The Hartford republican. (Hartford, Ky.) 18??-1926, 1914-03-27
NARROW ESCAPE
FOR ROOSEVELT
Caught in River Rapids
Equipment Lost.
Colonel Was Exploring Unknown
River-Members Of
Party Safe.

New York, March 23.-COl. Theo-
dore Roosevelts family and friends
were anxiously awaiting further .ad-
vices today regarding an accident by
which his party lost its entire equip
mcnt in the rapids of Brazilian
river.
The news of the mishap came in
brief message from Anthony Fieila,
member OF the party. II was dated
at Santarem, Brazil. yesterday. arb
read:
I'VE have lost everything IN the
rapids. Telephone my wife OF my
safety"
Santarem is in tho State of Para.
at III confluence Of the Tapajos river
with the Amazon. and the dispatch
was probably sent there by courier.
The accident, in all probability. &C.
Cured on an unknown river. which
Theodore Roosevelt, Jr.. today san
his father, in a letter to him, had
called the Rio Duivata. or "River OF
Doubt
Colonel Roosevelt, in a letter writ
ten on January 16, from Tapirapean.
In Matto Crosse, q province. In the
south central part of Brazil. and re-
ceived last week by Frank NJ. Chap
man, Of the American Museum of
Natural History, said that he OK
epected to explore this unknown riv-
er. He wrote:
I'VE are now about to go into the
real wilderness, whcra we shall have
to travel light, and can hardly collect
4 any big animals. In month or six
weeks we SHALL reach the headwa-
ters of the UNEMPLOYED river, taking
Kermit. Fiala and Cherrie with me,
rs well as Colonel Rondon and one
ort wo OF the Brazilians. 1t is not
possible to give a forecast as to the
time that will be required"
What this equipment of Colonel
Roosevelt's party was TO make the
trip down this unknown river is
largely a matter of conjecture. After
leaving the upper Parana and Para
quay rivers. which flow southwark
and join the Rio de La Plata. the
party had to traverse the plateaus.
extending through Paraguay and
Brazil. trip OF 500 miles or so.
This he party did safely on horse
back, accoiding to Geographic ad
vices whcih came through nine days
ago.
Colonel Roosevelt does not state in
any OF his letters what means OF
transportation, he would use. in de-
scendipg the unknown river. 1t Is
believed that nothing heavier than |
canoes could have been carried on
the 50O-mile journey ON horseback |
from the head waters Of the Para
quay tn the River of Doubt
The great danger in descendins the
streams that flow northward in Bra
I'll TO Join the Amazon Is In the many
rapids and falls. The plateau, which /
is on 4 average 5000 to 1000 feet
above the sea level. slopes abruptly
to the floor of the Amazon valley.
For this reason some OF the great
est water falls in the world ARE
found in these tributaries.
II is possible that after the ca
petition lest the equipment the MEN,
bers continued on their way down
stream on RATS or on foot. 1t is
probablel that their journey took
them 10 the Papajcs AMI that some
member of the party went on down
hte river to Santarem or sent a
messenger ahead to that place.
The loss In the rapids, outside OF
food. arms. camp material and instru-
ments undoubtedly incud1h the
birds and animals killed and photo
graphs taken from the time the party
started on the horseback trip over
the plateau.