New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-07-16
,.r TELEGRAPH TO THE IRIBuSE-'

G., Francisco, July 15.-The source OF the
s.,ton Lake is now settled The water comes
,am the Colorado River, and newspaper parry
has inst come into Salton from Yuma, having
made the whole distance in boat The start was
made last Thursday from Yuma, the hielouiS
being at ll2 in the shade in the Doat' AHe
story Of the trip is as follows
about fifteen miles below Yuma the WAFER
poured through many channels into the oeser''
There was bar forming in the river, ana /, Seeii,
probable that at this point the Ooioi"uo VIZ
eventually change its channel ana throw aii inr
mense volume of water into the desert. we io''"u
Che water twelve feet deep in the channel running
from the river. There water all over tle
country as far as we could see. lntersperSeu pS
innumerable islands covered with mesquite trees
This bottom is a great cattle country ouV uhe
vaoueros now wear life-preservers, and nara py
keep boat. Soon the party came 10 the oIu
ButterfeId stage road between Yuma ana San
Diego; that was covered with eighteen 1eet OIL
water. and the stream was 200 yards wlde' we
travelled westward, the stream changing IN Wluth
and depth, and frequently the whole country
being converted into a huge lake where IL was
denressed. Finally. on Sunday our boat entered
New River after going through succession OF
lakes. through which the main current kept its
course.
AT neon we found a break in the sandhill
hanks of our stream, and it turned abruptly at
wight angles. flowing due north, while for ten
miles back we running east. The breaE
was 900 wards wide the stream was seven feet
deen and flowing swiftly. This is the break
that throws the water upon the desert. After
Going q short distance from the crevasse, the
water spread out over vast extent OF country
and was very swift and shallow; but about three
miles TO the north we came to point where all
the water in the country seemed to come together
and rushed down into thirty-foOt channel, form
ing small falls. The water below the falls was
Ten feet deep. and the current six miles an hour
Big streams now ran into our channel every 2oO
wards We then passed numerous lakes, and
finally struck a channel through the sandhllls,
where the water deep and swift. Inc
banks were from 80 to 400 feet high, perfectly
perpendicuar and looked like the palisades on the
Hudson.
1T was the old channel of the Colorado, when
il used TO run into the desert. These
high banks caved off continually and
created swells; which filed our boat with
water. At ore place piece of bank thirty feet
high and 300 yards long fell in minute after we
had passed alongside it, The noise was like the
reverberation of cannon don't believe this
man before. For miles we ran over rough water,
where our boat danced like cork. Here and
there were indications that the water had been
SIX feet higher than that ~bslew. We struck
whirlpool that rolled our boat over few times
and spoiled all our provisions except some canned
goods and beans. We had everything tied in the
boat On Monday we into vast lake, prob
ably twenty miles square, and were sure that it
was Salton Lake and that our journey was nearly
over In the midst of the lake was q deep chan.
mel lined by half-submerged mesquite trees We
ran twenty miles along this lake river and passed
out into O good channel; but still no Salton.
After going about four miles down over the
last channel the banks began to grow higher and
higher and presently we heaTd a great roaring
noise 1t was cataract with a sheer fall of
eighteen feet. The only way out of it
seemed TO be TO make a portage. This
was deferred until morning. We unloaded the
boat and took il out of the water. In the mean
time Providence intervened The falls cut the
bank below the rapids and moved up stream, and
in the morning we found the falls half mile up
stream, and our boat was opposite, in smooth
water. We hastily loaded up, and for just about
fOrty-five miles ran at speed such as | never
want TO go at again. On Tuesday morning at
o'clock, left the channel, and at last entered
the Salton Lake. Our boat was soon stuck in the
mud. and for several hours, under blazing sun,
we worked in mud and water up TO the armpits,
moving il along. Finally we flOated it, and
reached Salton. The Colorado River is again
reported 10 be rising there is little prospect of
the SaltOn Lake drying up for same time.
Much Of the country passed through is un-
explored. The water is bringing down an immense
lot of seed and excellent cattle food is sprngng up
everywhere, and the desert will soon he q good
pasturage. We found thousands of carp all along
the route | think the channel, now that 1t Is
cut, will always contain water except IN the
very lowest stages Of the Colorado River; and
iS nrODaDIlltV that
will form a bar at the crevasse, and that all It's
water will run down here and the Southern Pacific
bad better prepare TO move"