The morning call., 1891-07-04
4 NEW THEORY.
The Overflow Caused by the Outlet of the
Utah Salt Lake.

NEW THEORY.
The Overflow Caused by the Outlet of the
Utah Salt Lake.
The RedlandS Facts furnish the following
advance proof sheets OF an investigation
made by reporter:
Some ninety miles east OF Redlands lies the
point around which more speculation has been
INDUCED during the PAST week than any other
locality on Tie Pacific Coast For days II has
been thought that an inland sea was forming in
the Colorado Desert, Which promised 10 reach an
extent OF about sixty by eighty miles aud SUBJ
merge some seventy miles of The Southern Pac-
nc Railroad. IS II Is, lake has formed pTobd-
bly, some ihlrty Oh forty miles III length and sew
eTal IN width.
So great phenomenon does this promise to be
that a reporter visited the seat OF Trouble MUu-
day evening. taking the Southern Pacific Rail
road for Banning. ride OF sGty-elghI miles
from Banning landed the party al midnight at
the station of SatOu, where the hospitality OF
this thrifty city Of TWO houses was presented IN
the form OF an uuoccupied platform of the de OF.
Salion leads peculiar existence. 1t lies some
EGO feet belnw sea level, thIs being tile third
deepest sink in the world and 1t covers an area
OF some 5000 square miles. Undoubtedly The
SINK was at one time portion OF The sea, but
tile Colorado River, bearing with It's Debris
threw up an embankment some few feet, then,
shifting lis course, LETT the Colorado Desert an
inland sea, and from this the water eyapOrated
leaving vast deposits OF salt Saloons sole
excuse Tor being is the refining OF this salt
which Is shipped in great Quantities. he bed
from which the salt Is taken is sometimes par
TALLY covered with water, which. belug IN a thin
hSct. QllhnONn miles III tAleutt Is Caught DI Tie
teTTlhc Wluu-stoflns and swept backward and
forward.
The APPEARANCE OF THE WATER.
Last Friday, however, an event never known
In Tie history Of the county, except during The
rainy season, trans pired. Without any apparent
cause lie water put in an appearance, and Frt-
CAV, Saturday and Sunday IL continued 10
" spread, uutil, when seen 10y The reporter, II
stretched out 10 lie south further than the eve
could reach The southern Pacific Company
sent a boat down under the charge OF Dis
trict Euad Oyetseer L. j. Mulvahlll. who had
Instructions 10 start an investigation TO the
cause Of the flood.
Many speculaiions were SET afoat. One Of
these WAS that the Colorado River had broken
through into New River, and This had backed up
into Tie basin. The most startling Theory, how
ever, aud tie one most generally accepted, WAS
thai an Uudergi UGnd stream from Tie ocean had
forced H. way through Tie narrow ridge which
separates The ocean and basin. THIS was the
most Startling. for the reason that ii would mean
the recreation of tie Old inland Nor did
TINS theory srem Unreasonable, for lie pressure
oil the sea against the " all which separate IL f. ON
the Sink Is sometimes great Probably this
theory was so readily accented because the
United States Government once made survey
with i view OF turning lie water in, and II was
found feasible plan.
FOUND A FOUNDER.
When Mr.. Mulvahill started out 10 his boat he
very early found a sinai. founder, which had the
lie dashed out of il. As tile founder is a sea
fish, lis presence showed the source of The
wafer. But Monday the wafer began 10 reeede
and this showed that no communication had
been established with the ocean. Some
a Wa;erspout. formed ut sea, which burst on
LAND near the line between the United States and
he1lcO.
INVESTIGATED BY BoATMEN.
Tuesday afternoon Mr.. Muyahiil started on
an exploring trip in his boat, with Two boatmen.
