Evening star., 1932-09-28
SAVANTS TO HUNT
FOR HIGHEST PEAK
Expedition in West China to
Explore Unknown
Mountains.

sHANGHAI-An American eXpedl-
ton will set out from Szechuen Prov
tnce for Sikong with the hope of dis
covering the highest mountain peak in
the world. Sikong, which is nominally
under Chinese jurisdiction, lies between
Tibet and the Province of Szechuen
The Minya Monka and ANNE Ma
chin mountain ranges, which hitherto
have not been explored by scientists
are believed to be topped by peaks
that will exceed the altitude of Mount
Everest The Sikong expedition, which
is being undertaken with the permis--
sion and cooperation of the national
government of China, will be equipped
with the latest instruments for deter
mining mountain heights.
The personnel of the party includes
Richard L. Burdsall of Port Chester, N.
Y. Arthur B. Emmons, 3d. of Boston,
Lewis Thorne of Rye, N. Y; Terris
Moore of New York and Jack T, Young
of Canton. Mr.. Moore, graduate OF
Harvard University and member OF
the Explorers Club and American AL
pine Club. is one of the foremost noun
tain climbers in the United States. He
has scaled many difficult meuntain as,
cents in North and South America ana
recently climbed Mount Fairweather. in
Alaska, with Dr.. w L. Ladd, deaa Uf
Cornell Medical School, and Allen
Carpe of New York. Carpe was recent
ly killed while attempting to climb
Mount McKinleM Mr.. Moore will have
charge of the mountain climbing unit
Of the expedition
Chinese Zoologist in Party.
Mr.. Emmons, a Harvard graduate,
will supervise the surveying work on the
trip and Mr. Thorne. a Yale graduate
will look after the physical welfare OF
the party.
Jack Young. the only Chinese mem
ber of the exploring party, accompanied
Col. Theodore Roosevelt, now Governor
of the Philippines, and Kermit Roose-
welt on a hunting trip into 1ndo-Chma
and Tibet in 1929 Young is former
student of the New York University.
He will be in charge of the geological
work of the group.
Mr. Young's principal ambition in
connection with the expedition is to OBJ
tain a specimen of the giant panoa.
This animal, which is one of the rarest
creatures known to man, has black
and-white coat and greatly resembles
the American black bear. 1t feeds sole
" upon bamsoo sprouts. The first
specimen of the grant panda to be re-
ported to the scientific world was dis
covered so years ago in Tibet by a
French missionary, Pere David.
Rare Animals to Be Sought.
The Roosevelt brothers obtained a
perfect specimen in Szechuen Province
in 1929 and the skin and complete
skeleton now are on exhibition in the
Field Museum in Chicago. A specimen
of the skin and jaWbones of giant
panda also may be seen in the British
Museum. Other rare animals Of inter-
est to science and believed to have their
habitat in the mountains of Sikong are
the takin, a creature supposed to be
half goat and half antelope; the chiru
famous for its beautiful horns; the wild
yak and the golden-haired monkey.
Members of the expedition expect to
be in the field for at least a year. In
addition to making observations Of the
higher mountain ranges, they will as
semble a geological and botanical col
lection. Equipment for botanical re-
search has been provided by the Metro
oolitan Museum of the Academia Sinica
at Nanking.
A short-Wave radio receiving and
transmitting set will enable the eXpedi-
ticn to keep in touch with the outside
world.