The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1870-04-07
strange Natural H-henom en on
PHYSICAL CHANGES OF THE GREAT AMERICAS
DESERT.

The Inland Empire has the following re-
inarkabe statement concerning the process
of change going on all over the great inland
desert between Californ la and Missouri. 1t
says
For soriaa time past there has beer ques-
tiqn before the people of this, basin and of
the p1ai rs -east of the Rocky Mountains, that
has as yet failed to be satisfactorily answer
ed Il is Why are the streams carrying
sor5tyaeAer ls. :. retstterfyears sTbe g=eas,
rAaass ii-e fast losing their arid natU se, and
through them are Tuan{n -3sstfeamGrn places
where twenty years ago there was not a drop
Of water aud where at that time there were
small streams, they are now very much en-
iarged. In many casssthis change has been
of great value. as it has given to this travis
eler supply of water that had previously
been denied.
When the first emigfants crossed the
plains to California the great objection urged
70 the trip was the scarcity of water on the
greater part of the route. Within few
years this has all changed, and in thee beds
of old strearna that wers dry, when first
fotind there is now water fer all the puroo
ses REQUIRED.
The Larattiie plains are Dot How destiftrts
of water, whereas some years ago there was
none, and the traveller had to carry tfatef
on passing over them. There can be- nB
doubt that for the last ten years there has
been continued increase of water through
out the whole desert country between the
Missouri and the Sierra Nevada The Ar
Kansas was dry in 1862 from the Pawhee
FoxSt6 the Oimaron croSSiig, and previous
TO that time the Pecos was dried up. so that
n!Hnu places the Inhabitants were obliged to
dig fof' veeIsr. Aud the Moro Valley and
Plains wero-s.t'ti4st time almost destitute of
vegetation. Now the vegetation is luxuIi-
Gus. aud IL is, O ne of, the very best wheat
growing -ssotioDs>.
Denver was buflt t'os't ti4e.barks of an ex-
tifCt creek, which it tvase supposed would
remain dry, but after The settlement. to the
astonishment of the people; Il became quite
d streatt. and is now crossed by bridges =
The Huerfano, the Royal PecoH! snd others
that were dry during the SUMMER months
ten years ago, are now constahtlH running
IN fairrssreams. We are satisfied that aihf4s.
the whole line of the Union Pacific Railroad
there is much more moisture in the earth
than there was only q few years ago.
Again, Salt Lake is seven feet higher trap,
it was ten years ago, and it is constantly
rising, and it has been urged by those who
hare paid attention to the subject, that the
rise 'wQter there would ltrodres aisslntion.
of the Mormon question before Congress-
would act upon it. When Salt Lake shall
rise few feet higher we shall look for its
overflow to reach the Shell Greek range, as
evidently at one time as water did cover
what i5~1ow only an arid Valley, not direct
in its course; but cut up with ranges, still
the continued valley can be traced. Dhis
greet increase of water will work a great
revolution in the opinion ofthe people as to
the capacity of the great plains tcE. agricul>
tIral purposes.
The only reason why lie great-plains can
not be made into good fruit farms is the lack
of water and timber, as the land in richness
has no superior. The increase of water of
which we have spoken will do away with
one objection. and the discovery of coal over
a distance east of Salt Lake for over SIX hun
dred miles will obviate the other The man
who travels oUer the Union Pacific Railroad
| twenty fpe years from this time will find
that the sage brush has given way to crops
of all kinds growing IN the greatest luxuri
ance, and that the.sSjfdy farmers with hap
py homes have taken tho places Of the wan
deripg red men. IN our. own State this
increase of moisture has, beari noticed, and
the old settlers do not hesitate TO 50 n that in
many places The streams have increased
more than one-fourth in size during the past.
Ape years, and in some places where, there
was no water then there is now smalli but
consta antly running streams.