Weekly Trinity journal., 1865-09-30
NUMBER 80.
Death Valley.

Inc AOStln hftShff ol II TcCtHb udte gives MI
interesting description of Death Valley-proba-
bly, the most uniuviting locality on earth. 1t is
situated about two hundred miles south of Aus
tin, and was formerly supposed to be in Nevada,
but explorations prove it to be in California
Death Valley forms the southern boundary of
the State of Nevada, and has an infamous noto-
riety for its real and imaginary terrors. 1t lies
in Tulare and San Bernardino counties, in the
State of California. Common report-perhaps
actual suryey-places the valley one hundred and
-four feet below the level of the ocean. What is
generally known as Death Valley is forty-ive
miles long and fifteen miles wide, and is vast
salt marsh. with broad alkali borders the actu-
al extent of the valley is one hundred miles in
length with an actual breadth of twenty miles,
and il includes within its confines, besides this
extensive salt bed. numerous canyons and noun
tain spurs.
The entrance to the valley, across Mount Ma
gruder, affords view Of a remarkably deep
plain that from the summit seems scarcely two
miles wide. and is hanked by ranges of low blue
hills that look inviting and give promise of water.
Winding down this mountain about twenty miles,
the descent is fully two thousand feet and the
head OF the valley is reached al the junction of
the two canyons which form it. At this point
there numerous springs, all tainted with
alkali for there is not drop of fresh water in
the valley. Even III iHt IUOuHtdluS cHClOSlHB
the valley the springs are impregnated with al
kali, and in several instances they were found to
be actually poisonous. Where these canyons
unite, they form what appears to he a river bed,
which runs through the center of the valley, and
is from thirty to one hundred feet wide, with
high banks which at some points oyerhang.
This water channel was undoubtedly caused by
heavy freshets, terrible evidences of which exist
all around. II extends through the valley dis
tancc of thirty-ive miles, where it branches into
some twenty thirty channels, which meander
in the most eccentric course for about ten miles
Over this space the valley is broken and rugged
almost beyond description. 1t is covered by
huge mounds of stone, gravel, sand and lava
the debris deposited by this water course. And
there are thousands of sand dunes, which at
distance of several miles have the appearance of
/ an extensive Indian village. These small sand
hills are thickly filled with the mesquit shrub
both green and withcred
Passing down the valley some ten miles fur
ther, we open upon the vast salt marsh. 1t was
at this point that large party of immigrants
suffered severely in 1852, and it is now known as
the :. Lost Wagons The iron work of many
wagons is still to be seen and many other arti-
cles are occasionally found by adventurous
plorers. 1t is generally believed that some of
the immigrants pcrishcd although it is not
known to be the fact. The border of this salt
marsh is composed of salt and akai, and forms
hard road, and the wagon tracks of the party
are as fresh looking though they were made
yesterday
The heat in the valley is excessive. In the
months Of January and February of 1865, an
exploring party 70 the head waters of the Colo
rado noted the mercury at ninety degrees. At
midsummer the heat must be torrid. We have
not been able to learn that any party has visited
the valley at that season of the year, and the
general belief is that il would be fatal to attempt
it,
About fifteen miles down the valley numerous
springs Of alkali water burst forth from table
land five hundred feet above the level of the val
ley. This table-land projects into the valley,
and affords the fullest view of its terrors When
it is calm the atmosphere in the valley is so
while this table-land, on the contrary, the
temperature is comparatively cool, and
breatheS easily
Terrible wind storms occur in the valley at
short intervals, and they fill the mind of the be-
holder with the utmost terror. heavy wind,
amounting to gale will blow from the south
east for several hours, raising and carrying with
it masses Of salt. alkaline soil, and even coarse
gravel, until the entire space is filled with dense
black cloud Suddenly this fierce wind will lull
for = few minutes /; but this onninous cloud
mains suspended unhroken over the valley. On
the instant, as fierce wind viii blow from the
opposite quarter, hurting this dreadful looking
cloud back whence it came, rolling in thousands
Of huge waves resembling coal smoke, and en-
velopng everything in Egyptian darkness. A
traveller who witnessed several of these storms,
represents them as terribly appalling, impressing
the imagination with forebodings of the direst
evil.