TIGHAR

Amelia Earhart Search Forum => News, Views, Books, Archival Data & Interviews on AE => Topic started by: Rich Ramsey on September 12, 2011, 12:45:59 PM

Title: Two Ebay Items - contemporaneous search memorabilia
Post by: Rich Ramsey on September 12, 2011, 12:45:59 PM
I know Ebay is the last place anyone would look for research items but I came across this posting and wasn't sure if it would be helpful to anyone here.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/1937-newspaper-AMELIA-EARHART-airplane-LOST-ovr-PACIFIC-/370531898278?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item56456c13a6

I then came across this item and found it to be interesting as it looks like she is inside the Electra with the extra Gas can's and what seems to be a Radio of some kind behind the cabin.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/1937-Amelia-Earhart-seated-airplane-PHOTO-/260579688696?pt=Art_Photo_Images&hash=item3cabc280f8

Just found them interesting and wasn't sure if they would be helpful. The point on the paper I like is that they are complaining about weather holding up the search and then going on to say they want to search the Island Groups. I wonder if this "weather" was what did in the Electra so the flyover didn't see it.

I'll go crawl back in my hole now.
Title: Re: Two Ebay Items - contemporaneous search memorabilia
Post by: Martin X. Moleski, SJ on September 12, 2011, 02:17:23 PM
I know Ebay is the last place anyone would look for research items but I came across this posting and wasn't sure if it would be helpful to anyone here.

Baltimore News Post, Friday 9 July 1937 (http://www.ebay.com/itm/1937-newspaper-AMELIA-EARHART-airplane-LOST-ovr-PACIFIC-/370531898278?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item56456c13a6)

I then came across this item and found it to be interesting as it looks like she is inside the Electra with the extra Gas can's and what seems to be a Radio of some kind behind the cabin.

Photo of Earhart in crawl space above gas tanks (http://www.ebay.com/itm/1937-Amelia-Earhart-seated-airplane-PHOTO-/260579688696?pt=Art_Photo_Images&hash=item3cabc280f8)

Just found them interesting and wasn't sure if they would be helpful. The point on the paper I like is that they are complaining about weather holding up the search and then going on to say they want to search the Island Groups. I wonder if this "weather" was what did in the Electra so the flyover didn't see it.


I don't remember seeing the weather reports previously.  Ric and several other EPAC members have done more research on the weather and tides in the week after 2 July.  Very interesting.
Title: Re: Two Ebay Items - contemporaneous search memorabilia
Post by: richie conroy on September 12, 2011, 02:52:12 PM
http://www.ebay.com/itm/AMELIA-EARHART-Disappearance-Radio-Log-USCGC-ITASCA-/150660219241?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item23140c8169#ht_500wt_1202 (http://www.ebay.com/itm/AMELIA-EARHART-Disappearance-Radio-Log-USCGC-ITASCA-/150660219241?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item23140c8169#ht_500wt_1202)

just come across this and wondered if it's the same log as TIGHAR has scrutinized (if that's how u spell it lol)
Title: Re: Two Ebay Items - contemporaneous search memorabilia
Post by: Martin X. Moleski, SJ on September 12, 2011, 04:15:45 PM
http://www.ebay.com/itm/AMELIA-EARHART-Disappearance-Radio-Log-USCGC-ITASCA-/150660219241?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item23140c8169#ht_500wt_1202 (http://www.ebay.com/itm/AMELIA-EARHART-Disappearance-Radio-Log-USCGC-ITASCA-/150660219241?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item23140c8169#ht_500wt_1202)

just come across this and wondered if it's the same log as TIGHAR has scrutinized (if that's how u spell it lol)

Yes, it's the same one.

Explanation of the two logs. (http://tighar.org/Projects/Earhart/Archives/Research/Bulletins/37_ItascaLogs/background.html)
Title: Re: Two Ebay Items - contemporaneous search memorabilia
Post by: Ric Gillespie on September 12, 2011, 05:48:52 PM
I know Ebay is the last place anyone would look for research items but I came across this posting and wasn't sure if it would be helpful to anyone here.

