McKean Island - Revision history

Thomas at 23:04, 17 April 2011

2011-04-17T23:04:19Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 23:04, 17 April 2011
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	"…the practice is for the men to be sent to the field at 6:00 a.m. to turn over the surface of the field with a view to it being dried by the sun, and about noon or a little later if the ground was wet when they started, it is run into the bins up to 5 o'clock, but if there had been much rain the night before it is impossible to get any stuff properly dried in the course of one day, so they wait for the next. What frequently happens is that after the man have been working for a few hours a shower comes on and their labour is all lost"		"…the practice is for the men to be sent to the field at 6:00 a.m. to turn over the surface of the field with a view to it being dried by the sun, and about noon or a little later if the ground was wet when they started, it is run into the bins up to 5 o'clock, but if there had been much rain the night before it is impossible to get any stuff properly dried in the course of one day, so they wait for the next. What frequently happens is that after the man have been working for a few hours a shower comes on and their labour is all lost"
	</blockquote>		</blockquote>
	In the late 1860s, the guano deposits ran out, and the last workers were removed from the island in late 1870. McKean has been uninhabited since that time, but for occasional visitors. In 1936 H.M.S. ''Leith'' visited the island to explicitly annex it to the British Empire, and in 1937 McKean with the rest of the Phoenix Islands was incorporated within the Gilbert and Ellice Islands Colony. Captain O. Bevin of ''Leith'' left a notice board and typed message (in a sealed tin can) proclaiming the island the property of His Britannic Majesty King Edward VIII. [[Harry Evans Maude]], founder of the [[Phoenix Islands Settlement Scheme]], visited the island in 1937 and left his own message plus a flagstaff flying the Union Jack. In 1940, Maude could find no record of other visits by British ships, or of visits by government officials other than himself and his colleague Eric Bevington.		In the late 1860s, the guano deposits ran out, and the last workers were removed from the island in late 1870. McKean has been uninhabited since that time, but for occasional visitors. In 1936 H.M.S. ''Leith'' visited the island to explicitly annex it to the British Empire, and in 1937 McKean with the rest of the Phoenix Islands was incorporated within the Gilbert and Ellice Islands Colony. Captain O. Bevin of ''Leith'' left a notice board and typed message (in a sealed tin can) proclaiming the island the property of His Britannic Majesty King Edward VIII. [[Harry Evans Maude]], founder of the [[Phoenix Islands Settlement Scheme]], visited the island in 1937 and left his own message plus a flagstaff flying the Union Jack (see '''Structure 6''', below). In 1940, Maude could find no record of other visits by British ships, or of visits by government officials other than himself and his colleague Eric Bevington.

	In the 1960s and early '70s, the Smithsonian Institution sponsored a number of ornithological expeditions to the island, typically involving three to five people and lasting two days. These studies resulted in a series of unpublished journals held by the Smithsonian's Museum of Natural History, Ornithology Department, which TIGHAR was able to examined in preparation for the 1989 expedition through the courtesy of Dr. Roger Clapp.		In the 1960s and early '70s, the Smithsonian Institution sponsored a number of ornithological expeditions to the island, typically involving three to five people and lasting two days. These studies resulted in a series of unpublished journals held by the Smithsonian's Museum of Natural History, Ornithology Department, which TIGHAR was able to examined in preparation for the 1989 expedition through the courtesy of Dr. Roger Clapp.

Thomas: Also latitude changed, per Admiralty

2011-04-17T19:28:34Z

Also latitude changed, per Admiralty

← Older revision		Revision as of 19:28, 17 April 2011
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	== Background ==		== Background ==

	[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/McKean_Island McKean Island] lies at Lat. 3<sup>o</sup> 35' S, Long. 174<sup>o</sup> 07' W. It is a raised coral island – in essence, a once-living coral reef that has been elevated above sea level by tectonic forces. It is roughly circular, about 3/4 mile across, surrounded by a fringing reef. Its maximum elevation above sea level is about five meters. J.D. Hague, who devoted most of a paragraph to its description in 1862, suggests that it at one time had a lagoon but that uplift had raised it to a point at which it had become a soggy depression in which bird guano had accumulated for thousands of years.		[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/McKean_Island McKean Island] lies at Lat. 3<sup>o</sup> 36' S, Long. 174<sup>o</sup> 07' W. It is a raised coral island – in essence, a once-living coral reef that has been elevated above sea level by tectonic forces. It is roughly circular, about 3/4 mile across, surrounded by a fringing reef. Its maximum elevation above sea level is about five meters. J.D. Hague, who devoted most of a paragraph to its description in 1862, suggests that it at one time had a lagoon but that uplift had raised it to a point at which it had become a soggy depression in which bird guano had accumulated for thousands of years.

