Evening star., 1923-02-28
USE GREAT CARE.
!: IN FILLING TOMB
Howard Carter Personally
{, Chinks Crevices in :
!: Barrier,
WILL TAKE WEEKS REST
Especial Precaution Is Given to
S Prevent Inundation of
Vaults.
WILL TAKE WEEKS RES

u.ondon Times-New York Times copyright. By
Arrangement with the Earl OF Csrnarvon)
BY Cable TO The Star.
LUXOR, February 2S.-The royal
sarcophagus inclosure in the Valley
of the Kings presented the Strangest
sight yesterday when the work OF
closing in the tomb of King Tutankh-
amen was continued amid dense
clouds of dust and sand which a
strong south wind blew all over the
valley. making everything most un-
pleasant to the visitors there. The
whole operation Of closing in the
tomb will take about twenty-four
working hourS--truly noteworthy
achievement considering all that is
to be filled in.
The first essential was the blocking
of the doorway. and to this Howard
Carter personally attended. With his
own hands he removed the wooden
framework and the grille with which
the mouth of the tomb has been closed
since it was. first found and put In
had to be blocked. About a score OF
these balks were used. some sixty
three inches long and ten inches wide
They are of Turkish oak-the hardest
wood that could be found in the
country--and in between these were
placed planks of plane wood. These
planks We're inserted owing to the
vital necessity OF protecting the tomb
from any possible risk Of inunda-
ton. the idea being that in the event
of water getting through the rubbie
the plane wood would tend to
strengthen the barrier.
Fascinating Sight.
watch Carter fitting these balkS and
planks. wedging each with little plane
wood wedges, buttressng the whole
with huge batons of similar wood
firmly lodged against the rock steps
and finally secured with extra wedges
BY the time he had finished--it was
a three-hour job-Carter had COM
pletely covered up the actual entrance
door and practically the whole mouth
to within a foot of the rock above,
with barrier resembling an old
fashioned sluice gate. which, thanks
he had fitted in the pieces. should
afford all possible resistance of at
tack. by elements or by human hands.
LEO Ton. of Sand.
Yesterday / briefly described the
process of filing in the entrance to
the mouth and well. 1t has been CAL
culated that over seventeen hundred
tons Of sand. rock and rubble were
used for this purpose. The rapidity
score of boys and men worked was
remarkab BILE. While about twenty
dug diligently in the refuse heaps
on the other side of the roadway fill
ing baskets as quickly as they were
ernptied. the remainder kept running
in continuous chain for several
hours on end. TO the peculiar sing
song chant without which eastern
1aborers seem unable to work. dump
ing the contents of their n-pound
which made the small heaps increase
to high mounds with almost magical
speed in some such manner, though,
OF course, with greater number, the
I'ellahin of those times must have
tolled at the excavation and subse-
opent covering up of this very tomb
thirty centuries ago.
The only outward and visible indi-
cations of the position of the sepul-
chreal chamber where the king lies
immured and surrounded by all his
Itinerary paraphernalia will be the
stone wall forming the parapet. and
the kiosk which has served as a tenn
porary office in the we'll. This will
be put back on top Of the rubbie
The tomb. which ii will take at
least three days to clear. will remain
covered up until autumn. when 1t will
be possible to handle the mass Of OBJ
5ects which still repose in the sep
ulchral chamber and the annex to this
anti-chamber.
Visitors Take Much Time.
TT is unfortunate that owing to the
attention attracted by the discovery
so much time has been taken up In
showing round notable visitors who
have applied in their hundreds to see
the objects. Not only has this seri-
ously delayed the work, but it has
also entailed such a great strain on
the staff that now that the tomb has
been closed it has become imperative
for the sake of future work that they
should all take complete rest. 1t
has. therefore, been decided to sus-
pend all work for week. Mr. Lucas
leaves tonight for Cairo, Calender
goes to Armant and Mace to Assuan.
Lord Carnavon may possibly also go
TO ASsuan to be Joined there by Mr..
Carter. Until Monday. therefore, there
will be no activity at the tomb of
King Tutankhamen and Seti IL.
The other day I mentioned that
among the visitors to the tomb was
Essayed Abdul Malakel. the diplo-
matte representative OF the Hejaz
government He was most enthusi-
astic and declared to ME that 1.-The
treasures far exceeded in beauty any
thing had ever ina rj0ed'