, "with our airplane, in a single flight, we saw more of the continent than all the previous explorers, necessarily land-bound, could have possibly have beheld" (p. 127). The land was also mapped by camera during his trip.
FYI: "South Polar regions affect the world's weather even more than do Arctic areas" (p. 128).
Since there are no groceries in Antarctica, Admiral Byrd spent three years making extensive preparations for the fourteen month trip. They took tons of food and supplies with them on the sailing ship, The City of New York. They chose this huge motorized sailboat due to the thickness of its hull, 34 inches of wooden timbers, proven to break ice if necessary. Forty-two men went on the expedition "without critical illness or distress;. . . (their base contained) scientific laboratories, hospital, gymnasium, storerooms, mess hall, offices, machine shop, dog kennels, and radio station" (photo caption, p. 136).
For a new view of our beautiful world, look at the globe - upside down, with the Antarctic Continent at the top. New Zealand is closer to the South Pole than Australia! New Zealand is where many of the party's supplies were shipped prior to the Big Trip. Oh! The things I'm learning!
No wonder they took three years' supplies with them, in case they got stranded. "When the winter night should set in, all the combined merchant marines and navies of the world could not reach us" (p. 137).
Admiral Byrd analyzed his feelings before the trip. "I could get no sleep, knowing the risk involved, not only to the success of the expedition, but to the lives of the men. I believe it is impossible for any one to realize how tough it is on a leader to have his men in grave danger" (p. 159).
Their two ships, "The New York and the Eleanor Bolling set sail from Donedin (New Zealand) December 2, 1928. (p. 138). Also included with their supplies were two monoplanes and 80 dogs. "In three days we faced the ice pack that encircles Ross Sea. East and west, as far as we could see, the ice extended in an unbroken line of white" (p. 139).
The men tried traveling over the snow with a motorized snowmobile but it quickly broke down and they relied entirely on dogs pulling supplies on sleds while they skied. The 80 dogs were fed with seal meat, easily obtainable. The Weddell seals can be nine feet long, "sometimes weighing a ton or more" (photo caption, p. 168). The men saw many penguins and whales also.
Part of the privilege of exploring new areas was naming them. Admiral Byrd named the new land after his wife, "Marie Byrd Land" and claimed it for the U.S. (p. 168). Note: parts of Antarctica had already been claimed by the British and Swedish during land expeditions.
The winter night in Antarctica was four months long, from April 18 to August 20, and there was NO SUN at all. "Our main winter job is keep happy, and the way to keep happy under these conditions is to keep busy. We allowed no one to stay in bed" (p. 175).
After the sun rose again, there was beauty in the land. "The rolling plain of snow, leading into that vast ice wilderness, was tinted in soft rose traversed by purple shadows. The Sun flamed above the western horizon; in the eastern sky rode the ghostlike moon" (p. 184).
The Admiral monitored news from around the world via radio. "For several weeks we had been thrilled by the daily report from Dr. Hugo Eckener's flight around the world. . .we got in direct communication with the Graf Zeppelin" on August 29 (p. 183). Please see this blog entry of Friday, September 27, 2013, "Around the World in 21 days in a Blimp."
To carry their supplies, all 650 tons of it, from the ships to the place where they would build the base camp, "Little America, dog sleds were used. "They stuck to it without let-up" (p. 149).
During the fourteen months which the Byrd expedition spent at the Antarctic base, only two days recorded an air temperature above 32 degrees Fahrenheit" (photo caption, p. 162). The extreme cold, as low as 72 degrees below zero, was, of course, a big problem. Every aspect of the trip was considered before leaving. Building materials and insulation were very thick. "The walls and roofs were four inches thick and painted orange color so they could be seen from planes. . . not a nail was used. The beams supporting the buildings were held by bolts which did not go to the outside, so they would not transmit cold" (p. 150).
How cold is 72 degrees below zero? "We had to warm the candles under the meteorological balloons before they would burn" (p. 177).
The first plane, "Stars and Stripes," made its first flight January 15, just weeks after camp was established. "Ahead of us stretched a vast snow-covered ice field that the eye of man was scanning for the first time. We felt the lure of entering the unknown" (p. 154).
"In Polar regions there inevitably arise occasions when to succeed one must take long chances" (p. 159). Here are some 'almost' disasters they faced:
*The planes 'almost' crashed into the many mountains they met.
*When unloading, one plane was almost lost to the breaking ice floes.
*There were no accidents when unloading supplies, even though everyone worked feverishly day and night.
*When a large ice chunk fell onto a boat, one man was thrown into the water. The Admiral himself jumped in to rescue the man. He failed but others succeeded in rescuing the man.
*On ice travel, there were many wide and narrow cracks and crevices, some descending 100 feet directly down to saltwater.
*The last supply ship was so coated with the winter ice it threatened to sink.
