How many layers of hearsay do we have here?! Has anyone verified the contents and authenticity of this letter from Rosendahl that supposedly was sent to Payne which then was supposedly written about to the Wingfoot editor? I'm betting that neither of these two letters even exist{s} anymore. This is so bad, it makes me wonder if anyone can track down the Wingfoot article.
Even if this Rosendahl letter is found and verified, who is to say that at the age of 84 he simply didn't recall a bend he may not have thought about for decades, and which may have been presented in a different way?
"Hearsay", you say?! "so bad..." !!
--in contrast/competition to
what, exactly, otherwise?
Are you so secure in your tower upon one article's assertion
from some "Joe Collins"'s hearsay about what Rosendahl did
that you deny Rosendahl himself contrary argument? Do note
that Lee Payne is co-author of the article and supplier of the
R. assertions, so that is the same hearsay-link for both sides.
(Actually, IIRC, it's Lee's brother Bob who connected with the
supposed Joe, and I'm forgetting it it was even clear whether
the two brothers had actual contact w/"Joe" or if their article
arose on Bob's hearsay of Joe !)
We know at least that Rosendahl existed; do we know this
about Collins? If we can, by naval records, find no evidence
of this Collins (though among ample records otherwise),
that raises an obvious question. And if there is no record
otherwise about the supposed required special knot to do
some service (that a student of airship mooring cannot
conceive of!), that too raises questions --wouldn't a military
organization have made mimeographed tying instructions
issued to rope handlers so that they could learn the knot?
And do you also think that Rosendahl and not Collins was
confused about where the alleged training occurred? --this,
too, would be a serious dent in the latter's credibility if it
could be shown that, by extant records of his existence
in the navy, Collins was never at one of these places (and
so would have no reason for getting it wrong).
The best you can say on the Rosendahl commentary is
Why did HE
NOT raise the question about how any such knot [red added 20171108]
could play a roll (as does Giles)?!
--a fair point, that.
Except that one answer that springs to mind is that Cmdr.R.
was so knot-NOT-savvy that he simply had no clue, in such
matters : that hardly speaks to his having originated or
even insisted upon some particular, novel knot.
My weak surmise is that this Joe Collins did exist, and was
perhaps the orginator of the knot, but wanted to make a
*legend* for it (harkening to
Tinker,Taylor,Soldier,Spyconcluding book
Smiley's People reputed spy jargon
for getting a cover story for someone).
--dl*
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