Daily Los Angeles herald., 1880-12-23

arrangements IOr Inc eHtnUiIsu-
ment or continuance of the system
of INSTRUMENTATION introduced
by existing private companies.
|
Climatic Studies in Southern Cal
ifornia.
[By Dr. j. p. widney, in tho Californian fol
November.l
CONTINUED.
If one were asked how the phys.
ical features of California might be
changed to give moister and more
productive climate to the interior
valleys, he would probably reply:
ID Drop the Coast Range OF
mountains down until it il prac-
tically obliterated. By doing this
the great Winter rain. current
would be no longer INSTRUCTED in
its landward flow, neither would 1t
be robbed of portion of its moist
ure, as now, before it had fairly left
the coast line. and 50 precipitation
| would be increased. Also, with
this barrier removed the ocean fogs
would no longer be walled out, but
would pass inward over the land,
and add their portion of moisture,
while by giving the humid ocean
air ready access, In the shape of
these fogs and the damp, cool daily
sea. breeze, evaporation would be
checked, and a dry. hot mir no long
or greedily suck up the surface
moisture If the soil.
(2) Keep up the elevation of the
| Sierra, but bring 1t slightly nearer
to the coast, 40 that it may con.
dense all the moisture possible from
the rain-currents, and its melting
sno VS. and its rivers may be avail
able for irrigating the plains lying
between it and the ocean.
| ~ Wall the land in upon the
north west with mountains, SO as to
shelter it from thedrying winds that
now sweep over it, in Winter check
| ing and retardihg, by their chill,
the growth OF vegetation, and in
Summer parching it up and blast.
ing the tender grain.
"a II, in addition to these chang
es, the Winter could be made
slightly warmer, so that vegeta.
ton should not be retarded by the
cold, then the whole duration of the
rainy season would be period of
growth, aud so the season prac-
tically heightened.
In making the reply thus item.
lied under these four sections, one
would be describing exactly what
has taken place in Southern Cali
fornia.
Out OF the broken confusion of
the Tehachepi and TETON mouu-
| tains, where the Sierra and the
Coast Ranges seem to become In.
extricabIy entangled, the Sierra at
length emeiges, aud, skiriiug the
Mojave Desert upon the west, turns
| eastward under the local name of
the Sierra Madre as the northern
wall of the Los Angeles and San
Bernardino country; then turning
again south ward along the western
RIM of the Colorado Desert, goes
on to form the backbone of the
peninsula of Lower California. A
stray fragment of this Coast Range
rises again for while. under the
name of the Santa MoGica moun-
tains; joins the dividing ridge be-
tween the westerly plains of the
Los Angeles country and the San
Fernando Valley; breaks down en-.
tirely where the San Fernando
| Valley opens into the Los Angeles,
| giving outlet to the Les Angeles
river; then rises ne II low, irregular
range of hills between Los Angeles
and the San Gabriel country-hills
having al elevation of only two or
three hundred feet; breaks do Rn
again completely after II few miles,
where the broad valley of the San
Gabriel comes ont from the Sierra,
irrigating with its waters the fer
tile, low-lying lands of Ell Monte
and Los Nietos; then the hills rise
again as II broken range, gradually
attaining to II height in scattered
peaks of one or two thousand feet,
but torn asunder where the Santa
Ans, coming from its source in the
San Bernardino portion of the
Sierra, and watering upon its way
the San Bernardiuo and Riverside
countries, bursts through to the
lands of Santa Ana AMI Anaheim
and the coast plain, aud on to the
sea. Beyond, this broken, wander
ing remnant OF the Coast Range
becomes again, but this time hope.
lessly, entaneled with and lost ia
the Sierra. This breaking down Of
the Const Range throws the whole
valley system of Southern Cali.
fornia, known collectively as the
Los Angeles country, open to The
sea, making it practically vast
, system of coast valleys, with the
Sierra as Il backgrounds; and it is
to be classed with the Humboldt
aud Santa Cruz counties In climate
but from the sheltering mountains
, and the more southern latitude
. milder in temperature, and in ex
tent upon. an infinitely large
scale. About three THOUSAND
/ square miles. of level valley Liant
: open out TO the sea ut this point
The sharp trend eastward of tn
4 toast line south Of Point Concep
o ton also brings the sea nearer t
the Sierra, making its inhuenc
a more felt, while the detection o
Il the Sierra from u north and soutl
n direction to almost due east turn
Il it into huge barrier, raised di
rectly across the path Of the coll
north wind, which sweeps the up
l. per portion of the State. Unde
i the shelter of Its peaks, ranging IL
l. elevation from six to eleven thous
It and feet, these southern valley
u nestle, looking from the snow-cla
Q crests above them out toward tn
= warm southern sea.
G There is something about tn
= coast south OF Point C0nceptio
.. which reminds me always of tbs
II land Of the Lotus. eaters,
"wherein it always seemed afternoon
Something in the smoother hea,
o. - ~, taro fha onffor oh ~