The Waterbury Democrat., 1937-07-19
Death Verdict For
 Edrhart, Noonan
CcOntinued from Page 1,

say sOS-SOs-sOs. That was the last authentic word from the flying laboratory, though there were many supposed radio communications from the plane during the first frantic week of searching for it.
 Gave Up Her Radio
 The cutter Itasca had been sta- toned at Rowland Island to pro- vide her with weather reports and to give her radio bearings. But, before her take-off, for some un- known reason, she had abandoned 8 radio that broadcast on 800 me- ters-the only wave length by which the Itasca could take bear ings and establish her position.
 The Itasca immediate began the search for her. It was joined by the British freighter Moberly. The bat tleship Colorado with three planes raced to the scene from Pearl Har- bor, Hawaii, the Lexington and her three destroyers from San Diego. The planes and ships searched the Phoenix Islands to the south of Rowland and the Gilbert Islands to the west, and all of the sea be- tween and around them, but with out the least success.
 Covered All Territory
 we have covered all possible ter- ritory," Admiral Murfin said, some of 1t we have been over as much as three times. I could not conceive of any other place where we might direct our search, and obviously we can't keep it up indefinitely.
 "After going over the charts we decided that if we had 8 good day yesterday and today we would have covered everything.
 we used all the information that was available and some of which we believed to be accurate. For the most part, however, our search was based on conjecture.
 If we had secured information that would have given us the posi- ton of the plan within 200 miles, perhaps we could have found it.
 "The case, as 1t was, left us look ing for a needle in haystack.
 we feel that we've done every thing possible now"
 SkepticaI From Start
 It was learned that many navy officials were skeptical from the start of the search. They felt her plane could not have floated even with the best possible ocean land- ing. They wished, however, to over- look no possibility.
 Authorities believed there was lit- tie chance that the bodies of Miss Earhart and Noonan ever would be found.
 Admiral Murfin estimated that the navy's search covered approx imately 100000 square miles.
 Noonan was A. He was a mem- Der of 8 well-to-do Chicago family and attended private military academy in Illinois before going to sea at IS, determined to devote his life to ships.
 In 1910, when he was only IT, he entered the Royal British naval service and served on the Baruue Crompton, Great Britain's biggest square rigger. He rose steadily through the ranks and became a master mariner.
 Before he turned to aviation, he had 22 years of ocean service be- hind him. He rounded Cape Horn seven times. While making a voy- age across the Atlantic from Lon- don to Montreal, he figured promi- nently in the rescue of five French sailors adrift on the ice. Later he helped rescue the crew of Portu- guese fisherman.
 Noonan entered the aviation field as an instructor. Seven years ago, he joined the Pan-American Air. ways in Miami. Fla. He started as a transport pilot. He subsequently, became airport manager at Portu- Prince, Haiti and travelling airport inspector. Later, he served as nav. igation instructor in the Caribbean division. Two years ago, he was transferred to Oakland, Cal. He was the pioneer navigator of the initial flights of Clipper ships from Oakland to Honolulu. After this line was established, he resigned.
 Last March Noonan married Mary Marginella, of Oakland.
 Sister Still Hopes
 Medford, Mass, July l9-(UP)- Amelia Earhart's sister, Mrs. Muriel Morrissey was "still hoping" today even though i've just have to face the fact that the navy has given her up as dead"
 If Amelia is dead" Mrs. Morris sey said, "she went the way sse would have wanted to go-in her beloved plane"
 She lauded the navy for doing everything humanly possible, a perfectly wonderful job," but still believed "there is a very remote chance that she and Captain Noonan were picked up by a fishing boat"
 "If death came," she said, T think as does G. P. (Amelia's hus- band, George Palmer Putnam) that it came almost instantly. It is like- ly, since the navy airplanes found no trace of the plane, that she oVA uSh HI uSSp WdteI. H CIldb lS 50, death was quick and merciful-and that is what must have happened"
 Mrs. Morrissey said she had re- ceived today a letter from 11-year- old Helen Jones of Warren offer- ing thoughts which the Morrissey family said were comforting"
 Don't give up hope" Helen, wrote. T shall always think of her as Queen Amelia on some savage island. There she probably will be teaching the little black children how to fly"
 Other letters arrived from young friends of the Morrissey's two chil- dren, David, 2, and Amy, {. N EWNWVNY YN NwWVWVY