When the Admiral and his crew of three were ready to fly to and photo-map the South Pole, "we shared a feeling of excitement and interest; facing us was one of those adventures that occur seldom in a lifetime" (p. 193). Near the Pole, Byrd described, "Never have I seen such rugged mountains or such magnificent scenery, but to us they were more like jealous ramparts guarding the solitude of the Pole" (p. 194).
The team decided to try to land close to the Pole at the base of a mountain. "This was one of the biggest moments of the expedition. Everything was staked on that experiment. It was one of the risks an explorer must take sometimes to win" (p. 195). They accomplished the landing, albeit rough. They had to unload supplies for the geological team traveling by dogsleds. In the extreme cold, they couldn't stop the airplane engine because the oil "would have solidified at once" (p. 198). Then they left the area only to have to make an emergency landing in the rough snow when they were 100 miles from their base camp at Little America.
The remaining plane at the base brought them gasoline, they heated the oil and the engines, and made an uneventful trip back to base.
Byrd explains the difference between what explorers on foot could see and what could be seen from a plane. "While a sled party can see over the flat snow approximately 50 square miles, from an airplane 10,000 feet up the visible world covers an area of about 50,000 square miles" (photo caption, p. 204).
Their primary goal of reaching the South Pole having been accomplished, the Byrd expedition packed up and returned by ship to New Zealand to be welcomed gloriously. Byrd concluded, "Our expedition had carried the American flag a thousand miles farther south than it had ever been before. We are all proud of that. Above all else - what means more to me than anything else - is that we left not a single man in Antarctica, and for that we give thanks to Providence" (p. 227).
When I started reading this article, I thought, "What could possibly be adventurous about a land of white snow in every direction?" I found out! This article was an amazing story of foresight, hard work, and scientific expertise.
Imagine a land as large as our United States, covered by ice and snow. In 1930, there were many unanswered questions concerning the bottom of the world. "Is it a continent? Some geographers believe it is two huge islands. How far does its mountain range extend . . . How thick is the ice cap? How old? How is it fed?. . . Are there coal beds, minerals, fossils?" (p. 127).
Admiral Byrd reports, "with our airplane, in a single flight, we saw more of the continent than all the previous explorers, necessarily land-bound, could have possibly have beheld" (p. 127). The land was also mapped by camera during his trip.
FYI: "South Polar regions affect the world's weather even more than do Arctic areas" (p. 128).
Since there are no groceries in Antarctica, Admiral Byrd spent three years making extensive preparations for the fourteen month trip. They took tons of food and supplies with them on the sailing ship, The City of New York. They chose this huge motorized sailboat due to the thickness of its hull, 34 inches of wooden timbers, proven to break ice if necessary. Forty-two men went on the expedition "without critical illness or distress;. . . (their base contained) scientific laboratories, hospital, gymnasium, storerooms, mess hall, offices, machine shop, dog kennels, and radio station" (photo caption, p. 136).
For a new view of our beautiful world, look at the globe - upside down, with the Antarctic Continent at the top. New Zealand is closer to the South Pole than Australia! New Zealand is where many of the party's supplies were shipped prior to the Big Trip. Oh! The things I'm learning!
No wonder they took three years' supplies with them, in case they got stranded. "When the winter night should set in, all the combined merchant marines and navies of the world could not reach us" (p. 137).
Admiral Byrd analyzed his feelings before the trip. "I could get no sleep, knowing the risk involved, not only to the success of the expedition, but to the lives of the men. I believe it is impossible for any one to realize how tough it is on a leader to have his men in grave danger" (p. 159).
Their two ships, "The New York and the Eleanor Bolling set sail from Donedin (New Zealand) December 2, 1928. (p. 138). Also included with their supplies were two monoplanes and 80 dogs. "In three days we faced the ice pack that encircles Ross Sea. East and west, as far as we could see, the ice extended in an unbroken line of white" (p. 139).
The men tried traveling over the snow with a motorized snowmobile but it quickly broke down and they relied entirely on dogs pulling supplies on sleds while they skied. The 80 dogs were fed with seal meat, easily obtainable. The Weddell seals can be nine feet long, "sometimes weighing a ton or more" (photo caption, p. 168). The men saw many penguins and whales also.
Part of the privilege of exploring new areas was naming them. Admiral Byrd named the new land after his wife, "Marie Byrd Land" and claimed it for the U.S. (p. 168). Note: parts of Antarctica had already been claimed by the British and Swedish during land expeditions.
The winter night in Antarctica was four months long, from April 18 to August 20, and there was NO SUN at all. "Our main winter job is keep happy, and the way to keep happy under these conditions is to keep busy. We allowed no one to stay in bed" (p. 175).
After the sun rose again, there was beauty in the land. "The rolling plain of snow, leading into that vast ice wilderness, was tinted in soft rose traversed by purple shadows. The Sun flamed above the western horizon; in the eastern sky rode the ghostlike moon" (p. 184).
