 The Cavalcade of America A little 10-year-old boy named Tom wrote this letter not long ago to Dupont the sponsors of the Cavalcade of America I like your program. I think we should all realize even though we're very small We have a big chance in this big world Even though I'm only 10 years old. I take a great interest in your program If it hadn't been for Dupont many of the inventions wouldn't have been I hope you will have many new adventures in the Cavalcade of America Well Tom, I hope you're listening this evening We have two adventurous stories that I think you'll like and thanks for your very nice kind letter Boys like you and girls too make the Dupont research chemists glad that they are able to be of service By creating better things for better living through chemistry The Dupont Cavalcade Orchestra sets our stage for a tale of the seas with especially a range group of well-known sea salt So many of the finest traits of American character For the skill and courage, the gallantry and perseverance, the audacity and bravery that have contributed in such rich measure to the nation's development Let us turn back to the year 1851 a Single word has sped with a mighty roar around the world gold Swifter ships are needed to carry food and supplies to the clamoring horde in California and New England genius is called upon to build them We find Donald McKay one of the greatest of all shipbuilders with his friend the fourth Henry Wadsworth Longfellow in McKay's East Boston shipyard Where a great new ship is being fitted out the flying cloud So the flying cloud is ready for the sea Donald ready and eager to be gone no more so than our new owners Mr. Longfellow sold already this beautiful graceful thing eyes She sold a flying cloud was bought this morning by measures Grinnell meant for the company of New York for the California trade It did no take them 15 minutes to make up their minds when state senior and that doesn't surprise me greatly Donald If I know anything of ships, ah, but you're a poet and do you think this ship is not a poem? Look up there Donald at your work those masks and spars that intricacy of lines and rigging so strong and yet so light I doubt if I shall ever write a finer poem hearted at business with a different mr. Longfellow They want results and I have guaranteed that she will reach France San Francisco in a hundred days 100 days if they let me choose the captain and will they they have You see that man yonder standing by the afterlather. Yes Captain Josiah Chrissy as fine a shipmaster is ever for the quarter deck. Oh Captain Chrissy My friend mr. Longfellow wants to shake hand with your capital I do sir I envy you greatly Captain Chrissy for a glorious experience to command this noble ship But aren't you a little nervous about what sir making San Francisco in a hundred days? Why it's it's unheard of well not one mr. McKay says it can be done Mrs. Chrissy sales with me sir and between us if we don't put the flying cloud in San Francisco within a hundred days Well, sir, we'll give up the sea and start to plant potatoes somewhere in land In the private offices of the owners of the flying cloud messors Grinnell and Mintern on South Street, New York City Samuel Grinnell looks up from his desk. Oh sit down, man Take things easy. I tell you I'm worried that even betting that flying cloud won't reach San Francisco Yes, and Chrissy's had the devil's own time getting a crew together Nobody thinks you'll ever weather the horn. Okay, Grinnell. We don't know too much about Chrissy It's just possible that he's betting against himself in us. Yes Well, I'd trust anyone Donald McKay recommended. You can ask Chrissy yourself I just saw him through the window crossing from the ship Show him in Morning gentlemen. Good morning. We're all in readiness ships loaded in the last of the crew signed on captain Chrissy What's your honest opinion? Can she make it? Mr. Menton, I won't fool you. No man can tell for sure But I do know this. She's the sweetest thing I ever handled and if hard driving will get her there You can count on Josiah Chrissy to do his best Paths and the hook sails the flying cloud a Royals and Skysles set and the crew rigging out her stuntful Offshore the breeze freshens now to a half gale then to a gale, but our captain keeps everything on her Three days out on the quarter deck. This is pretty it with her husband There's hard score coming Josiah. I see it, but he he's the helm Well, what's wrong man a win-taken judge not a man after at the wheel is to buy off another man at the wheel I listen to her Bessie Jade knows where she's going. She's like a wild young horse. I am a handsome one You hear that Bessie? Hi long as she creaks your holes Daddy What is it mr. Barrow captain crazy and we better make ready to shorten sail not yet, mr. Barrow Yeah, but look a lot sir something will snap Houndsmen bring it closer to the wind She'll never stand it captain. We'll let the ship tell us that herself mr. Barrow I've furrowed courses in the lesser blow sir And the glass is falling other fall mr. Barrow captain crazy said the men won't stand it They're too young and green mr. Barrow. I'm master of this ship And I'm keeping a range of canvas on it. It'll have blows away. I won't ease up while there's an ancient canvas taken to a yard Across the equator into the roaring 40s captain Creasy drives his ship with a bone in her teeth and the wind screaming through her shrouds He loses sail spring spars that's up new rigging but always he fights for the last mile He can get out of each day of flow, but as they near the horn in the middle of the southern winter Oh, look here lads. It's now or never do we stand up for our rights? I don't wait We butter forever hope