	McKean has been an officially declared bird sanctuary since 1938, and today is protected as such under Kiribati law. The island is virtually devoid of vegetation; thin colonies of pigweed (''Sesuvium'' sp.) and other low, shrubby plants grow in low-lying areas where a thin soil has formed, and around the guano "lagoon." The island is home to tens of thousands of sea birds, including terns (''Gygis'' sp.), Frigate Birds (''Frigata'' sp.), and gulls (''Larus'' sp.). Approaching McKean by ship, one can hear its birds before the island itself comes into view, and if one is downwind one can easily smell them.		McKean has been an officially declared bird sanctuary since 1938, and today is protected as such under Kiribati law. The island is virtually devoid of vegetation; thin colonies of pigweed (''Sesuvium'' sp.) and other low, shrubby plants grow in low-lying areas where a thin soil has formed, and around the guano "lagoon." The island is home to tens of thousands of sea birds, including terns (''Gygis'' sp.), Frigate Birds (''Frigata'' sp.), and gulls (''Larus'' sp.). Approaching McKean by ship, one can hear its birds before the island itself comes into view, and if one is downwind one can easily smell them.

Thomas: longitude updated per Admiralty data provided by Ric Gillespie

2011-04-17T18:15:16Z

longitude updated per Admiralty data provided by Ric Gillespie

← Older revision		Revision as of 18:15, 17 April 2011
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	== Background ==		== Background ==

	[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/McKean_Island McKean Island] lies at Lat. 3<sup>o</sup> 35' S, Long. 174<sup>o</sup> 02' W. It is a raised coral island – in essence, a once-living coral reef that has been elevated above sea level by tectonic forces. It is roughly circular, about 3/4 mile across, surrounded by a fringing reef. Its maximum elevation above sea level is about five meters. J.D. Hague, who devoted most of a paragraph to its description in 1862, suggests that it at one time had a lagoon but that uplift had raised it to a point at which it had become a soggy depression in which bird guano had accumulated for thousands of years.		[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/McKean_Island McKean Island] lies at Lat. 3<sup>o</sup> 35' S, Long. 174<sup>o</sup> 07' W. It is a raised coral island – in essence, a once-living coral reef that has been elevated above sea level by tectonic forces. It is roughly circular, about 3/4 mile across, surrounded by a fringing reef. Its maximum elevation above sea level is about five meters. J.D. Hague, who devoted most of a paragraph to its description in 1862, suggests that it at one time had a lagoon but that uplift had raised it to a point at which it had become a soggy depression in which bird guano had accumulated for thousands of years.

	McKean has been an officially declared bird sanctuary since 1938, and today is protected as such under Kiribati law. The island is virtually devoid of vegetation; thin colonies of pigweed (''Sesuvium'' sp.) and other low, shrubby plants grow in low-lying areas where a thin soil has formed, and around the guano "lagoon." The island is home to tens of thousands of sea birds, including terns (''Gygis'' sp.), Frigate Birds (''Frigata'' sp.), and gulls (''Larus'' sp.). Approaching McKean by ship, one can hear its birds before the island itself comes into view, and if one is downwind one can easily smell them.		McKean has been an officially declared bird sanctuary since 1938, and today is protected as such under Kiribati law. The island is virtually devoid of vegetation; thin colonies of pigweed (''Sesuvium'' sp.) and other low, shrubby plants grow in low-lying areas where a thin soil has formed, and around the guano "lagoon." The island is home to tens of thousands of sea birds, including terns (''Gygis'' sp.), Frigate Birds (''Frigata'' sp.), and gulls (''Larus'' sp.). Approaching McKean by ship, one can hear its birds before the island itself comes into view, and if one is downwind one can easily smell them.

Thomas: misc. edits: dashes, bolding, link to photo

2011-04-16T17:00:44Z

misc. edits: dashes, bolding, link to photo

Show changes

Thomas: previous mass edit to replace "left" with "center" for images must have clobbered some legitimate "left" words

2011-04-16T03:37:13Z

previous mass edit to replace "left" with "center" for images must have clobbered some legitimate "left" words

← Older revision		Revision as of 03:37, 16 April 2011
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	The north and east sides of the island exhibit pronounced storm surge ridges, with a linear depression behind them. Along the north shore this depression is two to three meters deep and about ten meters wide, making it, after the guano "lagoon," the island's most prominent geographic feature.		The north and east sides of the island exhibit pronounced storm surge ridges, with a linear depression behind them. Along the north shore this depression is two to three meters deep and about ten meters wide, making it, after the guano "lagoon," the island's most prominent geographic feature.

	"Discovered" by American whalers by the late 1820s, McKean was given its name (after the crewmember who first sighted it) by Commander Charles Wilkes of U.S.S. ''Vincennes'' in 1840. At the time, bird guano was an important source of phosphate for explosives, fertilizers, and other uses. As a result, the U.S. Congress in 1856 enacted the Guano Act, "bonding" a large number of central Pacific islands including McKean for exploitation by U.S. commercial interests. In 1859 the island was claimed for the U.S. by Capt. Thomas Long of the schooner ''E.L. Frost'', and in the same year C.A. Williams & Co. (later the Phoenix Guano Co., a subsidiary of the American Guano Company) filed claim to it under the Guano Act. Mining operations got underway in the summer of 1859. Twenty-nine Hawaiian laborers worked the island under the direction of a Mr. A.M. Goddard worked the guano deposits. The first shipload ~~center~~ the island aboard the schooner ''Modern Times'' in mid-August 1859.		"Discovered" by American whalers by the late 1820s, McKean was given its name (after the crewmember who first sighted it) by Commander Charles Wilkes of U.S.S. ''Vincennes'' in 1840. At the time, bird guano was an important source of phosphate for explosives, fertilizers, and other uses. As a result, the U.S. Congress in 1856 enacted the Guano Act, "bonding" a large number of central Pacific islands including McKean for exploitation by U.S. commercial interests. In 1859 the island was claimed for the U.S. by Capt. Thomas Long of the schooner ''E.L. Frost'', and in the same year C.A. Williams & Co. (later the Phoenix Guano Co., a subsidiary of the American Guano Company) filed claim to it under the Guano Act. Mining operations got underway in the summer of 1859. Twenty-nine Hawaiian laborers worked the island under the direction of a Mr. A.M. Goddard worked the guano deposits. The first shipload left the island aboard the schooner ''Modern Times'' in mid-August 1859.

