The morning call., 1891-07-10
ONLY AN OVERFLOW
The Desert Lake Caused by
Heavy Floods.
The Story Of q Lifetime Resident Of That
Region.
The Waters OF The Colorado Rushing Through
New River Channel-The Salon Sink
Will Soon Be Emptied.
Special to THE MORNING CALL

Los ANGELES, July 9.-There is nothing
especially new in the general situation at
SaltOn. Captain l. Polhemus. President of
the Colorado Steam Navigation Company,
who has been navigating the Colorado River
for tbirty-four years, arrived in this city
from Yuma to-day. Captain Polhemus is
one of the best posted men in the country
on the Colorado River and its eceentricities
and states positively that the channel of the
Colorado River has not been changed and
thinks there Is no present danger Of
such thing occurring. he gives the fol-
lowing interesting statement: son Wednes-
day Edward Andrade came up from
LedrO. near the mouth of the river, and
stated that the rivers current below the
New River break is as strong as ever and
there is the usual amount of water in the
river, showing that but small percentage
of the water Is flowing into New River.
The water that has made its way into the
New River is simply the overflow water,
and, as the Colorado is falling rapidly, there
is every reason to believe that the overflow
will cease entirely in few days, if it has
not already. l noticed a break at New
River and there was but little water flow
ing in from the Colorado when | passed
three or four days ago. When the overflow
Is properly understood it is as simple as can
be, and 1t is not a new thing by any manner
OF means, for every time the Colorado over
flows there is a volume of warer of greater
or less extent thrown into New River and
desert lake is formed every time
TWO DESERT LAKES.
"a DraseDt there two Ia EaS-0na at
Indian Wells and the other at Sa!ton, which
is nothing more than the overflow from the
Indian Wells lake, which is an old thing.
The Indian Wells lake was first noticed by
me in 1867, when the Colorado overlooked,
and / have known this lake to form every
time the Colorado gets out Of its banks. 1t
formed IN 1867. 1884 and once or twice since,
but always heretofore the Sand-hills caused
by the sand blown against the mesquite
bushes, that grow between Indian Wells
and Saltun, kept the water out of the Saiton
sink. 1t will be remembered that the Feb
rnary flood, caused by heavy rains in
Colorado. was the greatest food
ever known on the Colorado River. The
water reached point 5 feet above high
water mark at New River, and the Indian
Wells Lake was higher than ever before
Now, the second flood came last month, and
as Indian Wells Lake was already full from
the February flood the water found an out
let through the Mesquite leVee and a second
lake formed. The chances are that the
waters from the Indian Wells Lake is still
flowing through the cut, and that accounts
for The gnt rise in the waters of the
Saton pond, but this flow cannot last
much longer, for the current through
New River is so slow that the channel
cannot be deeper, and Of course but small
amount of water is escaping from the Colo
RADIO. 1t is INV belief that there never will
b. any danger from a serious overflow from
the Colorado, AS high water has never been
knoVp n Ia = ftVG fhraa n f.,nr and
in that short time no more than enough
90 cover the surface of the Indian Wells
sink and the SaltUn sink can flow in. Had
it net been for the second flood last month,
which was caused BY the melting snow on
the Rocky Mountains, there would never
have been pond at Salton, and l don't be-
lieYe it will ever occur again, unless there
are two floods in succession. for as soon as
the lakes dry up the sand dam will again
form between Indian Wells and SaltGn."