Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1889-04-26
BELOW THE SEA LEVEL.
A Queer Place, with its Descendants Of
on Ancient People.

Correspondence Of the New York Times.
lNpIo, CAL, April lS.-"Few divers care 70
descend more than so feet below the surface Of
the ocean. yet there are many persons on the
Pacific coast who think nothing Of descending
from 200 10 200 feet below the surface level Of
the Pacific, and not only that, but live there"
This statement one often hears in California,
especially IN the southern portion, and it 10
somewhat pulling 20 the ''tenderfoot" 10
contains, however, the elements OF truth. a. al
most every one who comes into southern Califor-
ocean level
The Southern Pacific railroad .ns,neers
found. when building the road, that in East
oan Dlego county there was a remark able de-
preston. evidently the dry bed of an ancient
Iake. Inns Is known as the San Felipe Sink,
ana presents singular appearance, calling 10
Inc San Felipe sink has still another name
the Conchilia Nalley-so called from the fact
that Its surface Is covered with shells showing
conclusively that il has been the bed Of a lake
that at least had dense molluscan population
some time in the past, but how long ago 10
would be difficult TO saw
The spot was first noticed BY Surgeon Wild
ney, OF the United States army, many wears
ago. He observed the shore line, and came TO
the conclusion that in the distant past a large
body OF water had stood here. When the sur
yeyors ran their line across the depression they
found that il was one OF the most remarkable
places on the continents cavity near what 10
now the town OF salton, Dos feet below the sur
face of the Pacific.
This sink or old lake-bed is 100 miles long bv
81 miles wide, and the point of greatest depth
Is 500 feet below the ocean level The region
Is one OF great interest In the summer il il
so hot that the thermometers according 20 a
native, are made on the telescope plan. and
lO5~ Is normal in the shade. Still. sunstroke is
never known in the sink, owing, probably, to
the low relative humidity
In wandering through this remarkable place
there are many things TO attract the attention.
On ITS northern side are some fine date palms
That have been growing here for ages. at least
beyond the memory of the oldest inhabitant:
they range from 60 to so feet in height and
present a grand and picturesque appearance
against the mountains. The trees bear dates
OF commercial value, the punches weighing
from as TO lbs pounds. The trees can be seen
by the passengers on the train as IL passes the
town OF lndlo, and one wonders how long they
have watched over the dismal shores and n
the lake was lake in reality in their day.
That the lake was salt is shown by the epor-
NOUS deposits of this mineral Ii is especially
noticeable at the town of Salton where for
many miles the pedestrian travels on a perfect
crust OF salt, ranging from few inches TO sew
eral feet in thickness
The principal business followed here is the
collection of salt A number Of large mills
collect and grind it, and several tons are
smpped every week to various parts of the
country. In some parts of the sink artesian
wells have been developed. and what was orig
inally desert is now rich in greens, and vari-
Gus tropical and semi-tropical fruits and how-
ers are raised. The tourist should stop at the
town OF Indio, and make this the central point
from which investigations can be made and be
will be well repaid
The native inhabitants Of this curious region
are tribe Of about 400 Cohuilla Indians who
have apparently strayed out here from the CO.
hullla valley. Those examined by the writer
near the valley were. a rule, a worthless set
with little or no ambition beyond obtaining
their living from the government and no little
sympathy has been wasted upon them. though
II Is true that they have been cheated and had
lands stolen from them. DIR. Stephen Bowlands,
In an interesting paper read before the Ventura
County Natural History society. gives some new
ideas regarding them. He considers them lin
cal descendants of the old AZtecs. Their relig-
ion includes sun and fire worship at the present
day, and they believe in the transmigration OF
souls. Many of their ideas resemble those OF
the buddhists. Thus while the latter believe that
the soul of a friend enters into the elephant
perhaps the Cohuilla believes that the COYOTE
that prowls around may perhaps be all that is
left OF some OF his people. The dead are Gre
mated. This band makes and uses the stone
mortars SO common throughout the country for
grinding the mesquite bean and coffee, when
they happen to have il.