And how do you think Gallagher missed all those bottles and jars Tighar found, Chris? The Seven Site only covers about 1000 square meters. The fire features where some of the glass items were found were perhaps 15 meters from the Ren tree. Gallgher made a careful search looking for keys, rings, and coins...
EPAC's Dan Postellon had this to say on March 5, 2011 (cited with permission):
"One man's evidence is another man's garbage. Before television, C.S.I., and DNA, I can see Gallagher focusing on bones, looking for coins or rings, and ignoring debris."
Realize that intact bottles and jars were not found. Pieces of glass from bottles and from a single jar were found. Many of the pieces could fit in the palm of your hand. The entire 2-8-s-2a could nearly fit in the palm of your hand.
Here's what I said on March 5, 2011:
"Could it be, perhaps, that when you have a skull and other bones staring up at you that glass shards and metal scraps look a lot less interesting?"
Gallagher himself thought there was more work to do at the site where the bones were found, as evidenced from this Dec. 27, 1940 telegram:
"...A similar search for rings, coins, keys or other articles not so easily destroyed has also been unsuccessful,
but it is possible that something may come to hand (emphasis added) during the course of the next few months when the area in question will be again thoroughly examined during the course of planting operations, which will involve a certain amount of digging in the vicinity. If this should prove to be the case, I will inform you of the fact by telegraph." Gallagher died 9 months later on Sept. 27, 1941.
The context of what is known of Gallagher's day-to-day activities seems to be lost in discussions of the search he made for castaway remains and "rings, coins and keys." Gallagher was responsible for maintaining order, discipline, and continuity of work on Nikumaroro. His primary purpose was not to search for castaway's personal effects. In my opinion, any efforts he expended on the search need to be placed in the context of the
many duties he had to perform. Gallagher was a hard worker. He wrote on February 1, 1941, "Self not feeling too strong - not inclined to eat these days and always tired. Work has been much lighter lately and I have been taking it easier - apparently this is 'bad medicine.'"
Eric Bevington, in describing the efforts Gallagher made to build the Nikumaroro colony, called him "the most Christ-like man I've ever known."
Joe Cerniglia
TIGHAR #3078 ECR