The intelligencer. [volume] (Lexington, Mo.) 1887-1891, 1891-01-17
DEATH L L AGAIN.


NuCu Vi tlttn d5 oCCuI " hCs VI tAal
| am familiar WITH
Secretary of Agriculture Rusk is
organizing an expedition to explore the
famous Death Valley In Colorado.
This regioE is a veritable terra inc0g.
nita The heat there is 30 intense that
dead animals do moi decompose. Water
in the valley Is unknown II tue ex
pedition will carry water for animals
and Luman beings. Two of the chief
botanisls of the department are now
working their way into the valley from
southern Nevada, while another expe-
ditiOn Is on the march from southern
Idaho. The expeditions are expected
to meet at a point previously decided
upon in the valley. Prof. Merriam will
leave in a few days to take charge of
the expedition. There is reason to be-
lieve that there are rich gold and silver
mines in the region. Years ago an
adventurous miner penetrated into the
valley and found the skeleton of a
miner. A wooden pail was lying near
it, and in it a chunk OF gold of great
value. Scientific men with the expedi.
ton will map the country and procure
specimens of such animals and insects
as exist there, il any do exist"
The first error is the location OF
1t is In California and Nevada. 1t is
not 4 yeritable terra ipcognitG, as 1t
once was. It Is . hot region, being
depressed below sea level some hum.
dred and fifty feet, possibly in places
even more. Water In the valley is
scarce and not very good. but Is not
unknown,it being found In many places
furnished by natural courses, and IN
many others by artificial means,so that
the job of hauling water for men and
animals may be avoided If the proper
guide is employed. Indeed, l have
heard it stated by a gentleman who
has valuable mining claims in Death
Valley, that water may be had by dig
ging al almost any point without going
TO a great depth, which the formation
of the valley, surrounded as it is by
high hills on all sides, with here and
there a pass, giving 1t the shape of q
vast reservoir, makes the aperture quite
plausible. The first persons of the
American family, 80 far as can be
learned, to cross Death Valley, was a
party of Mormons. In 1916 They lost
Ouo JILL SOtuldh tCduketcE - utuC6
the name. Since that 1t has been cross
ed by many, and is s % crossed regular
ly. Gentlemen of my acquaintance in
California have travelled about the
length and breadth of the valley lately
and years ago, prospecting for long or
shor: periods, procured water IN many
places supplied by nature, one party
only having to dig and this over q spring
lightly covered by a slide. The fan.
ciiul letters thrown out by the friends of
Iiusk are misleading because untrue and
are believed, in some instances, to lower
the names OF parties seeking positions
of guides to this costly and almost
useless exploration. More people pro-
badly know that they will find water
at Anvil spring, at the month of the
Farmiss ri, er, at the cisnagas. at the
Indian trail. aud in many other places
diff cult to describe by any appelaiion
that would rut them u So for from
this valley being a terra incognita. as
you say, there are al the present time
one or two manufactures for borsx,
saltpeter, and other saline goode, be-
sides some mining establishments, along
the Tooth hills or rim of Death Valley,
with perhaps others opening up, which
makes your article appear a little of
color You have relied too closely on
Rusk and bis letter writers You know
they must offer some plausible excuse
tor this expenditure. Ii they had sim
ply said they were going to dig NJ the
weird old place and it's surroundings
and remove all to the national museum
ii would have been about AS well. Ii
il not n waterless terra incOgnttG, as
you say, while really il Is ''scary"
enough. DR.. w. Ii. Gould, of San
Diego, has spent weeks in the valley,
prospecting, aud neither he or his
party Of six. with eight animals suffer-
ell Tor water or encountered Il greater
heat than that fousd on the CHA river,
not 10 SAY "a word OF Sahara or other
sections notorionsly narrow. Water is
occasionally difficult OF discovery by
unlniliaIed people, out it Is true lot
withsianding. The Iudian living along
the valley can show ii. Aud II man
understanding well the use of u guD,
will find IL little something, now and
then, to put into the camp kettle to
stave off hunger. If any other than
the German mentioned above have lost
their lives In Il, no record of the fact is
known 10 those familiar with tie local
ity and lis history, and that makes out
a bad case ior some one writing Rusk
up in his curious and useless OK pendi-
ture.
This terrible valley, (and 1t 10 a terri.
BILE one for its size) is something over
All hundred miles In length, laying
southeast and northeast along the liu0
OF California and Nevada, by q width
of from two and u halt miles to fifteen
miles, 80 that il a traveller should
attempt its passage even at its its widest
stretch very little water would put
him tron the northern 10 the southern
side in a few hours, say four hours on
u horse, or six on foot But, by fol-
lowing y line up and down the valley,
the hills might o be reached for
several days,even if water Was depend
ed upon from a csnteen or from natural
supply. In such travel man or beast
might perish, tor some OF the water
found is not good, some of 1t is good;
but it Is necessary 10 know where or
how to find it, just as in any other
region under the sun. That question
will 10 have to be solved by Bayley
and Palmer. Pioneers have done that.
They may put up 6nger-boards by the
way and they should. Travel is slow
in this valley, because it Is sandy and
hot; but it is travelled and has been
since 1846, and how long before we
have no history. But it is %undeniable
that two parties who crossed the valley
as early as indicated had great difficult
ty, or that they lost one man bv starva-
ton together with many animals and
perhaps all their wagons. That is the
tate OF exploralion-with adventures.
But il is hardly the fair thing to say
that hundreds were lost, when but one
d be mentioned. People in such
places become bewildered and occasion
death often. Occasionally, people Who
are prone to be lost lose their lives in
such travel because in their hurry they
cannot even tell the direction of the
sun, and il they have a compass would
lnisread il; or even declare the article
wrong in its directions Such people
should avoid the roads as well as the
deserts or prairies. The party OF 1916
may have been IN this condition and
forgot the use OF spade aud pick, or
tn Y may have had no such tools for
il is certain sn old anvil is deposited
at the spring Of that name, aud wrecks
Of wagons and other things are close
by, iniimatiDg that the travellers were
Kidding themselves OF extra weights.
Que man was lost, but the many got
through.
DEATH Valley is perhaps q miniature