Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1891-07-17
STRANGE INLAND !
ITS SUDDEN APpEA,
THE WESTERN DEeNrNcE

1hreatenlnG the Homes of Co.
enty Miles Long, Twelve Mn' ''
aud Still Growifg-Daman. Wid1
and Crops Imminent 10 Road
Settlers in portions of co,.
California are in no small deyroaa I'D al
at the sudden appearance ~ a'arne
body OF water in what has ia W. ars
as the desert portion of that co,l Know
now seems as if nature had danilry
solve the question of irriyatioune ttl 81
self. The water appeared im,n 'ol hen
after the recent seismic distnrha atel
Italy and the slighter shocks fa Ia inces
Francisco. Exploring parties sI 10 SaI
and. from the report Of ono ,, are cut
sea is estimated to be twelve miles ." VAN
and from nifty to seventy miles wa, aIa'
The boat was launched, and the ~, long
forth on one of the strangest tr i1e~ So
known. There was stiff and r =, eve1
breeze, and the boat danced ms.la
upon the blue waves. There ne' r
plenty OF SALT sodine, and Wv, way
in the air, and early in the mons
ing the trip was extremely peas,nm. oFn.
mile out small smelt was picked N, a
salt water ashland to the mos, " up-
sailors in the party this seemed N VI 1he
conclusively that the water was N.Y. prove
suit of cloudburst. Others thonn.,r re-
was from the gulf by a subterrsnns 1t
passage, while Roadmaster Mn1 n"eaa
chung to the idea that the w,tor ,llll
coming from the Colorado River wa was
was tested and its gravity found 's y
went about 1s per cent. salt. The w.,l "
in the pool generally went 2G pcr c "aNs1
while the ocean is about 30, SO il co,,,,
not be told whether the newly anu uu'a
water was salt or fresh '''Neu
There was fair wind and the ro,,,
sailed to a point fifteen miles son,baas,.
of Salton. Here a current about miia
wide and running like mill race was
struck. The water was fourteen irrcp as
deep and very clear. The swiftness ~
the current caused the shallownnss ~
the water. This current settled ,l VI
question in the mind of Mr.. Mu)viSilI
that the water came from the Ca .I,,'
RADIO River: the naval contingent 70.
turned to Salton without further in.
cident. A dispatch was found tbere
from Colonel Blasdell, supern,en.
dent of the Cargo Muchacho mines
which confirmed the Colonel's thenry'
He said during the flood last Februarv
the Colorado River overnowed its banks
and filled New River and MANY basins
The water has since continued TO non,
out of the Colorado River into these
basins and New River. and to pour GU, d
these in turn. He had always wondered
where the water went to, and the Sailor
floods settled the question. The waite
started to Salton five months ago, bp
owing to delay caused by the sandy sol
and evaporation has just arrived. !
it could over the desert
1t is thought the flood will last as lop
as the Colorado River is high. and iii
now twenty-seven feet above high wate
mark. At places on New River, wher
the water is overlooking, the banks ar
about twenty-five feet high and of SAND
They are getting weak, and if they Civ
way bank of water twenty feet hg
and many miles long will rus
down like tidal wave. If til
occurs, which is very probable,
will make things very lively with Il
railroad company and will chang
the course of the Colorado or New Riv
entirely. In fact. if the water holds o
in these rivers, it will simply form q )
100 miles long by fifty wide, and Ba
ming will become a port of entry. NJ
have been sent to point on the desc
ten miles south of Volcano Springs, al
if the current is found there it is &C
tain that the water is from the Colorad
The place where the break occurred
thirteen miles below Elryo and seven
miles from Salton.