The Granger Report-1stQ/2001

1st Quarter - Jan. 15, 2001

Masthead photos: Walter and Anna Granger, ca. 1900.

FOSSIL-HUNTER'S GUIDE TO THE NEW BOOK FORTHCOMING

YANGTZE PATROL, 1923

Yangtze River, Sichuan Province,

March, 24, 1923, early afternoon1 -
Walter Granger and his party finish
tiffin aboard their rented junk as
they sail down the Yangtze from
Wanhsien (Wanxian).

The day before, Granger had just

escaped a week-long entrapment at
the outskirts of a warlord battle for
control of Wanhsien. As the fighting
eased, Granger was able to leave his
highlands base camp for the river to
make his way back to Wanhsien. He
was now evacuating his expedition
down river: wife Anna, Chinese
assistants James V. Wong,
"Buckshot" (Kan Chuen Pao) and
cook "Chow", and a large cargo of
fossils and other specimens.
Based on Walter Granger's 1907 expedition
diary and photographs. For children and
The way to relative safety down adults, 32 pages of text, color illustrations,
river in Ichang took them through running glossary. Softcover. Scheduled for
the Three Gorges. This section of publication in spring of 2001. Price about
Yangtze river travel posed special $16.95 plus shipping and handling. Add
danger. Canyon walls narrowed $5.00 for autographed copies. Please direct
thrice to create separate systems inquiries and orders to
featuring ferocious rapids, granger@nh.ultranet.com.
whirlpools and shoals, each of the

