Daily Honolulu press. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1886, 1885-11-06

An Interesting article by the "scientid
Amerfcanv Concerning If

nC 10 oukEtottNC,
and vet few places in the world deserve
their appellations so we'll as does the
Death Valley of California, nor is it
easy to find any other locality in any
country whatever, which gathers about
itself SO much that inspires horror and
dread. A region where man can
die OF thirst while he has water within
his reach, more than he can 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-fve
years ago, will doubtless cling to the
spot to the end of time 1t is in tn,
southeastern part Of Inyo county,
California, and the point at which the
meridian Of Ir6' 45'W. crosses &C.
10 N. 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 Val,
Of Poison, in Java, exceeds the fatal.
lty Of Death Valley.
The valley itself is 40 miles by 8,
running nearly north and south, and
every portion of this is barren and
barren in the extreme, as in fact is tn,
entire surrounding country; but a
narrow central space along the eastern
side, about fifteen ,miles in length, EN-
bodies the typical features 'ntheir highest
intensity. Into this, not Porte d'enfer,
but Putt d'enfer, very few persons have
ever gone, that is, who returned to tel
the tale, and what is here related per.
tains to the higher and comparatively
moderate parts towards the borders o.
the valley.
The dangers are the result of atmos-
pheric conditions solely Lack Of water
may be a fatal evil, but this can b;
avoided; supplies Of water may be
carried, or better still, it is now toler-
ably well ascertained that water is avail
able by sinking even shallow wells il
much the greater extent of the upper
portions Of the valley.
But the water fails to afford its usual
life-giving value from two causes. Th,
first of these is the. heat. OF cours,
this is moderated during two or three
Of the winter months, and for that
space of time residence on the Dor
ders Of Death Valey'is possible withou,
any exceeding great risk. But this sooi
'Ipasses away, and the furnace is in blast
By about April the average (of day ano
night is from 90 to os'; by May it j.
o5 to Ioo'; and little later it aver
ages over ioo', reaching often 100 t,
I25' in the coolest place that can b,
found. II this was with damp atmos
phere it would stife any human lii,
with great rapidity. but a certain
amount Of dryness enables it to b,
borne with more safety. Here, how
ever, comes in the second Of the two
evils, which have been indicated---tht
intense dryness ofthe atmosphere. This
is SO excessive as to be in many in
stances fatal in spite Of every precau
tion. The writer has never tested tn,
ful severity of this feature in Deatl
Valley itself, but his experience alonl
ITS immediate border renders him read,
to give full credence to the statemen
.hat many cases of death have occurred
when water was plenty, but could no
De drunk fast enough to supply tht
lrain caused by the desiccative powel
Of the dry, hot air." In f,ct, in on,
Instance he himself nearly reached tha
condition, and few hours longer o.
The heat and dryhess would have placed
lis own name among those of its victim
1t has been said that birds drop deao
n attempting to cross the valley Mr.
Hawkins who visited it 1882, says thai
,e "picked up, at different times, tw.
title birds, a mile or SO from water
whose bodies we're still warm, havin,
-vidently but just dropped" The bodie.
# men and their horses are liable te
DC encountered at any time; they hav,
,een found within a mile of water, ano
N one case with water still in their can
Teens, and supply Of food as well
showing that the climate was the cause
Of death. With these facts in view, il
is not unreasonable to say that tn.
name of Death Valley is well bestowed
And If this is the state Of things on tht
levated borders, ranging from 1900 to
1000 feet and more above the sea, wha
must be the heat and dryness in the
lery focus 2 For one Of the additional
wonders Of Death Valley is that its cen
tral region lies away below the level o.
the sea. There is perhaps no other
spot on the globe which at so great q
distance from the ocean reaches such a
lepression-I59 feet. The Dead sea,
With the gorges of the Jordan and the
lrabah, of course greatly exceeds this,
,ut it is not widely separated from the
,astern parallel border of the Mediter-
anean.
The climatic violence Of this deep
rough Of Death Valley must be left to
conjecture. 1t is certain that no man
;ould survive there long enough to Sc
;ure continuous observations OF any
extent.
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