	By the early 1860s, when J.D. Hague visited the island to study its guano deposits, mining was well advanced in the large, irregular, sometimes water-filled depression at the center of the island. Although it lacked a channel to the sea, the guano depression's water level was influenced by the tides, standing at about 60 cm. at high tide. At low tide the guano deposits were merely soggy; presumably this was when mining was carried out. The deposits mined comprised a soft, amorphous layer of calcium phosphate and calcium sulfate -- the product of mixing bird dung and evaporated sea water. Hague does not specify the depth of this ooze on McKean, but notes that a similar deposit on Jarvis Island was about two feet (ca. 60-65 cm) deep. About a foot (ca. 30 cm) of coral mud lay atop the guano deposit.		By the early 1860s, when J.D. Hague visited the island to study its guano deposits, mining was well advanced in the large, irregular, sometimes water-filled depression at the center of the island. Although it lacked a channel to the sea, the guano depression's water level was influenced by the tides, standing at about 60 cm. at high tide. At low tide the guano deposits were merely soggy; presumably this was when mining was carried out. The deposits mined comprised a soft, amorphous layer of calcium phosphate and calcium sulfate -- the product of mixing bird dung and evaporated sea water. Hague does not specify the depth of this ooze on McKean, but notes that a similar deposit on Jarvis Island was about two feet (ca. 60-65 cm) deep. About a foot (ca. 30 cm) of coral mud lay atop the guano deposit.
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	"…the practice is for the men to be sent to the field at 6:00 a.m. to turn over the surface of the field with a view to it being dried by the sun, and about noon or a little later if the ground was wet when they started, it is run into the bins up to 5 o'clock, but if there had been much rain the night before it is impossible to get any stuff properly dried in the course of one day, so they wait for the next. What frequently happens is that after the man have been working for a few hours a shower comes on and their labour is all lost"		"…the practice is for the men to be sent to the field at 6:00 a.m. to turn over the surface of the field with a view to it being dried by the sun, and about noon or a little later if the ground was wet when they started, it is run into the bins up to 5 o'clock, but if there had been much rain the night before it is impossible to get any stuff properly dried in the course of one day, so they wait for the next. What frequently happens is that after the man have been working for a few hours a shower comes on and their labour is all lost"

	In the late 1860s, the guano deposits ran out, and the last workers were removed from the island in late 1870. McKean has been uninhabited since that time, but for occasional visitors. In 1936 H.M.S. ''Leith'' visited the island to explicitly annex it to the British Empire, and in 1937 McKean with the rest of the Phoenix Islands was incorporated within the Gilbert and Ellice Islands Colony. Captain O. Bevin of ''Leith'' ~~center~~ a notice board and typed message (in a sealed tin can) proclaiming the island the property of His Britannic Majesty King Edward VIII. [[Harry Evans Maude]], founder of the [[Phoenix Islands Settlement Scheme]], visited the island in 1937 and ~~center~~ his own message plus a flagstaff flying the Union Jack. In 1940, Maude could find no record of other visits by British ships, or of visits by government officials other than himself and his colleague Eric Bevington.		In the late 1860s, the guano deposits ran out, and the last workers were removed from the island in late 1870. McKean has been uninhabited since that time, but for occasional visitors. In 1936 H.M.S. ''Leith'' visited the island to explicitly annex it to the British Empire, and in 1937 McKean with the rest of the Phoenix Islands was incorporated within the Gilbert and Ellice Islands Colony. Captain O. Bevin of ''Leith'' left a notice board and typed message (in a sealed tin can) proclaiming the island the property of His Britannic Majesty King Edward VIII. [[Harry Evans Maude]], founder of the [[Phoenix Islands Settlement Scheme]], visited the island in 1937 and left his own message plus a flagstaff flying the Union Jack. In 1940, Maude could find no record of other visits by British ships, or of visits by government officials other than himself and his colleague Eric Bevington.

