Omaha daily bee., 1908-11-04
PERIL in AFRICAN JUNeLES
Expert Explorer Discusses Danger
I'm President RoOseveltfs
Trip.

When President Roosevelt allowed 1t to
be announced that at the end of his presi-
dency he would go to Africa with his
second son, Kermit, a boy still under 90,
in quest of big game, the American peo-
Pile, knowing little of Africa, took 1t as
another phase Of the presidents many
sided character without considering more
than big game chances.
Baron A. b. d~'Altomonte, who for nearly
four years was commandant Of the police
forces in the Congo Free State and later
headed the six months hunting expedi-
ton of Prince Ellie Zurnikoff in British
East Africa, believes that it is folly for
a man of President Roosevelt's age to
tempt the fevers and miasmas of Africa.
He says it is exceedingly dangerous to
take a boy of Kermit Roosevelt's years
into the Jungle.
The baron says: How will President
Roosevelt hunt in East Africa? VIII he
take a train at Mombasa, put himself In
an open car in front of the engine and
shoot. while passing, at herds of wild
elephant or antelope? No, surely. He
will be forced by his own very daring
nature to hunt following the precepts Of
Nimrod, in the only grand way, with all
the trouble and all the dangers Of the
great battue.
This will necessitate camping at
night In the damp plains, among high
grass, full of insects and mosquitoes, or
on the border of the muddy and pesti-
lent river-home of the tsetse fly-or
in the tenebrous and treacherous forest.
full of miasmas and dampness. He will
be forced to the longwait lying in am
bush for the approach of the elephant;
he will have to face the torrid heat Of
the rocky and naked attitudes to hunt for
the lion and the antelope; he will have
to cross the putrid bottom of the valleys
to watch for the rhinoceros. and with
this last one some time he will be COM
PEELED to find the running strength of his
youth.
These are the general and particular
dangers Of a hunting party In Africa,
without mentioning the miseries Of the
daily life-bad water. the rainy season,
the fly pest, the inflammation of the
skin caused by perspiration. the nights
without sleep on account of the heat and
a hundred other things.
"To be short, l come to this conclusion,
hat whoever suggested or did not dis
suade President Roosevelt from going to
Africa has erred. He is so years old, and
at his age he would encounter many dan
gers in Africa merely as a traveller, but
as u hunlcI HS "a AaNt NAS bANoNCSN
perils of his life,
Apart from the African fever and
dysentery and other tropical diseases,
President Roosevelt has another great
enemy in his constitution, which is far
from being perfect. though the average
man may believe it is.
THE African sun is. death-dealing to
highly excitable and full-blooded men.
80. A man who so quickly loses his
temper as does the president is subject
when confronted with the miserable diff
ficulty of the African life to a special
form OF bilious fever, which decomposes
the blood and causes death in twenty
four hours. 1t is known as Hematurique'
fever.
Here is the percentage table of mortal
ity in Central Africa, as compiled by the
African Travelling association of Lon
don:
Age. Death. Life,
Twenty-three to thirty years. so so
Thirty to thirty-five years. ~. so 40
Thfrty-fiVe TO forty years. $50 80
Forty to sixty years. ...I 80