The Washington herald., 1921-09-11


The grave is that of James oron and it lies in South
America on an island in Lake Titicacs, $4,000
feet above the level of the sea- the highest steam nav
gated lake in the world. ''
Prof. Orion was, at the time OF his death in 1877,
leave of absence from Vassar, SO the alumnae of
this important college for undertook the rails
ing OF fund for a handsome memorial. The work
has been completed. 1t is from design by John
ETH, New York sculptor.
This memorial, the first attempt OF any American
artist to adopt the style OF the Incss for architectural
purposes, is built of pink New Hampshire granite 1t
will be placed the crest of the Island Esteves.
which rises several hundred feet above the lake The
memorial is nine feet in height circular in pattern with
a square pnth and in its ensemble suggests tomb.
The circular character inspired by the tall shaft
like structures of the ncas said by archaeologsts to
be tombs of former monarchs.
The monument has already been shipped to the
port OF Mollendo in Peru where will be transported
by rail Puno. the lake port, The dedicatory
exercises will be held September %, the forty
fourth anniversary OF the death OF the great naturalist
and explorer. The Peruvian government will be Off
cialy represented and large attendance is expected
from Arequpa, Peru. and La Paz Bolivia, nearby
cities of importance Mrs. J. A. Sanford of New York.
will represent the Vassar Alumnae Association at the
ceremonies.
James Orton born at Seneca Falls, N. Y.
April 2I 1880. His father the eminent theologan
DR.. Azariah Giles Orton, and the future naturalist
was also educated for the ministry. He was graduated
from Williams College in 1855 and from Andover
Theological Seminary in 1888 Before his ordainnient
as pastor Of the Congregational Church in Green NJ
Y, he travelled for some time in Europe and the East
and contributed series Of interesting letters the
New York Tribune. His career a scientist dates
from 1866, when he appointed instructor in natural
sciences in Rochester University. In 1867 seien-
thc expedition to the equatorial Andes and the River
Amazon was organized under the auspices of the
Smithsonian Institution and Prof Orion was selected
as its leader As result of this expedition many
hitherto unknown specimens of natural history were
collected and today from portions of the collections
in the museums of such wel-known repositories as
the Smithsonian Institution at Washington the Phila-
delpha Academy of Natural Science the Boston So
cety of Natural History the Peabody Academy of
Science and Vassar College, while the bulk of the
collection was purchased by Ingham University,
Leroy, N. Y. .... E'..
This notable expedition sailed from New York
July 1867, and after crossing the Istus OF Panama
the route was from Guayaquil to Quito, over the
Western Cordileras, thence the Eastern Cordil-
leras and through the forest foot to the Napo;
down the Rio Napo by to Pebas, on to Mara
non, and thence by steamer to Para Brazil OF the
country through which the journey lay Prof Orton
wrote:
Nearly the entire region traversed by the expedi-
ton is strangely misrepresented by the most recent
geographical works. On the Andes OF Ecuador we
have little besides the travels of Humboldt on the
Napo nothin, while the Maranon is less known to
North Americans than the Nile"
Upon his return to the United States Prof Orton
offered the chair of natural history Vassar Col
lege in 1860, with which institution he remained until
his tragic death in 1877 In 1874 he made a second
journey across South America from Para up the
Amazon to Lima and Lake Titcaca, making valuable
chronological collections of Incarial relics In 1876 he
organized third expedition, with the object of ex-
plorng the great Benz River, branch of the Madeira
This expedition reached the mouth of the river hut