WALTON, Claude

Walton, Claude ( - )

In the News~

May 26, 1926 [TI/Avalon]: “Captain Claude Walton had a thrilling experience the other day while crossing the channel in the glass-bottom boat Cleopatra. Up in the pilot house of the vessel he was alone on the boat, and was humming a tune. The sea was calm and the engine was 'rambling along like a million dollars.' Presently Captain Walton heard a noise on the lower deck on the vessel. Was it ghosts? Leaving the wheel house the genial captain investigated. Imagine his surprise when a cat and three kittens came toddling along the deck toward him. The cat had climbed on board while the vessel was at the Wilmington Transportation Company's dock at Wilmington. Captain Walton brought the family to Avalon.”

April 8, 1931 [TI/Avalon]] “The Phoenix, new glass-bottom boat built to replace the Emperor, wrecked here during a heavy north-easter last winter, was successfully launched from the ways of the Wilmington Boat Works on Wednesday forenoon of last week. The following are excerpts from an article concerning the launching as reported by the Harbor Press of that city:

Shouts of warning, pounding of hammers on wood, splintering of glass and spontaneous hurrahs, followed by applause, and the Phoenix, $100,000 glass-bottom boat... slid down the ways on her first trip to the sea this morning. Little golden-haired Claudia Walton, daughter of Capt. Walton of the Phoenix, stood at the bow waiting for the signal, while workmen removed block after block under the vessel. Then at a signal she raised her arm and cracked the bottle to christen the Phoenix as she slowly began to slide down into the waters of the East Basin. Waiting for the Phoenix in the water was the Wrigley tug, David P. Fleming, to see that she did not go too far out into the bay. She was hated and towed to the landing, where workmen will finish her interior.... Her glass plates in the bottom, through which tourists will view the bottom of the sea off Catalina, are one inch thick... She is expected to be in service by this time next month, joining the fleet of three glass-bottom boats now operating in the island waters... Present this morning at the launching were D. P. Fleming, secretary of the Wilmington Transportation Company; Captain Morris of the steamer Catalina; M. S Patrick, manager of the pleasure boats for the Wrigley subsidiary, Captain Claude Walton of the Phoenix, family and invited guests.”

December 22, 1938 [TI/Avalon]: “Miss Claudia Walton, who is taking a music course at the University of Southern California, is spending the holiday vacation here with her parents, Captain and Mrs. Claude Walton.”