see dry land again. I have the old man keeps up his crazy driving. We're done for I've been round Cape Stephen midwinter, and I know he's mad. That's what he is The old woman ain't much better willing to kill us to clip a few days off the wrong. All right, then we stick together Here's mr. Barrow. He's with us What's this mean man? We got a complaint to make mr. Barrow we don't hold with the way this ship's being run I can't help you none. I'm in the same position as yourself the bayon orders. Look here We're through a bayon orders that are as good as suicide. We're gonna see the cat We'll go out with you What this mr. Barrow aren't these men on duty it's this way Resentful of what the way this ship's being driven, sir Mr. Barrow I wasn't I informed of this before well, I didn't know there's no mutiny captain Or we ask is reasonable sale and reasonable sale it You'll say this ship my way or not at all We're gonna make the Golden Gate in a hundred days if I have to put you on all nine to do it Can't for none of this Bestie, I'm here to have the boat and call the after guard How many of you are mixed up in this there's not a man aboard to my question this watch or mainly See who's sailing this ship? That's easy after guard here Both and take these men out fall out the other watch. I'll attend to them later Mr. Barrow at the moment yes, sir I have an impression you were in sympathy with the men well, sir You've taken brutal chances. That's all I want to hear The Barrow you may consider yourself as supercargo from now on Mrs. Creasy will act is made of the flying clouds Round Cape Horn and winter blizzard and the long drive north through the Pacific begins Day after day Creasy and his wife drive their ship on replacing gear fishing yards bending new sails Finally she drops anchor inside the Golden Gate the gig is Lord and Creasy is rode ashore on the waterfront a crowd begins to gather To San Francisco in less than 90 days a record that was never equal under anything like Conditions encountered by the flying cloud To China across the Atlantic the American Clippers race showing their heels to all the sailor float Giving the sea the most gloriously picturesque period it had ever known The Clippers swiftly vanished, but the breed of men who sail them remain to bring glory to America in later days By DuPont moves on it is January 1926 Raging gales are sweeping the north Atlantic midway between Europe and America a small British freighter wallows in the hurricane driven seas Her steering gear gone her decks awash water rising in her forward holes and engine room on the bridge Quartermaster clings to a powerless wheel are beside him stands captain Getting worse I say now life's gone out of it completely just like a log Yes, I know I wonder where mr. Graham is lucky if he ain't washed overboard the winds blowing 80 miles or more captain There's mr. Graham now, sir. I'll slide back the door sir Our things below mr. Graham they look pretty bad sir in what way the key for admitted But he's given up hope of ever fixing the steering gear. You got his engine turning over. Yes, but not for long sir water is making in the aspect What else another life board with clean out of the deficit both for that hatches from on the glass still dropping Mr. Graham, I don't want to call for help Is there no hope for ever? I believe not captain on the 25 men aboard and our wireless way That was your right mr. Graham Well, send this SOS British Peter and you know position unknown 46.1 150 miles to the westward the United States liner president Roosevelt Captain George freed commanding is bound east for York with mail and passengers aboard It's 5 a.m. On Sunday morning. There is a knock on the door of the captain's cabin Yes, who is it? Come in What message sir an SOS watch ship pretty sweater and I know and what's the position mr. Smith 46.1 north 39.8 West noon yesterday present rated drift to ease to not I could just pick up a radio, sir Anything else captain of the aquitania has been calling sir wants to know our position Where is the aquitania south southwest of here about a hundred miles there course north east a quarter east speed 14 knots We're much closer sir call the aquitania and tell her the Roosevelt is proceeding to the antenna Let the freighter know we're on our way An hour's later on the antennae captain toes and his first officer are inside the battered bridge Staring out into the swirling pile of snow Let's hope this mr. Graham Then they'll find us in this snow. Don't say that sir. We know the Roosevelt getting closer And she might come full-on us in this American never knew it this quality master It's clear now that it was that's more comfortable green It'll be dark before we know it our lights are gone. The wireless won't hold another hour Have we a thing on board a single reason? I have a pocket flashlights. That's all Captain sir, we just had a steamy swiss lights where we did sir in what direction here We couldn't tell sir. We we heard it twice paint like through this storm might have been anything captain don't place much Well, I'll tell you we heard it mr. Graham. Oh, look. Look. There she is. Well a disturb it sir I I can't see her now. He's right captain. He's right. She's almost dead ahead sir less than half a mile away You'll see her when we lift again On the Roosevelt's bridge a short January day has drawn to its clothes Fireman, sir. Yes, sir. Keep that searchlight moving Here is where you miss a Miller. Yes, sir signal the engine room engine fly ahead engine fly ahead Searchlights worse and useless mr. Miller in this snow We've lost her again. Keep them moving They may help give those poor devils on the end of no more hope What do you think happened to her