Baxter Springs news. [volume] (Baxter Springs, Kan.) 1882-1919, 1913-05-22
Story Of Burke and Wills Fatal
Exploring Expedition Recalled.
Disaster Caused by Bad Luck Due to
Ineompetenee-seVen Members OF
Party Who Attempted to Cross
Australia Suecumb.

Sydney, N. s. W.-One OF the sad
dest stories in connection with the
exploration OF Australia Is that OF
Burke and Wills, whose monument
forms one OF the principal sights In
Melbourne. a lofty pillar OF stones In
the Royal park. showing the precise
SPOT whence the III fated explorers
accompanied by party OF thirteen
others, including two German scien'
lists, together with two years sup
plies carried by camels, started IN
1860 to cross Australia from south
to north. Stuart had made an unsuc-
cessful attempt fifteen years previ'
ously at q cost Of $4,000 ($2O,OOO) to
perform a similar feat, and Stuart
had made two failures. although by
a singular coincidence he ultimately
succeeded in the attempt. The over
land telegraph posts still In use marx
the course which he took and he was
borne through the streets of Adelaide
in triumph, though a physical wreck.
on the very day that the bodies OIL
Burke and Wills. arrived on their way
to their last resting place In Mel
bourne.
The story, which is graphically told
in Life, is one of remarkable enter
prise, equipped regardless of expense.
utterly ruined by incompetence and
bad luck, the one, indeed. being the
cause of the other. Burke. who had
been a captain In the Australian army
and subsequently inspector Of police
at Melbourne, knew nothing OF the
Australian bush, was "haphazard In
his methods, kept no journal OF his
own on the expedition" and according
to one who knew him well, used to
alter his mind SO often that 1t was
not possible at times to understand
what he really did mean"
Landells, who was originally sec
ond in command. left the expedition
at an early stage. and predicted GER
tain disaster at Cooper's creek. At
Menindie, on the Darling, Burke and
Wills, the surveyor, with six others
pushed forward to Cooper's creek.
leaving Wright to follow with the
bulk of the supplies at the earliest
moment"
From Cooper's creek Burke again
pushed forward with Wills. King and
Gray, half a dozen camels and an al
together inadequate equipment OF
stores, and made a dash for the sea.
leaving Brahe with three men and
ample supplies, verbally instructlng
him to follow on Burke's tracks when
Wright arrived.
Burke managed to reach the Find
ers, which had q tidal motion, show
ing that the sea was not far on, but,
as the little party had nearly exhaust
ed their provisions. they determined
to return to the camp at Cooper's
creek. On the way they lost one Of
the men from starvation. the single
days delay caused by burying their
comrade being responsible for the
death of both.
Various expeditions were organized
from Melbourne to find the missing
men, one of which discovered King, q
wasted figure, covered with some
scarecrOw rags and part of a hat"
who showed them the place where
Burke and Wills had died. 1t IL =
curious fact that, whereas Burke's
last orders to Burke. we're that he
should shoot the blacks down at once
II they gave any trouble. they were
almost the only ones who shed tears
over his grave. and 1t was through
their unfailing kindness that Kings
life was saved.
Altogether seven members Of the
expedition persisted, while the sum
actually spent on II amounted to
$4,000 (S2s5. 0O0), by far the largest
sum, we are told. that was ever spent
in Australian history. on . single ex-
ploring expedition And Jet. By .
strange irony. though the weather
conditions were perfect. food abund-