New Britain herald., 1928-12-27

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the area, and fought pre- | x
historic monsters for existence. ~
And then, pushing still further
back into the dim half-light of
the dawn Of the world, We reach
the age of the colossus. His -
story is a strange one, as weird n
the imaginings of any ro-
manifest. 49,
To reach this abandoned sea
of sand the American Museum
expedition had to face many
hardships. The going was slow,
and their motors. with tractor
wheels, barely were able to
crawl over the baking sands.
Up and down dunes they
trundled, with never break in 1
the monotony of the scene nor
surcease from the bro|lng sun. ne hhcrm
The expedition, according to footprint Q,
DR.. Andrews nearing its Dinosaur. i
objective when the first real fhotOgfapn >"
interruption presented. Far off Made IN VIA
on 4 yellow-gray horizon the Where the rootl
explorers perceived a file of Measuring
soldiers The soldiers turned Twenty four In
and swept down upon the ex- Across, is fetf
petition, which had camped. in the Roof
Some distance away the soldiers Mine.
halted and they also pitched
tents
Apparently there was nothing to fear. The
troops seemed friendly, and a few hours after
they had camped detachment arrived in the
expeditions camp with message for Dr. An
dreWs. 1t was an invitation to tea!
That sounded all very we'll, but DR.. Andrews
knows too much about the Cobb Desert and its
nomadic tribes to be fooled by such an old
wheeze. The soldiers he perceived, were moth
ing but brgands in uniform, and the invitation
to tea" was simply request to walk up peace
fully and get shot!
The American Museum Expedition attended
that tea party, but in strange fashion. They
cambered aboard their trucks and cars, loaded
every essential in its proper place, and started.
Every available man grasped repeating rifle,
and as they neared the camp of their woudbe
hosts the chanffeurs stepped on the gas! Aban-
doning their tents. the expedition sailed right
through the camp of the brigands, and although
the latter gave chase they soon were beaten off
and outdistanced.
That was surprise number one, and surprise
number two followed quickly. In one sense it
was not surprise. for sandstorn in the Cobb
Desert is not a particularly unusual thing But
this was, because Of the time it lasted. Fine
particles of sand were lifted into the air and
sent drifting against the tents Then the wind
freshened, and the sand particles began to cut
and sting. Finally the wind rose to gale force.
Little idea of the discomfort caused by this
not faced it. Sand penetrated the most tightly
wrapped cases 1t spoiled food and medical sup
plies, and made it impossible for members of the
expedition to leave their tents.
With the sand flying and whrling about them
the explorers found it almost impossible to keep
their weapons from being hopelessly ruined.
They cleaned them at frequent intervals. and
1t was while cleaning rifle that Dr. Andrews
met with an accident which threatened to end
the exploration.
The rifle was accidentally discharged and DR..
Andrews suffered a wound in the leg DR.. J. A.
Perez tried to dress the wound but this took
hours, for it was only with great difficulty that
sand was kept out of the wound itself. and
surgical instruments almost useless.
Finally, after days Of blind fighting against
everlasting clouds of sand, several of the Mon
gols accompanying the expedition threatened to
commit suicide. DIR. Andrews used all of his
tact to dssuade them. and fortunately the sand
storm blew itself out shortly afterward.
Once more the expedition crawed forward
and reached Kalgan, from which it drove