SEARCH FOR LOST FLYERS

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LXIV, Issue 19379, 17 July 1937, Page 5

SEARCH FOR LOST FLYERS

SUCCESS PREDICTED GIRL PSYCHIC CONFIDENT HONOLULU, July 16. The planes of the United States naval carrier Lexington returned yesterday to the vessel after 3| hours of battling with rain squalls in the search for the lost flyers, Mrs. Amelia Earhnrt Putnam and Captain F. J. Noonan. The search is being continued to-day.

A message from Seattle says that a woman psychic, Gene Dennis, a girlhood neighbour of Mrs. Putnam, said that the flyers were alive on a South Sea Island and would be rescued possibly at the week-end by a fishing boat. She added that Mr. Putnam had appealed for her assistance and had sent a pair of Mrs. Putnam's stockings, and one of Captain Noonan’s handkerchiefs to aid her investigations. Miss Dennis is noted for the accuracy of her predictions, which included political events. She forecast the winner of the Derby in 1934.

Mr. Putnam has not surrendered hope and is maintaining a vigil at the radio. He said: “Amelia will come through.” A Washington message states that Mr. Cordell Hull, the United States Secretary of State, sent a message to the Japanese and New Zealand Governments expressing appreciation of their sympathy and offers of assistance in the search for the missing flyers.

ANSWER TO FLARES FLASH SIGNAL • REPORTED PRIVATE RADIO CONTACT (Por Press Association.) AUCKLAND, last night. A report that the aeroplane used by the missing flyers, Mrs. Amelia Earhart Putnam and Captain F. J. Noonan, had been sighted by one of the seaplanes operating from the United tSates aricraft carrier Lexington was contained in a private radio message received in Auckland tonight. The Lexington has been making a final search in the vicinity of Howland Island, using 42 seaplanes. Owing to the great distance from which the message was picked up the information received was patchy find had to be pieced together, but the impression gained was that as the last despairing effort the seaplanes were sent out “last night” over what was considered to be the most likely area and flares were fired, and that one of them received an answering flash. The position was immediately communicated to the mother ship. It was not possible, it is stated, to determine how far the seaplane was from the Lexington at the time. This possible indication of the presence of the lost flyers was received, but as the seaplanes have a very large cruising range it is possible that it may be some time before the ship can reach the position from which the answering flash was given. It might also happen that the seaplanes which remained in the vicinity would have to await daylight to ascertain if both the flyers were still alive and uninjured. Some time after the first indication of the success of the search was picked up, a further radio message which seemed to point to its authenticity was intercepted. ‘ The Lexington’s searchlights were turned on all night in the hope that the missing flyers would see them and send out a signal. Forty planes, the coastguard cutter Itasca, and the minesweeper Swan continued the search.

DOUBTS OF REPORT AMERICAN NAVY (Reed. July 17, noon.) NEW YORK, July IG. The United States Navy Department has no information concerning Mrs. Amelia Earhart Putnam or Captain F. J. Noonan. It does not believe the rumour picked up at Auckland, New Zealand, that the missing plane had been sighted by one of the Lexington’s machines.