The Admiral monitored news from around the world via radio. "For several weeks we had been thrilled by the daily report from Dr. Hugo Eckener's flight around the world. . .we got in direct communication with the Graf Zeppelin" on August 29 (p. 183). Please see this blog entry of Friday, September 27, 2013, "Around the World in 21 days in a Blimp."
To carry their supplies, all 650 tons of it, from the ships to the place where they would build the base camp, "Little America, dog sleds were used. "They stuck to it without let-up" (p. 149).
During the fourteen months which the Byrd expedition spent at the Antarctic base, only two days recorded an air temperature above 32 degrees Fahrenheit" (photo caption, p. 162). The extreme cold, as low as 72 degrees below zero, was, of course, a big problem. Every aspect of the trip was considered before leaving. Building materials and insulation were very thick. "The walls and roofs were four inches thick and painted orange color so they could be seen from planes. . . not a nail was used. The beams supporting the buildings were held by bolts which did not go to the outside, so they would not transmit cold" (p. 150).
How cold is 72 degrees below zero? "We had to warm the candles under the meteorological balloons before they would burn" (p. 177).
The first plane, "Stars and Stripes," made its first flight January 15, just weeks after camp was established. "Ahead of us stretched a vast snow-covered ice field that the eye of man was scanning for the first time. We felt the lure of entering the unknown" (p. 154).
"In Polar regions there inevitably arise occasions when to succeed one must take long chances" (p. 159). Here are some 'almost' disasters they faced:
*The planes 'almost' crashed into the many mountains they met.
*When unloading, one plane was almost lost to the breaking ice floes.
*There were no accidents when unloading supplies, even though everyone worked feverishly day and night.
*When a large ice chunk fell onto a boat, one man was thrown into the water. The Admiral himself jumped in to rescue the man. He failed but others succeeded in rescuing the man.
*On ice travel, there were many wide and narrow cracks and crevices, some descending 100 feet directly down to saltwater.
*The last supply ship was so coated with the winter ice it threatened to sink.
When the Admiral and his crew of three were ready to fly to and photo-map the South Pole, "we shared a feeling of excitement and interest; facing us was one of those adventures that occur seldom in a lifetime" (p. 193). Near the Pole, Byrd described, "Never have I seen such rugged mountains or such magnificent scenery, but to us they were more like jealous ramparts guarding the solitude of the Pole" (p. 194).
The team decided to try to land close to the Pole at the base of a mountain. "This was one of the biggest moments of the expedition. Everything was staked on that experiment. It was one of the risks an explorer must take sometimes to win" (p. 195). They accomplished the landing, albeit rough. They had to unload supplies for the geological team traveling by dogsleds. In the extreme cold, they couldn't stop the airplane engine because the oil "would have solidified at once" (p. 198). Then they left the area only to have to make an emergency landing in the rough snow when they were 100 miles from their base camp at Little America.
The remaining plane at the base brought them gasoline, they heated the oil and the engines, and made an uneventful trip back to base.
Byrd explains the difference between what explorers on foot could see and what could be seen from a plane. "While a sled party can see over the flat snow approximately 50 square miles, from an airplane 10,000 feet up the visible world covers an area of about 50,000 square miles" (photo caption, p. 204).
Their primary goal of reaching the South Pole having been accomplished, the Byrd expedition packed up and returned by ship to New Zealand to be welcomed gloriously. Byrd concluded, "Our expedition had carried the American flag a thousand miles farther south than it had ever been before. We are all proud of that. Above all else - what means more to me than anything else - is that we left not a single man in Antarctica, and for that we give thanks to Providence" (p. 227).
When I started reading this article, I thought, "What could possibly be adventurous about a land of white snow in every direction?" I found out! This article was an amazing story of foresight, hard work, and scientific expertise.
Monday, October 7, 2013
"P" Help #6: Using Local Transportation
Review: For any new reader, "P" stands for one of the mantras of Nursing, my former occupation, from which I'm now retired. "Prior Preparation Prevents Poor Performance" was drummed into our tired student heads. Toward that end, in traveling, the same thing helps: prepare well for your travels and you'll have a much better time!
Here's a list of my former blog posts about the "Ps": P#1, July 31, 2013: "The Five Ps;" P#2, August 5, 2013: "P" Help #2: Travel Insurance;" "P" Help #3: I.D. & Credit Cards;" "P" help #4: Money, and "P" Help #5, Medical & Safety Needs."
Buses, Cars, Trains, Planes & Taxis: For every place I've traveled in the last twenty years, I've at least had to travel from airport to destination in a city. I might be going to visit a relative, the best scenario, and just have to collect my baggage and be met at some pre-designated area, and be chauffeured to the relative's home. Oh, happiness!!
