, 1874-01-18
TIE COLORADO DESERT.


THE COLORADO DESERT.
The Recent Explorations by Private
Enterprise.
Some interesting statements concerning the
recent explorations in the Colorado Desert are
It is only few days ago that ne had re-
port OF q terrific ean3 storm raging along the
lower side OF San Bernadino County. These
storms may be traced in some OF their effects as
high up as Point Conception, in santa Barbara
County, and inland rs far north as Iulare
County. On the stage road fr0m Visalih to Los
Angeles these storms have been encountered in
Ruch terrific force that it has been necessary
to detach the ho1ses and put them
On the leeward side OF the stage for protection.
tie trees in the lower tier Of counties. In fact,
the clrocco OF the great Colorado Desert is mord
Or less felt in the i've or six great counties COM
prising the southern half of the State. There is
also 8 vast ranless area along the upper side OF
this desert. The raln-storms which water the
northern portion Of Mexico do not travel ACROSS
the desert, bnt the moisture is exhausted By the
dry and heated air. The desert is great
oven, where hot aud rarified atmosphere is
generated, which ragea in hot blas;s from
dry aud heated currents encounter the
moisture which comes down from the north IN
the winter, 70 that there is district Oh the
southern border Of the State which ID af"ays
robbed of moisture by the proximity Of thus des.
ert. There WIS time when the greater part Ut
this desert was covered BY tho wnters Of the
Gulf of California. Much OF it has also been
covered by fresh water, as the marks OF the two
benches or water-Iincs distinctly show
The theory has been held that it the greater
Dart Of this desert were again covered by water,
there would be no more hot Winds raging over
the southern counties as much rain WOULD 1al1
there aa in the most favored parts OF the State.
and the climate would be SO tempered BY the
proximity Of iarge body Of water as to become
cooler eud more equitable. Plans have also been
brought forward 1t one time and another for
tho reclamation OF such parts OF the dosef1 as
ara within the boundaries Of this state
4 few months ago a well-known citizen or San
Francisco commissioned st his own cost 4 clvu
engineer, and sent him down TO gather 1ac9 te-
spectine this desert. He explored the country
betwecsA the Gulf Of California md the south
e1n boundary OF this State. Tho engineer. j. E:
James. began his work by running ser1a. OF
levels from point On the line of the Texas Pa
cifc Railroad known as lndIan Mela M ff 70 "Gas r.
found that tile ordinary tides at the head OF the
GuIf rise about fifteen feet; tie rise OF extreme
high tides is about thirty feet.
The Cocopah Mountains extend over this des-
high. They ara supposed to be rich in gold,
silver. Aud copper. On the uorthweaterly
side of this range is Lake Alaquata, q
considerable body of salt water, which
is fed sometimes by the high tides from the
Cult, and Ut other times by the overflow OF the
Colorado River On the Houtherly side Of the
Cocopah Mountains is q large body OF land hay
Ing an alluvial soil, and is every way suitable
foT agricultural purposes. In this district are
a great number Of mineral springs and VOICE.
hoes, and = like OF fresh water fLake Chapman)
whose waters flow northward down New River.
North OF what is known as the Colorado Desert
4. tie Mphave Desert, and fuEther On the ArEua-
:, oea or Death Valley. The two latter are below
H1e level of tbs sea, and both ara really con-
ected with the greater one apa c2nsIl1ate R;xs one
ranch of tie Colorado, could b turned 1nto
t,e dese1t, so that all the lower lereis, em-
hracing the barren and worthless part. "onlo oe
covered with water, leaving the Houndains and
hertile districts above water. ... ..-..-
The Theory ia that this great desert furnace
can be cooled By covering . large and now worth
less area with wrter, at comparatively small e1-
ucnse, This theory is indorAed By the englneer,
yho hold8 that were the desert q Bea- It Woulu
/ s,ad up column Of atmosphere charged "ath
moisture, whlrh, meeting the colder currents
from tho ocean, would preclpitate frequent
showers, and thus change iarge tracts Of coun-
tiy from barrenness to fertility. The za1n.cur-
u3uts, moving from the southeast toward tue
u uorthveat cross the desert, the moisture fal1ns
tu the upper edge, at which point the rain sap.
uears. it having been absorbed BY tue heat Of
tie plaine. Tho engineer observed this Phe.
!, o.nenon for nearly month, including parts o1
j uly aud August Of the present year,
We have drawn on his report only for some ol
II 10 more prominent facts. It is q collection o1
il 1portant dsta. From the field notes and Oh
n. ,ryations made, large map has been con
ii ructed showing al the country from the hea<
"a aters Of the Gull Of California to the line of th'
II ,xas Pacific Railroad. There are lakes, noun
ta lbs. meadows, old river chaunels, water-nark'
q fresh and salt water lakes, shells OF living ant
"a tinct species, thermal springs, aud vast area
ot suuken deserts, which are the furnace
" hence come the hot and blasting. winds
! Il neither any more important results tflnn th
ct Election of interesting data will come from thi
q, :pioration is question which We canno
| u lswer. But it is a rare instance Of public en-
ta rprise that q citizen should 1T out an expetil
ii n at lis own cost, survey and prospect q vas
d. sert area and par Of which is without th
bt ,uudaries of this State. and then freely oder a
| th q facts he had collected to the public.