The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1891-08-22
SCENES IN DEATH VALLEY
DR.. Merriam Relates His Experiences
in the Baked and Bis
tered Chasm.
Running Streams Whose Waters
Are Death to Those Who
Drink Them.
Plants and Animals That Live on tho Bor-
ders Of the Dcsolnte W~astes-Inter-
esting Topography.

estinE topography.
DR.. G. Hart Merriam, scientist and chief
of q government biological survey which
has been working for months in Death val
ley, is in the city. DR.. Merriam has studied
closely the strange region of which 40 much
has been said. and he ia the first in the city
qualified to speak of the valley. He has
camped within the glare of its snlt beds,
has felt its jntolerable heat. and viewed its
splendid disolation, and has faced the
scorching blasts of wind and red hot sand
that rage between the towering black
mountains which wall the silent chasm. lie
has been in the midst of its death dealing
elements. has tasted of its poisoned wells
and has forced his way over its treacherous
sands and over ground that crumbled be-
meath the weight of man or horse. He told
the story of his adventures to a San Fran
cisco Chronicle reporter last night:
1.-THE valley and it's lowering black walls
of barren rock" he said. ARE weird an d
strangely sublime in their desolation. For
miles and miles the curious mountains may
be seen outlined against the clear SIX v.
From the top of Telescope Peak, the high
est of the Panamint or western range which
sHuIS tl5 NSlleN III, Oue ufdf lQOA NCWu Is
dizzy black precipice 1900 feet to the level
of the valley as dazzling white az snow.
Stretching from the mountains foot ar
the glisteniug fields of salt. Here and there
are running streams of salt and mineral
waters. 10 drink of thsm is to die. The
view closes in the gloomy cliffs of the Flu
neral mountains, which formd an impeno-
trable barrier at the east of the canon. The
scene is one of violent contrasts, of glaring
whites and dead blacks.
The valley is the most barren and the
lowest OF a series in eastern California and
southwestern Nevada. At a rough estimate
it is about $50 feet below the level of the
sea. 1t runs generally north and south,
although its worst region turns to the
northwest. This portion has been named
Mesquite valley. 1t ISIS region far worse
than Death valley proper. The valley NAV
be compared to tbs Grand canyon of the
Colorado. 1t is rather an immense chasm
than Il valley. 1t is almost lao miles long,
n as its broadest part is only eighteen
miles wide. In some parts it is more than
fifteen miles in width. In this frightful
place, baked and blistersd by tho i~ntoler-
able heat, holding within itself innumer-
able elements of death, revealing strange
aspects of natural desolation, our party has
been at work for months.
either side of the valley, stretching
almost its entire length, is a range of noun
talns, absolutely barren of animal and veg
etabls life. The western range is the Pana-
mint, averaging in height about 5000 feet.
Tho eastern range is the Funeral, a suggest
i've and not unfit name. The Funeral
mountains rise fully 1000 feet above the
level of the sea. These mountains are
black, with the exception of curious patches
of red rock. Away to the no tn is Mount
MeGruder. Beyond IN the distance riss the
heights of the Sierras. Almost at the
southern limit of the valley is Mount Ivan
watch. Behind it is the Devils Play
Ground. , a raOIOn of ahGOlnta harrapracc
Down the valley a hot safocating wind
blows with terrific velocity. In it's course
through the stricken region it gathers a
black cloud of hot. shifting sand that has
blinded many an unwary horse and rider.
Under the gliatening beds of crystallized
salt in places are running streams of salt
water. Beneath there is still another bed
of salt.
"1n other parts of the valley are wastes |
of hot sand, drawn in some places into
high mounds by the whirl.ng blasts that
sweep down the canon. There, too. is the
most curious earth / have demonstrating
earth it has been called. AS far as the eye
can see 1t appears in curving outline, up
and down, as if pulled by a natural yeast.
The unfortunate animal that steps upon
the little hills will crash through, for they
are not much more than fragile crusts.
Still stranger is that section of the val
ley which for want of a better name is
called Salt Earth. Innumerable ~pinnacles
tapering to points as fine as needles and
over a foot long rise in close array from the
ground. They are as hard as stone and
dangerous as sharpened steel. Beneath and
hidden by them are pitfalls, q tumble into
which means g broken leg or arm. Then,
too, are the rich field of borax, which have
lured many a man to death.
Dreadful aa is Death valley, its north
western arm, Mesquite waller, is worse. All
of the water uaon its surface is poison. The
wine has thrown the sand into immense
mounds, one of which is three miles long
and 800 feet high. 1t was in this valley
that the immigrants lost their lives. Water
NAV be obtained only by digging deep
wells, and then it is none too pure.
Dur party, the biological survey of the
United States government, has been in the
valley for months. 1t left there only a few
days ago. having finished its investigation.
Tn general parpose OF the department of
agriculture, under which we work, is to COL
lect facts relating to the distribution of
species with variations Of temperature and
humility throughout the United States,
and particularly in the western part. The
results obtained will be of the utmost value
to agriculture, for they will save millions OF
della 3 spent in experiments by farmers
who wish to test the capacity and character
of their soil.
1--WE have found that in certain zones
certain fora and fauna flourish. Each
zone has It's peculiar species which will not
flourish in Others. These zones are both
horizontal and vertical.
1T has thirty or forty species of animals
and fully as many of vegetable growth.
Nothing, of course, will live on the salt or
borax bottom, but on the edges of these
districts various hardy plants thrive. In
the sand wastes are ~gophels, mice. rats and
MANY other animals, and not a few reptiles.
MANY theories have been advanced to
account for the formation OF Death valley.
! think 1t is quite probable that it was once