Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1891-09-12
A Strange Region in Which Many a
Man Has Been Lured to
Death
In This Frightful Place Strange
Aspects Of Natural Des0lation
are Found.
Here is a Vast Chain 40 Miles
Long and Only 10 Miles
Wide.

w ~ hdIt MtTIlduls scientist ana CuelI
of the government biological survey which
has been working for months in Death
valley has studied closely this strange
region of which so much has been said,
and be is the FIRST one qualified to speak
Of the valley. He mas camped within the
gale of its salt beds, has felt its intoierable
heat, and viewed its splendid desoIation,
and has faced the scorchiRg blasts of wind
and the red-hot sand that rage betwe the
{ black mountains which wall the silent
charm He has been in the midst of its
th-dealing elements, has tasted of its
poisoned wells and has forced his way
over it, treacherous sands, and over
ground that crumbIed beneath the weight
Of man or horse. He tells the story of his
adventures as follows:
The valley and its towering black walls
of barren rock are weird and strangely
sublime in their desolation. For miles
and miles the curious mountains may be
/ seen outlined against the clear sky. From
the top of Telescope peak, the highest of
/ the Panamint CT western range which
| shuts the valley in, one may look down a
dizzy black precipice 10000 feet to the
| level OF the valley rs dazzling white as
snow. Stret ching from the mountain
/ foot are the glistening fields of salt. Here
and there are running streams Of salt and
mineral waters. To drink of them is to
! die. The view closes in the gloomy cliffs
/ of the Funeral mountains, which form an
! impenetrable barrier at the east of the
/ canon. The scene is one of violent con-
| trasts, of glaring whites and dead blacks.
| The valley Is the most barren and the
lowest of a series in eastern California and
southwestern Nevada. At rough esti-
mate it is about $50 feet below the level of
the sea. 1t runs generally north and
south although its worst region turns to
the northwest This portion has been
named Mesquite valley. 1t is region far
worse than Death valley proper. The val
! ley may be compared 10 the Grand canon
of the Colorado. 1t is rather an immense
chasm than a valley. 1t is about 40
miles long. and its broadest part is only
Is miles wide In some parts it is no
more than Is miles in width. In this
frightful place, baked and blistered by the
intolerabIe heat, holding within itself in
Vulnerable elements of death, revealing
| strange aspects Of natural desolation, our
/ party has been at work for months. On
either side Of the valley, stretching almost
/ its entire length is a range of noun
tains absolutely barren Of animal and
/ vegetable life, The western range is the
Pdnimint, averaging in height about g.,
! 600 feet. The eastern range Is the Funer-
/ al, a suggestive and not unfit name. The
/ Funeral mountains rise fully 1000
feet above the level of the sea These
mountains are black, with the exception
of curious patches Of red rock, Away to
/ the north is Mt. Magruder, Beyond in
/ the distance rise the heights of the Sierras.
| Almost at the southern limit of the valley
is Mt Iyanwatch Behind is the Devil s
playground, a region of absolute barron
ness,
Down the valley a hot suifocating
/ wind blows with terrific velocity. In its
/ course throp 1hout the stricken region it
1 gathers biac K cloud of hot, shifting sand
! that has blinded many ga unwary horse
and rider. Under tn. glistening beds of
crystalized salt in places are running
/ streams of salt water. Beneath there is
! still another bed of salt. In other parts of
/ the valley are wastes Of hot sand drawn in
some places into high mounds by the
whirling blasts that sweep down the canon.
/ There, too, is the most curious earth have
/ seen--self.rising earth it has been called.
/ AS far as the eve can see 1t appears in
carving outline, up and down, as If pulled
/ by natural yeast. The unfortunate ami
/ NAL that steps upon the little hills will
crash through for they are not much more
/ than fragile crusts. Still stranger is that
1 section of the valley which for want of a
/ better name, Is called salt earth. lnnumer-
! able pinuaCles tapering to points as fine as
needles and over foot long rise in close
array from the ground. They are as hard
as stone and as dangerous as sharpened
steel Beneath and hidden by them are
pitfalls, tumble into which means a
/ broken leg or arm There too, are the rich
fields of borax which have lured many a
man 10 death. Dreadful as Is Death val
ley, its northwestern arm. Mesquite valley
is worse. All Of the water upon its sur
face is poison, The wind has thrown the
sand into immense mounds. one of which
is three miles long and 800 feet high. It
was in This valley that the immigrants lost
their lives Water may be obtained only
by digging deep wells, and then it is none
too pure.
Our party the biological survey of the
/ United States government, has been IN
the valley for months 1t left there only
a few days ago, having finished its invest
tigatlon. The general purpose of the
department Of agriculture, under which
we work. is 10 collect facts relating to the
distribution of species with variations of
| temperature and humidity throughout
I the United States, and particularly in the
western part Fhe results obtame viii
ut of the utmost value 10 agricultural,
for they viii save millions Of dollars spent
in experiment by formers who wish To test
| the capacity and character Of their land
We have found that in certain zones Ger.
tain fora and fuuua flourish Each zone
has its peculiar species which will not
flourish in others These zones are both
/ horizontal and vertical The party chose
tae diss0late region of Death valley tor its
I labors for from il, and not far distant,
can he traced the seven zones we have
established The valley, notwithstanding
( its barren elements has many phases Of
I life. Ii has 80 or 40 species Of
animals and fully as many Of vegetable
growth Nothing Of course, viii live