	In the 1960s and early '70s, the Smithsonian Institution sponsored a number of ornithological expeditions to the island, typically involving three to five people and lasting two days. These studies resulted in a series of unpublished journals held by the Smithsonian's Museum of Natural History, Ornithology Department, which TIGHAR was able to examined in preparation for the 1989 expedition through the courtesy of Dr. Roger Clapp.		In the 1960s and early '70s, the Smithsonian Institution sponsored a number of ornithological expeditions to the island, typically involving three to five people and lasting two days. These studies resulted in a series of unpublished journals held by the Smithsonian's Museum of Natural History, Ornithology Department, which TIGHAR was able to examined in preparation for the 1989 expedition through the courtesy of Dr. Roger Clapp.
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	== Observations ==		== Observations ==

	No aircraft parts of any kind were observed, nor was anything else found that seemed likely to have been ~~center~~ by stranded aviators. A few scattered aluminum tubes, the largest about a meter long, are most easily accounted for as the leavings of recent shipwreck survivors and/or ornithologists. The remains of several more or less recent wrecked fishing boats lay on the reef and shores. Occasional tin cans and bottles were noted, together with a refillable propane can, which were doubtless ~~center~~ by their temporarily stranded crews. Fragments of rail, ore cart wheels, and similar pieces of mining equipment are scattered over the island as a result of the 19th century mining.		No aircraft parts of any kind were observed, nor was anything else found that seemed likely to have been left by stranded aviators. A few scattered aluminum tubes, the largest about a meter long, are most easily accounted for as the leavings of recent shipwreck survivors and/or ornithologists. The remains of several more or less recent wrecked fishing boats lay on the reef and shores. Occasional tin cans and bottles were noted, together with a refillable propane can, which were doubtless left by their temporarily stranded crews. Fragments of rail, ore cart wheels, and similar pieces of mining equipment are scattered over the island as a result of the 19th century mining.

	The linear depression apparently had been used as a campsite at least once; several tarp grommets were found there, together with a scotch whiskey bottle top and several indeterminate lumps of badly rusted ferrous metal. In a 1942 publication on islands in the area Edwin H. Bryan implies that this depression, with its stone wall (Structure 1; see Figure 3 below) might be some sort of prehistoric cultural feature, but we saw nothing to suggest that this was the case. The depression appears to be a natural artifact of the adjacent storm surge ridge, and the wall is similar to those found elsewhere on the island as remnants of the 19th century guano operation.		The linear depression apparently had been used as a campsite at least once; several tarp grommets were found there, together with a scotch whiskey bottle top and several indeterminate lumps of badly rusted ferrous metal. In a 1942 publication on islands in the area Edwin H. Bryan implies that this depression, with its stone wall (Structure 1; see Figure 3 below) might be some sort of prehistoric cultural feature, but we saw nothing to suggest that this was the case. The depression appears to be a natural artifact of the adjacent storm surge ridge, and the wall is similar to those found elsewhere on the island as remnants of the 19th century guano operation.

Thomas: link work, italicize ship names

2011-04-16T03:22:41Z

link work, italicize ship names

← Older revision		Revision as of 03:22, 16 April 2011
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	== Introduction ==		== Introduction ==

	In September and October of 1989, [http://www.tighar.org The International Group for Historic Aircraft Recovery (TIGHAR)] undertook its initial fieldwork in the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phoenix_Islands Phoenix Islands], as part of its [[Earhart Project Advisory Committee\| Amelia Earhart Search Project]]. The bulk of TIGHAR’s effort was devoted to [[Nikumaroro]], formerly known as Gardner Island, but a single day was spent on nearby McKean Island. This brief report summarizes TIGHAR’s work at McKean.		In September and October of 1989, [http://www.tighar.org The International Group for Historic Aircraft Recovery (TIGHAR)] undertook its [[Niku I\|initial fieldwork]] in the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phoenix_Islands Phoenix Islands], as part of its [[Earhart Project Advisory Committee\| Amelia Earhart Search Project]]. The bulk of TIGHAR’s effort was devoted to [[Nikumaroro]], formerly known as Gardner Island, but a single day was spent on nearby McKean Island. This brief report summarizes TIGHAR’s work at McKean.

	Fieldwork was directed by [[User:Gillespie\|Richard Gillespie]], with the author serving as Project Archaeologist in charge of operations on land. The land team included John Clauss, Veryl Findlayson, Russ Matthews, Mary DeWitt, William Decker, Julie Williams, and Jessica Krakow. The dive team was supervised by Joseph Latvis and comprised Tommy Love, Mike Bowman, and Dutch Kluge. Transportation and logistical support were provided by M/V Pacific Nomad, captained by Mr. Victor Jhone, and Mr. Kotuna Kaitara of the Kiribati Customs Department represented the government of [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kiribati Kiribati]].		Fieldwork was directed by [[User:Gillespie\|Richard Gillespie]], with the author serving as Project Archaeologist in charge of operations on land. The land team included John Clauss, Veryl Findlayson, Russ Matthews, Mary DeWitt, William Decker, Julie Williams, and Jessica Krakow. The dive team was supervised by Joseph Latvis and comprised Tommy Love, Mike Bowman, and Dutch Kluge. Transportation and logistical support were provided by M/V Pacific Nomad, captained by Mr. Victor Jhone, and Mr. Kotuna Kaitara of the Kiribati Customs Department represented the government of [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kiribati Kiribati].

	== Background ==		== Background ==
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	The north and east sides of the island exhibit pronounced storm surge ridges, with a linear depression behind them. Along the north shore this depression is two to three meters deep and about ten meters wide, making it, after the guano "lagoon," the island's most prominent geographic feature.		The north and east sides of the island exhibit pronounced storm surge ridges, with a linear depression behind them. Along the north shore this depression is two to three meters deep and about ten meters wide, making it, after the guano "lagoon," the island's most prominent geographic feature.

