Custer chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, Black Hills, D.T. [S.D.]) 1880-1890, 1886-05-01
DEATH VALLEY.
It's Surroundings Compared With
the Dead Sea

It's SuTround ings Compared With
the Dead Sea.
Dayton (Nev.) News: From time to
time there are disputes as to whether
any part of Death Valley is really be-
low the level of the sea. The latest
observations show that a considerable
portion lies below sea level. At the
lowest point it is 10 feet below the
level Ut the ocean,. This is at a place
about twenty miles southeast of Fur
mace creek. This depression extends
north aad south for a distance of six
teen or eighteen miles. The ground
worked by the Eagle Borax Company
is seventy feet below sea level. This is
four miles west of the deepest depres-
zion. The depression at Death Valley
is, however, far above that at the Dead
Sea, the surface of which is 1912 feet
below the level of the Mediterranean.
The soundings Of Lieut.. Lynch showed
the Dead Sea to be 2l8 fathoms, or
about 1900 feet deep in the deepest
part; therefore, were its waters evap-
Grated. as were those that once Gov
cred Death Valley, there would exist a
depression 2, bl2 feet below sea Lowell.
But at the Dead Sea great altitude
does not exist side by side with great
depression, as at Death Valley. The
cliffs Of Judea, on the west of the Dead
Sea, are but from 1000 to 800 feet
high; while on the east the Mountains
OF Moab, which are u continuation of
the Hauran range, have no peaks that
rise to a height exceeding 5000 feet.
At Death Valley, however. but fifteen
miles away from the lowest part, rises
on the west Telescope Peak, which has
an altitude of 10, 937 feet above sea
level, and 1.047 feet above the lowest =
depression.
To get soma idea of the depth Of the
bottom OF Death Valley, we have but
to observe the altitude of surrounding
places that appear to be considerable
depressions. Thus Wasgoe Lake is
5000 above sea level; Mono Lake,
$3.50; Yosemite Valley presents the
appearance OF a great depression, yet
1t is 5000 feet above the level OF the
sea; and going to points to tho east
wor1 OF Death Valley, on the Colorado
river. about the lowestpoint in the sur
rounding country, WI find that the
mouth OF the Vegas Wash is 760 feet
above the level of the sea. and tho
mouth Of the Rio Virgen 800. Although
we have given 10 feet as the lowest
point in Death Valley, Col, K. S.
Williamson. in his report on the geol-
ogy Of California, makes it 175 feet be
low sea level.
Although a dreary region enough,
and very hot in summer, it is by no
means the fearful place that manv have
described it as being. Death Valley
proper is about thirty miles long and
ten miles wide; therefore. we're Il man
placed in the middle Ct it be would
have to travel only about five miles to
reach the hills by which it is surrounded.
Furnace creek, mentioned above,
was so named for the reason that there
were found the ruins Of furnaces used
by the Mormons during Buchanan's
administration in 1857 for smelling
lead fer bullets. 1t is said that the
lead mines at this place were known to
the Indians long before any whites
were in the country. The veins, which
are of argentiferous galena, are found
IN the face of an almost perpendicular
cliff, and are from one 10 five feet in
width. TEe creek has its source in
Hudley springs, and has n volume Of
about 100 inches of water. In tho dis
lance of four or five miles, however,
this flow sinks 10 the sands and is lost.
The place where the emigrGnts lost
their lives in 1850 is not in Death Val
ley. but at Lost Wagon springs. on
the north border of the valley. Many
remains and wrecks of wagons still lie
strewn about these springs, the water
OF which is strongly alkaline.
Some have described Death Valley
as being almost as fatal TO life as was
that which surrounded the tabled upas
tree In the Island of Java, asserting
that birds that attempt to fly over the
valley drop dead. A Mr.. Hawkins. Of
California, seems to have some faith in
this story. He says: 1T has been
stated that birds attempting to fly
across the valley drop dead. While
the writer cannot verify this by peculiar
proof, he has picked up 1t different
times two little birds whose bodies
were still quite warm, having evident
ly just dropped dead" Hawkins also
says: 1.-The dryness Of the air is so
excessive that moisture is Withdrawn
from the bottom faster than it can be
supplied through the system. From
this cause frequent cases of death have
occurred when water was plenty. but
which could not be drank fast enough.
to supply the drain caused by The d.
siccative power Of the dry. hot air.
We shall not dispute what Mr.. Hawk
ins says OF the death, but we can not
agree with him as to the cause. We
are of tho opinion that. owing I o the
rapid evaporation Of the large q%uanti-
ties of water drank, the persons Of
whom he speaks were frozen to death.
Bictere, Not Burglars.