Otherwise, I'll be going directly to a hotel, hopefully, one close to where I want to be. There are always waiting taxis, sometimes hotel shuttles, or you may rent a car. Taxis are always expensive from the airports. All hotels don't have shuttles. Car rental is an good option if you'll use it during your visit and if the parking fees are included with your hotel room (rare), or if you don't mind expensive parking fees. The only hotel with complementary parking I've stayed in is the Royal Hawaiian in Honolulu. Anyone know of others? I have seen folks on buses with their suitcases but - wow! - I wouldn't do it: cheap but exhausting.
Buses: In many large cities, there are so many wonderful sights you want to see that are spread out all over the city that you can't walk to everything, even in the 'old', historic, central city. If you research the bus system, you'll know how it operates. In Rome, Daughter #3, Cathy, and I, used the local buses extensively. Riding is strictly on the honor system. Pay the fare and receive a printed ticket. Many people don't bother paying. BUT - if an official 'checker' comes aboard and asks to see everyone's ticket, you will get a fine if you can't produce your ticket. It was so cheap; why would anyone cheat?
Cars: I'm hesitant to rent cars in foreign countries. . .especially if it's one of those countries in which you'd be driving on the 'wrong' side of the road. Check before you leave home if your car insurance would pay if you need it in another country. Try to find out the rules of the road also before you leave home. Be really, really careful about parking by your touristy sites. Daughter #4, Theresa, and I got the rental car towed in Hawaii. We looked for "No Parking" signs but didn't notice the little ones that said, "no parking 3:30 - 6:30." It was a very expensive lesson!
Trains: In Europe, the trains are phenomenally wonderful! They are super-clean and super-on-time, not to mention very affordable. Cathy and I found First Class in Italy positively luxurious. Daughter #7, Marie, and I found Standard Class really nice in England. Cathy and I traveled with my nephew, Cieran, from his home in Cavan County, Ireland, to Dublin, in pure comfort, in a bus that was just as nice as our American tour buses, and quite affordable. In Boston and Washington, D.C., the Subway trains are clean, on-time and also affordable.
One feature in England we noticed that was quite different from our American trains: from London to Shrewsbury, there was not a single gated crossing. All the intersections were over bridges. How safe that must be for motorists. What efficient planning they accomplished.
Planes: Yes, planes!, local transportation in Hawaii. You can get from one island to another either in a boat or in a plane. Theresa and I had more than enough fun in Hawaii this time. We thought of taking a day trip to another island but decided we'd rather not rush and get in some more 'beach' time.
Taxis: They are everywhere. I think they're really expensive, even on the rare occasion I've used one in my own city in Lexington, Kentucky, U.S.A. But Marie and I found them rather affordable in London. The cabbies were so informative and interesting. One told us, "I could tell you who most of the American presidents were but not so the Prime Ministers of my own country." Another asked us, "What do you think of your president?" (private answer!).
Walking: Perhaps I should add this! The only city I have ever felt unsafe and intimidated in, I'm sorry to say, on both occasions I visited, the last one this past summer, was New Orleans, Louisiana, U.S.A. Tourists have been cautioned for years to walk always in a group, a large one. I'm really embarrassed by this! No where else have I felt unsafe! The exercise is good and you can certainly see much more on foot than by vehicle. Cathy and I also found that in the blistery city of Rome in July are many clean water fountains to be found. Caution: traffic is wicked fast in Rome: look both ways twice before you cross a street!
Plan your next trip soon - travel is SO fun!
Here's a list of my former blog posts about the "Ps": P#1, July 31, 2013: "The Five Ps;" P#2, August 5, 2013: "P" Help #2: Travel Insurance;" "P" Help #3: I.D. & Credit Cards;" "P" help #4: Money, and "P" Help #5, Medical & Safety Needs."
Buses, Cars, Trains, Planes & Taxis: For every place I've traveled in the last twenty years, I've at least had to travel from airport to destination in a city. I might be going to visit a relative, the best scenario, and just have to collect my baggage and be met at some pre-designated area, and be chauffeured to the relative's home. Oh, happiness!!
Otherwise, I'll be going directly to a hotel, hopefully, one close to where I want to be. There are always waiting taxis, sometimes hotel shuttles, or you may rent a car. Taxis are always expensive from the airports. All hotels don't have shuttles. Car rental is an good option if you'll use it during your visit and if the parking fees are included with your hotel room (rare), or if you don't mind expensive parking fees. The only hotel with complementary parking I've stayed in is the Royal Hawaiian in Honolulu. Anyone know of others? I have seen folks on buses with their suitcases but - wow! - I wouldn't do it: cheap but exhausting.
Buses: In many large cities, there are so many wonderful sights you want to see that are spread out all over the city that you can't walk to everything, even in the 'old', historic, central city. If you research the bus system, you'll know how it operates. In Rome, Daughter #3, Cathy, and I, used the local buses extensively. Riding is strictly on the honor system. Pay the fare and receive a printed ticket. Many people don't bother paying. BUT - if an official 'checker' comes aboard and asks to see everyone's ticket, you will get a fine if you can't produce your ticket. It was so cheap; why would anyone cheat?
