The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1891-07-02
THE FLOODED DESERT.
Water Still Rising From the Subter-
ranean River-RailrOad ENDANGERED.

Los ANGELES, July There Is no improve
ment OF affairs in Salton.s The water in the lake
is rising, but no special uneasiness is felt by
the railroad people. Owing to the almost un-
bearable heat it is impossible to get any white
man to venture on the desert at this time of the
year. An Indian runner sent out by the rail-
road people has not yet returned, and boat
sent out from Salton has only been able to get
short distance. telegram received at the rail-
road of6ce in this city is as follows:
A strong wind last night from the southeast
raised the water on the north shore. The west
reach the end OF the track. ! fear the track viii
go with the next strong wind. The water %
surely but slowly rising.
Old timers attach but little importance to
the food. They say that the water comes
from the Colorado river through the break
In 1853 there was a similar overflow,
but the water did not reach
as high as at present. That the water comes
from the Colorado river, which 1t leaves at a
point near Pilot Knob, there is little doubt In
answer 20 a dispatch of inquiry yesterday, Su-
perintendent Muir. of the southern Pacific, re-
ceived the following from II. w. Blalsdell,
superintendent OF mines at Ogilvey eighteen
miles this side of Yuma:
In regard to the water that is flowing into the
desert from the Colorado river at a point some
fifteen or twenty miles below Pilot Knob, ever
since the great overflow in February we have
been wondering where it was going to. can
not state that it is running today, but 1t was
week ago.
dispatch was received later in the day saw
ing that the San Pedro boat had again been sent
out at point fifteen miles from Salton. They
found the current running at the rate of four
and one-half miles an hour, but the water was
only fourteen inches deep. The deepest water
they found was at point three miles southeast
of salton, where it is twenty-one inches deep.
At this place it was only eight inches deep the
day before. The sailors were compelled to come
in soon after the sun rose, as the heat became
unbearable, but they started out again last night
and had not returned when the dispatch was
sent.
A special dispatch to the Times, late tonight.
says:
The water is now within 1000 feet of the main
track. 1t came in 200 feet in two hours TODAY
II ii continues to come in as 1t has been doing
II will wash out the Southern Pacific track in
three days. The deepest water found was three
feet, and the shallowest in the current was
fourteen inches. Superintendent Darbrow. of
the salt works, is much alarmed, but saws he
will stay with the works to the last moment
He wants the railroad to send men to fix the
break in the new river The break ia thirteen
miles below FL Rio, aud is about seventy miles
from Salton.
The Indians are badly scared. All the desert
Indians have fled TO the hills, and even those az
high up as Banning are leaving for the mount
AIMS week ago Ineuicine man came TO the
Banning reservation and told the Indians that
the Messiah said there will be a big flood by
July A. that all whites will be swept away and
only Indians saved. He said that the Indians
who worked up to July 4would not have time to
get away. All the Indians are much excited
and even the most intelligent ones are going to
Grayback mountains with their families tomor-
row.
A special dispatch to the Times from SaIton
at IL o'clock tonight says
The water is still rising but mt .o ran;dy. a..
in the afternoon. Old residents of this rifv ssy
that while the water is higher than ever known.
the desert lake is not new thing and the nhe,
nomenon has occurred frequently but from the
fact that the desert is uninhahlted and no
one ever ventured across 1t, it has not been mo-
ticed.