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The Granger Report-1stQ/2001
three specializing in one over the
others. Armed bandits, renegade
soldiers and hoodlums also lay
hidden along the riverbanks waiting
to fire at boats hoping to disable
and crash them against one shore or
the other.
Granger was wary: he had
experienced all this before. In
interludes before and between his
five summer expeditions to the Gobi
from 1922 to 1930, he made four
winter fossil-hunting expeditions to
southern China (1921-1927). His
purpose in Sichuan Province was to
collect the Pleistocene mammal
fossils -- known to the Chinese as
"lung ku" (dragon bones) -- found
buried deep in crevices and pits of
the Paleozoic limestone ridges
paralleling the Yangtze River along
the south bank upriver from
Wanhsien. Chinese farmers mined
the fossils in the off-season to
wholesale to druggists who crushed
them into powder for retail as a
medicinal cure.
Granger was the first trained
paleontologist to identify localities
and collect fossils in Sichuan
Province and produced a significant
collection of Pleistocene
vertebrates.2 This effort was termed
the "Chinese Branch" of the Central
Asiatic Expeditions, a branch which
included expeditions by
herpetologist Clifford H. Pope to
southern and western China. Since
both Granger and Pope began
making their expeditions in 1921,
the Central Asiatic Expeditions
actually ran from 1921 to 1930, not
1922 to 1930. That is, there was
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continued - ("FOSSIL-HUNTER'S GUIDE TO THE
YANGTZE PATROL, 1923.")
Granger notified Lieutenant
Commander George W. Simpson
aboard the USS Palos stationed at
Wanhsien of his decision to make the
run down river. Simpson immediately
arranged to escort Granger's junk
down as far as Pan Tuo, twenty-five
miles south of Wanhsien.7 Anna went
aboard the Palos for that leg of the
trip. Granger's junk reached Pan Tuo
safely at around noon, followed by the
Palos. The two craft were moored
there, Granger's junk made fast to the
Palos, for the rest of the day to allow a
much needed R & R -- hiking trips to
the Hsin Lung Tan or a nearby temple,
some duck-hunting, and perhaps a
baseball game. A post boat and two
other junks arrived that evening and
dropped anchor nearby.
At dawn the next morning, two men
from the Palos went aboard Granger's
junk. It was then cast off and headed
down river: the Palos returned upriver
to Wanhsien.
That afternoon, as they entered
Wushan Gorge, Granger and his party
knew they were not yet out of danger.
As the river narrowed and the cliffs of
the gorge steepened, Granger scanned
the cliffs on both sides with his field
glasses, rising from his chair and
stepping to the open deck space aft of
the junk's cabin.
Within seconds he sighted a man
gesturing to another man aiming a
rifle. Granger guessed the second man
was a sniper and the first man was
signaling him to prepare to fire and
The Granger Report-1stQ/2001
substantially more to the Central
Asiatic Expeditions than five trips to
the Gobi.
So, by 1923, Granger was well-
acquainted with life along the
Yangtze River. He knew the river not
only for its incredible beauty and
many uses, but for its awesome
power and danger. More than once
had he shot the dangerous rapids,
shoals, and whirlpools of the Three
Gorges. And more than once had he
been shot at. Robbery and
vandalism, he knew, were reasons
why American and British gunboats,
as well as those from other nations,
patrolled the Yangtze.
Though he generally journeyed the
Yangtze by junk or steamship,
Granger was well-acquainted with
the boats and crews of American
and British navy patrols. Britain's
gunboats Widgeon and Teal and
America's gunboats Elcano,
Monocacy, Palos and Quiros were
among his regular contacts. When
Granger advised the commander of
the Palos of his intention to leave
Wanhsien immediately, the
commander offered to escort him
out of the city. The Palos was a
165.5 foot long, shallow-draft (2.5
feet), iron-hulled, screw-driven
vessel, displacing 204 tons and
carrying an average crew of fifty-
one. It was built in 1914 and had a
top speed of 13.25 knots, barely
adequate to negotiate the Yangtze's
rapids.3 But it carried serious
weaponry, and a foreign flag.
Generals Chang Chung of the 1st
Army and Yang Sheng of the 2nd
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shouted an alarm. Anna hurried into
the junk's cabin. She hastily put
bedding and pillows against the walls
to slow any bullet that pierced the wall.
Less than a minute passed, the junk
was now fully within the narrows of
Wushan Gorge. A bullet smacked the
water at the stern. Intended for the
junk's steersman, the shooter wanted
to disable him. Loss of steering would
throw the junk into confusion and
cause it to wreck.
Granger returned fire with his pistol
instantly, as did his Chinese assistants
Jim Wong and Buckshot with their
rifles. Anna flattened herself out on the
floor of the cabin just as their Chinese
cook Chow hurled himself through the
entryway toward the very same spot,
nearly crushing Anna. Together they
inched along the floor and down into
the junk's hold. An unarmed Chinese
soldier, taken aboard at Wanhsien after
begging for a ride, took off his uniform
and hid in the cabin.
With their automatic pistols, U.S. Navy
Seaman 2nd class P.N. McRoberts and
Fireman 3rd class Burt Crabtree
returned fire along with Granger,
Wong, and Buckshot. The steersman
turned the junk toward the opposite
shore. Forty-three rounds were fired
back at the sniper's position. Only two
other shots came from the bank, both
aimed at the junk's oarsmen. The
sniper did not succeed and it will never
be known whether he even survived
return fire.
Why were two, armed American sailors
aboard Granger's junk? "3/23/23 - USS
Palos: Pan Tuo. Moored as before. At
The Granger Report-1stQ/2001
Army began their final battle for
Wanhsien in early March of 1923.
Chang Chung, then current military
chief of the Wanhsien district,4 had
earlier ousted Yang Sheng from that
very position and then repelled an
attempt by Yang Sheng to retake the
city. This time, however, Yang
Sheng's effort to retake Wanhsien
was aided by powerful Chinese
warlord Wu P'ei-fu.5 Chang Chung
was worried enough by the change
in balance to send his wife out of
the city -- conclusive proof to
observers that this coming round
would not go well for the General.
On March 6th, elements of Yang
Sheng's 2nd Army advanced from
the southwest across the Yangtze to
enter the outskirts of Wanhsien.
Granger's base camp lay in their
path. Over the next several days,
advancing and retreating troops of
both armies ebbed and flowed past
Granger's doorstep at Yenchingkuo
(Yangjingou). Granger and his
assistants kept 24-hour watch while
the fit, the wounded, and the
stragglers of the 2nd Army
advanced, then retreated, then
advanced again in a exhausting,
deadly dance of resolution with the
1st. Granger and his men slept little,
remaining fully clothed with
personal weapons at the ready all
the while.
Early on the morning of March 7,
Granger learned that General Yang
Sheng himself was about to pass by:
"All quiet during the night. About
daybreak the first group of the
advancing 2nd Army passed
through the valley and another
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6:00 McRoberts, P.N., S2c, and
Crabtree, Burt, F3c, were transferred to
the junk of Dr. Granger for transfer to
the United States Ship Quiros for
further transfer to the United States
and to act as protection for the
passengers and Junk in accordance
with Commanding Officer's orders."8
Brought up for discharge on bad
conduct charges several weeks before,
Seaman 2nd class McRoberts and
Fireman 3rd class Crabtree were
awaiting transfer down river from the
Palos for remand to the United States
and exit from the Navy.9 Because
warlord activity along the Yangtze was
so intense during this time, the Palos
was forced to remain on duty at
Wanhsien and could not take
McRoberts and Crabtree down river.
No other ship could leave its post to go
upriver to get them: fighting
throughout the Yangtze valley had
forced the gunboats to remain at their
stations and most commercial traffic to
cease.
When Granger decided to escape
Wanhsien, Commander Simpson knew
he couldn't escort Granger all the way
to Ichang, but he could put McRoberts
and Crabtree on board Granger's junk
for added protection as well as to
finally get McRoberts and Crabtree off
his gunboat and down river. The
gunboat USS Quiros stationed at Ichang
could eventually take the men down to
Shanghai for transport back to the
States.
Commander Simpson issued pistols to
McRoberts and Crabtree for protection
with the understanding that upon their
arrival at Ichang, they would to hand
The Granger Report-1stQ/2001
group arrived shortly afterward and
stopped for rest and to cook rice.
General Yang, in a chair, came
through about 6 o'clock and I went
down to greet him as he passed. He
returned the greeting most
cordially."
Yang Sheng's eventual rout of Chang
Chung led to the hasty construction
of a floating bridge across the
Yangtze just upriver of Wanhsien so
that Yang Sheng could quickly bring
more troops and supplies in to
secure the city. The floating bridge
was made of five, stout bamboo
cables stretched across the river and
anchored to boulders on either
side.6 Sixty-six junks were then
secured to the bamboo cables, every
second junk with anchor down.
Additional lines were secured to
various points upriver. Planking was
laid across to form a roadway.
Telegraph wires were run across as
well.
Yang Sheng had another 10,000
troops to bring across the Yangtze.
The floating bridge was the fastest
way to move them. But it also
blocked river traffic: commerce and
allied gunboat patrols were brought
to a standstill. Domestic and foreign
river users protested vigorously.
Yang Sheng answered that his need
to move troops was more urgent
than river commerce and
international patrolling. Anyway, he
said, politely ignoring charges that
it constituted a blockade in violation
of international treaty rights, the
bridge was only temporary.
Yang Sheng's "temporary" bridge
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them back over to the commanding
officer of the Quiros who would have
them returned to the Palos "by the
most convenient method after steamer
traffic [was re-]opened." While armed
navy men were occasionally assigned
to protect non-military commercial
craft on the Yangtze, this is the only
known instance when they were used
to protect a private party.
Granger was happy for the help. After
reaching Ichang, he wrote Simpson:
"Arrived safely at noon on the 27th...
In the Wushan Gorge, at noon on the
24th, we were fired upon by a small
band of robbers on the side of a cliff
some two hundred feet above the river,
and a couple of hundred yards away...
We opened up with everything we had
and got in forty odd rounds before the
party broke up. Your men fired about
ten rounds each with their automatics
and McRoberts tried a few shots with
our rifle... We might have pulled out of
the mess by ourselves, but I was
mighty glad to have your two men
along... I feel that the 3d Asiatic
Expedition [renamed the Central
Asiatic Expeditions] is much indebted
to the Commanders of the Upper River
Gunboats."10
--by Vin Morgan
E-MAILS
Hi -
Somehow I was fortunate enough to
stumble onto your web page and I love
it! I am a volunteer docent (since 1991)
at the American Museum of Natural
The Granger Report-1stQ/2001