	"Discovered" by American whalers by the late 1820s, McKean was given its name (after the crewmember who first sighted it) by Commander Charles Wilkes of U.S.S. Vincennes in 1840. At the time, bird guano was an important source of phosphate for explosives, fertilizers, and other uses. As a result, the U.S. Congress in 1856 enacted the Guano Act, "bonding" a large number of central Pacific islands including McKean for exploitation by U.S. commercial interests. In 1859 the island was claimed for the U.S. by Capt. Thomas Long of the schooner E.L. Frost, and in the same year C.A. Williams & Co. (later the Phoenix Guano Co., a subsidiary of the American Guano Company) filed claim to it under the Guano Act. Mining operations got underway in the summer of 1859. Twenty-nine Hawaiian laborers worked the island under the direction of a Mr. A.M. Goddard worked the guano deposits. The first shipload center the island aboard the schooner Modern Times in mid-August 1859.		"Discovered" by American whalers by the late 1820s, McKean was given its name (after the crewmember who first sighted it) by Commander Charles Wilkes of U.S.S. ''Vincennes'' in 1840. At the time, bird guano was an important source of phosphate for explosives, fertilizers, and other uses. As a result, the U.S. Congress in 1856 enacted the Guano Act, "bonding" a large number of central Pacific islands including McKean for exploitation by U.S. commercial interests. In 1859 the island was claimed for the U.S. by Capt. Thomas Long of the schooner ''E.L. Frost'', and in the same year C.A. Williams & Co. (later the Phoenix Guano Co., a subsidiary of the American Guano Company) filed claim to it under the Guano Act. Mining operations got underway in the summer of 1859. Twenty-nine Hawaiian laborers worked the island under the direction of a Mr. A.M. Goddard worked the guano deposits. The first shipload center the island aboard the schooner ''Modern Times'' in mid-August 1859.

	By the early 1860s, when J.D. Hague visited the island to study its guano deposits, mining was well advanced in the large, irregular, sometimes water-filled depression at the center of the island. Although it lacked a channel to the sea, the guano depression's water level was influenced by the tides, standing at about 60 cm. at high tide. At low tide the guano deposits were merely soggy; presumably this was when mining was carried out. The deposits mined comprised a soft, amorphous layer of calcium phosphate and calcium sulfate -- the product of mixing bird dung and evaporated sea water. Hague does not specify the depth of this ooze on McKean, but notes that a similar deposit on Jarvis Island was about two feet (ca. 60-65 cm) deep. About a foot (ca. 30 cm) of coral mud lay atop the guano deposit.		By the early 1860s, when J.D. Hague visited the island to study its guano deposits, mining was well advanced in the large, irregular, sometimes water-filled depression at the center of the island. Although it lacked a channel to the sea, the guano depression's water level was influenced by the tides, standing at about 60 cm. at high tide. At low tide the guano deposits were merely soggy; presumably this was when mining was carried out. The deposits mined comprised a soft, amorphous layer of calcium phosphate and calcium sulfate -- the product of mixing bird dung and evaporated sea water. Hague does not specify the depth of this ooze on McKean, but notes that a similar deposit on Jarvis Island was about two feet (ca. 60-65 cm) deep. About a foot (ca. 30 cm) of coral mud lay atop the guano deposit.
Line 35:		Line 35:
	"…the practice is for the men to be sent to the field at 6:00 a.m. to turn over the surface of the field with a view to it being dried by the sun, and about noon or a little later if the ground was wet when they started, it is run into the bins up to 5 o'clock, but if there had been much rain the night before it is impossible to get any stuff properly dried in the course of one day, so they wait for the next. What frequently happens is that after the man have been working for a few hours a shower comes on and their labour is all lost"		"…the practice is for the men to be sent to the field at 6:00 a.m. to turn over the surface of the field with a view to it being dried by the sun, and about noon or a little later if the ground was wet when they started, it is run into the bins up to 5 o'clock, but if there had been much rain the night before it is impossible to get any stuff properly dried in the course of one day, so they wait for the next. What frequently happens is that after the man have been working for a few hours a shower comes on and their labour is all lost"

	In the late 1860s, the guano deposits ran out, and the last workers were removed from the island in late 1870. McKean has been uninhabited since that time, but for occasional visitors. In 1936 H.M.S. Leith visited the island to explicitly annex it to the British Empire, and in 1937 McKean with the rest of the Phoenix Islands was incorporated within the Gilbert and Ellice Islands Colony. Captain O. Bevin of Leith center a notice board and typed message (in a sealed tin can) proclaiming the island the property of His Britannic Majesty King Edward VIII. [[Harry Evans Maude]], founder of the [[Phoenix Islands Settlement Scheme]], visited the island in 1937 and center his own message plus a flagstaff flying the Union Jack. In 1940, Maude could find no record of other visits by British ships, or of visits by government officials other than himself and his colleague Eric Bevington.		In the late 1860s, the guano deposits ran out, and the last workers were removed from the island in late 1870. McKean has been uninhabited since that time, but for occasional visitors. In 1936 H.M.S. ''Leith'' visited the island to explicitly annex it to the British Empire, and in 1937 McKean with the rest of the Phoenix Islands was incorporated within the Gilbert and Ellice Islands Colony. Captain O. Bevin of ''Leith'' center a notice board and typed message (in a sealed tin can) proclaiming the island the property of His Britannic Majesty King Edward VIII. [[Harry Evans Maude]], founder of the [[Phoenix Islands Settlement Scheme]], visited the island in 1937 and center his own message plus a flagstaff flying the Union Jack. In 1940, Maude could find no record of other visits by British ships, or of visits by government officials other than himself and his colleague Eric Bevington.

