The Shasta courier., 1872-06-29
PHENOMENA IN INYO.

Some curious facts relating to earth.
quskes and natural wonders, probably con-
nected Herewith are related by ]. G. Bir-
cham and Others living ut Bishop Creek.
There is noted place iD Long Valley,
come sixty miles north Of this place, known
as Casa Diablo Canon" is called from q
wonderful spring there is there. This is
thesane cauon, We may mention, where the
fght with the convicts took place, in which
X j. Morrison was killed. Five years
ago this Spring Mr. Bircham states, this
run of water was only about yard across.
Last Fall, when he last saw it, it had got
to be sevent, Eve yards in diameter, aud
OF an unknown depth. Its waters are but
little more than alum. suipher and saltpeter
in solution, quantities of each of these be
ing found caystalized upon its banks and
in the vicinity. This water is sculding
hot--hotter, it IS said, than pure water can
BE- made. This spring has always b,en
uoied for its violent and frequent ebulli-
tiohs, accompanied with an awe inspiring
sound, whence the name Of the canon near
the mouth of which it is situated-ti e
Devils House." At, the time of Mr..
Bircham's visit last Fall t. ese ebullitious
would occur once or twice every minute,
keeping up almost continuous roar, and
each time raising tons of water number
of feet, though none above the surface Of
the surrounding ground.
There is another of Il ESQ springs in the
bottom OF the river near by, and of such
volume as to raise the temperature OF the
water So that animals will not drink it for
miles below. he river at that point is
nearly rod wide and four feet 10 depth.
The water in the river is as cold as ice
before reaching this thermal spring. Near
Casa Diablo is
A MOST REM ARKABLE HILL,
Or point of a hill, some twenty feet wide
aud a bundled yards or SO in length
Immediately under the crust, which is
about two inches 10 thickness aud OF a
graysh hue, the whole bill, as far down as
has been prospected, is a mass of hot mud
boiling hot-of all the different colors Of
rainbow. This mud is about the consisten
cy of and as ten., ious aud as easily mold.
ed into different shapes as so much putty
Owini probably. to the ,hern al coudi
tion of the ground the ii nber for distance
Of fifteen miles along or north of Loug
Valley is all dead or dying. AS proof
of new aud changing condition Of the
earth in that locality Mr.. Bircham says
th.t eight years ago there was just sone
spot of about hundred acres, on which
the timber was dead. all the rest now dead
being green and furnishing Many Of
these trees are OF century's growth, or
more; Others mere sapings. He has not
visited the locality since the Big earth
quake, but thinks some wonderful changes
wert effected then, or by some Of the sub
sequent shocks, one or two OF which were
mure violent IN Round Valley, 20 miles
>outh of Casa Dlablo, than that of y arch
10th, which handled this sect SO rough
ly. That shake was Of little moment there
compared to what it was here, fifty miles
south. Since the first there has not be
here Or at Lone Pine any heavy shakes at
all. yet in ound Valley there. have been
several of gr at violence, notable one on
the l4th OF April, we belive, which finish
ed the destruction of several one build
ings. 1hls shake, like many Others since,
was almost entirely local, Bishop Greek.
but IL miles distant, being but slightly
affected. On one occasion the under
ground force ran throug for SOL distance
in narn'w streak about fifty yards in width,
b ally dividing, one part going south, the
o' her east. On this streak the surface of
the ground was visitly affected. while that
on either side and in the "forks" remained
comparatively unmoved. This is singular
statement, but we assure that it is true.
Sfockmen who last Fall abandon. d their
cabins in Long Valley as usual for the
Winter. report since their return this
Spring, that they found bottles on the
shelves and other similar things in place
just as they had left them, showing that
the shake there was not heavy, although
not many miles from Casa Diablo. But it
IS believed, and with good reason appar
emily, that there is an intimate connection,
ether as cause or effect between these
local earthquakes, thermal and geyser
springs and hot putty hills.