The San Francisco call., 1910-06-22
MASTERS TELLS
STORY Of DREAD
DESERT TRAGEDY
One of Charles DayidSOn'S COM
paniOns Tells Narrowing
Story of His Death
Herbert Masters Describes Trip
of Party Engaged TO Sur
yey BOrax Lake

trip. returned 10 this city To-Day IN
other members of the party, which in
GUIDED Norman C. Stines David Bunker
and w Bowdin, will return tomorrow
night.
johannesburg in Stine's machine Il
make = run across the dry bed of 30
rsx lake While making the trip th'
batteries of the automobile gave oui
and it was sent back TO secure new
ones.
PARTY WITHOUT WINTER
In the machine were the provisions
and water for the entire trip. and soor
the need OF water in the burning desert
was felt The party, headed by David
son. started on a 80 mile walk for the
nearest springs and had walked many
niles over the dry bed of the lake
when Davidson declared that ne was
unable TO go farther-
He urged the othey members of the
party to let him lie down and die. a;
he was on the point OF exhaustion
strenuous efforts were made TO resus-
citate him without water, but he uleo
shortly afterward. It is believed here
MAJ an anection OF the heart. which
NE had been warned might be fatal ii
hot climate, had much TO do with his
death
The other members of the party
staggered on and met the returning
q1ltornobiIe. which was dispatched fof
the body Of Davidson.
BODY BURIED IN SAND
On account Of the heat it was deemed
advisable TO bury the body in the des-
.rt. and hollow OF the sand was dug
as his resting place
Masters declared that the other mem
5ers OF the party suffered severely from
he heat. but soon recovered when wa
er was reached. Masters said:
oar party. headed by Charles s.
Davidson. has as its object the sur
Neying of sections Of BoraX lake.
which is virtually a dried lake
about p miles from Searles station,
on the edge OF the Mohave desert.
We set out in an automobile from
Berkeley with nine men. They
were.
c :. Davidson. eell Virginia street,
Berkeley; Norman Stines, 1884 Arch
street. Berkeley, David Bunker,
2627 Ridge road, Berkeley: Thomas
Graves. 262E Ridge road, Berkeley;
q. Herbert Masters, 1917 Spring
street. Berkeley; Richard ;. Badger,
1880 Euclid avenue, Berkeley }. +.
Baudin, Go Thirty-first street, Oak
land: r r. Bray. Bakersfield; Ii.
Lawrence, Bakersfield.
FEET SINK IN HOT MUD
For the first two miles Of our
trip across the lake, which we
made on foot we encountered no
difficulty, except the constantly in
creasing heat of the day. The
floOr of the lake was not absolutely
dry, and. as we progressed. we dis
covered the bottom growing damper
until. at each step, we sunk to our
ankles in a sticky. white alkai
mud. The top of this mud was
crystslized and il was so hot that
we felt it through our shoes.
Through the necessities of our
saf1r- ~ ~
the outset. Five of us struck
directly across the lake. two others.
Stines and Bunker, paralleling our
course a mile distant the latter
refusing provisions and water.
Those two men lasted all that day
without water, and went that day
and the next day until noon with
out a mouthful of food.
After carrying the survey across
the lake a distance of approximate
ly two miles, Davidson complained
Of the heat. suggesting that the
survey be given up for the day and
all possible effort made to reach the
other side Of the lake. although the
water in the canteens was not eX-
hausted. To this we all agreed.
Abandoning the surveying instru-
ments, we set out for the other
side. il was then II o'clock.
HEAT WAVES ARE DECEIVING
1t was soon seen that Davidson
was the greatest sufferer from the
heat but the deceiving effect of the
heat waves arising from the lake.
seemed to indicate that, with the
distance we had already gone, it
was better to push on TO the other
side Of the lake. We supported
Davidson and encouraged him for
possibly a mile. taking frequent
rests and using the water spar
ingly.
Suddenly Davidson collapsed,
sinking TO his knees. We raised
him, thinking that this was a tenn
porary weakness. But the end had
come. For. as if he saw some
thing ahead of him, he broke away
from Us. ran SO feet ahead and
then fell fat on his face. When
we reached him we saw that all
was over. He was laid down gently
and Badger volunteered to stay
while the rest OF US hastened for
water. AS a matter of fact Da-
wilson lived an hour but he was
unconscious all that time, and we
have one satisfaction that he did
not suffer after his first collapse.
Tom Graves forged ahead of us.
] followed and, after an interval,
Baudin, who had fingered with Ds-
wilson and Badger, struck out by
himself Meanwhile Stines and
Bunker were struggling ahead on
their own tack. separated at times
by so great distance that, TO u.s.
looking over the binding alkali
and the desert mirage. Il seemed as
il they had outstripped us in the
race for the other side
SUFFERING CAUSES DELIRIUM
The details of that afternoon are
still indistinct TO me and viii
probably never be very clear.
know that. as we saw the other
side Of the lake, Quivering always
far ahead of us. we gave up hope
Every one OF us suffered with de-
lirium. We wept when our last
drop of water went. and we ques-
TONED whether we would ever pull
ourselves out of that sink. fearing
we would leave our skeletons to
Join the many we saw in the course
OF our terrible journey
] remember thatNwe broke down
and cried like children. Stines, so
sure was he that he had reached
the finish, sat down and. on tiny
scrap Of paper. wrote a farewell
message 10 his wife in Berkeley.
While we did what little we
could for each other. we soon real
ized that II was case of the sur
Nival OF the fttest. and we made
what pace we could individually,
one OF Us going ahead for a while
only 10 be passed by the other all
making the best speed we could for
nc other side. where, al we had
been led to believe, water and
human aid would be forthcoming
There was a strong. hot desert
WIND blowing with us and, while
this was an aid, il caused several
OF the party TO lose their hats [
lost mine and had TO go half a
mile out OF my course in order IN
recover IT, Stines lost his hat and
made the rest Of the journey with