The Clarksburg telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1874-1926, 1912-01-04
BY a Party under the Leader
ship of Berlin University
Professor.

which is to thoroughly explore the
Dead Sea and It's environs under the
leadership of DR.. Bruhl, OF the Uni
versity of Berlin, has just arrived
from Europe and continued to the
scene of Its future operations
The motives of the expedition, so
it is emphatically ayerred by DIR.
Bruhl, are purely scientific. with
absolutely no elements Of comper-
cialism entering into it's ultimate
object. Its members are, with the
exception of man from Copen-
hagen and possibly another from
Sweden, all German scientists and
engineers.
The expedition was organized in
Germany several months ago and
seems to be most thoroughly equip
ped. scientifically and otherwise. 1t
is financed by private subscriptions,
few members defraying their share
OF the expense while among the con-
tributors several leading Zionists
figure very prominently.
The work ~ exploration will con-
sist in me uaior part of sounding
the depth Of various sections Of the
lake as we'll as analyzing the unique
and complex composition OF its
waters. studying its shores, investt-
eating the nature of the different
minerals that are said to abound in
that region. exploring, as far as Is
possible, the channels Of the many
rivers and hot water streams. apart
from the Jordan, which flow into the
sea from both the eastern and west
ern mountain sanges that hem its
shores. examining and classifying
the varieties OF FISH that exist in
large numbers only in the extreme
southeastern section of the lake,
which consists mainly of shadows
and marshes. 1t must be remem-
bered in this connection that 1t has
always been firmly maintained by
those who visited the Dead Sea and
wrote treaties about 1t long ago
that no fish of any kind can make
their habitat in any part of 1t and
this long-established belief was
given the death blow only recently
by a pleasure party Of Americans
long resident in the country who
visited the southern end of the lake
and discovered fish.
So it remains for the members OF
the German expedition to arrive at
the causes which undoubtedly must
be due to varying conditions OF
chemical composition of the water
that make 1t possible for fish to live
in certain sections of the lake and
not in others; and, in short. to find
out everything about this strange
body of water from scientific stand
points that is worth knowing.
In order the better to facilitate its
operations the expedition has char
tered a little steam vessel for the
space of three months with the pro-
viso that at the option of DR.. Bruhl
the lease may be extended for an In
definite period.
What ultimate political or COM
mercial motives, If any, underlie the
surface of the enterprise time only
c9n show
This is by no means the first at
tempt made to explore the Dead Sea
region. Indeed. the honor of pr,-
GRITTY in this direction belongs 70 the
doughty Lieutenant w F. Lynch
of the American navy, who. as early
as the year 1S4S spent considerable
time in research and exploration OF
that region at the expense of the
American government and at great
risk to his person, FOR in those days
facilities for travel were Of the
crudest and people did not know
how to guard against the ravages
of malaria, to say nothing OF the
predatory marauding Bedouin. now
under effectual control by the Turks,
but who were then lot OF lawless,
aggressive bands
DESPITE all these hardships and
difficulties Lieutenant Lynch was
fairly successful IN making in taking
measurements as we'll as soundings
of different parts OF the lake To
him. moreover belongs the credit Of
being the first man to travel in
little boat from the Sea Of Galilee
down the River Jordan to the Dead
Sea.
According to the lieutenants mar
rative, the lake measures some
forty-six miles from north 10 south
and from six to twelve miles east
and west. ITS total surface area was
therefore computed to be 250 square