The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-04-11
LOST IN THE BIG DESERT.
TWO MORE EXPLORERS DIsAPPE<R
IN INNER AUSTRALIA.

~ NNtNN NNaNNA ~ HNNNA 81 -
II IL n Foriorn nopr-Their Threo Cors-
rades struggle out OF the Desert Artev
Terrible MISUNDERSTANDING but Red saRa.
Two moro explorers have been swallowed UP
in the frightfnl wastes OF inner Australia, and
tho probability Is that they will never be heard
from again. The unfortunate men are Charles
+. Wells. tho second in command of tho Calvert
| expedition. and j. W. Jones. tho gcologist of the
party. Though every effort is now making to
find them. 1t Is n forlorn hope, and there ia little
doubt that they persisted OF thirst among tho red
sands of the great desert.
This expedition wns fitted out by Mr.. Albert
F. Calvert, a wealthy gentleman who has taken
much interest in Australian exploration. II
started from tho little settlement of Cue. In
West Australia, southeast of the Murchison
River, In June last year. The expedition con.
sisted of five persons under the leadership Of
Mr.. J.. A. Wells. 1t had twenty oamels to carry
the baggage, and was equipped with everything
that money could supply to insure the safety of
tho party and facilitate tho scientific
work. It's purpose was to cross the in
land desert from south to north, emery.
Ing on the north coast. 1t would thus
traverse q vast area OF country that had not
been seen by any explorer and would cross the
tracks of tho expeditions Of Giles and Warbur>
ton, which traversed the waste from east to
west. 1t was believed that tho Calvert party,
well equipped. as il was, for scientific work,
would practically complete our knowledge of the
conditions existing in this extensive desert.
Few details OF the fortunes Of the party have
yet been received. but it is known that 1t suf-
fered terrible hardships and nearly persisted
owing to scarcity of water. But the expedi-
ton has actually crossed the desert, and, to that
extent, 1t carried out the programme pro-
pared for it. When 1t reached the Fitzroy River,
In the north part Of the continent, two members
ygnrnr air n thu nfhnr NnR a
than alive.
Their, greatest troubles began when they
the Joanna Springs on his map during, his bril-.
liant Journey through the western half Of the
Astounding springs. In the heart of the desert that
s csiSsr, the n,r lives rss of si; ,b pad5 syioDh But when yhe, THE the
need or water. Wells says that either the
s sRRsrts Or s sise h Ssin bt ins1rgsSf f9: F RsTeo ths on w the
%do 9 onjiy z srd 9ew t Ssl Fi9sr OF T RItsF. left & sDs s stlll
lucky find saved them from death.
Some distance to the north they ran across a
gallons Of water. A large part Of this supply
condition that five Of them were left there, while
personal equipment and camping outht Of the
party. So all the extra gear. firearms. ammuni.
eSmsr aas "nd s n1s'Syy p SiRefsim msps t RSno!9sr aTsy.
The nat%Gelist, NJ; keartlands, had collected
heart to Quart part Sntf'm these r rnh results re- ufal'y 0fohe III
Mr.. W ellis retained four buckets Of water for
f With u tbis 81 su ihs three ibee w msn a stu re Ee% G9ans g a ass
mile, stretch Of waterlcss desert. They finally
reached the Fitzroy River, where much.needed
Mr.. Wells describes the entire country as
simply a red desert, consisting of nothing but
While Yet $50 miles from the Fitzroy River,
Charles F. Wells and Geolosist Jones were
trip eighty miles lie west. It was e expected that ihee
trip would take only a few days, and they were
ing has been heard OF them since. The only
hope that they are alive seems to rest upon the
R ISsm. inst s asA th eHe saved ~sf t ha,'E Iifs W OF Mr. fHf Rins,
the only survivor OF the Burke expedition in
for fsei several ere m aaps pp nfier Ta the a lpp shs %di time: T bSs
their own necessities compelled them to pass on.
III II Wells g end Jones sue,ssded Il returning TO
ger. When the news reached the mouth of tho
fitted out to search for the lost men. The relief
party started on Dec; 9. There is. however, no
them long before relief from the coast could
The total failure Of water supplies defeated
the large Lindsay expedition Of 1891. and Lind
vert party. In 1875 Giles found in the southern
part Of the Great Victoria Desert a remarkable
cred there the Victoria Springs. When Indsay's
work became not a hunt for geographical dis
coveries, but for water. no made straight for
these springs. What was his horror upon reach.
ing the place. with his camels in a perishing
condition. to find that the terrible heat and long
drought had turned the green oasis into :
scorched and barren desert. Not q drop Of water
could be seen. and yet they must have water or
die. They began 10 dig in one OF the hollows.
and at a depth of twenty feet they reached
water so impregnated with alkali as to be almos,
undrinkable, but neither man nor beast refused
it. They filled their water bags and advanced
toward civilization $50 miles before they cnme
to q fairly good water supply.
There have been more tragical incidents in
Australian discovery than in that OF any other
OF the continents. Australia is far smaller than
the other continents. and the reason why 1t has
been so difficult TO explore is because Of its utter
lack Of rivers, that might serve rs navigable
highways leading to the far interior. The list Of
explorers who have been killed by the natives
or who persisted Of thirst and hunger is appal.
linGly long. The two greatest Catastrophesw were
tho loss Of the entire Leichardt expedition OF
1siT. of which not the slightest trace was ever
found after il entered the desert. and the fate OF
the Burke and Willis party OF 1881. all OF whom
except Mr.. King died Of their privations,
STRONG Err THAN IT LOOKED.