The evening herald. [volume] (Albuquerque, New Mexico) 1914-1922, 1914-06-19
Rescuing Human
History from the
Bowels of the Earth

When the announcement Is made
that some exploration expedition has
rescued from the bowels Of the earth
material that reveals the history OF
people who lived three thousand and
more years ago, few people realize the
attendant difficulties and hardshins
that are frequently underRnne for the
sake Of that branch Of science. Wat
lace y. Stearns, In a communication
tc the National Geographic society, a.
Washington, u. G, gives some idea OF
this side Of the work In the econ
.structlon Of Egypt's history.
These -stupendous excavations
along the Nlle call for equipment un
q considerable scale. ne SAYS. Work
must be rapid. December Ia Apri
J marks the working year. Every
moment is precious. Every carload
must count Every shovelful Of eartp
must be carefully sifted whenever
there Ia "A possibility 81 a Ind. Ev,p
n basket brigade Is sometimes pressed
into use. As soon as some apparently
valuable piece is located, workmen IRE
called on, experts are sent In; every
man Is on guard. Carefully every inrh
OF soil IL watched az the lasi baskets
e earth are removed Every fragment
must be saved and laid away unit
everything has been uncovered.
Think Of the disappointment when.
for example, a magnificent statue
comes out headless. Think Of the con
lectures as 10 the whereabouts Of the
missing piece and the Juror when. pei
haps weeks nfterward, the lost ~
found. There Is an air Of hushod cx-
%rcctancy, n suppressed excitement
lowering over. that keeps men up un-
der the most tense strain under which
the work Is Of necessity conducted
at Deir-el- Bahari the debris had
90 be carried to an old clay-pit in o.
uor to run no risk of covering either
temple or tomb. This precaution
doubtless saved the eleventh dynasty
! temple from burial beyond any hope
ul resurrection. ANY one whn took
! part in this work viii never see any
dust worth mentioning elsewhere. A.
q distance OF 30 yards a visitor would
hear a terrible hubbub, seeing Moth
ms but an impenetrable haEe Of dust.
from which would presently emerge
a tram, visible az ten yards. operating
under tho direction of a dust imp
almost Immediately followed by an
other. over the high embanSment
would plunge the loadr and the tram.
once started, rolled ali day ceaselessly
on It's double track, save for tho noon
sour OF rest.
America has Joined hands with the
old world In prosecuting this work.
| Wonderful are the results attained.
Every student Of history and iiteTa-
ture. every student Of the Bible. Is
vitality concerned In the combinations
yearly coming &c light from the sands
| OF Egypt. There Is need 81 haste. Ia
extend the arabic district 81 Egypt Is
an economic necessity. Accordingly
the British government has erected nc
Assouan the great dam. whose ss-foot
head has sent the waters ~ the Niie
/ back over great areas of hitherto airy
ground. Already a dozen Temps
have been flooded. and ere long viii
be- forever lost 10 sight. Already
beautiful Philae, az the head 81 the
first cataract, IN zone. The soil IL be-
coming inhiterated, n the stores 81
treasures. especially the papyrus man
uscripts. are being ruined, even be-
fore the waters cover the Eronnh
above.
However, through the sehlus "i
the engineer Egypt IL being bern
again. In her awakenine the land OF
the Pharoahs Is again TO play a role
among nations Art and sentiment
have been sacrificed 10 her commercial
welfare. The gain 10 Egypt. through
the conservation Of these i~ife-giying
waters In a rainless land, IL estimated
az t~l5.OO0,00O annually"