Union County courier. [volume] (Elk Point, Union County, D.T. [S.D.]) 187?-1913, 1891-07-10
NEW WESTERN WONDER
SUDDEN APPEARANCE or j
SEA IN THE DESERT.

u Covers Ssvsn Hundred Square MILES.
Has Saltwater Fish, Its watSrs Are
salt, and Its Origin Shrouded In Mys-
tery-An IL dian Lsgend.
Settlers In portions OF Colorado and
California are In no small degree alarmed
at the sudden appear ance Of q large
body OF water In what has bAen known
as the desert POI ti0n OF that country. II
now seems as II nature had decided to
solve the question of rsi. alton for her
self The water appeared immediately
after the recent seismic disturbances ID
Italy and the slighter shocks felt In san
Francisco Exploring parties are out
and. from the report OF one, tie inland
sea 10 estimated to be twelve miles wide
and from fifty to seventy miles long.
The boat was launched, and the crew Get
forth on one Of the strangest trips ever
known. here was stifY and rattlfnR
breeze, and the boat danced merrily
upon tina hlNassz AaJas sChGfe wae
plenty OF salt, sodine, and o2one
In the cir, and early In the morn
ing the trip was extremely pleasant A
mile out sma smelt was picked UPS
salt water fsh--and to the most OF the
sailors in the party this seemed to prove
conclusively that the water was the re-.
suit OF cloudburst. Others thought II
was from the gulf by Q subterranesn
passage, while ROadmaster Mulyihill
clung to the idea that the water was
coming from the Colorado River. Water
was tested and its gravity found. II
went about ls per cent salt. The water
In the pool generally went &c per cent !.
while the ocean Is about 30. SO 1t could
not be told whether the newly arrived
water was salt or fresh
There was q fair wind aud the party
sailed to point fifteen miles southeast
OF Saiton. Here current about mile
wide and running like mill race was
struck. The wafer was fourteen inches
deep and very clear. The swiftness Of
the current caused the shallowness or
the water This current settled the
question In the mind Of Mr.. Mnlvihill
that the water came from the Colo
rado River; the naval contingent re.
turned to Salton without further in-
cident. A dispatch was found there
from Colonel BlaisdciI, supcrinten-
dent OF the Cargo Muchacho mines.
which confirmed the loloneis theory.
He said during the flood last February
the Colorado River overlooked its banks
and filed New River and many basins,
The water has since continued to pour
out Of the Colorado River into these
basins and New River. and to POUR ont Of
these in turn. He had always wondered
where the water went to, and the Salton
floods settled the question. The water
started to Salton five months ago, but
owing to delay caused by the sandy soil
and evaporation has just arrived. II
was behind time, but it came as fast as
1t could over the desert
II is thought the flood VIII last as long
rs the Colorado River IL high. aud IL is
now twcnty-seven feet above high water
mark. Al places on New River, where
the wat Is overfowing, the banks arc
about twenty five feet high and OF sand
They are gett; ing weak, and IL they giya
way bank or water twenty feet high
and many miles long will rush
down like tidal wave II this
occurs, which Is very probable, II
will make things very lively with the
railroad company and will change
the course OF the Colorado or New River
entirely. In fact II the water holds out
In these rivers. 1t will simply form a sos
100 m les long by fifty wide. and Ban.
n'ng will become . port Of entry. Men
have been sent to pO mt on the desert
ten miles south OF Volcano Springs, and
II the current is found there 1t Is Ger.
tain that the water Is from the Colorado.
The place where the break occurred Il
thirteen miles below Elryo aud seventy
miles from Saiton.