Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1886-08-25
DEATH VALLEY.
Its Surroundings Compared with tho Dead
Sea.

From time to time there are disputes
as to whether any part of Death valley
is really below the level of the sea, The
latest observations show that n consider
able portion lies below sea level. Al
the lowest point it is 10 feet below the
level of the ocean. This is at n place
about twenty miles southeast of Furnace
creek. This depression extends north
and south for n distance of sixteen or
eighteen miles. The ground worked by
the Eagle Borax company is 70 feet be-
low sea level. This is four miles west
of the deepest depression. The de-
preston at Death valley is, however,
far above that at the Dead sea, the sur
face of which is 1872 feet below the
level of the Mediterranean. The sound
ings of Lieut. Lynch showed the Dead
sea to be 2lS fathOms or about 1900
feet deep in the deepest part; therefore,
were its waters cvaporated, rs were
those that once covered Death valley,
there would exist depression 1872 feet
below sea level. But at the Dead sea
great attitude does not exist side by sldO
with great depression, as at Death val
ley The cliffs of Judea, on the west Of
the Dead sea, are but from 1000 to
| 1900 feet high, while on the east the
Mountains of Noah, which are q con-
tinuation 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 attitude of 10,937 feet
above sea level and ll,047 feet above
the lowest depression.
To get some idea of the depth of the
bottom Of Death valley we have but to
observe the attitude of surrounding
places that appear to be considerable
depressions Thus Washoc lake is 5000
feet above sea level; Mono lake, $3.50;
Yosemite valley presents the appear
ance of great depression, yet it is
1000 feet above the level of the sea; and
going to points to the eastward of Death
valley, on the Colorado river, about tho
lowest point in the surrounding country,
we find that the mouth of the Vegas
Wash is 760 feet above sea level, and
the mouth of the Rio Virgcn 800. AL
though we have given 10 feet as the
lowest point in Death valley, Col. r, s.
Williamson, in his report on the geology
of California, makes it 10 feet below
sea level.
Although a dreary region enough,
and very hot in summer, it is by no
means the fearful place that many have
described it us being Death valley
proper is about thirty miles long and
ten miles wide; therefore were man
placed in the middle of it he would have
to travel only about five miles to Teach
the hills by which it is surrounded
Furnace creek, mentioned above, was
80 named for the reason that here were
found the ruins Of furnaces used by the
Mormons during Buchanan's admins
tration in 1851 for smelling lead for bull
lets. 1t is said that the lcad-nlncS at
this place We're known to the Indians
long before any whites We're IN the
country. The veins, which arc of
argenliferous galcna, are found in the
face of M almost perpendicular cliff,
and are from one to five feet in width.
The creek has its source in Hudley
springs. and has Il voIlmc of about ono
hundred inches of water. In the dis
lance of four or FIVE miles, however, this
flow sinks in the sands and Is lost.
The place where the emgrants lost
their lives in 1850 is not in Death vail
ley, but at Lost Wagons springs, on the
northern border OF the valley. Many
remains and wrecks of wagons still lie
strewn about these springs, the water OF
which is strongly alkaline.
Some writers have described Death
valley rs being almost as fatal to life as
was that which surrounded the tabled
upas tree in the island OF Java, assert
ing that birds that attempt TO fly over
the valley drop dead. a Mr. Hawkins
of California. seems 10 have some faith
in this story. He SAYS ut has been
stated that birds attempting TO fly across
the valley drop dead. While the writer
can not verify this by ocular proof, he
has picked up at tlnront times two
little birds whose bodice were still quite
warm, having evidently just dropped
dead" Hawkins also says: "lhe dry
ness Of the mir is so excessive that moist
IRE is withdrawn from the body faster
than it can be supplied through ,he
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 dcsiccative power of the dry, hot
air." We shall not dispute what Nj.
Hawkins says of the death, but can not
agree with him as TO the cause We
are of the opinion that owing to the
rapid evaporation of the large quanti-
tics of water drank the persons of whom
he speaks were frozen 10 death pay.
ton (Ner) NcwS reporter,