SEARCH FOR MISS EARHART

Press, Volume LXXIII, Issue 22137, 6 July 1937, Page 9

SEARCH FOR MISS EARHART

Aeroplane Still Not Located

FAINT SIGNALS HEARD

BELIEVED TO BE SOUTH

OF HOWLAND ISLAND

(UNITED PKESi .\S»UCIATIO* —CUI'YIUGIIT.) (Received July 5, 11.55 p.m.) SAN FRANCISCO, July 5. Although the intensity of the search for Miss Amelia Earhart, who reported that she was forced down near Howland Island, has been increased, her whereabouts has not yet been determined. Messages received by amateur radio experimenters in San Francisco gave her position as longitude 179 degrees, latitude 1.6 degrees, which would place her aeroplane about 120 miles due west of Howland Island, and just north of the equator. A search, however, by the United States coastguard cutter Itasca, was carried out over a radius of 120 miles north-west and northeast of Howland Island, but no sign of Miss Earhart's machine had been found. . The Itasca reported late last night that visibility and sea conditions •were excellent. Three powerful radio stations at Honolulu report that they have been receiving faint signals, believed almost certainly to be from Miss Earhart, in response to a continuous broadcast by station KGMB. Pan-American Airways report that their direction-finder picked up calls at Mokapu Point (Hawaii), which ■were estimated to have their origin south from Howland Island. The station was unable to place the location of the calls exactly, because of the weakness of the signals. The Itasca, which was cruising north-west of Howland Island, changed its course after receiving a notification of the Pan-American Airways' calculations, which said the direction of the signals was "doubtful, bearing 213 degrees." This would place Miss Earhart roughly upon a line from Mokapu Point southward, running slightly to the east of Howland Island.

.' ...,., Snowstorm Near Equator . i-fpie United States Navy aircraft- ' Carrier Lexington, with four destroyers, has left San Diego to join in the search for Miss Earhart. The vessel will continue to Howland Island, a trip requiring six days.

Mr Putnam has announced that a radio amateur in Wyoming heard a message on 16,000 kilocycles, which is believed to be from Miss Earhart, stating that she is on a reef south of the equator. Bad interference prevented the reception of her extort position.

Captain T. Harvey, commander of the United States Navy seaplane which was forced to turn back from the search for Miss Earhart after battling with a weird tropical storm lor two hours, 400 miles east of Howland Island, said: "There is little hope that Miss Earhart and Mr Noonan would have survived if they were forced down under the conditions which I and my crew of seven encountered. I have been flying for 51 years, but I have never faced such adverse weather. It was most amazing. We were near the equator, get the snow and sleet were terrific. we were forced off our course 250 ihiles in the attempt to get to Howland Island. The controls froze and once we feared we would be forced down."