Cars: I'm hesitant to rent cars in foreign countries. . .especially if it's one of those countries in which you'd be driving on the 'wrong' side of the road. Check before you leave home if your car insurance would pay if you need it in another country. Try to find out the rules of the road also before you leave home. Be really, really careful about parking by your touristy sites. Daughter #4, Theresa, and I got the rental car towed in Hawaii. We looked for "No Parking" signs but didn't notice the little ones that said, "no parking 3:30 - 6:30." It was a very expensive lesson!
Trains: In Europe, the trains are phenomenally wonderful! They are super-clean and super-on-time, not to mention very affordable. Cathy and I found First Class in Italy positively luxurious. Daughter #7, Marie, and I found Standard Class really nice in England. Cathy and I traveled with my nephew, Cieran, from his home in Cavan County, Ireland, to Dublin, in pure comfort, in a bus that was just as nice as our American tour buses, and quite affordable. In Boston and Washington, D.C., the Subway trains are clean, on-time and also affordable.
One feature in England we noticed that was quite different from our American trains: from London to Shrewsbury, there was not a single gated crossing. All the intersections were over bridges. How safe that must be for motorists. What efficient planning they accomplished.
Planes: Yes, planes!, local transportation in Hawaii. You can get from one island to another either in a boat or in a plane. Theresa and I had more than enough fun in Hawaii this time. We thought of taking a day trip to another island but decided we'd rather not rush and get in some more 'beach' time.
Taxis: They are everywhere. I think they're really expensive, even on the rare occasion I've used one in my own city in Lexington, Kentucky, U.S.A. But Marie and I found them rather affordable in London. The cabbies were so informative and interesting. One told us, "I could tell you who most of the American presidents were but not so the Prime Ministers of my own country." Another asked us, "What do you think of your president?" (private answer!).
Walking: Perhaps I should add this! The only city I have ever felt unsafe and intimidated in, I'm sorry to say, on both occasions I visited, the last one this past summer, was New Orleans, Louisiana, U.S.A. Tourists have been cautioned for years to walk always in a group, a large one. I'm really embarrassed by this! No where else have I felt unsafe! The exercise is good and you can certainly see much more on foot than by vehicle. Cathy and I also found that in the blistery city of Rome in July are many clean water fountains to be found. Caution: traffic is wicked fast in Rome: look both ways twice before you cross a street!
Plan your next trip soon - travel is SO fun!
Saturday, October 5, 2013
To Juneau in June
This next article in the National Geographic Magazine, July,1930, has immediate appeal for me because the History Channel's show, "Ice Road Truckers," is one of my favorites. Mr. Amos Burg write about a trip to Canada and Alaska in "To-day on "The Yukon Trail of 1898."
Mr. Burg explains the reason for his journey of 2,500 miles, "inspiration armed me with a movie camera. . .and sent me north to see for myself that famous old "Trail of 1898" (p. 84). He took along a friend and a contract to film the annual caribou migration across the Yukon.
The two friends launched their journey in June in Juneau, Alaska. They went by train to White Pass mountain to the headwaters of the Yukon Lakes, "beginning scarcely 15 miles from the Pacific. . . 2,300 miles to reach the Bering Sea" (p. 84). Then the real adventure began. They set out their canoe on Lake Bennett. "Our clothes and provisions were packed in waterproof bags. One of those was marked "Miscellaneous - if you can't find it, look in here" (p. 85).
They paddled to Skagway, the town once crawling with gold-hungry prospectors. The novice adventurers, or "Tenderfeet," were on foot in town. "Our new boots raised blisters as we descended Chilkoot Pass . . . and the mosquitoes buzzed, "They shall not pass" (p. 84).
The sights they saw from their canoe vantage point were mostly breathtakingly beautiful, pristine scenery, many small Indian villages, one phantom mine (spent gold mine), much wildlife but also dangerous rapids along the Yukon. They assessed that they would be killed in the rapids at White Horse so sought 'portage.' I always have a dictionary on hand and generally have to consult it for each and every new article. 'Portage' is the carrying of boats and goods overland between navigable bodies of water.
When I was a young mother years ago, I read an article in National Geographic extolling the wonders of a family living in the North American wilderness. They built a log cabin, raised all their own food, and home-schooled their children before it was popular. This appealed to me very much. Then I read the part about having to ski at least 20 miles in a snowstorm with a child on the dad's back because the child had suspected appendicitis and there was no other way out to get medical help in town. That changed my mind so I didn't even consult my husband who would have probably had a good laugh over my wild idea.
Mr. Burg and companion had multiple opportunities to view the activities of herds of caribou, "one of the most important animals of the Arctic. Scarcely anything manufactured equals caribou skin as warm clothing. In many places in Alaska and Arctic Canada the natives live for long periods exclusively upon caribou meat" (photo caption, p. 98).
