Evening star., 1925-06-24
DR.. v. c. fARAbEE,
.. SCIENTIST, DIES
TWo-Year Illness Fatal to
Authority on South
America.
By the Associated Press.

By the Associated Press.
WASHINGTON, Pa, June 24.-Dr.
William Curtis Farabee, we'll known
scientist, died at his home here today
after an extended illness.
DR.. Farabee, curator of the Ameri-
can section of the University Museum
Of Philadelphia, fell victim to fever
while exploring in South America. Re
current attacks of the disease when
he returned to the tropics weakened
his condition to such an extent that
he was forced to abandon all work
two years ago. He returned to his
home here, and for several months
he lived in the open in an effort to re-
gain his failing health.
"A year ago DIR. Farabee underwent
a blood TRANSMISSION operation, the at
tending physicians stating at the time
that he was a victim of anemia. Dur
ing the past year he underwent more
than 80 such operations, and after
each his condition was improved
Slightly.
DR.. Farabee's death this morning
came as a surprise TO his many
friends, tor. while it was known that
his condition was serious, il was not
believed that death was near.
Praised by Roosevelt.
DIR. Farabee was regarded by scien-
fists as one of the worlds greatest
authorities on South America and in
Theodore RooSevelt'S book on South
America the late President character
lied him as the leading explorer of
that continent. DIR. Farabee began
his South American explorations in
1906, when he headed the DR.. Mil
hau Harvard expedition. He spent
three years exploring little known
sections of Peru and for a time was
a member Of the Peruvian commits
sion which determined the boundary
line between Peru and Ecuador.
In 1912 when the University Mu-
scum of Philadelphia began its South
American work, DR.. Farabee became
curator of the American section of
the museum. A year later he started
on a three-year expedition in the
northern parts of the Guianas and
Peru, during which he penetrated a
country never before visited by white
men, found three unknown tribes and
explored a vast territory north of the
Amazon River. The objects he OBJ
tained from the natives and from
archaeological work gave the Univer-
sity Museum the finest collection of
South American material in the world.
Open Up Vast Area.
During the trip DR.. Farabee chart
ed thousands of square miles of un-
known territory and opened TO the
world the life and resources of the
country. Lack of provisions together
with the hardshipS Of the trip made
the explorer an easy victim Of fever
and when he emerged from the jungle
he was removed to a hospital at
Georgetown, the capital of British
10 hn1 lfS-+ dc in
weight He spent several months in
the Barbados reCuperating and it
was there he met Roosevelt and the
two became close friends. DR.. Far
abee returned to the United States
in 1916.
After the armistice President Viii
son appointed DIR. t'arabee as expert
on ethnology for the peace conference
and he accompanied the Wilson party
to France.
DR.. Farabee returned to Peru for the
University Museum in 1922 and pene-
trated one of the most remote sec
tions of the country.
Again Is Fever Victim.
He again fell a victim to the climate
and fever. He was given refuge and
care by an Indian and later a wealthy
native made a perilous trip in an au-
Later he recuperated on the Island of
Juan Fernandez. where Robinson Cru
soc lived. He again took up his work
and crossed the continent to Rio de
Janeiro, whence he sailed for New
York. Soon after his arrival he col
lapsed and was in 4 hospital for sew
eral weeks. Upon regaining his
strength he attempted to resume his
work at the University Museum, but
a relapse followed and he decided to
return to his old home, at Washing
ton, Pa.
DR.. Farabee was born at Washing
ton, Pa, February I, 1868, where he
received his early education in the
public schools. He was graduated
from WayneSboro College and took his
doctors degree at Harvard. He taught
school in Pennsylvania for several
years and went to Harvard in 1901 as
Instructor in anthropology. He was
author of many books, some of which
were published by Harvard and the
University Museum. They have been
accepted as standard works of the
countries he had explored. Four books
remain unfinished, DIR. Farabee hay
Ing been engaged on them when his
illness compelled him to stop work
He was a member of numerous sCien-
tific bodies in this country, Europe and
South America and in the last was
as widely known as in this country
DR.. Fdrabee married Miss Sylvia
Manila HOldren Of Macarthur, Ohio