Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1879-05-10

Every now and then some uneasy person, who
1isapproves OF the surface Of the earth as at
cover up some OF the land with navigable water.
Inc valley OF the Dead Sea has always been a
tempting basin for these assailers Of the estab-
aSneo, and they live on the hope of seeing
1ltcn cut which will let into 1t the waters of the
Meolterranean. 1t needs little Imagination to
picture the bottom OF this parched depression,
moi more tnan thousand feet below sea-level. as
advantages which the enlarged area of evapo-
ration would bring, in theory. to the climate
ana temperature of Europe, Asia and Africa,
Ine 0read OF some CONFUSION which the weight
OF l, 800 feet OF water might cause If poured
over the hot crust which thinly covers the GEN.
IRA! fires of the earth in this region of death,
trying the experment ErencS enSineers ii ton
nave been for years measuring heights and dis
tances, with view to the irrigation Of Sahara,
Ine plan being to convert thousands of square
mics into an inland sea, with depth of 300
feet, fed by the Mediterranean. And now comes
Gen. Fremont asking the government to help
him to extend the Gulf of California by tapping
up the Colorado Desert
This is not a novel enterprise. and long ago its
IeaslDlilty and advisabity were freely discussed.
Itseems that the sediment carried down for aces
by the great river Colorado at last collected at
what was then its mouth, In sufficient quantity
to dam OH the northern arm of the Gulf of Cali
10rn1a from any connection with the ocean. The
water In this unfed reservoir then slowly evapo-
rated, leaving dry basin 100 miles by 30, and
this, together with the surrounding slopes, soon
became "bladeleSs deSolat1On," while the river
turning southwark found entrance to the gulf
many miles he.Ow. Between this art j waste and
the present head Of the gulf lies some thirty
miles OF soft earth, just lifted above sea-levei,
and through this Gov. Fremont proposes to cut
bis canal. 1t is a highway Of commerce that ia
now contemplated but originally the main OBJ
Ject aimed at by pouring the desert full of water
was to restore the natural harmonies which
had been disturbed by the drying up of the sea.
Human remains prove that the desert was lately
fertile, and an old Spanish map is mentioned
which places the boundaries Of the gulf far be-
yond their present position. This great change
IN the geography OF the region worked 1ncalcu-
liable harm, 1t was held by desiccating Southern
California, and the flooding of the valley would
restore the climate and temperature and electri-
cal condiiio to what they were a:few centuries
fertility and comfort to all the surrounding
region. Half dozen years ago some plausible
arguments for turning the Colorado river into
the desert for which It is responsible, were set
stated that the bed Of the river was constantly
rising, and that In times of flood 1t often brlm-
med over and moiSted the parched slopes of the
waste. The old channel can still be traced, and
little damm1ng and digging would be needed to
turn the flood OF cool water from the melting
would make a fresh water lake instead of an
arm Of the gulf. Evaporation would probably
exceed the supply. That Is, the basin might
never be completely filled. But the lake would
ces predicted did not follow, the canal might be
added to restore the original conditions as far as
practicable. The physical questions suggested
by the scheme are certainly interesting. There
are international questions, too, which need to
be discussed before the plan can be carried out,
and perhaps Gov. Fremont will be many years
older before the tides will ebb and flow In his
desert Sea.-lN. Y. Tribune (condensed).