Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1914-03-27
Loses Entire Equipment in Brazilian
River.


friends are anxiously awaiting further
advices about the accident by which
his party lost it's entire equipment in
the rapids Of a Brazilian river. While
no concern, it was stated, was felt for
the colonels safety, yet his family
wanted to learn details of the accident
and whether the expedition would be
abandoned, especially as the party was
so far from the equipment base.
News of the mishap came in a brief
message from Anthony Fiala, a men,
Der Of the party. IL was dated at San
tarem, Brazil last Monday and read:
We have lost everything in the rap
ids. Telephone my wife Of my safety"
Santarem is in Para state at the con-
fiuence Of the Tapajos river with the
Amazon and the dispatch was proba-
bly, sent there by courier. The accident
in all probability occurred on an un-
known river which Theodore Roose-
velt, Jr., today said his father in a
letter to him had called the Rio Duiva-
Ia or River Of Doubt"
Col. Roosevelt in letter written jan
uary 16, from Tapirapoan in Matto
Crosse, a province in the south central
part Of Brazil and received last week
by Frank NJ Chapman Of the American
Museum Of Natural History, said that
he expected to explore this unknown
river. He wrote:
I'VE are now about to go into the
real wilderness where we shall have
to travel light and can hardly collect
any big animals. In a month or six
weeks we shall reach the head waters
Of an unexplored river. If my health
continues good, as 1 expect, / think 1t
possible that I will go down this river
to try and find out where it comes out,
taking Kermit, F,ialia and Cherrie with
me as well as Col. Rondon and one or
two Of the Brazilians.
Meanwhile the rest Of the party, in
cluding Miller, will go straight to Ma
deria and come down that to Manoas.
1t is not possible to give forecast as
to the time that will be required
Headquarters Of the unknown river
which Col Random at one time crossed,
according to Colonel Roosevelts let
ters, are in Matto Crosse, between the
Madeira and Tapajos rivers, two great
streams which flow northward to join
the Amazon.
What equipment was necessary to
make the trip down this unknown river
is largely matter Of conjecture.
Col. Roosevelt does not state in any
of his letters what means Of transpor-
tation he would use in descending the
stream. 1t is believed that nothing
heavier than canoes could have been
carried on the 500 mile journey on
horseback from the headwaters Of the
Paraguay to the River Of Doubt"
The great danger in descending the
streams that flow northward to Brazil
to join the Amazon is in the many
rapids and falls The plateau, extend
ing through Paraguay and Brazil for
500 miles, which is on the average 5000
to 1000 feet above sea level, slopes
abruptly to the floor Of the Amazon
valley. For this reason some OF the
greatest waterfalls in the world are
found in these tributaries.
1t is possible that after the expedi-
ton lost the equipment the members
continued on their way down stream
on RATS or on foot. 1t is probable that
their journey took them to the Tapajas
and that some Of the parties went on
down the river to Santarem and sent
messenger ahead to that place.
The specimens Of natural history
collected by the party on its trip up
the Parana and Paraguay rivers are
safe, it Is understood, as the colonel
had indicated he would ship them be-
fore he entered the Brazilian wilds.
The loss in the rapids outside of food,
arms, camp material and instruments,
undoubtedly includes the birds and
animals killed and photographs taken
from the time the party started on the
horseback trip over the plateau.
Col. Roosevelt has planned to arrive
next month at Manaos. From there he
was to start for Madrid to attend the
marriage of his son, Kermit, to Miss
Belle Willard of Virginia, daughter OF
the American minister