Amarillo daily news. [volume] (Amarillo, Tex.) 19??-current, 1914-06-12
EXPEDITION TO
EXPLORE EGYPT
ENpECT TO ExHuME MATERIAL
WHICH WILL GIVE INSIGHT
INTO HISTORY
STUP[NDOUs EXCAVATION
Assouan Dam Sending Waters ol
Nile over Dozens Of Ancient
Temples Rapidly Destroy
ing Records
special to The News,

Special 10 The News,
WASHINGTON. u. C.. June IL
When the announcement is made
that some exploration expedition has
rescued from the bowels OF the earth
material that reveals the history oi
people who lived three Thousand
and more years ago. few people real
ize the attendant difficulties and
hardships that are frequently under
gone for the sake OF that branch OF
science Wallace ~ Stcarns. In
Communication TO the National Geo
graphic Society, al Washington, ID. Z.
gives some idea of this side OF the
work In the reconstruction OF Egypt's
history.
These stupendous excavations
along the Nile call for equipment on
considerable scale. he says. Work
must be- rapid December | TO April
marks th working year. Every
moment is precious. Every carload
must count Every shovelful OF
earth must be- carefully sifted when
ever there Is a possibility Of find.
Even basket brigade Is sometimes
pressed into use As soon AS some
apparent by valuable piece Is located.
workmen are called off. experts are
sent IN every man Is on guard.
Carefully every inch OF soil Is watch
ed a. the last baskets of earth arc
removed Every fragment must he
saved and laid away until everything
has been uncovered.
Think OF the disappointment
when, for example. magnificent
statue comes out headless. Think OF
the conjunction as TO the where
| abouis OF the missing piece and the
iurOr when. perhaps. weeks after
ward, the lost Is found. There is an
air of hushed expectancy. a suppress
ed excitement lowering over. that
Keeps men mp under the most tense
strain under which the work Is OF
necessity conducted.
Eat Deir-el-Bhari the debris had To
be carried 10 an old clay pit In order
io run no risk OF covering either tem-
fis or tomb, Thi pTecai ton doubt
ss saved the eie enth d.'nssty tenn.
f" hurn' 'ff,sr sf,s iicpe of
,uituesl0l hhl teLi.,,h tcs. ~ &
'n a. wori VII never TIc any dust
worth men loning elsewhere. At a
distance of so wards visitor would
hear terrible hubbub. seeing moth
/ iu, but an impenotrable haze OF dust.
/ from which would presently emerge a
tram visible at ton Yards operating
under the direction OF dust imp
almost Immediately followed by an
other over the high cnbankment
would plunge the loads. and the
train. once started. rolled all day
ccasolcssly on its double track. save
/ fer the noon hour Of rest.
America has Joined hands with
/ tho Old World IN prosecuting this
: work Wonderful are the results at
| tanned Every student Of history and
/ literature. every student of the Bible.
. is vitality concerned In the confirma-
/ ilona yearly coming tO light from tho
/ ands of Egypt There Is need OF
haste To extend the arabic district
of Egypt is an economic necessity.
accordingly the British government
/ has erected ~ Assouan the great dam
/ whose '5-ioOt head has sent the
/ waters of the Nile hack over great
ar"as of hitherto dry ground Al
/ ready dozen temples have been
/ flooded and ere long viii be forever
lost Co sight Already beautiful
/ rhl.ao. a., the head of the first cata-
/ raCi is gone. The soil Is becoming
iunltratod ana the stores OF treas
urcs. especially the papyrus manu-
scripts. are being ruined, even be-
/ fore the waters cover the ground
above
However. through the genius OF
tho engineer Egypt is being born
again Ia her awakening the land
of the Pharoahs Is again TO play a
role among nations Art aud senti-
meut have been sacrificed to her
/ commercial welfare. The gain to
/ Egypt through the conservation o,
these ltc-riving waters in a rainless
land is estimated at $4,000 ,00O an-
nualN