	In the 1960s and early '70s, the Smithsonian Institution sponsored a number of ornithological expeditions to the island, typically involving three to five people and lasting two days. These studies resulted in a series of unpublished journals held by the Smithsonian's Museum of Natural History, Ornithology Department, which TIGHAR was able to examined in preparation for the 1989 expedition through the courtesy of Dr. Roger Clapp.		In the 1960s and early '70s, the Smithsonian Institution sponsored a number of ornithological expeditions to the island, typically involving three to five people and lasting two days. These studies resulted in a series of unpublished journals held by the Smithsonian's Museum of Natural History, Ornithology Department, which TIGHAR was able to examined in preparation for the 1989 expedition through the courtesy of Dr. Roger Clapp.
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	== Fieldwork ==		== Fieldwork ==

	TIGHAR subjected McKean Island to one day of archaeological survey on October 3, 1989. The total lack of higher vegetation made it seem unlikely that people or an airplane stranded there could have escaped the view of the search pilots from U.S.S. Colorado who flew over the island in July of 1937. However, the possibility that the aircraft could have been sunk in the guano pit or covered with birds, and its crew dead or immobile and similarly covered convinced us that at least a cursory inspection was necessary. As it turned out, a cursory inspection was all we were able to do, and all we concluded was needed.		TIGHAR subjected McKean Island to one day of archaeological survey on October 3, 1989. The total lack of higher vegetation made it seem unlikely that people or an airplane stranded there could have escaped the view of the search pilots from U.S.S. ''Colorado'' who flew over the island in July of 1937. However, the possibility that the aircraft could have been sunk in the guano pit or covered with birds, and its crew dead or immobile and similarly covered convinced us that at least a cursory inspection was necessary. As it turned out, a cursory inspection was all we were able to do, and all we concluded was needed.

	Maps and airphotos indicated that there were only two locations on McKean where a pilot might attempt to land an aircraft -- along what appeared to be a beach lining the northeast shore, and in the guano lagoon. Accordingly, the dive team's priority was to inspect the reef face along its northeast quadrant, while the land team was to inspect the northeastern part of the island and the "lagoon." If these priority targets could be dealt with in good time, additional areas could be searched.		Maps and airphotos indicated that there were only two locations on McKean where a pilot might attempt to land an aircraft -- along what appeared to be a beach lining the northeast shore, and in the guano lagoon. Accordingly, the dive team's priority was to inspect the reef face along its northeast quadrant, while the land team was to inspect the northeastern part of the island and the "lagoon." If these priority targets could be dealt with in good time, additional areas could be searched.

	There is no landing as such at McKean, and no channel across the reef flat as there is at Nikumaroro. Landing was made on an uninviting strip of the lee shore, slightly more accessible than other areas, marked by a pylon just inshore from the beach. Landing was made at high tide, when it was possible to float the aluminum skiff from Pacific Nomad, our expedition vessel, across the reef flat to the beach. The surf was running quite high, and the landing was not without risk, but all land team members reached shore without serious damage. En route back to the ship the boat was shadowed by a large tiger shark, which luckily had not expressed interest in the dive team.		There is no landing as such at McKean, and no channel across the reef flat as there is at Nikumaroro. Landing was made on an uninviting strip of the lee shore, slightly more accessible than other areas, marked by a pylon just inshore from the beach. Landing was made at high tide, when it was possible to float the aluminum skiff from ''Pacific Nomad'', our expedition vessel, across the reef flat to the beach. The surf was running quite high, and the landing was not without risk, but all land team members reached shore without serious damage. En route back to the ship the boat was shadowed by a large tiger shark, which luckily had not expressed interest in the dive team.

	[[Image:fig._1.jpg\|frame\|Figure 1: McKean Island\|center]]		[[Image:fig._1.jpg\|frame\|Figure 1: McKean Island\|center]]
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	== Conclusions ==		== Conclusions ==

