Arizona weekly citizen. [volume] (Tucson, Ariz) 1880-1901, 1891-09-05

n lew years ago III dIJlClS uppedTeu
in one OF out English magazines urging
the restoration of lake In the western
portion Of the Desert OF Sahara, IN order
| to restore to northern Africa the climate
it had i'll the days of the Roman Empire,
when it was the granary OF Italy. At
that time the mountains, interpOsed be-
inces OF Morocco ard AlgIers, were
covered with heavy forests, and the
rains on these mountains were regular
and abundant. From their southern
| slope water flowed down and kept this
| lake filed. The lake was about seventy
miles acrose, and on its western border.
| connected with the Atlantic through a
passage four miles in length. This pas
sage each year would be C. .oked in the
dry autumn with sand thrown up by
the waves OF the Atlantic. And when
the water came down from the noun
tairs in the rainy s ason and rails. ID the
waters II the lake, these waters would
force passage through the sands un'
he excess Of water would pass of into
he ocean. The evaporation from the
lake formed clouds that were carried t.
the mountains and prec plated in rains;
down the northern slopes uf the noun
tsins, gave the region on the Mediter-
ranean sufficient irrigation and climate
that produced the grain which feG
| ally. When the Saracens oyerrhn
northern Africa they found it impos sibl.
10 conquer the mountain tribes, just ne
the Romans found it impossible 10 con-
quer the Germans. because OF the pro
lection of their forests. They therefore
denuded the mountains of these forests.
and thus were euabIed 10 conquer the
Berbers who inhabited them. The de
sLructlon OF the forests WIS the Gestruc-
ton of the "a ns, and ON the south the
sends Of the Atlantic filled up the pas
sage from the lake, and he lake dried |
up. North OF the mountains the coUn |
try became arid and has remained So |
since.
In northern Arizona there ara III. |
remains TO pu. bios and nrber evidc noes |
that show that once the climate ther. |
had enough rain to produce crops and |
10 ba bsbitable
The analogous position Of the basin ~ J
Saltor lake with that in q similarly
situated depression in the western part !
OF the Desc: Of Sshi IA SEEM 10 lndI !
cate that the change of climate IN the /
nortl ern and western parts OF Arizona |
il owing 10 the same cause as tina; in !
Africa.
The Cloud bursts that have deluged !
RedlaL DIS also indicate this, and show |
that We're the laae nj, Il. Inar nuch as i
then the evaporation would be more \
squable, 9 climate favorable To the in- !
dustries Of which Los Angeles Is nov
the emporium would DO established |!
here.
Fremont, when governor Of Arizona,
we believe, urged the restoration OF the
AXE on this accuunt. A communication
from an army engineer appeared 10
reply To HIM, declaring that all the
waters OF the Color ado river, il turned
N there would not keep this lake fiIleo'
DR.. Gardiner, the leading Scientist vi
his d8v, when the question came up
whether the Atlantic could be ''ross u
by steamers, demonstrated that IL was
impracticsble. And it may be that this
engineer did not consider sufficiently
he immense amornt OF water that
comes down in the Colorado IN the an
nual freshet. Ii the Southern Pacific
ran entirey across and through the
deepest part Of the depression it NO "a
probably cost million OF dollars to
Grade and build new route north o.
south of the lake, and If the Colorado
we're turned into and entirely filled IT,
then. unless the basin SO filled WAS sur
roanoed by land sufficiently high TO
,:ontipe il within definite limits, the re-
iult would be large margin extending
miles beyond what woulu be the limits
{ the lake in the dry season; add this
margin. covered with water when TIE
Colorado WAS up, woul.i. VIII 10 drying
up, produce malaria enough TO poison
no country for n considerable distance
about it. If, however. the explorations
and ;-Iveys OF engineers should show
hat defined limit for the lake could
Ne obtained. then the lake would pro-
iahlv owe only benefit. / basin
is deep enough 10 keep a body of water
there comparatively COO, and this
would insure n 90 liable corporation.
u 10 seen. then, that the problem is
a very different one from that in Afrira,
because there the lake can he k pit filled
10 a uniform height ny simply keeping
open a p .ssage of four miles in length.
and thus main tanning. by means Of the
ocean water, a uniform level; and salt
marshes ara not so unhealthy. 1t is
also seen that the work can only be-
undertaken by the government. in view
If the necessary reimbursement It the
Southern PaciHc railroad for the change
II route ard the other damages incident
al to the chsnge.-L. 4. Times.