The sun., 1919-06-16
RIVER NAMED FOR
KANSAS CITY MAN
Dr.. E. r. Heath Led Romantic
So. American Expedition.
ny REV. JOHN #. o'HARA.

Director, Chamber Of Commerce, Unit
vcrsttU Of Notre Dame.
Tho comforting by the University OF
Notre Dame OF the degree Of doctor of
laws upon Dr. Edwin r Heath OF Kan
sas City recalls one Of the most romantic
expeditions in the history Of South
American exploration.
The River Heath. which now forms
part of the boundary between Bolivia
and Peru, was named In honor Of this
explorer by the Bolivian Government
commission he journeyed more than a
thousand miles In a canoe. mapping out
\ the courses Of two Of the most important
| tributaries OF the Amazon, the Msdre de
Dios and Benz rivers.
| DR.. Heath's contributions to geogra-
ply and ethnology were recognized in
England. where he was made a Fellow
Of the Royal Geographical Society in
| 1888, but through Indifference credit for
the doctors achievements has generally
been withheld by the United States. The
| Importance OF DR.. Heath's work was
recognized by the department of Latin
American history of the University of
Notre Dame. and at its suggestion this
tardy acknowledgment of his services
was made.
| Although so years Of age DR. Heath IL
still hale and hearty and is practising
medicine in Kansas City. He was born
in GAINESVILLE, Wis. In 1899. When but
10 years of age he journeyed with the
gold hunters to California. He left the
trail of adventure long enough to study
medicine, graduating from the Homa-
opathic Medical College in New York
city in 1868.
Goes to South America.
Six years later he made his first trip
| to South America az Secretary OF the
American Legation in Chile. Within q
year he had crossed the Andes at the
two hazardous passes Of Uspahata and
Portillo. the latter at an elevation of
1880 feet. Soon after this he was en-
gagged by the famous naturalist. Prof.
Agassiz. to collect amnlonite fossils at
the Caracoles silver mines east OF An
tofagasta, on the Pacific coast.
After a term OF service as surgeon-in-
chief OF the Pacasmayo Railway, an
early American project in Chile. he re-
turned to the United States to prepare
for the exploration of the Benz River.
The voyage down the Benz commenced
August s. 1880. His companions de-
serted him until only two Indian boys
were left to help him with his canoe.
What perils he encountered may be
Judged from the following extract from
his observations:
"Ildefonso had the bow line, Sebastian
the stern line, and I was In the water
to keep the boat from the rock Ilde-
fonso. when he was on the projecting
rock. becoming holder. began to pull. and
we could not hold the boat AS soon as
the boat struck the fall 1t reared and
then plunged out of sight.
Fortunately I caught the stern line
and took a couple OF turns around a
boulder. and thus we drew It to the
shore. but our paddles and oxhide OF
food were in the whirlpool When the
current, turned by the projecting rock,
rushed against the opposite shore II
would crest over. and falling would flow
back and MI the hole in the whirlpool /;
then the hole would reform and my
| oxhide and paddles would disappear.
Has Thrilling Escape.
while my Indians were bailing out
the boat I Invested myself OF clothing,
started for the whirlpool. and when about
half way my Indians saw me and cried
out in horror, Come back For Gods
sake come back" but ] kept on. watch
ing the temperance Of the oxhide. AS
soon as II came to the surface l caugh.
hold OF it. swimming and pulling 20 that
we reached the edge Of the hole but thu
look into the pit was terrifying indeed.
Once far enough from the hole got be-
hind the oxhide and pushed 1t ashore.
After my Indians had received the
oxhide / was carried three times round
before could land. Resting. I returned
and brought my two paddles The thin
paddle. being freshly made, sank like
iron. I looked around TO see how ]
could get another. All our axes and
machetes being at the bottom OF the
river. I could not cut down a tree "a
make one. Fortunately I found a log in
proper length for paddle. but cracked
This I rolled in the fire and charred
scraped of the charred part with a
stone. and again burned 1t. In time ]
had a paddle
i On October 8. 1850. DIR. Heath located
the mouth Of the Madre de Dios River
with which the Benz really unites, and
three days later the primitive leaky ca
noe passed into the Madeira. the largest
Of the tributaries of the Amazon.
The commercial Importance OF the ex.
ploration of the Benz River was at once
evident. II formed a new route from
the rubber country. and business In.
creased hundredfold within year.