From the July 10, 1919 edition of the Vineyard Gazette:

The Summer of 1919 has got into “full swing” early. Hotels and boarding houses are doing good business, and many private families are entertaining relatives and friends from less favored regions of the earth. Martha’s Vineyard cares for many thousands of these during the heated season, and has room for many more.

Mr. Henry Fletcher Worth, a veteran “Son of the Sea,” born an Edgartonian, but who, during a long life, has made his abiding place in many lands, called on the Gazette yesterday, looking not so very much older than he did a score of years ago. The writer’s first recollection of Fletcher was when he sailed as boatsteerer in 1867 in the Linda Stewart, Capt. Fred’k A. Smith. He hunted up this week various shipmates of that voyage — Manuel Silva, Jr., Charles Donnelly and others. Fletcher has been for some years a member of Sailor’s Snug Harbor, Staten Island, N. Y.

J. C. Cottle, agent, has let for the heirs of Edmund B. Morse, house on North Water street, to F. M. Humphrey and family of New York city.

Sibley’s Garage and Rental Service, which also owns and operates the Red Star Line of Buses between Edgartown and Oak Bluffs, have established a comfortable and attractive waiting-station in the building near the Four Corners formerly occupied by E. R. Nichols. The Edgartown Water Co. will also have a desk in the same building. A new hard-pine floor has been laid, the interior thoroughly renovated and refurnished, and Mrs. Hanola Sylvia is in charge of ticket selling for the Red Star Line.

Repairs on the concrete roadway, Main street, in the block between the bank corner and Summer street, was begun this week. One-half the width of the street is being done at a time, thus enabling traffic to continue, although at somewhat of a disadvantage. Rather an unwise time to begin this concreting about town in the middle of the season, but doubtless no one will be seriously incommoded, and all should make the best of it.

The Fourth passed off without serious accident resulting from the noisy demonstrations of the night before. During the day, residents and summer visitors, in a variety of ways managed to pass the day pleasantly. Bathing, boating, fishing, motoring, all had their devotees, and picnics, garden parties, and the like were many. Hundreds went to Oak Bluffs to enjoy the occurrences that had been planned there, concluding with a grand display of fireworks in the evening.

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Great Britain’s super-dirigible R-34, the first lighter-than-air machine to cross the Atlantic ocean, anchored at Roosevelt flying field, Mineola, Long Island, at 9:45 a.m., Sunday, July 6, after an aerial voyage of 108 hours and 12 minutes, which covered 3130 knots or approximately 3500 land miles.

Haggard, unshaved and lines of care bitten deep into their faces, Major Scott, the commander, and his officers showed plainly the effects of the anxious hours through which they lived while they were cruising over the far reaches of Canada and the Bay of Fundy, beset by fog, heavy winds and terrific electrical storms, and the run down the New England coast to its destination on Long Island. From Scotland to America, it was a record-breaking trip.

The big ship was commanded by Maj. G. H. Scott, A. F. C., and he was assisted by five other officers and a crew of twenty-three men, and a stowaway, making 30 souls on board.

Brig.-Gen. E. M. Maitland, C. M. G., D. S. O., represented the British Air Ministry, and he kept the official log of the voyage.

People at different points on the island plainly saw and heard the giant ship of the air last Sunday morning as she was completing the last leg of her wonderful trip from the Old World to the New.

The New Bedford Standard of Monday evening said: “R-34 Passed Low Over West Tisbury Sunday,” and continued as follows:

Wellington A. Francis of this city, who was at West Tisbury, heard the sound of propeller very plainly, and some of the Vineyarders who were up saw the big ship of the air as it sailed very low over the island.

Mr. William G. Vincent, residing on the Plain, informs the Gazette that he had a fine view of the R-34 on Sunday morning from 5:15 to 5:30. She was when sighted well up in the northeast sky and was making in a westerly direction. Mr. Edmond Richard and other boatmen of Edgartown watched the big craft for some time.

The R-34 and her sister airship the R-33 are the world’s greatest dirigibles, being each 640 feet long with a beam of 79 feet. They were to be the flagships of a gigantic fleet of aircraft that would make a tremendous air raid on Berlin. For this purpose they were equipped with openings through which four 300-pound bombs and sixteen of 120 pounds could be dropped, while on the upper structure emplacements were built for batteries of eight guns.

With the end of the war the architects turned their attention to remodeling their craft for peaceful purposes.

Compiled by Hilary Wall
library@mvgazette.com