Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1889-05-17
NEW VOL. 24-NO. "a
Bones From the Great Desert.


reporter saw in the hold of the steam
ship Wingates last Sunday afternoon.
The steamship, a British vessel, had
arrived at this port three days before
from Alexandria, Egypt. She is built
of iron and has an immense hold,
which is open 10 plain view from the
upper decks. When the reporter
boarded the ship she was lying at the
pier of the National Storage Com
pany, at Black Top Island, a little
spot of land east OF Bedloe's Island.
Down in the hold, into which the re-
porter was curiously gazing, was the
big heap of white, cleaning bones,
that looked like splinters OF wood.
A lot of swarthy sailors and some New
York longshoremen were busy shov-
elling them into big wooden buckets
that were hoisted by means OF wind
lass up 10 the main deck and thence
emptied into "A barge that was along
side
There are 200 tons of them," said
the mate of the Wingates, "and they
came from the Great Sahara "
The misfortunes OF man and beast
in the great desert Of North Africa
have thus been turned TO commercial
account. For centuries these bones
have been accommodating In the shift
ing sands, and every year adds TO the
ghastly store. Overcome by hunger
or thirst, or buried under tons of sand
driven by the terrible wind storms,
caravans have succumbed In the vast.
lonely waste year after year. Their
bones strew the paths OF the cara
vans. Some years ago German
trader conceived the idea OF collect
ing these bones TO sell for manufac-
turing and fertilizing purposes. The
idea was easily carried into execution,
for the bones lie near the surface, and
every wind blows away their sandy
shroud. Having received contracts
from European merchants he organ
lied and equipped caravans mt Alex
nndria and sent them into the desert
to gather the bones. The expense
was small, as the Egyptian labor IL
very cheap and there was no digging
required TO get at the merchandise.
Millions of tons OF bones lay there,
converting the big desert into n vast
cemetery, with no ornaments TO mark
the graves. The remains Of beast
and man, slave and owner, warrior
and merchant lay mingled together
in indistinguishabls masses. The na.
tives have shown no repugnance To
gathering the bones what were prob
ably their ancestors for the base pur-
poses To which they are destined, ea-
cept that they refuse TO take human
skulls. These they bury whenever
they come across them, but the de
capitnted skeletons are thrown In
with the bones Of the camels aud
horses.
The trade has increased 10 immense
proportions. and the German who
first embarked In the enterprise has
made large fortune out of the prof
its. The bones are used In the refine
ment of sugar, in the manufacture
of paper, and for fertilizing mater
ials. Some are TO be utilized In the
manufacture Of knife handles aud for
other utensils Think OF using
knife the handle OF which may have
formed part OF the anatomy OF an
Arab warrior Some Of the bones
that the reporter saw were large and
strong, but most OF them were broken
pieces, brittle and easily crnmbled.
There were great many curious
skulls, which the mate thought were
the heads Of camels. In every bas
ketful there were also some human
bones. The sailors had picked out
some human thigh bones which were
perfect No human skulls were found
in the cargo.
The Wingates was very unfortunate
on her voyage. and some Of the sail
ors ascribe the ships misbaps TO the
presence OF the human bones In the
cargo. After leaving Gibralter a
storm was encountered Ia which the
ship lost most OF her rails, and o.
miles from New York her shaft broke.
A part OF her crew landed on the
Long Island shore In an open boat
after considerable knocking around,
and the ship was delayed long time
ia reaching port.
shes doinned unlooky boat,
thot's all Owe got TO say" said one
of the sailors.
Besides bones the cargo consisted
Of bales Of Egyptian rags. In put
ting these bales In the hold many of
the bones were crushed, and IN hoist
ing them out again bones and bone
dust few in every direction. .-Ner