Los Angeles herald., 1891-07-09
SENSATIONS OF THE DESERT.

We are at length in possession OF facts
in regard to the inflow into the Colorado
desert which does away with the suppo-
sition that the water came in from the
Gulf OF California. Had it been found
that the water came in from the gulf,
then we would be confronted with the
certainty that a permanent inland sea
would be formed in the basin, and that
it would eventually rise to the ocean
level. That would mean depth
of water of at least 26O feet
at Salton. With such GER
tainty staring us in the face, a
multitude of contingencies of grave
character would arise. The first would
be the necessity to change the roadbed
of the Southern Pacific railroad; then
the question of the climatic effect Of this
new sea taking the place Of a great
burning desert would be topic of the
most intense interest; and amongst
other questions that would follow would
be the one as to the agricultural effect
of the new sea upon the lands forming
IuO CuClfC VI GIllS CAICuSlOu VI
the waters of the Gulf OF California.
Butwith the ascertained assurance that
the source of the water is merely break
in the Colorado river, all these grave con-
tingencies vanish. The lake will only be
a temporary one, and will disappear, or
become mere shallow sheet of water,
with the falling of the river to its nor
NAL flow. The Colorado at it's low stage
would not supply sufficient water to
sheet covering 27OO square miles to over.
come the effects of evaporation, and con-
sequently a steady drying-up process
would go on during the season of low
water, when doubtless the break could
be filled up and the river directed back
into it's old channel.
Therefore, whatever dangers have
heretofore been apprehendcd are dis
posed Of by the discovery that the water
comes from the river. Even should the
rise Of two inches day continue, which
is not possible under the circumstances,
it would take years for the lake to rise
to the level of the Southern Pacifc's rail-
road track, which is now 1900 feet from
the water line.
Perhaps the most ridiculous of all the
sensations this phenomenon has de-
veloped in the fanciful imagination Of
newsmen is the one which assumes that
there is only slight crust of earth on
the line of the railroad aligning the
desert, and that trains are liable to
break through and 60 to the demnition
bow-wows at any moment. The expert
ence of prospectors in that region has
given no color of truth to this flight of
exuberant fancy, as they found out to
their sorrow when they sunk shafts in
search of minerals hundreds of feet to
find that they had struck formative
rock that was barren of mineral.
If the flow in the Colorado river were
sufficient to supply permanent sheet
of water of moderate depth in the Sal
ton basin, nobody would deplore the
fact that such lake had taken the place
of the repulsive alkali bed of the
desert. 1t would Danish the ter
rors of that dread wilderness, and
modify the temperature to such
a degree as to make its borders habit
able. 1t might turn bleak, blazing
and blasted country into one where the
comfort of living could be enjoyed, and
where picturesqueness would take the
place of barren waste.
In such event we might find ourselves
enriched by number of attractive
watering places, where even in the heat
of midsummer one might 60 to find
rest, repose and comfort from the cares,
rush and turmoil of busy life in the
cities. 1t might prove gratifying off
set to our seacoast, and become as pop
ular as the Adriondacks or Lake George
to European tourists and visitors.