The home journal. (Winchester, Tenn.) 1858-188?, 1874-01-22
The Great Desert on the South.

had report of a terrific sand storm
raging along the lower side of San Ber-
nardino county. These storms may be
traced in some of the effects as high up
MS Point Conception in Santa Barbara
county, and inland as far north as Tui.
are county. On the stage road from
Visalia to Los Angeles three storms
have been encountered in such terrible
force that it has been necessary to de-
tach the horses and put them on tho
leeward side of the stage for protection.
The hot, destroying winds have
baked fruit on the trees in the lower
tier of counties. In fact, the sirocco of
the great Colorado Desert is more or
less felt in the five or six great counties
comprising the southern half of the
state. There is also a vast rainless area
along tho upper side of this desert.
The rain storms which water the north
ern portion Of Mexico do not travel
across the desert, but the moisture is
exhausted by the dry and heated air.
The desert is great oven, where
hot and raritied atmosphere is genera
ted which RACES in hot blasts from time
to time over these counties. These dry
and heated currents encounter the mois-
| ture which comes down from the north
in the winter, so that there is a district
ON the southern border of the state
which is always robbed of moisture by
the proximity of this desert. There
was n time when the greater part of
this desert was covered by the waters
of the Gulf of California. Much of it
has also been covered by fresh water,
as the marks of two beaches or water
lines distinctly show.
The theory has been held that if the
greater part of this desert was again
covered by water there would be no
more hot winds raging over the south
ern counties as much rain would fall
there as in the most favorable parts of
the state, and the climate would be so
tempered by the proximity of large
body of water as to become cooler and
more equitable. Plans have been
brought forward at one time and anoth-
er for the reclamation of such parts of
the desert as are within the boundaries
of the state.
A few months ago well-known citi-
zen of San Francisco commissioned at
his own cost civil engineer and sent
him down to gather facts respecting this
desert. He explored the country
between the Gulf of California and the
southern boundary of the state. The
engineer 81. f. James, began his work
by running a series Of levels from
point on the line OF the Texas Pacific
railroad, known as Indian Wells, to
Montague island, near the head Of the
gulf He found that the ordinary tides
Mt the head OF the gull rises about tit-
teen feet the rise OF extreme high tide
is thirty feet.
The Cocopah Mountains extend over
tins desert Tor about hity miles, and
are about 1000 feet high. They are
supposed to be rich IN gold, silver, and
copper. On the northwestly side of
this range IS Lake Maquata, consider
able body OF salt water, which Is led
sometimes by the high tides from the
gulf, and at other times by the over
flow OF the COLORADO Ir"'co-ob NJ
,'orth .: s"l y @..so ,,e ~ vno up%n I9 Lu;nnn
Ia,Ls - mr. 10y W. n"nr, lt''6 a'.;to1'Ia M
Hll'Nlai S1il, an" Is wy Wy H. eI'" J;u
tor abllc'iv''lni Punpo'LL9 Lou af 81 Wis nainonaI
Vrlcu are Slo%U n'n Iai-n "s
springs nuu ToiT"norS' rS anu I" '"h1 oi
fresh water LAKE Shapmanl' "nose
waters How northward down New river
North OF what is known us the COLORADO
Desert IS the MohaVe Desert, ana
further on the ArmaSosa, or Dea'n Val,
ley, Inc Two iatter are pei0w Viie leVei
OF the sea ana poth are really connec.-
ed with tne greater one ana constitute
one desert.
The engineer to'lnd that New river,
n branch OF the Colorado, couid be
turned INTO the desert SO that all the
lower levels, embracing the barren and
worthless part, would be covered with
water, leaving the mountains and the
fertile districts above water.
The theory is that this great desert
furnace can be cooled by covering
large and now worthless area with wa
ter, at comparatively small expense.
This theory is endorsed by the engineer,
who holds that were the desert sea
it would send up column OF atmos-
phere charged with moisture, whlch
ocean. would precipitate frequent show
ers. and thus change large tracts of
country from bnrenness to fertility.
The rain currents moving from the
southeast toward the northwest cross
the desert, the moisture falling to the
upper edge, at which point rain disap-
pears, it having been absorbed by the
heated air OF the plains. The engln-
Ger observed this phenomenon for near
ly month, including parts OF July and
August of the present year
We have drawn on this report only
for some of the more prominent iacts.
1t is collection OF important data.
From the field notes and observations
made. large map has been constructed