STILL VAIN.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVIII, Issue 160, 8 July 1937, Page 7

STILL VAIN.

SEARCH FOR FLYERS.

New Directional Bearings

Obtained.

MESSAGES STILL HEARD

United Press Association.—Copyright

(Received 11 a.m.) HONOLULU, July 7. No success has yet attended the search in the Pacific for Mrs. Putnam and Mr. F. J. Noonan, who were forced down on Friday when on the New Guinea-Howland Island stage of their flight round the world. The coastguard cutter, Itasca, reported that new directional bearings obtained of the flyers' jwssible position indicate that Mrs. Putnam flashed S.O.S. calls from a line running south-south-east or north-north-west of Howland Island. This line coincides with the last position broadcast from the 'plane before its descent. Search of the area north of Howland having been exhausted, it is believed the interpretation of the above bearings justifies search considerably south of Howland. The Itasca is proceeding to a rendezvous 100 miles from Howland with the battleship Colorado /or refuelling before continuing with the latter to Phoenix, where she is expected to arrive at noon on Thursday. An earlier message from the captain of the Itasca stated that he had received instructions to proceed to the southern islands in the Phoenix (iroup. He signalled the fact to the British freighter Moorby, and the latter abandoned the search and resumed her course. Further Carrier Signals. A Los Angeles message says it is reported from Hawaii that an amateur radio station is hearing carrier signals on Mrs. Putnam's frequency again today, although it is not positive they are from her. Five other stations reported hearing carrier signals, two in Honolulu, two in Los Angeles and one in Whittier (Cal.). They said they sounded as though I>owered by a motor generator instead of direct current. The Lockheed Company wirelessed to the Itasca saying it would be impossible for Mrs. Putnam to send wireless messages if the aeroplane was on the water, but Mr. Putnam said there was a strong possibility that Mr. Noonan might have changed the equipment, making the sending of messages from the water possible. A message received by the naval authorities from the British Broadcasting Corporation suggested that the position of 281 miles given in the message supposed to have been sent by Mrs. Putnam might have meant instead '"2 degrees 8 seconds." That position would be less than 100 miles from Howland Island. The figure "1"' was considered to be an error in transmission. President Roosevelt has ordered searching vessels to cover as wide an areas as possible.

MESSAGE TO FLYERS.

HONOLULU BROADCAST.

While working his transmission station at Devonport this afternoon, Mr. E. G. Whitson picked up messages being broadcast to the lost flyers from station KGMB, Honolulu. At 12.7 p.m. the cutter Itasca announced that she had met the warship engaged in the search. Three 'planes had been sent up. Later the following message was broadcast: —

■'Calling the Karhart 'plane. Be of good cheer; help is coining. If you can hear this and are able to reply, switch your carrier to 2105 kilocycles. If not, keep tuned to the Itasca's wave length. We will repeat the message in 30 minutes. Help is near.' .