The morning call., 1891-07-02
STILL A MYSTERY.
The OVera0Ring Lake in the
Colorado Desert.
The Water Steadily Rising Near The Town
Of SaltOn.
Intense Heat Prevents Investigation by
White Mel-Indian Runners Sent
0ut-TraGkS in Danger.
Special to THE MORNING CALL

Los ANGELES, July There has been
no Improvement in the state of affairs at
Salton. The water in the lake is rising,
but no special uneasiuess is felt by the rail-
road people. Owing to the almost unbear-
able heat II is impossi bic to get any white
man TO venture on the desert at this time
Of the year. The Indian runner sent out by
the railroad people has not yet returned.
and the boat sent out from Salton has only
been able to get short distance.
telegram received at the railroad Office
In this city from their agent at SaltOn to-
day was as follows: "a strong wind from
the southeast raised the water on the north
shore. The west water-line is moving west
ward slowly, and l cannot reach the end
of the track. 1 fear the track will go with
the next strong wind. The water is surely
but slowly rising The saturation is 16 per
cent fresher than yesterday"
OPINION OF oLD-TDiERs.
old-timers attach but little Importance to
the food. They say that the water comes
from the Colorado River through break at
Pilot Knob, some fifteen miles from Yuma.
In 1858 there was similar overflow, but the
water did not reach as high as at the present
time. That the water comes from the Colo
RADIO River, which il leaves at a point near
Pilot Knob, there is but little doubt.
In answer TO a dispatch of inquiry yester-
day, Superintendent Muir of the Southern
Pacific Railroad received the following yes
terday from II. w. Blaisdeli, Superintendent
Of the mines at Ogilby eighteen miles this
side Of Yuma: in regard TO the water that
is flowing into the desert from the Colorado
River, at point some fifteen or twenty
miles below Pilot Knob. ever since the great
overflow in February, we have been won
derlng where 1t was going TO. L cannot state
that IL Is running to-day, but 1t was week
age, and coed way to get at the extent Of
the overflow will be 10 communicate with
Hall Hanlon. who has telephone connec-
ton with Ogilby via onr line, or send man
TO this place from FL Rio"
WHAT THE SAILORS DISCOVERED,
Another dispatch was received later in
the day saying that the San Pedro boat had
again Deen sent out. There was a stiff
breeze blowing, ana the sailors were driven
about five miles out of their course. At
point fifteen miles from SaltOn they found a
current running at the rate of four and a half
miles per hour, but the water was only four
teen inches deep. The deepest water they
found was at a point three miles southeast
Of SaltoD, where 1t is twenty-one inches deep.
At this place 1t was only eight inches deep,
the day before, and the boat had TO return.
lie 5dlIOIS were COlU pelleu 10 come IN soon
after the sun rose, as the heat became IN
bearable, but they started out again last
night, although II is doubtful if they will be
able TO discover anything of interest, as the
water Is so shallow that It Is not possible for
them 10 get more than full mile from Sal
ton. When they first went out they found
the water quite salty, bat yesterday they
found it II per cent fresher, which is an
other indication that 1t is from the Colorado
aud not from the sea.
THE CAUSE OF THE MYSTERY.
Superintendent Muir is of the opinion
that the only way to solve the mystery as to
where tile water comes from is to take a
boat and a couple Of Indians at Yuma and
travel slowly down the river, making a care
full examination of the desert bank. He is
OF the opinion that It Will be found that the
water escapes at New River. The channel
OF this river has gradually been deepening
for years, and it is possible that large por-
ton Of the water from the Colorado River
is making its way through New River
RAILROAD TRACKS IN DANGER.
A special dispatch to the Times late TO-
night SAYS: The water is now within 2OOO
feet Of the main track. 1t came in 200 feet
In two hours to-day. II ii continues to come
in as It has been doing it will wash out the
Southern Pac fc track in three days. The
deepest water found was three feet and the
Ihallowest in the current fourteen inches.
DarbiOw Is much alarmed, but says he viii
blag Win the W0TkS TO the las moment. lie
wants the railroad company to send men to
fix the break in the New River. The break
is thirteen miles below FL Rio, and is about
seventy miles from Salton. The Indians
are badly scared. All the desert Indians
have fled to the hills, and even those as
high up as Banning are leaving for the
mountains.
FoREwARNED BY AN INDIAN.
A week ago medicine man came to the
Banning Reservation and told the Indians
that the Messiah said there would be a
food by July 4th, and that the whites will
be swept away and only the Indians saved.
He said that the Indians who worked up to
July 4th would not have time to get away.
Ali the Indians are much excited, even
those as intelligent as John Morongo and
Joe Miguel are going to Gray back Mountain
with their families tomorrow.
THE WATER RISING.
A special dispatch to the Times from
Salton at IL o'clock tonight says the water
Is still rising, but not so rapidly as in the
afternoon. Old residents of this city say
that while the water is higher than ever
known before the desert lake Is no new
thing and the phenomenon has occurred
frequently, but from the fact that the desert
Is uninhabited and no one ever ventures
across II 1t has not been noticed.