Usually the two camped on a river bank but at times would be offered a warm cabin. "One is welcome among these people at any time or place, and the farther the traveler has come the more welcome he is" (p. 123).
There are always new facts of history about which to marvel. The Russian czars possessed the Yukon River area for nearly 100 years! When close to the end of their trip, "After being swept off the beach by a raging storm at Russian Mission," their canoe was "battered beyond repair" (photo caption, p. 121). The two tried "unsuccessfully to charter another boat . . .then shipped on as deckhands aboard the Northern Commercial Company boat Ensee for St. Michael" (p. 126). This was less than 150 miles from the end of the Yukon River and the end of their journey.
"Rounding the passage between Stuart and St. Michael's islands at dawn, we saw, strewing the desolate beach, the last remnants of a faded regime that had spanned almost a century. A Russian blockhouse facing seaward, with its rusted iron cannon, was the beginning; a broken, weary fleet of magnificent river packets that once stemmed the currents to the far reaches of the Yukon was the end. The "Trail of '98" is gone, and Time turns his pages to write a new chapter" (p. 126). FYI: the trip cost Mr. Burg $130.71, not including film.
My dear parents, Adeline and Reuben, were fortunate to take many boat cruises in their later years, all over the Mediterranean, the Caribbean, the Atlantic and the Pacific Oceans. One time, I asked mom, "What was your very favorite cruise?" She immediately answered, "Alaska. The mountains and ice were unbelievable. But on the deck were teenagers that completely ignored it and played ping-pong." Think I'll have to find out myself someday!
Mr. Burg explains the reason for his journey of 2,500 miles, "inspiration armed me with a movie camera. . .and sent me north to see for myself that famous old "Trail of 1898" (p. 84). He took along a friend and a contract to film the annual caribou migration across the Yukon.
The two friends launched their journey in June in Juneau, Alaska. They went by train to White Pass mountain to the headwaters of the Yukon Lakes, "beginning scarcely 15 miles from the Pacific. . . 2,300 miles to reach the Bering Sea" (p. 84). Then the real adventure began. They set out their canoe on Lake Bennett. "Our clothes and provisions were packed in waterproof bags. One of those was marked "Miscellaneous - if you can't find it, look in here" (p. 85).
They paddled to Skagway, the town once crawling with gold-hungry prospectors. The novice adventurers, or "Tenderfeet," were on foot in town. "Our new boots raised blisters as we descended Chilkoot Pass . . . and the mosquitoes buzzed, "They shall not pass" (p. 84).
The sights they saw from their canoe vantage point were mostly breathtakingly beautiful, pristine scenery, many small Indian villages, one phantom mine (spent gold mine), much wildlife but also dangerous rapids along the Yukon. They assessed that they would be killed in the rapids at White Horse so sought 'portage.' I always have a dictionary on hand and generally have to consult it for each and every new article. 'Portage' is the carrying of boats and goods overland between navigable bodies of water.
When I was a young mother years ago, I read an article in National Geographic extolling the wonders of a family living in the North American wilderness. They built a log cabin, raised all their own food, and home-schooled their children before it was popular. This appealed to me very much. Then I read the part about having to ski at least 20 miles in a snowstorm with a child on the dad's back because the child had suspected appendicitis and there was no other way out to get medical help in town. That changed my mind so I didn't even consult my husband who would have probably had a good laugh over my wild idea.
Mr. Burg and companion had multiple opportunities to view the activities of herds of caribou, "one of the most important animals of the Arctic. Scarcely anything manufactured equals caribou skin as warm clothing. In many places in Alaska and Arctic Canada the natives live for long periods exclusively upon caribou meat" (photo caption, p. 98).
Usually the two camped on a river bank but at times would be offered a warm cabin. "One is welcome among these people at any time or place, and the farther the traveler has come the more welcome he is" (p. 123).
There are always new facts of history about which to marvel. The Russian czars possessed the Yukon River area for nearly 100 years! When close to the end of their trip, "After being swept off the beach by a raging storm at Russian Mission," their canoe was "battered beyond repair" (photo caption, p. 121). The two tried "unsuccessfully to charter another boat . . .then shipped on as deckhands aboard the Northern Commercial Company boat Ensee for St. Michael" (p. 126). This was less than 150 miles from the end of the Yukon River and the end of their journey.
"Rounding the passage between Stuart and St. Michael's islands at dawn, we saw, strewing the desolate beach, the last remnants of a faded regime that had spanned almost a century. A Russian blockhouse facing seaward, with its rusted iron cannon, was the beginning; a broken, weary fleet of magnificent river packets that once stemmed the currents to the far reaches of the Yukon was the end. The "Trail of '98" is gone, and Time turns his pages to write a new chapter" (p. 126). FYI: the trip cost Mr. Burg $130.71, not including film.
