MRS. PUTNAM MISSING

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 143, 5 July 1937, Page 6

MRS. PUTNAM MISSING

-Pres» Assn

Rescuers Make Little Headway jn Search MAY BE ON ISLAND

(By Telagraph-

UopvrightJ

HONOLULU, July S. j . 33ie San Francisco coastguard station; ha* advised that the cutter Itasca was> xrtariing out on & search for Mrs. Amelia Earh&rt Putnam. The aviatrix sent a jwdio from her plane at T. 42 a.m. yesjterday, Howland Island time, that she pad fuel for half an hour's flying left fan.d. could not make landf all. A message from the coastguard cutter Itasca, which is searching for Mrs. EarEart Putnam, states that it is believed th&t the airwoman missed Howland Island owing to sun giare. The coastgaaxd officiah fihink that she has flown noxth-vrest and might be found within 100 miles from her destination. > Mrs. Putnam took off from Lae, New iGuinea, on Friday, expecting to reach iHcmdand Island at 4 a.m. the f ollowing ei j. However, radio signals piched up om the plane indicated that the petrol wnpply wa* nearly exhausted when wbout half an hour's journey from Howland Island. It was thought that without its load •f petrol her machine would indefinitely float except in extremely rough weather. Mrs. Putnam earried emergency rations aufficient for several days. It was reported from San Francisco aarly to-day that Mrs. Putnam had been irescued by a British vessel, but this report was later announced to be without foundhtion. . Among the vessels. searching is the (Kew Zealand cruiser Aehilles, which piched up the irst SOS from the plane. (The* Itasca also identified weak early toorning signals as coniing from Mrs. jPutnam's plane but they were so weak Hhat the operator was nnable .to deterknine their location. This report is also teonfirmed by a radio amateur who heard tMrs. Putnam ealling SOS. Th#*Navy Department at Washington jfaas received a request from Mr. Putnam jfor aaval aircraft and vessels from (Honolulu to carry out a search for his hvife. ; A radio amateur at San Francisco refported that he picked up f aint signals •on Mrs. Putnam 's frequency. The imjpulses sputtered as if a hand generator Jwas being nsed and the set had water dait. ^ She is believed to be floating midway ibetween Honolulu and New Zealand. !The search is a most difficult oue since the tiny plane could only be seen from a very short distance in daylight and not at all in darkness. The Itasca sent np smoke signals before darkness and then utilised flares. Lookouts are posted at every vantage ' polnt watching out for an answering fiare from the plane. Ths last signal received from the plane indicated that Mrs. Putnam 's position was 300 or 400 miles off the eoast oi Howland Island. All ships and stations have been infctructed to listen on 3105 kilocycles for any signals from the plane. The Navy has ordered the aircraftcturier Lexington to prepare to join the earch. The ship left Santa Barbara at 0 p.m. Pacific standard time and proceeded «under forced draft for San Diego. If the Lexington participates it will take six or seven days to Teach Howland Island. Then it would release its seaplanes for a systematic search. The warship Colorado, carrying three seaplanes, is rushing from Honolulu toward Howland Island. An Oakland message says that Mr. Putnam xequested the local radio station to broadcast hourly requests to Mrs. Putnam to signal by xadio whether she is on land or afloat and whether sfie is north or south of the equator. Au open telephone line between Hyde Park and Washington kept President lioosevelt informed of the' developments ia the search for Mrs. Putnam. The President said the Navy was doing everything in its power to locate the fiiers. At Los Angeles Buth Elder who was forced down in the sea in 1927, said: "1 i'cel in my heart Mrs. Putnam will be rescued. I know exactly how she feels floating around the Pacific with the sun bcating down on her as .'ihe prays for a passing ship." A further New York message states that later the voice of Noonan, tho navigator with Mrs. Putnam, was also heard. Apparently he and Mrs. Putnam are alternating. Thc two fiiers are well provided with rations. They have sufficient condensed food, malted milk tablets and chocolate to last several weeks. Also aboard is n rebreather cutfit which manufacturcs .drinking water by condensing the hnman brcath, a two-man rubber raft, •fiares of bright orange and a kite they could send aloft to attract attention. A snow and sleet storm almost unprejeedented in the south Pacific turned {back the Navy rescue 'plane and eaused 'Consternation to officials, who said it jgreatly xeduced the chances of a rescue. {The Pearl Harbour base intjnds to send janother !x»lane when the weather clears.