This was one OF the most hazardous trips on
which man could embark owing 10 The shallow
ness OF the water. The boat draws about eight
inches OF water, and The wind is constantly
shifting the water In the lake The explorers
are IN great danger oil being stranded miles from
shore. IN Which case, owing TO The tIeacherous
condition OF tile land. they would not dare ven
lure 10 walk ashore. They took Wild them three
days Tations and counted on the south wind then
blowing to take them on their mission. The
mendous. AT Indio at IL O'clock Monday
night, the thermometer registered 50. The day
started with Tie thermometer at about 100 and
al The present time II stands al 1l9. while one
shuns The hot blasts OF air that seem TO scOrch
and blister the skin.
THE DESERTS HISTORY.
This great expanse of desert has history OF
the suffering aud priyatiOn and death of untold
scores of men. Reaching from the Colorado
River 10 within twenty-five miles Of Redlauds
which Is the town OF Banning, 1t presents an eX-
panse OF sandy waste In which are many springs
portion OF which are deadly poison.
From tile time OF lie pioneer scarcely a wear
his way and pershing of thirst and heat UPON
this desert plain. II is now crossed by the
Southern Pacific Railroad, and many an I'M
known tramp, in vending his way along tile line,
has been oyerpoweIed by heat and died. This
is not strange when II is known that the desert
has record Tor 135 degIe above zero, Willie
40 10 125 is quite an ordinary temperature
The United States Government has been tmpor-
tuned Tor years 10 tuln the Colorado River into
This place, aud II was found 10 be feasible by
going upon Mexican soil TO do so, but the Next
can Government would not couseDL 10 Ine crea-
ton OF an inland sea-
EFFECT on THE CLIMATE.
Should II be found that this Is really the escape
OF the ocean wafer through suberrauean chan
mel, what effect would It have the climate OF
California? This is question on which sci
entists do not agree. PROBABLY one effect, at
least. would be to modify the extremely hot
winds HAT occasionally sweep over the Slate
hOm the desert, and which, while not Injurious,
not always pleasant to'eNperience But lhe
tendency would probably he 10 give us a climate
even more Ike lha' Of Italy, has sea water
on both sides.
II this body OF water he but tho creation OF a
Haierspout 1t Will be = wonderful phenomenon,
bull VIII be temporary. II iL be the creation OF
an inland sea, II Will be a phenomenon unequaIed
IN the history OF State accustomed 10 peculiar
happenings.
THE OUTLET OF SALT LAKE.
FoI years he question has been put, where Is
the outlet to Salt Lake? There are three or four
large streams pouring constantly into The great
salt sea OF Utah. but no outlet has ever been dis
covered. There must, however, be some way
Tor the wafer 10 escape, ana escaping unless IL
finds It's way 10 The ocean, 1t viii make itself
manifest. Yet the fact mains that for ages the
water has poured into this inland sea and no
man could tell what became OF il.
IL Is more than Il month since The reporter
came into possession Of information which with
value. About midway between Salt Lake and
the lake now forming Is cTeyice In the ground
In which can be heard the roaring OF a mighty
river and which, II IL Is known TO the earth's
surface al all, must be the outlet TO Salt Lake.
Just west OF the great Utah lake is The Great
American Desert, land especially subject 10
Underground streaihs, and II is not imp aDle
that beneath Its SANDS tee escaping waters lind
their way for hundreds Of miles 10 the SOUTH
ward. and the general topography OF Nevada and
southeastern California gives cTedence 10 the
idea that the stream passes beneath the Colorado
Desert.
TIE sUDTERRANEAN RIVER.
In view oil these facts 1t Is not impossible that
ibis great SAT- subterraneRn river has deposited
the salt beds, which their owner claims do not
possess The same properties found In the ocean,
and That now the underground stream has brok.
en- TO the surface and is flooding the desert,
Should this be the case the water would rise
some 100 feet above sea level. making q much
larger Lake than has been figured on. OF course
IL seems Improbable that this stream would flow
for hundreds OF miles under ground. But, never
theless, the water does sink into the ground and
must go somewhere. and II is probable that 10
foll0gs the great deserts along the mountain
asStfms TO the southwark.