Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1885-11-03
misffIIanfGns.
A CALIroRx1A VALE AS FATAL As THE
GUEvO UPAs.

The name is fearfully suggestive, and
vet few places in the world deserve their
appellations so well as does the Death
valley of California, nor is it easy to ind
anv other locality in any country whatever
which gathers about itself so much that
inspires horror and dread. A region
where a man can die OF thirst while he
has water within his reach, more than ne
cad drink, may well bear the most terrible
title that can be given it; and this name
Death valley-given from the first
known event in its history, thirty-five
years ago. will doubtless cling to the spot
to the end of time.
1t is in the southeastern part of lnyo
county. California. and the point at which
the meridian of lie degrees As minutes
west crosses SO degrees 10 minutes north
is as nearly as possible in its center of
horrors Probably only one other spot
of which we have any knowledge. the
Guevo Upas, or Vale of Poison, in Java,
exceeds the fatality of Death valley. The
valley itself is forty miles by eight. run
ming nearly north and south, and every
portion of this is desert and barren in the
extreme, as is in fact the entire surround
ing country; but narrow central space
along the eastern side, about fifteen miles
in length, embOdies the typical features
OF their highest intensity. Into this very
few persons have ever gone, that is. who
returned to tell the tale. and what is here
related pertains to the higher and COM
paratively moderate parts toward the
borders Of the valley.
The dangers are the result of atmos-
pheric conditions solely. Lack of water
may be fatal evil, but this can be avoid
ed; supplies of water may be carried. or
better still, it is now tolerably well ascer-
tanned that water is available by sinking
even shallow wells in much the greater ex-
tent the upper portions ofthe valley. But
the water fails to afford its usual life giving
value from two causes. The first of these
is the heat. Of course this is moderated
during two or three of the winter months,
and for that space Of time residence on
the borders Of Death valley is possible
without any exceeding great risk. But
this soon passes away, and the furnace is
10 blast. By about April the average (of
day and night is from 80 to 95 degrees !;
by May it is 95 to 100 degrees; and lit
tie later it averages over 100 degrees,
reaching often 120 to 1875 degrees. in the
coolest place that can be found. If this
was with damp atmosphere it would
stihe any human life with great rapidity,
but certain amount of dryness enables
it TO be borne with more safety.
Here, however, comes in the second of
the two evils which have been indicated;
the intense dryness of the atmosphere.
This is so excessive as to be in many in
stances fatal, in spite Of every precaution.
The writer has never tasted the full Sc
verify of this feature in Death valley itself
but his experience along its immediate
border renders him ready to give full Gre
dence to the. statement that many cases
of death have occurred "when water was
plenty, but could not be drunk
fast enough to supply the drain
caused by the desiccative power of the
dry, hot air." In fact, in one instance,
he himself nearly reached that condition.
and few hours longer of the heat and
dryness would have placed his name
among those of its victims
1t has been said that birds drop dead in
attempting to cross the valley. Mr.. Haw.
kins, who visited it in 1882. says that he
picked up, at different times, two little
uiIus. % tulle Ut 50 from water. WHOSE
bodies were still warm, having evidently
but just dropped dead.' The bodies OF
men and their horses are liable to be en-.
countered at any time; they have been
found within mile of water, and in one
case with water still in their canteens, and
a supply of food as we'll, showing that
the climate was the cause of death.
With these facts 10 view it is not unreas-
enable to say that the name of Death
valley is we'll bestowed And if this is
the state of things on the elevated Dor.
ders, ranging from 200 to 1000 feet and
more above the sea. what must be the
heat and dryness in the very focus? For
one of the additional wonders of Death
valley is that its central region lies away
below the level of the sea. There is per-
haps no other spot on the globe which at
so great a distance from the ocean reaches
such depression-159 feet. The Dead
sea, with the gorges of the Jordan and
the Arabah, of course greatly exceeds this
but it is not widely separated from the
parallel border OF the Mediterranean
Scientific american.