The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1902-12-24
SIBERIAN MAMMOTH PRESERVED
Some Facts Regarding How the
Bones Were Kept.

I
Some tighten months ago The rnverro,
OF fatutsk informed the Imperial seien-
tific Academy OF St Petersburg Of ar
Unusually interesting discovery In Siber-
IA. A Cossack had learfed from the ma.
| tives that a gigantic animal with huge
tusks had been found embedded in tho
ice on the Beresovska. a tributary TO the
Eoiymz river. about % miles from sveiin-
koiymsk- Firm the description given !,
seemed probable that the animal was a
mammoth. and DIR. Otto Herr. director O.
the Museum. and Herr Psitzemayer. nat
uraiist. were authorized 10 proceed 70
the spot and bring IL TO So Ptersourg in
as good condition as was possible under
the circumstances. The animal Is nov IN
the Russian capital. where II Is being pre-
served and set up. Special interest attach
es TO IL. as 10 Is tn most complete specs-
men OF the long extinct species ever yet
ottaind
Although In DR.. Herz's opinion II Is
$500 years old the skeleton Is In won
derfully good preservation. as IS also the
hairy covering OF the skin. aessrs. Herr
and Psitzemayer succeeded IN carrying
out their mission successfully. but without
any difficulties. Last summer they trav-
eled TO Yakutsk. and then their troubles
commenced From that point 10 where
the mammoth has ben found was a dis
lance OF l.2o0 miles. which had 20 be tray-
ersed on horseback The country was an
extremely dif1cait one; mosquitoes swarm
ed and in the dangerous swamps Il hap
pened more than once that 4 Cossack and
his horse disappeared without leaving
trace behind them At length in the
autumn the party reached theid des,lna-
ton and found, 70 their satisfaction. the
huge beast resting IN an almost hori-
zontal position. Probably II had stumbled
when grazing and fallen into erevasse.
I he foreless. especially. the left one. were
much bent. which showed that while
attempting 10 recover Itself the animai's
body had proved too heavy the hind legs
slipped underneath y and i; became froz-
en- fast. Thus the beast persisted and
has ever since tain uEcisturbcd beneath
the Inyr Of arth which Ia tn course Of
sgsr formed above the ice. until a; iengtn
the warmth OF the Gun exposed u To the
light
IL was necessary 20 remove The re-
mains before TIE advent OF spring other
wise IL would have been to- late Viii
animals had airady begun 70 tear at the
flesh ard 20 preserve the remains OF the
spot wss impossible. "a a body whleh Rad
lain for 80 long IN the Ice decomposcs wlth
greater raYidity when exposed 70 the air.
Il was. therefore. determined 70 divide
u into several parts. forwarding each one
In frozen state. and putting them TO-
gefher sftsrward 4 hut with stove Ia
Was constructed over the mammoth. sns
a sthe ice gradually melted TIE portion
thus released was renauved ard daily pre-
pared FOR transit The entire process q
excavation occupied tso months. during
which time the open air temperature ives
= degrees Celsius. The iegs and feet re-
ssuhie those q an elephant. s1ee9t that
The latter has three tees. the mammoth
Eve. The hair Is % a bfoWussh yellow
-eior. and - 40 long ard thick that is
,wrer could hardly have felt cold II any
temperature. however fo~. The sk.n r.
from GO = ma .tslcks. ard underneath
Z there Is a layer q fsf > nm thick
blood was found in the body ard n iha
mouth there vas remains % fooS 81
which the MARKS - the teeth we're TN.
5Tessed- III. contents 81 TIRE stomach
here e7e-nous and n quite a fresh
tate. r. SPITE Of the great ti~crifies u
he journey si the VARIOUS Dort5ons were
conveyed S1thoEt insarT CT Ioss .ts p,
Petersburg AID soy oenstita;e q gasq-.
reply.