New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-06-30
PRICE THREE CENTS.
| COLORADO DESERT A LAKE.
A MYSTERIOUS FLOOD THAT PUZZLES CALL
FORNIANS.
MORE THAN A FOOT OF WATER SUDDENLY Az.
PEARS IN THE GREAT INLAND BASIN
AN INDIAN THEORY OF THE
PHENOMENON.
Inv ,op,yrr TO THE rRisuxr.1


San Francisco, June 29.-Ihe sudden hoooins
of the lowest part of the Colorado Desert a'ou'
Soiton is one Of the srangest phenomena ever
witnessed on this coast Here is great lhiahu
basin which at its lowest part is 27O feet oeio"
the sea level 1t has area Of 5,ooo SQUARE
miles, and extends from about 100 miles iioin
the Colorado River clear to Seven Palms on the
Southern Pacific Railroad Near Saton are eN-
tensiye salt works where the product exists almost
i'm its natural state On Saturday evening
moisture was noticed all over tins saio
deposit. and soon little streams OF wafer
were seen trclng along, coming. apparently lroin
the south potion OF the valley Ihese kePV in
creasng in volume and spread out, joining eao'
other until by Sunday morning there were twei'e
inches of water covering the ground LOT se'eraI
miles OF course as it came through the sai'
earth it was regular brine
The water continued 10 rise all day yesterday
and the latest reports to-day are that all .ie
REGION for miles around Salton is a great saw
lake which in its deepest part is fourteen inches.
The railroad which is only three feet above the
level of the Desert is not covered, as III Is Oh
higher ground The great salt WORKS are ruiheu
for a time Those who have been on the grouhu
and watched the incoming of the water declare
that it is due to q strong underground curren'
coming from the ocean.
At Indio another phcnomenon was found TO have
occurred For number Of years the railroad
comnanv has had an arteSian well flowing at
little station seven miles east of lndio, which has
been sunk at considerable expense. This well
was found dry about the time that the flow OF
wotpr had first been noticed al the salt mines.
After twentv-four hours the well resumed its now;
which started the theory that the artcsian stream
was responsible for the flood The theory OF the
Indians. who have lived on the desert many years.
is that the melting of heavy SHOWS in the noun
toirs swellcd the Colorado River waters
and they are forced back nearly 100
miles into the desert II is the overhowlng
Of the banks of this stream into the great basin
Of tbe Colorado that has caused the lake to APP
near. The Indians say the same thing happened
about fifty years ago.
All the region in the Colorado Desert wnich Is
now flooded shows signs Of former marine life ana
hollis and other evidences of a great inland lake
extending to the San GOrgonio Pass, in the San
Bernard Mountains, the gateway from the desert
to the orange groves of southern California. Inc
fact that this region has once been covered by
water. caused Dr. O. W. WOzencraft, Of California,
IN devise n scheme for diverting the water of the
CoIoradO River upon the desert. He estimated
that > 600 600 acres could be converted into rlch
agricultural land. as the sou VIII produce IKE
thp valley of the Nile If N has plentN OF Wd0r'
Ills scheme was ndOrsed by competent engineers.
but he died before being able TO put his theory
into practice.
The Colorado Desert Of California IS in San Diego
County, the most southern county of California II IS
ord red by the Colorado River the eastern Side tho
san Bernardlno Mountains the north, Lower Cal
frnia on the south and the fertile coast lands on tho
west This region OF California is of recent formation
and /; sterile and forbidding TO the last degree IL mas
many dry lakes and creek beds. These lakes, or
CULTS often Very deep always salt and bitter ana
often without water If the year. but the beds OK
the lakes are covered with alkaline deposits. THIS
REGION like the famous Death Valley in lnyo County,
gives striking evidence of its former volcanic character
and Of the great changes which have taken place some
of them in modern times. There are few stations on
the southern Pacific south OF Seven Palms. and eltOn,
which Is RpOrted 10 be flooded, Is between TWO fargo
dry lakes. All Of the towns mentioned IN the ABOVE
q,pcl are in of the valleys OF the san Bernaraino