THE SEARCH FOR MISS EARHART

Press, Volume LXXIII, Issue 22141, 10 July 1937, Page 15

THE SEARCH FOR MISS EARHART

Aeroplanes Scout In Phoenix Grouo

HUSBAND STILL CONFIDENT NO TRACE OF FLYERS YET FOUND IrSTTED FKES3 ASSOCIATION —COPTBIGHTj (Received July 9, 10.30 p.m.) SAN FRANCISCO, July 8. Seaplanes from the Colorado scouted McKean Island, in the Phoenix Group, and the water between the northernmost tip of the Phoenix Group and McKean Island. The flyers were unable to find any trace of Miss Earhart.

The weather was ideal and visibility perfect. The battleship's searchlights are sweeping the sea. A local amateur radio operator reported that he heard an SOS signal, mentioning the words "East Howland . . . lights . . . to-night . . .

must hurry . . . can't hold." It is now disclosed by Mr Putnam that his wife did not carry a water condenser. She carried three gallons from Lae (New Guinea), and otherwise would depend on rain squalls. What the coastguard service considered to be the most interesting

amateur • radio report, although. doubting whether it is from Miss Earhart, was received by an operator at Conrad, Montana, who heard a man's voice saying, "All's Well," then later giving his position as longiture 173 degrees west, and latitude 5 degrees south. This position is about 50 miles south of Hull Island, in the Phcenix Group. A journalist listened in on another set and heard ostensibly the same voice, but it was indistinguishable. The position given intersects the spot where it is now believed that the flyers are down.

"Hope Not Given Up" Mi George Putnam's confidence in his wife's rescue has increased with the Colorado's search. "In spite of the fact that it was at first fruitless I have not in the least given up hope," he said. "The actual search has just started now that the Colorado's aeroplanes are on the job. My wife's aeroplane is on land if, as the experts believe, Saturday's and Sunday's carrier signals are authentic. The aeroplane will therefore be found as the search from the air broadens with the arrival of the Lexington, if not before." Coastguard headquarters stated that they were not convinced of the authenticity of any messages ostensibly from Miss Earhart after the last one received on Friday afternoon while the aeroplane was still in mid-air.

The Navy Department has corrected an announcement about the Lexington's aeroplanes. She has only 62 aboard. The National Geographic Society's scientists, who have just returned from the eclipse expedition to Canton Island, stated that the prevalence of food and water on most islands there had increased Miss Earhart's and Mr Noonan's chances of survival if they landed on one of them.

Miss Earhart Praised Mrs Noonan, wife of Miss Earhart's navigator, has received a package of pictures from Venezuela and a letter from Java from her husband. The letter praised Miss Earhart. "Amelia is a grand person for such a trip," the writer stated. "She is the only woman flyer with whom I would care to make such a trip, because, in addition to being a fine companion, she can take hardships as well as a man, and work like one."

Mrs Roosevelt, in a statement, said: "I am told by people who have flown a lot that well-balanced persons like Amelia and Mr Noonan have a better chance of holding out under a long strain than amateurs. Amelia has poise and courage. She is a grand person. I do not think she would give up before the last ditch."

Miss Louise Thaden, who was awarded the Bendix Trophy last year for a flight across the American continent, expressed the belief that Miss Earhart is dead. She and Miss Earhart were closely associated in the past.

STRICT WATCH KEPT BY MARIPOSA

(TBESS kSSOCUTIOK TtLXQEAM.) AUCKLAND, July 9. Radio operators on board the Matson liner Mariposa, which arrived at Auckland to-day, kept a constant watch for signals from Miss Earhart's monoplane, but beyond a faint message transmitted in a woman's voice over the radio telephone, nothing was heerd. Captain Meyer, master of the Mariposa, said his radio room was in close communication with the United States coastguard cutter Itasca, from the time it set out from Honolulu otv Monday oiv the search for the missing flyers.

Always in the hope that the Mariposa could give assistance, strict visual and radio watches were kept.

FAILURE TO KEEP IN TOUCH

NECESSARY EQUIPMENT NOT CARRIED COMMENT ON STATEMENT IN ITASCA'S LOG (Received July 9, 8 p.m.) NEW YORK, July 8. Radio engineers, commenting on the statement in the Itasca's log that Miss Earhart had failed to adjust her transmitting equipment to the frequency attuned to the ship's direction finder, said Miss Earhart's aeroplane lacked one instrument which was most desperately needed by her for*an emergency. In spite of other elaborate electrical instruments which the aeroplane boasted she was not equippea for communication with the Itasca on the standard steamship frequency of 500 kilocycles. That was the only transmitting wave-length assigned to her on which it would have been possible for the Itasca's directionfinder to take a bearing. Miss Earhart had wireless telephonic equipment, which was subject to difficulty over long distances, and was not dependable as to clarity. She was unable to take her. own bearings over this equipment. Miss Earhart had explained that she decided to dispense with the transmitting wave-length universally used by ships at sea because she and Mr Noonan were not competent to send or receive messages in the radio code which alone is used on the 500kilocycle band.