Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1886-01-14
DEATH VALLEY.
Il CALIFORNIA YALE rs FATAL As THE
GUEVO UPAS.
The name is fearfully suggestive, and y

The name is fearfully suggestive, and yet
few places in the world deserve their ap-
pellations SO we'll as does the Death Val
ley of California, nor is it easy to find any
other locality in any other country Whatev-
er 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 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-five years ago, will
doubtless cling to the spot to the end OF
time.
In the southeastern part of Inyo county,
California, and the point at which the
meridian of 1l6 degrees As minutes west
crosses 36 degrees 10 minutes north as
nearly as possible is in its centre of horrors.
have any knowledge, the Guevo Upas, or
Vale of Poison, in Java, exceeds the fatal
ity of Death Valley. The valley itself is
forty miles by eight, running nearly north
and south, and every portion of this is des-
ert and barren in the extreme, as is, in
fact the entire surrounding country; but
narrow central space along the eastern
side about fifteen miles in length, embod-
les 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 comparatively moderate
parts toward the borders of the valley.
The dangers are the result of atmospher-
ic conditions solely. Lack of water may
be fatal evil, but this can be avoided sup
plies of water may be carried, or better
STILL it is now tolerably we'll ascertained
that water is available by sinking even
shallow wells in much the greater extent Of
the upper portion of the valley. But the
water fails to afford it's usual life giving val
ue from two causes. The first of these is
heat. Of course this is moderated during
two or three of the winter months, and
for that space of time a residence on
the borders of Death Valley is possible
without any exceeding great risk. But
this soon passes away and the furnace is in
blast. By about April the average (of day
and night is about 80 to 95 degrees; and a
little later it averages over 100 degrees,
reaching often 120 to 125 degrees in the cool
est place that can be found. If this was
with q damp atmosphere it would stife
any human life with great rapidity, but
certain amount Of dryness enables it to be
borne with more safety.
Here, however, comes 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 instances
fatal, in spite of every, precaution. The
| writer has never tasted the full severity of
this feature in Death Valley itself, but his
experience along its immediate border
renders him ready to give full credence 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, hotair. In fact, in one instance
he himself nearly reached that condition,
and few hours of the heat and dryness
would have placed his own name among
those of it's 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 various times, two little birds,
a mile or so from water, whose bodies were
still warm, having just dropped dead"
| The bodies of men and their horses are IL
able to be encountered at any time; they
have been found within a mile of water,
and in one case with water still in their
canteens, and supply of food as we'll.
showing that the climate was the cause of
death.
With these facts in view, it is not unrea-
sonable to say that the name Of Death Val
ley is we'll bestowed. And if this is the
state of things on the elevated borders,
ranging from 1900 to 1900 feet and more,
above the sea, what must be the heat and
the 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, perhaps, no 9TH
err spot on the globe which at so great dis
tance from the ocean reaches such de-
pression-15O 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 eastern parallel
border of the Mediterranean.