Star Study V. War Worry.

Auckland Star, Volume LXXII, Issue 69, 22 March 1941, Page 2 (Supplement)

Star Study V. War Worry.

THE horrors of war abroad are so constantly before us that real serenity of mind often seems unattainable. Perhaps the only way to acquire contentment is to fill part of our worrying hours with something so absorbing that we become oblivious to the world's conflicts.

By ]. Hugh Pruelt,

Astronomer, General Extension, University of Oregon Of the many valuable aids to forgetting, star study is especially recommended. In many English cities (lie people are taking advantage of th" "blackouts" to study and enjoy the skies, the real beauty of which had never lie fore, been suspected by those spending ;t 11 their nights under artificial illumination. Astronomical clubs are furnishing instructors, and thousands never before interested are becoming enthusiastic ( star students. Some ask: '"What is so interesting about stars? They are simply spots of light splashed on the sky." So long is the answer that no brief statement will suffice. As well might: a violinist be asked: 'What is there, to music? It consists solely of a few do/.en pitches of sound. What else?" Those inclined to study the skies liitil therein boundless sources of interest- and delight. Many do not go beyond the recognition of the brighter stars and the outlining of the fantastic creaturedepicted in the ancient star groupings. ) Others go further and study the mythologies connected with these sky figure-. In the contemplation of the starry heavens many find abundant poetry and art and religion. For those inclined toward pure science and mathematics there is material unlimited. Under a clear and moonless midnight ! sky viewed far from city 1 ielites, into » what insignificance the present trouble.of the world tend to fade? We are i looking into the infinite depths of the , universe and becoming awfully aware r of its vastnee« and the perfect order

The species represented by the Ninety Milo Heacli specimens is one that, is known jo live only in Xew Caledonian waters. This fact Ims significance in that Xew Caledonia is tin 1 fjlace of origin of the great east Australian current which sweeps southward along the New South Wales coa«l ami then across the Ta-man to Xew Zealand shores. Xrtutilus has witnessed almost the whole pageant of marine evolution if only its ancc-tral experiences could be itnjia li i'd ! Some years ago 1 picked up two modern nautilu- -iielU wn-hed ai-lcrc on tin- Ninety Mile llench. but their finding has no .-iguilicMiiee other than I hot they drifted here l>\ ocean currents. The scaled chambers in this shell renders it as buoyant as a corked bottle, ami so the dead -hells may wa-li a-hore anywhere in the South Pacific. under which it operates. In the face of these eternal realities all tiling- mundane rapidly become only faint memo lies. The easiest way lo begin this fascinating study is to enlist the. aid of one posse-sing some information <oncernin_* the stars. Such a person is always delighted to a--ist. The same help may be obtained from bonk- with the expenditure of a little more effort.

his <liuner jacket, dived into the waters M Dover Harbour. His superman shoulders enabled him to reach his command. K vans' ship, the Broke. attacking in company with the Swift, sank two enemy vessels: one by lorpe<lo a.nd cannon fire, the <>t h-er by ramming. Kvans drove the Broke into and finally over his (lennan enemy! For the first time in a hundred year* there was piped on a British man <> ■ war thi> order "Prepare t.o hoard. British seamen with eulla-ses, pistols and small arms hoarded the enemy s decks and swept them clean of crew. Kngland christened their lighter •'Kvans of the Broke." Few Kngl i-h" ien know that their hero fmcjlit that li'jlit in drippin- dinner clot he-. til I'.l-JI. Captain Kv a lis. D.5.0., is in Colli II ui nd of the eraiser Carlisle. He little realises that an intercepted radio message will put his shoulders into play again, it) win for him more Tumours and fame. In Suatow, China, in I'.'Jt. the s.~. Hong Moli. carrying IJiwi coolie*, went fast on rocks within t■•ii> •11 ol Lainock Light. B\- morning the era 11 had cracked ill two. A \oiiiil' typhoon that, had sprung lip aided a railing surf ill sma -hill g the v cssel. Captain Kva us. on the Carlisle, picked lip a message for help. When he reached the wreck a couple of hundred humans .-t ill clung to Ihe hat tered forepai't. Bafts, whalehoats and finally a motor boat were launched to no avail. A man from the Carlisle dived info the maelstrom of surf and running sea. succeeded in reaching the wreck, and matiaired. without, sina-hing bim-.elt. to clamber up the -idc. lie carried will, him a line. A lifebuoy was i i-ged. Mass Rescue From the waveswepf slant in-.' decks lie loaded into that buoy many Chinese. Some were so helpless thev had to be lifted in bodily. Night closed down. At. crack of dawn a launch was mil noenvred to the side of the battered rein n,a nt, of ship. The launch, tilled to the gunwales with sa veil humanity, was about, to cast oir when a wave, larger than its fellows, dashed it against the plates of the larger -hip. Some of the nianv ropes that now dangled from the Hong Moh's sides became entangled in the launch's propeller. Both rescitei s and rescued were in lander of being spilled into the turbulent s ( .a. The same man who had the evening before swum to the llotig Molt bearing a. life line, dived into the water to work oil the tangle. The launch returned safely to I lie Carii-le, rescuing L'J I ('liine-e. Tn his reports of this event. Captain Kva lis a-ked that social men t»■ • i■? ■■ • moted and honoured tor their braverv . buf did 11 ■»t mention t lie man who twice braved an impossible sea. I; vv a - a long time before hi- identity was revealed. It was K\a ns hi in -el i. Ife lllei-ely i-aid it wa- a ioh into which lie would have ordered no man. Indeed, only "Kvaiis of the Shoulders" could have done it. This time Lloyd's awarded him their Cold Medal for Saving Life at. Sea. It is one of the ijardest ~f all medals to get. Kvans was again promoted fo rearadmiral. vice admiral, and tinallv fullranking admiral. Me was in command of the Australian Navy. He commanded the British N'aval Station in S.. ut h Africa. lie won fame again in !!>.'!.'{ ns Acting Commissioner in Bechua na la nd. where, by (|tiiek u mler>t aml ing and firm action, lie saxcil a desperate situation anion;; the natives. He was kni'ditcd in MCI.-,. At ."iS years of acre he was retired in his prime. But. to-day Kvans is hack on lilt* job. This time his job is to safeguard the lives of London's S.tMMl.tltlt) -ouls from the bomb- of (Jeriua n v's air corps. A vital burden for those great shoulders to carry. — •+•

Os, Cyril, there scans to be plenty of promising material about, but one has to be so dashed earcful not to picl( the wrong girl at the beginning of the holidays."