Los Angeles herald., 1891-07-14
THE SALTON SEA.
1t Extends From Far Over
the Mexican Line,
And is Deep and Flows Swiftly
to the North.
The --latest Information Which the
Southern Pacific Officials Possess.
Engineer Hawgood's Trip to Flowing
Wells--A Mexican's Long Journey
Around the New Sea-The Colo
RADIO Apparently Creating IA
New Channel to the Sea.

The Colorado river is changing its
course.
Heat is the latest theory regarding
the Salton sea mystery.
Engineer Hawgood OF the Southern
Pacific returned ON Sunday from Flow
ing Wells, ,.about twenty-four miles east
of Salton. On Saturday night Assistant
Engineer Swayne left this point with
teams heading due south. Yesterday
he should have been about thirty-five
miles south of Salton. The object of
this trip will be stated below.
On Saturday Miguel Flores, Mexi-
can, arrived at Flowing Wells from Low
er California. He had started from his
ranch. about eighty miles below the line.
He intended togo to Yuma, by striking
the old tail at New river station, and
thence going direct across the desert.
He was greatly astonished at reaching
the edge Of the desert in Mexico to find
that it was all under water, so instead OF
making direct for New river station, he
skirted the Cowpah mountains. The
WdLGT WAS DOuuuCO dPPdICli01N Ohiy Ny
the mountains, and was 1eep and swift,
at no place fordable. He got to where the
Yuma trail crosses the mountains east
of San Diego, but the road was OBJ
liberated it was doing the McGinty act.
Flores kept on pursuing the Big Holes
country and skirting what looked like
boundless ocean, with current running
strong to the north. At last just to the
south of the Salton basin he managed
to find some ground higher than the
rest on which he managed to ford the
flood and get into Flowing Wells, where
he found Engineer Hawgood, and told
him his experience. Mr.. Hawgood says
that the bulk OF the water is now south
of the Mexican line, and south OF the
Big Holes country. The flood in rough
terms at its greatest length, measures
95 miles and its greatest width about 50
miles, being OF irregular shape. This
immense body of water is held back
from the Salton basin by sand ridges,
through which, however it has been
making its way, and is now
gradually covering that basin. The
Salton depression is about 200
to 24O feet below the level of this sea
south of the Big Holes, and it is Mr..
Swayne's mission to ascertain how fast
the water is breaking through into the
basin, and what the prospects are of its
becoming permanent lake and of over
flowing the railroad track.
The water, Mr.. Hawgood says, comes
from the Colorado, which he thinks is
possibly forming a new delta. This
river carries tremendous amount of
silt, and has been raising its bed for
probably hundreds OF years. 1t is pos
sible, indeed likely, that the breaks in
it's west bank are permanent, and that
the New River and Hardy's Colorado,
will henceforth form its delta, and that
it will cover the country south of Big
Holes, and possibly, including the Sal
ton basin up to sea level.
The barrier between the Salton sink
and the Big Holes basin is formed of
dunes of sand and gravel, which is.al-
most sure to be obliterated by the ac-
ton of the water flowing over it into the
Salton sink.
There is absolutely no danger to the
Southern Pacific road. 1t will take sew
eral months for the water to reach the
track if it ever should, and the line
would be moved 10 above sea level in a
day or two, without increasing the
length or affecting the grade.
II it proves to be as is thought, that
the Colorado south of Yuma is making
for itself new channel to the sea, or
rather going back to its old one. for it is
certain that at one time both of the ba-
sins referred to were occupied by the
river and the gulf, the road will be
moved about four miles north and that
will solve the difficulty.
Mr.. Hawgood stated that he consld-
cred it very doubtful if the railroad COM
pany would attempt to do any
work trying to keep the river in the
channel where it has until lately been
flowing. At the worst the influx Of
water, as stated, would cause the remo-
val of the track about four or five miles
to the north, while any attempt to con-
troll the river would be at an enormous
expense. Another difficulty in the way
would be the fact that the work would
have to extend far into Mexican terri
tory, thus making it an international
matter. The railroad company would
have no right to go into Mexico and at
tempt to confne the river in any
bounds.
No action will be taken until Mr..
Swayne is heard from.
Mr.. Patton, who left Yuma on Thurs
day last in boat, has not been heard
from. He expected to reach Salton on
Sunday.