We were sitting in a French restaurant in San Antonio with my cousin, Delbert's oldest son and his wife, here for her Oncology conference. We started to reminisce. We talked about Edward, the lighthouse and about some of the great uncles and aunts. It seemed there was much information I had learned from my research that was unknown to him. Some he knew that I did not know. We discovered there was a mystery aunt none of us knew existed. Not even my uncle. Yet, her death notice was among the papers in the box. Her name was Mary Wilhelmina Rosina and she died the same year Edward's younger brother Alfred died of a ruptured appendix. Their deaths occurred six months apart.
Alfred's death was well known family history. The circumstance a horrible reminder that we live only because of the century we are born into. Alfred was visiting at the family home after the USS Morrill made anchor in Buffalo. It was fall and the leaves in western New York turned brilliant colors of the rainbow-splashing over the country side. While Edward was tending the light at the Horseshoe Reef Lighthouse in the Buffalo harbor, his brother was dying.
The day of Alfred's visit began in pain. As the day wore on the pain increased. Finally, the family called for the doctor. By the time the doctor arrived there was
no time to transport Alfred to the hospital. The dinning room table was cleared. Alfred was laid upon the hard wooden surface,the instruments for the operation set on the sideboard. The sisters held the light, handing the instruments to the doctor as he called for them. The doctor opened up Alfred trying desperately to save the young sailor's life. He was too late, the appendix had already ruptured spreading its deadly infection throughout his body. Alfred died that night on the family dinning table under the horrified eyes of his sisters. He was only 18 years old.
My cousin knew about our great uncle Charles who worked for the Parks Department in Washington D.C. He also was under the impression Charles simply operated the elevator at the Washington Monument for the tourists. I thought Charles had done much more then that based on what happened when we went to visit him once in Washington D.C. I mentioned he took us to all the sights, even arranged private tours of the Washington Monument. One living room wall was filled with photographs autographed by famous people. Scribbled across the glossy faces were inscribed personal messages such as, "Charlie, thank you for the wonderful tour of the Monument. You made history come alive for me". Some of the faces I did not know. But some I did. There was Lucille Ball and Shirley Temple. Heads of state and dignitaries stared back at me from that impressive jumble of photographs. I didn't think he just pressed an elevator button, although I didn't know exactly what his job entailed. What was his job?
In August, Richard's brother would turn 90 years old. A birthday celebration was being organized and I made plans to attend. I did not know that in addition to attending the celebration in Buffalo, I would be going to Washington D.C. And, while in Washington D.C. , I would learn something very interesting about Charles Herman.
That evening of reminiscing reminded me of the box, the unfinished research and the unidentified airplane. I was pulled off the mountain ledge I had been stranded on for two years. Although getting off the ledge was fairly easy, beginning the assent was a different matter. In two year's time a mountain can change and the path traveled completely altered. For all the Coast Guard historians knew I had just dropped off the face of the earth. The last email from their archivist was about the bi-plane with the museum curator's attached response discussing the possibility if it being Glenn Curtiss.
To begin the climb I sent off two emails and a letter. One email to the Coast Guard archivist, one email to the museum curator at the Glenn Curtiss Museum and a letter to Edward's niece. What happened next helped to plant the idea for a web site. The cultivation of that idea would occur soon after.
THE GILDED PLATE
(And Some Disappointing News)
The curator answered my email. He was willing to look at the Ernest Neibergall photograph. Edward's niece answered my letter. She did have a few photographs of Edward and Alfred. Photocopies of them would arrive in the mail. And, the Coast Guard was still interested.
From the curator for the Glenn Curtiss Museum came disappointing news. He felt certain the photograph was not Glenn Curtiss or his airplane. To make matters worse, he emailed a picture from their archives of another early plane flying past the Marblehead Lighthouse. It was not identified or dated. Great! Now there were two mystery planes!
I sent an email to the Rutherford B. Hayes Center informing them the photograph in their collection may have been incorrectly identified. I asked how the information about the plane had been obtained. I was informed Neibergall had written the information on the back of the photograph. Then they pulled the image from the collection and the web site, obliterating any hope I had of learning its identity. The landscape of the mountain had now suddenly changed.
Their archivist was curious about the collection in my possession. Upon learning it was about a lighthouse keeper from Ohio, they were interested. They would like to include in the files on local history a copy of my email. I told them when I was done with the research they would be provided a disc with all the information.
The following week an email arrived to my inbox from Southwest Airlines offering an unbelievable discount on airfare to certain cities. Included in the list were Buffalo, NY and Baltimore, MD. Suddenly, things were all falling into place. Perhaps my childhood pursuit, fifty-three years ago was now being returned. There were three things I knew I had to do. Attend my uncle's 90Th birthday celebration, go to Washington D.C. to research the lighthouse log books at the National Archives, and meet with the historians for the U.S. Coast Guard. I needed to know if the keepers had recorded the bi-plane flying past Marblehead Lighthouse.
Southwest Airlines had just handed me an opportunity on a gilded plate. I was about to eat the feast that came with the plate.
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