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Show Al0 The Salt Lake Tribune NATION Sunday, June 30, 2002 Searching for Amelia Earhart: The Mystery Continues she said her fuel was running low. The cutter was anchored off Howlandtoassisther. Within 15 minutes of the ime it presumed the Lockheed Electra had ditched, the Navy beganthe largest sea search in its history. Notrace of the two or their plane was found, how- BY RON STATON THE ASSOCIATED PRESS HONOLULU ever, and theofficial position of Elgen Long believes Amelia Earhart remains in her plane on the Pa cific Ocean floor after running out ofgas. Ric Gillespie thinks she landedon an islandanddied a castaway. Tod Swindell theorizes she survived a crash landing in the Marshall Island: by the Japa repatriated, living out her life as a New Jersey housewife. Sixty-five years after her disappearance at age 39, the the U.S. government has been that Earhart and Noonan went “Tn 1998, we foundin British archives evidence that a Brit- lion, 27-day search of waters within 100 miles of Howland The expedition ended early with equipment problems. Nauticos plans to resumethe “With the bones was the remainsof a woman'sshoe.” effort when repairs are made and more money is raised, Longsaid. have high expectations the airplaneis in the a es of the Pacific and reparch and debate. The tomboy who becamean icon with her short tousled important to find it to c the history of the event. I from Oakland. She made aresearching,” Longsaid. late to save Ameliabut it’s not » save the integrity of too la ceded by Dana Timmer's group in 1999. Head of Howland Landing Ltd. of Reno, Nev., he spent $1 million to hunt forthe is Guinea. Andon July 2, she took off fromtherefor tiny Howland Islandon a2,556-mile flight that would be one of her longest and most dangerous. Earhart and her navigator, Fred Noonan neverreachedthe tiny atoll, less than a mile wide plane. Timmer wants to try again, but waits for more money ish colonial officer in Septem- ber 1940 found the bones of a castaway,” Gillespie said. Hesaid analysis of measure- mentsofthe bones suggest they are those of a white female of Northern European descent SoethaninalTes eerierea TIGHAR is trying to determine Nauticos Earhart Expedition crew members prepare to launch the Nomad Sonarsled from the where on GardnerIsland the bones were found in hopes of finding something the British missed. Other researchers believe the MarshallIslands are where Earhart and Noonan landed, andfrom there are someof the most intriguing theories. arhart's mother, Amy Otis Earhart, in a 1949 newspaper interview, said she was convinced her daughter was on a government mission and was stem of the research vessel Davidson during their search in May for Amelia Earhart’s Lockheed Electra near HowlandIsland, about 1,900 miles southwest of Hawaii. Whena book based on Gervais’ research cameoutin 1970 said the body was cremated. “We were inclined to think Herdeath certificate listed her Irene probably wasnot Amelia “Amelia Earhart Lives” by parents as unknown. Swindell has expanded on Gervais’ research, trying to Earhart,” said John Bolam, a retired aerospace engineer from Merritt Island, Fla., anda half-brother of Guy Bolam, Irene’s husband. However, he said, “The forensic studies are dos overlaysof photosof the pilot’s face and hands, matching very convincing.” perfectly with those of Bolam. “It’s an exact congruence,” said Swindell, who had the help of two forensicpathologists. Even some skeptics found the evidence intriguing. being Earhart, she was not an Joe Klaas — Bolam sued. Five yearslater, the defendants offeredto settle for the requested $2 million if Bolam provided fingerprints in front of the judge. Bolam instead dropped the suit, Gervais said in a 1996 interview with Tod Swindell, a Hehas acquired rights tothe pickedupby a Japanese fishing screenwriter. Lockheed Electra from Earhart’s estate, and he wants to boat and taken to the Marshalls, which the Japanese restore it and display it at a controlled. In his 1966 book “In Search of Amelia Earhart,” the late museum. = Gillespie, a former aviation accident investigator, heads up The International Group for Historic Aircraft Recovery (TIGHAR), a nonprofit that has made six trips to GardnerIslandoverthe past 14 years. During the most recent trip last September, the Wilmington, Del.