The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1869-05-13
The Great Utah Basin.

1nG III y ~ OclI4 ooSAAs
The VaZleg of, Death and the Valley Of the
V59q5a-1kud Volcanoes and Hot
Springs.
AZ correspondent of the New York Ev.
ening Nail writes an interesting letter
from Brigham Youngs dominions, from
which we Gull the following in regard to
the celebrated valley of Death, as we'll |
as pleasant sketches of the "Valley Of the
Virgin, and the Mud Volcanoes and Hot
Springs fsv hi. a..sr. ..--.,,., ..o ..t.-a..
3 "The entire great Utah Basin, is di7id
ed by small ranges of mountains about
two thousand feet high, forming valleys
from ten to fifteen miles across. They
Slope imperceptibly towards the centre,
where a water course runs to some ada
cent valley or into some marshy pace
/ One we'll known portion of this region
is the noted Death Valley, So. called from
the fact that in 1850 large train of emf
grants, on the way to California, became
with theft Mormon guide,
la portion Of them determined to pilot
Ithemselves.Ioa s5 f[r d9laa go HA
After travelling three days. they reach
| ed the valley, whichis some Yfifty miles
Hong by thirty in width, lower than the
Esea level, and entirely destitute OF water,
tercircnIed by mountains, up whose steep
| sides it is impossible to ascend except at
two points. aggog bgQ sd4 s. s,5Q,
/ It IS devoid of 5.yegetation, and the
shadow of bird never darkens It's white
glaring sand. =, The, little band ofoemi-
grants, comprising twenty families, were
\ deeeived~b by a. treacherous mirage prom
Using WATER button reaching the center Of
fthis vale of desolation, their eyes rested
only on the glazing sands bounded by the,
scofched peaks Around the valley they
wandered, one by one The men died
and the painting 1iocks stretched them
selves in death Under the burning sum- oa
Can anyone doubt the appropriatenes
tof the name eyer since applied to it: the
| Valley of Deatn?' In. marked y contrast
| to this dreaded region is the beautiful
Valley of the, Virgin, nesting in the
I Black Ridge range of mountains at the
| southern rim Of the Great Basin of Utah.
The encircling mountains rise to an ele-
| yation of twelve hundred feet, with nu.
merous peaks passing above the limit of
perpetual snow. From their SUBMITS
! you look down euponu-as vast extent OF
| ",
| plains and glens, while the Virgin river
is seen winding its course along the foot
of the range many miles, now overflow
ing a valley, here gliding beneath. over
hanging Cliffs leaping from rock to rock,
and then in grand cascades rolling off
granite hedges ir.sheets of feathery foam,
on it's way TO join the Colorado In the
dim vista appear rugged peaks rising tu-
multuously heavenward tinted by the
sunshine that streamed threugh, the, nigh
lty ravines and hollows, filling them with
lines ofssilScry light and purple, shade.
A large portion ,,QQf y the Black 3l Ridge
range consists Of bare rocks, e'bat 3there
are districts, coyeredywith soil and a good
growth'of pine trees ' Thereare several
passes in the range, the best called the
Hartnony, leading.t to ST. George, the chief
town of southern Utah.
The climatesis 50 mild and genial that
the, fig, olive, grape and cotton thrive.
| The hottest seasongis from the middle OF
June to July, when the thermometer ran
ges from 50 to 1870 degrees at noon. i, 1s
Frost lasts from November to march, but
snow is rare and ice never exceeds a thin
film sAg1sae1 .arsk ~ &c.,,
Beyond the enchanting valley are Mud
Yolcaros, located below the sea level in
Colorado desert; and If the waters Of the
ocean could break through the rinteryen-
ing mountain barriers, they would be lost
tosight.E They are situated in q most
desolate country, covering a space of a
mile long and anseighth wide. This, area
is one mass Of soft mud, through which
steam and water are continually escaping,
making a noise that can be heard ten
miles, and the rising vapor forms, clouds
that are visible at greater distance.
Inssone places the steam rises steadily
with q Kissing, roaring, suffering noise,
inother spots it bursts out.with an explo-
sion, throwing mud an hundred feet. into
the air. Y s-38 s5EAEB8E$BA GS1BEsVT
! There are places where the, mud rises
in huge bubbles and burst as if boiling
with intense heat, while in other partitions
! regular cones, varying in shape from sharp
points to ittle5mounds, have beenformed.
/ There are boiling springs that eject their
water fiftyfeet high; others are merely
large basins several hundred feet across,
in which a lead colored paste is continu-
ally boiling Their margins are encircled
by incrustations and arborescent. concre-
tons of lime and deposites of sulphur
They are we'll Werth u visit, though an
excursion to them is attended by serious
hafdships slA CbEsaGgG 9FEs
4 Another object of note is the Summit
Soda Springs, situated seven miles south
of the line of the Central Pacific railroad
in Summit valley, between Lake Tahoe
and Bonner Lake With the exception
of the Yosemite, athereis not in Sierra
Nevada, az spot Of wilder magnifcence or
beauty ~ ~5ta 1#5f FIafBdDV8
n The road that leads to them runs
Through a continuous succession of natural
beauties of forests, glades, streamlets and