Omaha daily bee., 1914-05-28
COLONEL PUT RIVER ON MAP
7. r. Defies Cartographers in World
to Disprove Statement.
FIRES HOT SHOT AT HIS CRITICS
"No questions Are Asked 60 MY
Face" He says AFTER lie Inquiries
10 Anybody wants 60 Outs
Him ON River.


WASHINGTON. May H.-Prociaimed
tonight before a great sudisnce Of scien-
lists from many cities as the ''discoverer'
Of river in South America 100 miles
long. Colonel Theodore Roosevelt assured
the NATIONAL Geographic society that he
had put this river on the mao and chal-
lenged all the oartographers in the world
20 dispfove his achievement
The colonel had appeared before a
Washington audience on a previous oc-
caslon as an explorer. but never as a
eiscoverer and he was cheered to the
echo as he declared that the cartograph-
srs and geographers OF all nations we're
wrong in their maps OF the wilds of
BRAZIL. wherein he found and traced the
"Duvida river" or. as now more famlliarly
known. the River OF Doubt"
Put ~ IN ,he Map.
Scientists the colonel asserted had at
tempted to dispute his discovery Tracing
on-a blackboard with piece OF chalk the
river OF his finding. he declared emphat-
cally:
Il say we put Il on the map and
mean what l say No map has ever yet
shown this river. Scientists have said we
or the river Madeira. but the fact is that
come OF our party went down one river
and some went down the other. while we
went down a river In between them which
no mapmaker ever saw l can direct any
man where to find this river and rivers
stay put. 80 that the discovery we have
made, may be verified"
Describes Hnrdships.
The colonel described tho hardships |
endured in navigating the rapids OF the |
River Of Doubt In the upper part Of the |
river, he said. the rapids were so severe |
that II required forty-two days for the
party to traverse one degree from 1ll5
south to l0:l5 south. During that hazard
Ous trip they lost nearly all their food and
belongings
We we're forced 20 east monkeys 20 exc
out our rations the colonel declared
Don't shudder for assure you that after
this experience, you might leave me in the
monkey house without my making amy
mistake"
At the close OF his statement Colonel
Roosevelt offered to answer any aues-
tons which any one in the audience
might ask. After pause. during which
no questions were propounded. he said:
mo questions are asked mo TO my
The big auditorium Of washington's
convention hail was crowded with mem
bers and guests OF the society, leaders
OF official life and OF society.
Colonel Roosevelt made his talk from a
big temporary stage. fitted with maps of
South America. big stereopticon screen
and background upon which was drawn
scale chart OF a portion Of the. Amazon
river. with its tributaries, Madeira and
Tapajose. The charts showed the new
water course in dotted lines
When the colonel reached the platform,
q chorus Of cheers greeted him He was
introduced by President Grosvenor OF the
National Geographic society. and applause
broke out again as he reached from the
stage TO shake hands, with Major General
Leonard Wood and Chief Justice White
OF the supreme court.
Apologies for Drynesa.
Tho colonel was attired in evening dress
and seemed TO feel the extreme heat He
apologized for the 'dryness" Of his ad-
dress,
lie characterized the South American
expedition as ''soo-geographic reconnais-
anee' and said the wop OF early spanish
explorers who disco I'd the Amazon
river made the explorations Of our day
seem HRS chlld'i play" He added that
these explorers also discovered the mouths
Of several tributaries OF the Amazon.
some OF these rivers were not known
beyond their mouths for centuries" said
the colonel. even what they knew OF the
mouth OF the river am going TO speak
about was all wrong"
The colonel said he had not gone 10
South America TO discover rivers, but
on purely geological mission. but that
Dr' Muller Brazilian minister OF for
eisn affairs. had Inspired him to seek out
The now famous River OF Doubt"
DR.. Muller told me-" MIR. Roosevelt as
serted. that as a result OF the work ~
the Brazilian telegraphic commission jn
western Brazil. ali the maps in existence
OF that part of the country would have 10
be changed"
Drawers of the Mapa
Some Of these maps" the colonel said
with twinkle, were drawn by fellows of
the Royal Geographical society ana they
are all wrong. too.
Muller showed us the whole region
would have TO be remapped He said the
telegraphic commission had discovered the
sources OF the two new rivers. but they
knew not where they went One Of these
was the River Doubt" and Or. Muller
asked me why didn't investigate Il. I
told him. BY George. that's what / would
like to do"
Asserting that he made up his mind 20
undertake this task. the colonel continued:
Everything We did was based on what
the telegraphie commission OF Brazil, un-
der Colonel Rondon. had done during the
last seven years. All we did was 20 cap
the pyramid OF which they laid, broad
and firm, the foundations
N0t Too Much Rt Home.
Colonel Roosevelt urged that the. Geo
graphic society recognize the work OF
Colonel Rondon and the telegraph com
mission. adding: They have had not too
much recognition at home in Brazil"
In eriucising the modern maps, which
he said were AL wrong" the colonel said:
III IL almost impossible for me TO show
you what ! did on these maps, because
they are 30 preposterouSly wrong"
he presented q letter which he wrote
70 pr. Mueller. after he left the jungle.
describing the trip. II follows:
To his exeellency. the minister of for