My dear parents, Adeline and Reuben, were fortunate to take many boat cruises in their later years, all over the Mediterranean, the Caribbean, the Atlantic and the Pacific Oceans. One time, I asked mom, "What was your very favorite cruise?" She immediately answered, "Alaska. The mountains and ice were unbelievable. But on the deck were teenagers that completely ignored it and played ping-pong." Think I'll have to find out myself someday!
Thursday, October 3, 2013
Ever been to Mexico City?
"Into Mexico City swarms the travel stream, mostly Americans. . ."This is the oldest big city in the Western hemisphere," volunteers a professor of history, slyly pocketing a guidebook. When the Spaniards first came they found here a rich city of perhaps 300,000 people, with an emperor's court, luxurious palaces, lawsuits, poetry, music." So Mr. Frederick Simpich begins the next article in the July, 1930, issue of National Geographic Magazine, "North America's Oldest Metropolis: Through 600 Melodramatic Years, Mexico City Has Grown in Splendor and Achievement."
(Personal: This is SO fun! I never look ahead so I never know where I'll be going next!)
The Spaniard who conquered Mexico City was Senor Cortez in 1519. Try to "imagine into what excitement the whole world would be plunged today were it possible to discover a new continent, with a new language, a new race, and an emperor living in the splendor of Montezuma!" (p. 48).
The first Christian church, a cathedral, was completed in 1667. In a large open area in front of the church is Constitution Plaza. "Here, in 1325, the Aztecs first saw the symbolic snake and eagle and built their first temples. Here, in 1521, was staged one of the most bloody of all combats between Aztec and Spaniard, when prisoners of war were sacrificed to the idols. Undoubtedly more people were executed here than any other spot on earth. More than 100,000 skulls were found in one temple, and it is estimated that at least 20,000 men, women, and children were sacrificed here each year" (p. 53).
In the old city the Aztecs traded animal skins, live animals, cloth gold, silver, fruit and vegetable and Indian slaves. The same type of items were available in 1930 with exception of Indian slaves. Mexicans, like the Spanish, love their bullfights!
Mexico City is built on a swamp which would flood regularly. The Indians worked on flood control for centuries but the problem was not solved until the 30-mile Canal de Desague was finished. Mr. Simpich considered this "easily the most spectacular engineering feat from the Roosevelt Dam to the Panama Canal" (p. 59). Still, the city is sinking due to its swamp soil; some buildings were leaning in 1930.
The Arts and Crafts of Mexico City from the Indian era to 1930 were extremely fine, pictured in color on pages in this article. I can almost hear the 'click-click' of flamenco dancers!
(Personal: This is SO fun! I never look ahead so I never know where I'll be going next!)
The Spaniard who conquered Mexico City was Senor Cortez in 1519. Try to "imagine into what excitement the whole world would be plunged today were it possible to discover a new continent, with a new language, a new race, and an emperor living in the splendor of Montezuma!" (p. 48).
The first Christian church, a cathedral, was completed in 1667. In a large open area in front of the church is Constitution Plaza. "Here, in 1325, the Aztecs first saw the symbolic snake and eagle and built their first temples. Here, in 1521, was staged one of the most bloody of all combats between Aztec and Spaniard, when prisoners of war were sacrificed to the idols. Undoubtedly more people were executed here than any other spot on earth. More than 100,000 skulls were found in one temple, and it is estimated that at least 20,000 men, women, and children were sacrificed here each year" (p. 53).
In the old city the Aztecs traded animal skins, live animals, cloth gold, silver, fruit and vegetable and Indian slaves. The same type of items were available in 1930 with exception of Indian slaves. Mexicans, like the Spanish, love their bullfights!
Mexico City is built on a swamp which would flood regularly. The Indians worked on flood control for centuries but the problem was not solved until the 30-mile Canal de Desague was finished. Mr. Simpich considered this "easily the most spectacular engineering feat from the Roosevelt Dam to the Panama Canal" (p. 59). Still, the city is sinking due to its swamp soil; some buildings were leaning in 1930.
The Arts and Crafts of Mexico City from the Indian era to 1930 were extremely fine, pictured in color on pages in this article. I can almost hear the 'click-click' of flamenco dancers!
Wednesday, October 2, 2013
Survival in the Extreme North
Norway is a country in the extreme northwest in Europe. Most of the Norwegian inhabitants live on the coasts, on the fjords, or in the valleys between the mountains. The most northern part of Norway is actually in the Arctic Circle. The first article in the July, 1930, issue of National Geographic Magazine is "Norway, a Land of Stern Reality: Where Descendants of the Sea Kings of Old Triumphed Over Nature and Wrought a Nation of Arts and Crafts." Alfred Pearce Dennis, Ph.D, LL.D, is the author.