was so thoroughly built that not
even a powerful gunboat could
breach it, as the commander of the
French gunboat Doudart de la Gree
discovered on March 13. The
bridge's engineer had boasted of the
bridge's strength, but also claimed
that no section of it could be opened
for fear it would destroy the overall
structural integrity. An aggressive
French gunboat commander decided
to try anyway by ramming his craft
into it at full speed several times, to
no avail.
He might have waited a few days.
Anna Granger noted in her diary
entry for March 16th that magically
"the bridge of boats is now open
every day from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m."
and that "Walter should have no
trouble in bringing his junk down
from [a few miles upriver]."
Though the immediate conflict had
cleared his vicinity by March 12,
Granger did not try leave his base
camp for Wanhsien until March 19,
for it wasn't until then that he
learned by note via runner from
Anna in Wanhsien, where she had
been for the entire battle, that the
bridge opened for river traffic five
hours a day.
History and have been a volunteer at
AMNH since 1989. Having grown up in
Vermont..., I immediately felt a kinship
to Walter Granger. A tour that I do in
the fossil halls addresses artists and
explorers and Granger is, of course,
prominently featured. I am also a
member of the Explorers Club..., and
also do tours for the club, so when we
get to the Presidents photos, I again
speak of Walter Granger. Now I have
more information from your web page -
thank you!
Best regards,
SZ
CORRECTION
Our story on Chaco Canyon last
quarter should have stated that the
visit by Wortman, Granger, et al.,
occurred, and photographs taken, in
June (not July) of 1896.
Source: "List of mammals collected by Mr. Walter W.
Granger, in New Mexico, Utah, Wyoming and Nebraska,
1895-96, with Field Notes by the Collector." Bulletin,
AMNH, 1896, Vol. VIII, pp. 241-258.