-based group found evidence of a castaway at a site “way back in the brush.” Artifacts recovered during that trip are being analyzed, he said. down with their plane. Elgen Long, a consultant for Nauticos, a company based in Hanover, Md., supports the government conclusion and earlier this year led a $1.7 mil- missing pilot remains America’s great mysteries the subject of continuing ather jacket and silk scarf already had set numerous flying records when she began. her final flight i 20, 1937, Nikumaroro in the Phoenix Islands. “rahe Theories abound even 65 yearsafter her disappearance and two miles long. In one of Ric Gillespie, on the other radio messages to the ist GuardcutterItasca, hand, believesthe plane landed at GardnerIsland, now called Before Bolam died on July 7, 1982, she willed her body to Rutgers University for research. A spokeswomanthere cific Fleet Adm. Chester Nimitz told him Ear- waswell-traveled.” RELAX WITH YOUR FAMILY AWARD WINNING ORDIC HOT TUB SEATS5-6 Compare at 4000 + One former medical corpsman with the Japanese navy told Loomis of seeing an Amer- $95, ican woman and an American man at the Japanese naval base on Jaluit. Most who believe the Marshall Islands theory think Noonanwasexecuted andthat Earhart was executed ordied of dysentery. However, Joe Gervais’ research convinced him Earhart survived, was repatriated and HUGE SAVINGS! ON ALL DISPLAY MODELS! returned secretly to the United States where shelived in New Jersey under the nameofIrene Craigmile Bolam. Gervais,a retired fighter pilot, was introduced to Bolam in 1965 at a gathering of the Early before the pair and the plane disappeared June 2, 1937. many well-placed people and TURN YOUR DAY AROUND! Thelate Vincent Loomis, a retired Air Force officer, was oneofthefirst researchers to go to the Marshall Islands to interview witnesses.In fourtrips, he interviewed people who said they saw the plane come down or saw Earhart and Noonan. frontof their twin-engine LockheedElectra in Los Angeles days While Irene Bolam denied ordinary housewife as she claimed, John Bolam said. “She was influential, knew Fred Goerner says former Pa- hart and Noonan were picked up bythe Japanese. Associated Press file photo Pilot Amelia Earhart and her navigator, Fred Noonan, posein find out if Bolam was really Earhart. Recently he showed a conference of Earhart aficiona- Birds of Aviation, a group of aviation pioneers. He noticed her resemblance to Earhart and that she was wearing two military pins Earhart also wore. 90% SELECTED Sid perv» GAZEBOS Special Sale Hours 8801S. 700E.°SANDY (801) 569-3507 “F1075AT 9-6 eS 3 Hs Saay245) KeyDatesin Life | of Amelia Earhart | July 24, 1897 Atchison, Kan. June 1916 Born in Gradu- | ates from HydeF School in Chic: skips the gra WITH A NEW TEMPSTAR CENTRAL ~ AIR CONDITIONER FROM COMFORT ZONE COMPLETE12SEER CENTRAL A/C SYSTEM ceremony. Jan. 2, flying les structor Neta Snook, Los Angeles, July 24, 1921 Buys her first plane, a Kinner rsterbiplane. June 17, 1928 First womanto fly across the 1597 | Atlanticas a passenger. Feb. 7, 1931 Marries George Palmer Putnam, | May 20-21, 1932 First womanto fly solo across | Noank, Conn | the Atlantic. Jan, 11-12, 1935 - First INSTALLED > person to fly solo from Honolulu to mainland United States (Oakland, Calif.) April 19-20, 1935 First person to fly solo #2 Ton Unit w/ 25 Toa Coll from Los Angeles to Mex ico City, May 8, 1935 person to fly solo from Mexico City to Newark. MONTHS SAME AS CASH March 17, 1937 Starts around-the-world (AVAILABLE ON SELECTED MODELS-O.AC) flight, Oakland, Calif. At tempt ends three days later when she crashed on Luke Field in Hawaii at start of secondleg. May 20, 1937 Starts second attempt at around-the-world flight, Oakland, Calif, this time flying eastbound, July 2, 1987 Disap- pears on flight from Lae, New Guinea, to Howland Island. Jan, 5, 1999 cially declared dead, Om. ; 5 Yrs Parts & Compressor Warrenty Sale Ends July 12, 2002 First Oaaes LU bya aca TUS eos PAU) * West Jordan SOL-S06-8903 el Meee PMS TL) RHR A} GU et) Aa LC UROL AT) a= COmFroRr ZONE@--_ omeort “voursoy aoa! iach |_ 972-1900 ae «Utah Comty 843-5300 356-2600 Weber/No 334-5400 |