	The lack of a beach along the northeast shore in 1989 does not mean there was not one there in 1937, but if there was, we found no evidence that anyone tried to land an airplane on it. Nor was there any evidence of an aircraft, or aviators, elsewhere on the island. As TIGHAR speculated before going into the field, it would be possible for an airplane to have "landed" in the ooze-filled pit (which from a distance resembles a lovely green field, or a shallow lagoon) and been obscured from view to the U.S.S. ~~Colorado’s~~ search pilots both by the ooze itself and by the birds that would inevitably alight on it. If this were the case, of course, it could account for the metal detector readings indicating metal in the pit. The alternative explanation for the readings -- discarded mining equipment -- accounts for the readings at least as well, however. Maude reports that when he and Bevington inspected the island on October 26, 1937 -- less than four months after the Lockheed's disappearance, the "lagoon" was "almost pure salt water." Neither he nor Bevington report seeing any evidence of the Electra, Earhart, or Noonan. Considering these near-contemporary observations, the fact that we found nothing in the reports of the Smithsonian expeditions to suggest the presence of aircraft wreckage, and the negative results of our survey but for the ambiguous metal detector readings in the guano pit, it appears very unlikely that McKean Island was where the World Flight ended.		The lack of a beach along the northeast shore in 1989 does not mean there was not one there in 1937, but if there was, we found no evidence that anyone tried to land an airplane on it. Nor was there any evidence of an aircraft, or aviators, elsewhere on the island. As TIGHAR speculated before going into the field, it would be possible for an airplane to have "landed" in the ooze-filled pit (which from a distance resembles a lovely green field, or a shallow lagoon) and been obscured from view to the U.S.S. ''Colorado''’s search pilots both by the ooze itself and by the birds that would inevitably alight on it. If this were the case, of course, it could account for the metal detector readings indicating metal in the pit. The alternative explanation for the readings -- discarded mining equipment -- accounts for the readings at least as well, however. Maude reports that when he and Bevington inspected the island on October 26, 1937 -- less than four months after the Lockheed's disappearance, the "lagoon" was "almost pure salt water." Neither he nor Bevington report seeing any evidence of the Electra, Earhart, or Noonan. Considering these near-contemporary observations, the fact that we found nothing in the reports of the Smithsonian expeditions to suggest the presence of aircraft wreckage, and the negative results of our survey but for the ambiguous metal detector readings in the guano pit, it appears very unlikely that McKean Island was where the World Flight ended.

	Though McKean does not appear to merit further work for purposes of the Earhart search, its ruins (and perhaps whatever lies in the guano pit besides the obvious) could yield useful data on the technology and sociology of 19th century guano mining, should questions about such mining arise that are amenable to archeological study. Study of the ruins might also provide some insight into the character of expatriate Hawaiian miner communities during the period. Certainly the ruins are worthy of preservation, particularly since such preservation requires no action other than discouraging the extremely rare visitors to the island from disturbing them.		Though McKean does not appear to merit further work for purposes of the Earhart search, its ruins (and perhaps whatever lies in the guano pit besides the obvious) could yield useful data on the technology and sociology of 19th century guano mining, should questions about such mining arise that are amenable to archeological study. Study of the ruins might also provide some insight into the character of expatriate Hawaiian miner communities during the period. Certainly the ruins are worthy of preservation, particularly since such preservation requires no action other than discouraging the extremely rare visitors to the island from disturbing them.

Thomas: fix redlink

2011-04-16T02:47:17Z

fix redlink

← Older revision		Revision as of 02:47, 16 April 2011
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	== Introduction ==		== Introduction ==

	In September and October of 1989, [http://www.tighar.org The International Group for Historic Aircraft Recovery (TIGHAR)] undertook its initial fieldwork in the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phoenix_Islands Phoenix Islands], as part of its [[Earhart Project Advisory Committee\| Amelia Earhart Search Project]]. The bulk of TIGHAR’s effort was devoted to [[~~Nikumaroro / Gardner Island\|~~Nikumaroro]], formerly known as Gardner Island, but a single day was spent on nearby McKean Island. This brief report summarizes TIGHAR’s work at McKean.		In September and October of 1989, [http://www.tighar.org The International Group for Historic Aircraft Recovery (TIGHAR)] undertook its initial fieldwork in the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phoenix_Islands Phoenix Islands], as part of its [[Earhart Project Advisory Committee\| Amelia Earhart Search Project]]. The bulk of TIGHAR’s effort was devoted to [[Nikumaroro]], formerly known as Gardner Island, but a single day was spent on nearby McKean Island. This brief report summarizes TIGHAR’s work at McKean.

	Fieldwork was directed by [[User:Gillespie\|Richard Gillespie]], with the author serving as Project Archaeologist in charge of operations on land. The land team included John Clauss, Veryl Findlayson, Russ Matthews, Mary DeWitt, William Decker, Julie Williams, and Jessica Krakow. The dive team was supervised by Joseph Latvis and comprised Tommy Love, Mike Bowman, and Dutch Kluge. Transportation and logistical support were provided by M/V Pacific Nomad, captained by Mr. Victor Jhone, and Mr. Kotuna Kaitara of the Kiribati Customs Department represented the government of [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kiribati Kiribati]].		Fieldwork was directed by [[User:Gillespie\|Richard Gillespie]], with the author serving as Project Archaeologist in charge of operations on land. The land team included John Clauss, Veryl Findlayson, Russ Matthews, Mary DeWitt, William Decker, Julie Williams, and Jessica Krakow. The dive team was supervised by Joseph Latvis and comprised Tommy Love, Mike Bowman, and Dutch Kluge. Transportation and logistical support were provided by M/V Pacific Nomad, captained by Mr. Victor Jhone, and Mr. Kotuna Kaitara of the Kiribati Customs Department represented the government of [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kiribati Kiribati]].