Even so, Granger's junk could not

sail into Wanhsien harbor that next
day. The bridge closed an hour early
on the 19th. So while Granger's junk
and precious cargo lay moored in
the river beyond the bridge with
three armed Chinese assistants
remaining on board overnight,
Granger had to make his way into
the city on foot. Once there, he

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 The Granger Report-1stQ/2001

found Anna still safe at the China

Inland Mission. But the situation was
still tense and Granger decided to
leave Wanhsien immediately.
Equipment and fossils were brought
ashore the next day for repacking
and reloading: the plan was to
depart Wanhsien by the dawn of
March 21. (continued -->)

FOOTNOTES ("FOSSIL-HUNTER'S GUIDE TO THE YANGTZE PATROL, 1923."):

1. Except where otherwise noted, this narrative is based on the unpublished 1923 Szechuan
expedition diaries of Walter and Anna Granger. Source: The Granger Papers Project.
2. For a technical description of these fossils, see [Granger, W.], Colbert, E.H., and D.A. Hooijer,
"Pleistocene Mammals from the Limestone Fissures of Szechwan, China," Bull. AMNH (1953), v.
102:1-134. Though not named as a co-author, sadly, Walter Granger's work -- his collection of the
fossils and his notes, diagrams, maps, and correspondence concerning them -- clearly constitutes
this paper. It could not have been prepared and published without him, even posthumously.
Therefore, Granger's de facto senior authorship is recognized here.
3. Directory of American Naval Fighting Ships. Source: United States Naval Institute.
4. USS Palos, Report of Operations for Week Ending 18 November 1922 (dtd. 20 November 1922).
Source: National Archives.
5. Ch'i, Hsi-Sheng. 1976. Warlord Politics in China, 1916-1928. (Stanford: Stanford University
Press).
6. See USS Palos, Report of Operations for Week Ending 17 March 1923 (dtd. 19 March 1923).
Source: National Archives.
7. See USS Palos, Report of Operations for Week Ending 24 March 1923 (dtd. 26 March 1923).
Source: National Archives.
8. USS Palos, Ship's Log - 23 March 1923. Source: National Archives. Vague reference is also found
at page 9 in Riding Shotgun on the Yangtze (Western Maritime Press, 1993, David H. Grover, ed.).
9. USS Palos, Report of Operations for Week Ending 17 March 1923 (dtd. 19 March 1923). Source:
National Archives.
10. USS Palos, Report of Operations for Week Ending 14 April 1923 (dtd. 16 April 1923). Source:
National Archives.

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The Granger Report-1stQ/2001

The Granger Report is published quarterly (on or about the 15th of the first
month) and is a gradual, if random, assemblage of items acquired through
cumulative selection. To inquire about prior issues of The Granger Report, e-mail
us.

The Granger Papers Project is an independent research, editing and writing project featuring
the personal expedition diaries and letters of American paleontologist and explorer Walter
Granger (1872-1941) and his wife Anna (1874-1952). In several significant respects, this is the
first treatment of Walter Granger's era based on a significantly more complete documentary
record. In addition to paleontology, the study of evolution, and Granger's pioneering fieldwork
in the Faiyum of Egypt in 1907, in China and Mongolia from 1921 to 1930 (Central Asiatic
Expeditions), and in the American West throughout his life, research topics include: American
foreign policy; western civilian, missionary, and military interests in Asia; the First and Second
Asiatic Expeditions; The Explorers Club; the American Museum of Natural History; and
previously published accounts of, by, or about the aforesaid. Address interest or inquiry to us
at granger@nh.ultranet.com

Copyright © by Vincent L. Morgan for The Granger Papers Project. All rights reserved.
Information may not be republished or redistributed without our prior written authorization.
Please note the following limits specifically on use of any of The Granger Papers Project written
matter and/or images contained throughout this website:

1) We believe information is freedom. Any person may use, store, manipulate, project,
reproduce, and display the recorded images for any purpose associated with their own
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written consent of The Granger Papers Project. Permission of The Granger Papers Project is
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The Granger Papers Project website was launched on 1 February 1997. We thank Kathleen
Fetner for this website design.

In remembrance of Dr. Norman Charles Morgan (1919-1969), Jonathan Patrick Morgan (1945-
1966) and Caroline Granger Morgan (1980- ).

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