We've found some important material on Ebay.

I then came across this item and found it to be interesting as it looks like she is inside the Electra with the extra Gas can's and what seems to be a Radio of some kind behind the cabin.

We're very familiar with that photo.  It was taken in October 1936 and shows a radio receiver that was just installed but was later removed.


The point on the paper I like is that they are complaining about weather holding up the search and then going on to say they want to search the Island Groups. I wonder if this "weather" was what did in the Electra so the flyover didn't see it.

The newspaper story is kind of weird. Storms did not delay the search.
Title: Re: Two Ebay Items - contemporaneous search memorabilia
Post by: Mark Petersen on September 12, 2011, 06:09:40 PM
Perhaps the newspaper article is referring to the PBYs that took off from Pearl with the intent of flying to Howland, where they would refuel using Earhart's fuel cache.  If I recall, the flight had to turn back because of bad weather. 

Edit -
Make that PBY as only one plane attempted the flight:
http://tighar.org/wiki/PBY_flight_from_Pearl_Harbor

Title: Re: Two Ebay Items - contemporaneous search memorabilia
Post by: Ric Gillespie on September 13, 2011, 06:25:40 AM
Perhaps the newspaper article is referring to the PBYs that took off from Pearl with the intent of flying to Howland and refuel using Earhart's fuel cache.  If I recall, the flight had to turn back because of bad weather. 

Edit -
Make that PBY as only one plane attempted the flight:
http://tighar.org/wiki/PBY_flight_from_Pearl_Harbor

Perhaps, but the newspaper is from July 9 and the PBY flight was a full week before that.
Title: Re: Two Ebay Items - contemporaneous search memorabilia
Post by: Mark Petersen on September 13, 2011, 11:34:13 AM
A full week does seem long for the PBY story to get out.  The flight took a full day and didn't return until the 3rd, the story was probably written a full day before it went to press, and then there was probably a day or so lost in getting the information disseminated from the Navy.  So even accounting for all of those delays, the article is still posted 4 or so days late.   
Title: Re: Two Ebay Items - contemporaneous search memorabilia
Post by: Rich Ramsey on September 13, 2011, 12:05:52 PM
I thought you might know the Photo, but I felt better safe than sorry. Any little bit if information is helpful.

Title: Re: Two Ebay Items - contemporaneous search memorabilia
Post by: Bruce Thomas on September 13, 2011, 12:56:58 PM
Here's a front-page story from the July 9, 1937, issue of the Bend (Oregon) Bulletin (http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=uCpPAAAAIBAJ&sjid=0h8EAAAAIBAJ&pg=1938,648760&dq=earhart+weather+search&hl=en).  It mentions "cloudy weather, wind squalls, and reduced visibility today" as "adding to the hopelessness of the search."  It goes on to say that "Coast guard [sic] reports described the weather in the Phoenix area as cloudy with visibility reduced to one mile, which would render futile any attempt to search from the air."  Then, "Despite the unfavorable weather, the Colorado's planes took off at 12 noon PST and searched over the Corondolet, McKean, and Gardner areas."

I wonder if someone was reporting weather problems as a CYA exercise.  :-\

Title: Re: Two Ebay Items - contemporaneous search memorabilia
Post by: Ric Gillespie on September 13, 2011, 02:16:45 PM
It goes on to say that "Coast guard [sic] reports described the weather in the Phoenix area as cloudy with visibility reduced to one mile,

And, of course, the Coast Guard was nowhere near the Phoenix area and could't possibly know what the weather was there.  The Colorado pilots encountered a few scattered squalls that they just flew around.
Title: Re: Two Ebay Items - contemporaneous search memorabilia
Post by: Rich Ramsey on September 14, 2011, 10:25:25 AM
It almost sounds like the press was getting the populous ready for a poor outcome on the search.