ADVENTUROUS: PAIR

Evening Post, Volume CIX, Issue 144, 21 June 1930, Page 26

ADVENTUROUS: PAIR

ARGENTINA TO NEW YORK

A TWO YEAR^' JOURNEY

NEW YOKK, 28th May,

Messrs. Adam and Andrew Stoessel, natives of Argentina, have arrived here after a 19,000 automobile journey from Buenos, Aires to New York, which occupied two years. Their route was similar to the one blazed in 1928-29 by Jose Maria Bar'oiie, who drove from Bio through Buenos Aires and up the West Coast to Panama, thence through Central America and Mexico to New York. These two accomplishments mark the, only linking of the Americas by. automobile.

With -the co-operation of the s Automobile Club of Buenos Aires, the two brothers left their native city on, 19th April, 1928, expecting to arrive iii New York -in a year. They carried 40 gallons of fuel and sent supplies' ahead everywhere. , . Near -the summit of the Andes, a leak occurred in one of the tanks and tlie car suddenly stopped at an uninhabited part 10,000 feet above the sea. They spent a day, in a fruitless effort to repair it,, and then espied an Indian hunter. To their sign; he made no response, so they adopted the Chicago method of. firing a shot. This halted him and he procured a pair of llamas from a native village, and so the most modern means of travel was pulled by the most primitive. For four days they were towed until they, reached a small town.

Through Peru and Ecuador the route led through jungle and marsh over ox trails. One night they drove bandits away with their pistols. In Venezuela they were suddenly confronted with cannibal Indians, but the. young men

diverted the Indians by taking their photos and reproducing the negatives on the spot. The savages gave them an escort.

• Near the coast of Colombia', they met the. first barrier that seemed impassable. The deep swamps forced them to portage their car for 80 miles from Cartagena to Colon. At Bogota they picked up two adventurous Spaniards, and gave them a lift to the Canal.

In Nicaragua, their likeness to Ame--rieans caused them to bo regarded with suspicion by native rebels. A .United States Marine escort travelled with them to Managna/wliero they wore held up for three months1 while the younger brother, got over an attack of fever.

The final laps through Mexico < and tho United States were completed; without mishap. At Yonk^rs, New York, they, were au-osted and hailed into Court for having no licence plate, their original plate having been stolen. The Yonkers Judge promptly released them.

Each said on arrival that he would not care .to repeat the performance. They will tako their ear back by boat.