The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1886-01-21
Peculiar Streams in New Mexico.

la recent article in Science MIR. Nj.
W. Harrington says:
The phenomenon Of n stream flowing
merrjly down from mountain and
then disappeaiin" is. IN the West. 4
very common one. In following down
the Rio t;rande on an enlarged map,
we find many streams entering into it
III lis upper course. In coin. down Il
little further, reaching the San Luis val
IeE. they are found 20 suddenly give out
on the northern side; and few miles
down, cn the southern side also The
principal streams Of the valley. the Rio
GGande excepted, come ia full force
down The mountain, flow freely on, and
terminate III a marsh, or a small lake
or ia the sand
The beds o. those which should emp
" al the isio tIraude are there. but there
Is no water in Unem. Similar streams
are common over the Southwest; and
the VariOus streams show all the differ
ent stages, from those which really 90
somewhere all the time. to those which
empty into the main stream a part of
the time, and those which alive and full
OF water above. always fail to reach the
Stream 10 which they are headed below.
One time l had the curiosity to examine
i stream at the point where it was lost.
It was the Rio Hondo, Just south of
Santa Fe. We had crossed it lower
down; and, though the ravine was sew
enty-five or 100 feet deep. we had found
it perfectly dry. We followed up its
south bank for a mile or two until we
struck the foothills, and there we found
1t bright, rippling stream. leaping
down from ledge to ledge, very pictur-
esque, with some scattering trees along
the banks, and so broad that it was not
easy IL pass over it, leaping from stone
to stoDe and remain drv-shod.
From here my friend drove back to
the crossing, and walked down to. see
where and how a stream could lose it.
self with such volume OF water, and a
path well marked out for it. As l fol-
lowed it down it ran on merrily ia the
midst Of a little valley not more than
six or eight rods wide, along which
were pretty meadows alternating with
elumps Of bushes 1t passed through
the various incidents of Il stream-here
a little fall, there 4 rapid over thickly-
set stones. little further pool. There
seemed 10 be nothing unusual in it,
when suddenly | noticed that the little
valley widened to double its previous
width. the bed became more sandy and
the stream spread over "a greater space.
1t was evidently going under; and.
within twenty rods Of where l noticed
the first change, the running water had
entirely disappeared The bed of the
stream was damp Tor twenty rods or so
more; then for 4 considerable distance l
could get water by digging a few inches;
then thar indication failed. and beyond
the stream-bed was entirely any.
Not ut all such streams terminate thus
in the middle of their bed; some termi-
nate in small. shallow lake, some in
marsh. and either lake or marsh is
pretty sure to be brackish, due to con-
stant concentrations by evaporation of
the alkalies held IN solution. Other
lost streams fiji up after a rainfall, and
complete above the ground their course
to the main stream. After u heavy rain
in the mountains they are apt TO change
their "lCst character with a sudden
ness and decision which may prove dam
gerous The water occasionally pours
down with an advancing wave or head,
which IS described as sometimes five or
six feet high. There i one remarkable
case in New Mexico where the lost trib-
utaries are plentiful. but the main stream
does not exist This is a valley which
lies between the Rio Grande and the
Pecos river The valley begins near the
Sandio Mountain. and j. shut out from
the streams on each side by broken
mountain chains It ! well-defined
valley, not very broad but having a
leUgth perhaps OF 800 miles