Rickerjones: Add catagory: Expeditions, Maps

2010-06-11T19:07:53Z

Add catagory: Expeditions, Maps

← Older revision		Revision as of 19:07, 11 June 2010
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	Williams, M., and B. Macdonald		Williams, M., and B. Macdonald
	:1985 ''The Phosphateers: A History of the British Phosphate Commissioners and the Christmas Island Phosphate Commission.'' Melbourne University Publishing, Ltd., Melbourne		:1985 ''The Phosphateers: A History of the British Phosphate Commissioners and the Christmas Island Phosphate Commission.'' Melbourne University Publishing, Ltd., Melbourne
			[[Category:Expeditions]]
			[[Category:Maps]]

Moleski at 21:32, 26 January 2009

2009-01-26T21:32:43Z

Show changes

Moleski: /* Observations */

2009-01-26T21:22:05Z

Observations

← Older revision		Revision as of 21:22, 26 January 2009
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	The ruins of ten dry-laid coral stone structures were recorded (Figures M-1, M-2). These ruins have been noted by virtually every previous 20th century visitor to the island, and are certainly the remains of the guano mining operation. Typically, these structures are of dry-laid stacked coral slabs, interspersed with standing slabs and boulders. Similar structures have been described on Manra (Sydney Island), where they apparently were built by workers in John Arundel's guano operations around the turn of the century.		The ruins of ten dry-laid coral stone structures were recorded (Figures M-1, M-2). These ruins have been noted by virtually every previous 20th century visitor to the island, and are certainly the remains of the guano mining operation. Typically, these structures are of dry-laid stacked coral slabs, interspersed with standing slabs and boulders. Similar structures have been described on Manra (Sydney Island), where they apparently were built by workers in John Arundel's guano operations around the turn of the century.

	''Structure 1''(Figure 3) is a low, "J" shaped wall about 80 cm. high and 50 cm. wide, in the linear depression along the north shore. A 6-meter long wall segment crosses the depression near its southwest end. A short segment to the north and a long (ca. 20 meters) segment to the south extend along the sides of the gully to the northeast.		''Structure 1''(Figure 3) is a low, "J" shaped wall about 80 cm. high and 50 cm. wide, in the linear depression along the north shore. A 6-meter long wall segment crosses the depression near its southwest end. A short segment to the north and a long (ca. 20 meters) segment to the south extend along the sides of the gully to the northeast. [[Image:fig._3.jpg\|left\|frame\|Figure 3: McKean Island Structure 1]]

	[[Image~~:fig._3.jpg\|left\|frame\|Figure 3: McKean Island Structure 1]]~~		[[Image:fig._4.jpg\|left\|frame\|Figure 4: Structure 1 from inside, Facing SW]]

	~~[[Image::islands~~:fig._4.jpg\|left\|frame\|Figure 4: Structure 1 from inside, Facing SW ]]

	Structure 2 (Figure 5) appears to be fragmentary. It lies in a field of coral rubble that may represent collapsed walls, and consists of a "J"-shaped wall segment about 10 meters on its long axis, three on its short. About 100 cm. high and 35 cm. thick, it is associated with a large slab of cemented coral.		Structure 2 (Figure 5) appears to be fragmentary. It lies in a field of coral rubble that may represent collapsed walls, and consists of a "J"-shaped wall segment about 10 meters on its long axis, three on its short. About 100 cm. high and 35 cm. thick, it is associated with a large slab of cemented coral.
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	Structure 4 (Figures 7 and 8) is a complex curvilinear structure made up of twelve rooms or cells, some without evident entrances, others interconnected, with a pathway leading from an outside opening from northeast of the largest rooms, toward Structure 5. Wall construction is similar to that of Structure 3. The walls are 1 to 1.5 meters high, 35-50 cm. thick. Several building episodes appear to be represented; some walls contact but are not integrated with crossing walls. Low cement steps ascend one wall from a sort of narrow courtyard whose outside edge is defined by several low coral rubble piles. The whole structure is some 50 meters long and up to 20 wide. Metal detector sweeps yielded		Structure 4 (Figures 7 and 8) is a complex curvilinear structure made up of twelve rooms or cells, some without evident entrances, others interconnected, with a pathway leading from an outside opening from northeast of the largest rooms, toward Structure 5. Wall construction is similar to that of Structure 3. The walls are 1 to 1.5 meters high, 35-50 cm. thick. Several building episodes appear to be represented; some walls contact but are not integrated with crossing walls. Low cement steps ascend one wall from a sort of narrow courtyard whose outside edge is defined by several low coral rubble piles. The whole structure is some 50 meters long and up to 20 wide. Metal detector sweeps yielded

	[[Image~~::islands~~:fig._7.jpg\|left\|frame\|Figure 7: McKean Island Structure 4 ]]		[[Image:fig._7.jpg\|left\|frame\|Figure 7: McKean Island Structure 4 ]]

	a number of "hits," most of which could not be found, but large amounts of thin ferrous metal were noted in small concentrations on the surface, together with a large brass(?) food serving tray and some ferrous spikes with ring ends. Apparent post-guano period material consisted of a 10 cm. long aluminum tube in the southeastern room, a 1 meter long aluminum pipe in the northwestern room and a propane bottle with Japanese characters on it in the large west-central room. Structure 4 looks like it might have been a residential facility for the Hawaiian guano workers.		a number of "hits," most of which could not be found, but large amounts of thin ferrous metal were noted in small concentrations on the surface, together with a large brass(?) food serving tray and some ferrous spikes with ring ends. Apparent post-guano period material consisted of a 10 cm. long aluminum tube in the southeastern room, a 1 meter long aluminum pipe in the northwestern room and a propane bottle with Japanese characters on it in the large west-central room. Structure 4 looks like it might have been a residential facility for the Hawaiian guano workers.