FYI, definitions: fjord: a narrow inlet of the sea between cliffs or steep slopes. Fjells: the mountains in Norway. In no way do these explanations do the country justice. "The Sogne Fjord is 112 miles long, four miles wide and, on an average, its greatest depth is around 4,000 feet. In the Viking Age it was a highway to the ocean and many a high-prowed dragon ship cut its waters" (photo caption, p. 16). Many photos in this issue show tall cliffs very near the water in the fjords. The mountains also have their advantages: "In water power, Norway leads all Europe" (photo caption, p. 13).
The Norsemen were great seamen, fishermen, and adventurers. A thousand years and more ago, they traveled to Britain, Iceland, Gaul, Ireland, Russia, Italy, and Sicily. Their chief gods were Odin, the God of Battle, and Thor, the God of Thunder. "To the cultured and the Christian peoples of Europe, these pagan, marauders were the scourge of God sweeping down from the North, the land of night and wonder, the terrible unknown. . .from pirates they became colonizers. . .a case of redundant population outrunning sustenance" (p. 29).
One country appreciated their visits. "In 1874 Icelanders celebrated the thousandth anniversary of the settlement of Iceland by Norsemen . . .Greenland was colonized about a century later . . .The shores of America had been reached by Leif Ericsson early in the eleventh century, more than 400 years in advance of Columbus" (p. 31).
Norway's weather is more pleasant than we would expect due to the "warm Atlantic drift from the Gulf Stream" which "supplies Norway with both climate and fish" (p. 8). There are fewer sunny days due to the average rainfall of 200 days per year. Yet, in 1930, Norway had to import most of its food. Only approximately 3% of the land was under cultivation.
The fishing industry centered on cod, herring, and the whales. At that time, their vessels at sea not only caught and killed an incredible number of whales, they had factory-ships which then processed the whales at sea. "Every part but the "blow" is utilized." On the ships, they could "slice and chop a whale in two hours. Whale oil is used for soap, butter substitutes, for currying leather, and in latching flax and jute; also as a lubricant for machinery" (photo caption, p. 22).
Mr. Dennis had great praise for the education system of Norway. "So well-organized is the school system of Norway that illiteracy is practically non-existent" (photo caption, p. 17).
"Skiing is Norway's national sport" (photo caption, p. 10). This article had many color photographs of the beautiful artwork, especially embroidery, accomplished in Norway. Who knows, with a last name like 'Jurgensen,' maybe I have an ancestor from Norway!
FYI, definitions: fjord: a narrow inlet of the sea between cliffs or steep slopes. Fjells: the mountains in Norway. In no way do these explanations do the country justice. "The Sogne Fjord is 112 miles long, four miles wide and, on an average, its greatest depth is around 4,000 feet. In the Viking Age it was a highway to the ocean and many a high-prowed dragon ship cut its waters" (photo caption, p. 16). Many photos in this issue show tall cliffs very near the water in the fjords. The mountains also have their advantages: "In water power, Norway leads all Europe" (photo caption, p. 13).
The Norsemen were great seamen, fishermen, and adventurers. A thousand years and more ago, they traveled to Britain, Iceland, Gaul, Ireland, Russia, Italy, and Sicily. Their chief gods were Odin, the God of Battle, and Thor, the God of Thunder. "To the cultured and the Christian peoples of Europe, these pagan, marauders were the scourge of God sweeping down from the North, the land of night and wonder, the terrible unknown. . .from pirates they became colonizers. . .a case of redundant population outrunning sustenance" (p. 29).
One country appreciated their visits. "In 1874 Icelanders celebrated the thousandth anniversary of the settlement of Iceland by Norsemen . . .Greenland was colonized about a century later . . .The shores of America had been reached by Leif Ericsson early in the eleventh century, more than 400 years in advance of Columbus" (p. 31).
Norway's weather is more pleasant than we would expect due to the "warm Atlantic drift from the Gulf Stream" which "supplies Norway with both climate and fish" (p. 8). There are fewer sunny days due to the average rainfall of 200 days per year. Yet, in 1930, Norway had to import most of its food. Only approximately 3% of the land was under cultivation.
The fishing industry centered on cod, herring, and the whales. At that time, their vessels at sea not only caught and killed an incredible number of whales, they had factory-ships which then processed the whales at sea. "Every part but the "blow" is utilized." On the ships, they could "slice and chop a whale in two hours. Whale oil is used for soap, butter substitutes, for currying leather, and in latching flax and jute; also as a lubricant for machinery" (photo caption, p. 22).
Mr. Dennis had great praise for the education system of Norway. "So well-organized is the school system of Norway that illiteracy is practically non-existent" (photo caption, p. 17).
"Skiing is Norway's national sport" (photo caption, p. 10). This article had many color photographs of the beautiful artwork, especially embroidery, accomplished in Norway. Who knows, with a last name like 'Jurgensen,' maybe I have an ancestor from Norway!
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