The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1891-01-29
THE VALE OF DEATH.
Government Explorers Encoun-
ter No Great Hardships.
WATER FOUND AT EACH CAMP,
Every Mile Of the valley Has Been
Prospcctcd The Climate Is as
Good as san Francisco's.

the party at Benefits Wells, near the GEN.
ter OF the valley. So far no accident has
occurred The heat has not been excess
i've, and the party has made springs each
Day according to programme. so there has
been no suffering for want of water. The
expedition Is made for the purpose of sell
ehtihc research, and the party has divided
INTO two branches in order to cover the
territory expeditiously,
The San Francisco Chronicle of January
-, says; In view OF the conflicting stories
about Death valley that are being pub
lIshed now that government expeditions
have directed attention to it, the infornla-
ton given to a Chronicle reporter yesterday
by William b. Robertson will be of inter
est. Mr.. Robertson was for several years
manager of the borax interests there
owned by w. +. Coleman & Co., which
were operated under the name of the Har-
inony Borax Mining Company lie was
IN the valley every year for ten wears, at
times remaining for months, and has per-
sonally explored every part of Death val
ley.
Most of the articles about Death valley
which ] have seen lately are gross exag-
gerations," said Mr.. Robertson. "Therc
is strange disposition among prospectors
III that country to make Death valley
more terrible place than it is and terra
incognita, and So make heroes of them
selves. In fact, every part of Death val
ley has been thoroughly explored. Travel
through it is dangerous in the summer,
but in the fail, winter and spring il may
be travelled as safely as any desert region.
''The borax works which the Coleman
estate sold to +. N. Smith few months
ago, are located on the east side of the val
ley, close to the foothills of the Funeral
or Armagosa range, and at about the
middle of the valley from north TO south.
Funeral creek, little brook which runs
for three miles through the foothills, sup
plies water at the works. Formerly it's
waters sank into the porous sands al the
edge of the valley. The valley itself, from
a point about ten miles north of Funeral
creek TO about forty miles south of it, is
covered generally by heavy incrustations
of salt, except near Funeral creek, where
borates are mixed with the salt, at some
places to large extent The valley as q
rule is about five miles wide. except in
one part, where it is about fifteen miles
In appearance it is extremely forbidding
The naked mountains rise plainly on
either slde-the Panamint range on the
west rising to several thousand feet The
Telescope mountains are covered with al
most perpetual snow, and the Armagosa
or Funeral range. on the east, rises to
about 1000 feet. The foothills are bare and
very much broken in appearance The
prospect is as dreary as can be found and,
owing to the 'sameness' of the country
there is danger of a stranger getting lost.
1.-The vegetation is very slight. not being
quarter as extensive and luxuriant as on
the Mojave desert. The little green wood
and sagebrush are very stunted, and there
is little desert vegetation of other kinds.
There is a striking change in this respect
noticeable after crossing the mountains
from the Mojave desert. The climate dur
ing part of the year is as pleasant as in
San Francisco. During the fall, winter
and spring 1T is about the climate
of the San Joaquin valley The days are
not hot and the nights are seldom ex-
tremely cold. | have known it to snow in
winter and have seen ice an eighth of an
inch thick form during the night In
February and March heavy winds often
blow, and severe sandstorms which prevent
travelling sometimes occur. Travelling is
easy enough during the winter, especially
if one has comfortable tent. and pros
pectors have no difficulty going over it
during these months. The mountains
have not been thoroughly prospected. but
probably as much SO as the mountains of
any other part of the desert region as far
from the railroads.
1.-The weather is extremely hot between
the middle of May and the middle of Sep
TENDER, and travel then is extremely dan
gerous, owing to the intense heat and dry
ness and the unquenchable thirst ! have
seen it 100 degrees in the shade. Iron gets
so hot that it cannot be handled and ex-
ertion is impossible. One feels a constant
sense of lassitude, and sleep is almost inn
possible at night owing to the heat one
cannot drink enough to quench thirst and
the amount of perspiration is enormous.
but still the air is so dry and evaporation
SO rapid that the skin is not moist and the
perspiration is not noticed. Travelling at
that season is very dangerous bnt is not
impossible TO one acquainted with the
country If he has Il blackboard or wagon in
which he can carry water enough TO last
him from one source of supply 10 another.
Eve used to keep forty men employed at
the borax works, suspending work during
the summer and leaving two men there
Only two men have died in the valley.
One was killed blythe heat on the way and
another was one of two@men left at the
works when they suspended III 1855. lie
got impatient to get out, and very fool
ishly and against advice, started to walk
out over the trail in the summer without
waiting for the conveyance which he was
assured would be sent for him. He started
out on foot with five-gallon canteen Of
water and persisted forty miles from the
works having passed three places where
he could replenish his water supply
He died about twenty miles from the
last well he passed. ! have heard stories
of prospectors perishing, but have no di-
rect knowledge of any instances. though
many have died on the Mojave desert. r.
Neuschwander, superintendent Of the
works once came near losing His life while
making a long trip III scarcely of man
thought to be lost. He exhausted his
water supply, but finally reached the hex
mine in the mountain. one knowing the
country can reach water from almost any
point On the eastern side there
is little water in ting hills away from
Funeral creek, but there are many sources
on the western side. As ] have
said. every foot of the valley has been
thoroughly prospected for borates. espe-
cially between ISL and lSo5, and hundreds
of men have gone over II. have Travelled
all over il III a blackboard, taking one man
and twenty or thirty gallons of water with
me. There is the same danger as there is
in travelling in the Mojave desert where
somebody perishes every year The sum
mers are from TO 10 degrees hotter, and
to that extent il Is then more dangerous.
The main trail into the valley is that
which We used for years, running from
Moiave. on the railroad. to the works,
distance Of 100 miles We made regular
trims while the works were in operation,
using wagons carrying from twelve 10
eighteen tons. drawn by eighteen or
twenty mules. our trips were made as
late as the middle of June. and sometimes
the LIST of July, bat We never lost an ami
NAL. Along this trail there were camping
places about sixteen miles apart. There
were also stations where water and feed
for the return trip were left. The wagons
trailed behind them tanks on wheels
holding about so gallons, and these were
left on the way. The watering places on
the way from Mojaye. where natural