mr. Miller? Simply vanished captain. You think she may have found it possible? But that week swelling in her hole and if she is a float our chance of ramming is excellent We must take that chance sir. We cannot abandon keep a sharp look out from all parts of the ship We'll maintain steerage way and try to work out her drift 17 hours later and the Roosevelt's first-class smoke room a handful of passengers cling to lash furniture I wish someone would do something about that but I did get your nerves in time and got mine 12 hours ago Well, I can't understand why free persistent crying after a there was a derelict when we found a yosete It's an absolute impossibility that she can still be a float. It's the worst storm I've seen in all the times I've ever crawled yes, and if we did cider what then a lightboat couldn't last a second in those days Not a second. Oh, I'm for bravery where it can do some good There's a second officer mr. Eriksen. I'm sorry gentlemen. There's nothing new How long is this going to continue off? That should we find her or the captain quits the search I'd say, but how could you get those 25 man off the Antonol? I couldn't say sir every man on board the Roosevelt has volunteered to make a try See what's happened to the whistle. Oh, yeah, stop. Look something's doing out on deck I Jiminy pound it I'm going to launch a lifeboat. Come on man. Let's go on board the freighter Antono 25 half frozen despairing men huddled in the shelter of the after-deck house Staring with salt encrusted eyes at the nearby liner for two days now They have watched the score of attempts to rescue them free lifeboat smash two men drown Line snapped gear ripped asunder on the heaving waves Now another boat is being lowered from the liner the 25 aboard the freighter have long since abandoned hope There's not one chance in 10 million that boat of founders the other zeb Look at that one more wave like that. She's a goner. She must have taken more of that time mr. Grimm Yes, but look at those men roll There are sailors in that boat captain lie me. What are they doing now? Then I turn him back. No, sir I became what he can and clear our bow. I might look at that She's going like a runaway express plane, but wait when he tries to come around That'll be the finish grim look at the man. I'm almost beginning to believe they can make it Good god help them give up the string Sailors You want to stand by there not yet you there by the corner of the deck house She is coming out shipping water as fast as they can fail First lifeboat reaches the liner side and safety in the darkness hours later a second is launched It makes the freighter turn the minute fast a small white spot is seen in the path of the liner search light It fights the long climb of a wave stays poised an awful incident on his crest and then plunges down Down down as the passengers on the road about what? Now now it's all right dear that they're going to make it No, it's all right with we're not in the way here dear Look there it is No, they've got their boat hooks ready to send it off see see they're lowering the sleep Can you see dear they're putting them in the net? I can see It's wonderful Mr. Miller reports all clear captain the last of the antinodes crew on board and safely in the sick room. Thank you mr. Erickson Mr. Smith. Yes, sir. You're good enough to notify the owners say the rescue has been affected the antinodes abandoned and the Roosevelt resuming voyage Today is when the New England fishermen first built their barks and sailed north to the Newfoundland banks down to the present age of steel and speed The character of the men who manned the ships has been the same courageous and skillful gallant and persevering audacious and brave heroes of the sea a cavalcade of America salute you American persistence in the face of difficulties the willingness to tackle hard jobs and to carry them through to a successful ending Has always been an outstanding national trait This spirit exists on land and sea on farms in cities and among other places in chemical laboratories Nothing illustrates the enterprise of chemists better than the story of cotton that useful crop of our great southern states I'm reminded of a motor trip. I once took through a section of the south of cotton picking time There's your wife's dress for next summer. I said to my traveling companion pointing at some acres of white fluff Well, maybe so he said and maybe it's part of your next year's automobile Then he told me the doko the durable glossy finish of so many fine cars is based on cellulose obtained from cotton Cellulose is the fiber forming the structure of most plants and there seems to be no limit to the magic chemists perform with it As far as automobiles are concerned every time you look through a windshield or window of safety glass You're looking through cotton because safety glass really is a sandwich of transparent cellulose plastic between two sheets of glass Fireland is DuPont's name for one of these plastics And it's also used for making an almost endless number of other things from toilet articles to scupless heels for women's shoes from jewel cases to toothbrush handles and Curiously enough every year millions of yards of luxurious rayon are produced from cotton cellulose This gives you some idea about the importance of cotton to you and the importance of chemistry to cotton as Someone truly said the future of the South lies in chemistry These products are visible illustrations of the way DuPont chemical research creates better things for better living through chemistry Next week at the same time you will hear the stories and melodies of songs that inspired the nation when DuPont again presents the Cablecade of America WABC, New York