, 1879-05-19

j
hod IN reaching YOU through hundreds Of miles |
y, the prondest canyons Of the world. This is \
all that ia left Of that wild, wild sea which for |
arrs nlayed with the now snow-capped peaks of
the Rockies and Sierra Nevadas, until their up- |
hoov,1 timed this great sea to its north and
south basin. And this Gila, coming in from the
cast. though far less pretentious, brings the |
woste waters OF the westerly and southwesterly
nortions of this great Territory. And it seems 8
nitv that one drop Of water should leave
this dry, desolate region. The great lack in
Arizona is water. Millions OF acres Of other
wise fertile lands must ever remain a
waste. unless some climatic change shall bring
water. Perhaps soma enterprising Yankee
viii attend to this after d little. There is no
reason why the valley OF this river, varying
from one to six miles in width, aud 200 miles In
length, should not prove wonderfully proauct-
i've. This valley, and that Of the Salt River,
mov he LARGELY supplied with water from the
rivers from which they take their namc- But
,n,nv of the streams Of Arizona seem born to
flow unseen and ....
WASTE THEIR WATERS UNDERGROUND.
The Santa Crouz, coming in from the Sonora
County-from the old Town OF Tubec' some
fifty miles southwesterly from Iucson,-shoWs
itsei1 at 'ntef'as III 49, a.o,t ~" .,,,a ~ +,o
leaves 1ucsou ~ ono"a oea ~
and then disappears loreVel' ollo 10 suppoeeu ~
enter the Gila somewhere IN the region ol Aafa'
copa Wells.
This Gila River, thongh insignificant now, was
not always so harmless. Traces OF its youthful
fury hang along'its alluvfa1 walls thousand
feet above its present quiet flow. and what
strtrps von as so strange here is, that, while
ss.Nes sssu "a ,,,rs fo, hnndred miles through
tnls fl'er ho"s W. ,A. .,a-.- 49, ~, ~
bed OF lava, IN many piaeas aone tue lnu ~
this valley, where the lava mas g1eloea 10 toe
elements, it shows underneath the continuation
~ .' Ts.d - ,a~, ,,,,ch eosior n aslz than to
here: nnu IL Sely "u.u eA'.eA ~ sAs~ s,ae
answer tn1s quest,on' ~, aoIt h.aat.a n ,his
careful stnoy OF tne sH. nscoth that r;cn fertile
1ava-ctoppnls, ana nso ~ enrno verdnre. nr
SOILS lten m!ac hanIs tha ecaT+ eG horvests
"aveu r.nnios ~ 80 ~ nnt11 tia mantle of lava
u 'ne oe u.;e.-1.n,,,, ~, Trrr WV.
oaot a,.,~,o. - ,-,,, In
Il sGand alone III sils aao aoot;n,,s nmfaitbe
very difficult to prove these renecois hta
ful to the eVoe1ces Hn'c4 .nses 1a Le eaat,"rd
in these "ondeTlu nelus. Gaen aane a;".ssna
confirms me IN this impression. AZ ~ nstanes 3s
from Yuma by the river, say from 10Y 70 1.o
miles, TINS !aVa-ueposlt .conpala'ste1 osuP
pears. At this point we are on .ne ~ ea9een ~ -,
side OF "nat IS knom on ~ a fo..t ~ ~ ~,
there is little, II any, lava for' many mnes. sbut
all around us, for radius OF from ee na;eep 70 20
twenty miles, are these crags or mountains, 1t $50 so
regulary adjusted II f5a5 yoa aansy t1ey eya to
just set up wnile ~ ; ~
cool, and to watch the ruin VI tle1r posom-co1l-
panions SO quickly melted or blown r., away Ks Is
not this the old cratert From thls polnsl Inc
lava-how started westerly toward tne coioraoo,
until, from Its unknoWn deptn at tnls p1nee, ~ ~
has diminished at Gila City, twenty-five miles
east OF Yuma, to the thickness OF but & 1e~
inches, and finally disappears except Us loa'-
lava. -
Passing the confluence OF the SAT- Witn Ing
Gila River, We leave them both flowing tilrougn
fine bodies OF land, anu We take oue aeAt po'u'
Of outlook az
"cAsA aRASDE' ~.
Here we are again in the midst ct ruins MOI
drenched in lake Of fire, yet perhaps s. suddenly =
destroyed, md without record. Iais Is al
that is left OF an old CITY. Wno onl!t II, may
ha q