The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1920-01-10
AMERICAN EXPLORERS ARE FIRST no DESCEND
FAMOUS VICTORIA FALLSLN SOUTH AFRICA
Movie Men With the Smith.
sqnian Expedition Stage
a Thriller.
BY EDWARD M. THIERRY,
NJ E. A. Staff Correspondent With
sHithsonlan- Universal African


Expedition.
VICTORIA FALLS, South Africa
Two daring Americans have perform
ed a world beating feat-the descent
Of Victoria Falls!
Scaling precipice Of 369 feet with
rope, they accomplished hazardous
climb down the remaining rocks to
the waters edge at the extreme bot
tom OF the great pit-a total OF more
than 400 feet-and stood where no
human foot has ever trod.
First TO penetrate the pit were
Piny w. Horne and William Stowell,
both Of Los Angeles.
Horne is a camera man and Stowen
a film director for the Universal Film
Co. They are members of the Smith
sonian African Expedition, party OF
scientists and motion picture men
touring Africa.
Never In history, since the mission
ary-explorer DIR. Livingstone discov-
cred Victoria Falls in 1855, has any
living thing been at the bottom OF
the chasm, save balloons and birds.
Hole to the Earth With One Outlet.
To appreciate what>the Americans
did; Imagine a cleft in the earth 400
feet deep and width varying from
$50 to 400 feet; sheer, perpendicular
cliffs, absolutely without footholds;
the chasm at right angles to the Fam.
best River, which cascades over the
one long side OF the narrow, longitu-
dinal pit, leaving the opposite cliff
bare, mist-bathed and forbidding;
imagine the chasm hole in the earth,
with only one narrow outlet near one
end, a gateway with rocky sides fall
ing vertically into swirling pool OF
water, a maeistrom aptly called the
Boiling Pot.
Had the rope broken there would
have been no escape for Stowell or
Horne from the bottom OF the pit.
They couldn't scale the sides. They
couldn't swim the whirlpool current.
There was just narrow ledge TO
stand on, no path along the bottoms
edge to the gateway from the chasm
into the gorge.
And Stowell and Horne made not
one descent-but two. Previous to
penetrating the full distance, they
first went over the cliff Of Cataract
Island TO the bottom Of Devils Catar-
act, the most westerly cascade OF
Victoria Falls, distance of 260 feet.
Go Over the Top on End of Rope.
For maximum safety in daring al
spectacular and unprecedented fest,
hand winch and $50 feet of rope
were brought from Bulawayo, $50
miles away. The winch was set up on
the top of the. cliff and weighed with
boulders, the rope passing over q log
lodged at the edge. The winch was
operated by Thomas McEwen Of Bula-
wayo, q veteran and expert trigger"
and a crew of Barotse natives.
"A board saddle was rugged up at one
end OF the rope. Horne was tied in.
Then, armed with a stick to fend him
self from the jagged side of the rock
wall, he went over the edge OF the
precfpice backward and was slowly
let down.
After he disappeared over the brink
he was invisible to the men at the
winch. So other members of the
Smithsonian party, led by DIR. J. r.
Armstrong, OF Los Angeles, stood
watch on the opposite side of the
chasm. Here also was posted another
movie camera, operated by Henry N.
Kohler of Chicago, taking long dis
lance pictures OF the descent. With
binoculars trained on the descending
manwho seemed to be crawling
down the sheer wall like a fly, for
only the swaying guide rope could
be seen, and not the black rope bear
ing the weight-Dr. Armstrong
watched for singais of distress.
After Horne reached the bottom
and united himself in binding rain
storm of mist from the adjacent
Devils Cataract, that left him drench-
ed, dripping and cold, the camera, the
tripod and other paraphernalia were
lowered to him one at a time. Then
Stowell made the descent.
Took Day to Set the Camera Up.
The slow work of lettiss two mel
down and the separate pieces of
camera equipment and the tedious,
perilous climA;ng over the rocks at
the bottom to set up the camera con-
sumed the whole day.
Next day the second and most spec
{ tacular descent was made. On the
third day, directly opposite Rainbow
Falls. the camera men "shot" some
beautiful scenes.
This stunt was a motion picture
triumph. For the camera, set I'D on
the narrow ledge at the bottom, COW
cred in full sweep the magnificent
picture of the cascades OF the main
falls nearly half mile up the canon,
the picturesque trickles OF Rainbow
Falls directly opposite the place OF
descent and the superb contrast of
the nearly-dry rock walls of the
eastern portion Of the cataclysmic
chasm.
NcIvIL SERVICE EXAMINATION.
An open competitive examination
under the rules Of the United States
Civil Service Commission for the po-