The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1891-07-09
ALTERS BIOGRAPHIES.
The New Great Lake Created In
the Colorado Desert
HAS EVIDENTLY COME TO STAY.
Opinion of Engineers now Making
Explorations---The Water SIN Ris-
ing.-.The Terrific Heat ut salton.
Gen. Frcmonts Plans--.Grcat Battle
ofthc Elements.

Colorado is rising. While the evapora-
ton is something terrific at this season
ofthe year, when the thermometer not
infrequently registers 100 and 1870 de-
grees, it cannot keep pace with the
mysterious stream that is pouring its
waters into Deaths Valley. Engineers
Of the Southern Pacific Railroad have
explored the inland sea to some extent,
the excessive heat, however, making it
impossible for them to travel far. They
have not yet concluded their investiga-
ton, but their fayorite theory is that
the water which is filling up this coun-
try comes from the Gulf OF California,
and that the lake will be permanent.
II the water continuesto rise within
the next few days as rapidly as It has
for the last week the Southern Pacific
tracks will go.
PLANS TO CREATE A LAKE.
Some years ago number OF scientific
men and army officers wrote deliberately
upon the feasibility OF turning the
waters Of the Colorado River upon por-
tons OF this desert for the purpose of
creating q great inland lake; and o. N.
NYozencroft, q well known scientific man
and engineer, accompanied by Gen. Fro
mont, once went to Washington to get
bill through Congress for an appropri-
ton for preliminary work. 1t seemed
to be the opinion OF those who knew
more than Mr.. Wozencroft, that owing
to the fierce evaporation, ii nothing else,
throughout the section that was to be
benefited, that where water would be
the most needed, we should lose river
and not gain q lake. But, while Wozen-
crofts project would have been costly
as impracticable, there were those
who were OF the opinion that, with
less engineering difficulties, the waters
of the Gulf Of California could be
turned back into the desert, where they
once undoubtedly belonged, and, in q
measure, prevent the hot winds and at
mosphere that prevail over an area OF
more than 10000 square miles. III this
particular section there is little Or no
rain, as the mountains TO the west
catch and distribute nearly all the
moisture that the regular overland cur
rents are prepared to let fall, while the
arid lands between Salton and Yuma
and the hot deserts adjacent furnish
currents of torrid air most unfavorable
to the formation of clouds and rain. In
consequence of these peculiar features Il
shower Of rain is q rare occurrence be-
tween this point and the Colorado
river, seldom falling more than once
year, while the perpetual sunshine and
hot dry earth produce temperature OF
most notable height, it being 100 in the
shade frequently.
There have been cloud-bursts Mt places
upon these deserts, to the north, that
have carried death and devastation some
times for hundreds of miles. A few
years ago q great clond moved rapidly
eastward from the gulf and was at last
hurled violently against a mountain
about eighty miles north OF Salton, and,
breaking, precipitated more water. than
all the falls in America at the time Of
its downpour, and made roaring river
twenty-six miles in width, and, during
its destructive course, carried away
nearly twenty-four miles of the track OF
the Southern Pacific railroad, not a rail
nor tie Of which could ever be found.
Its ravages LETT to the eye great gorges
and other cataclysms on every side and
afforded opportunity for the profound
est thought
GREAT BATTLE OF THE ELEMENTS.
Within few miles OF the river may
ne seen evidences of the great strife be-
tween the down-rushing waters Of the
vast basin of Nevada, Utah, Southern
Wyoming, Western Colorado, Arizona,
and part OF New Mexico, and the great
in-rishing tidal waves which earth
duakes have sent up the Gulf OF Cali
fornia, which must have been indescrib-
ably terrible. just now Il geologic con-
fusion reigns supreme aud specimens Of
the crust Of the earth from many and
diverse localities are on every hand as
silent witnesses OF the great battle OF
the elements along the Lower Colorado.
In this stupendous struggle, however,
the sea has been driven back 200 miles
from its former habitaiion and it is still
retreating, unless, perhaps, it has just
now been reinforced by an immense
tidal wave or other tremendous convul-
sion.
In the meantime there is great lake
OF water where nothing of the kind has
ever been seen before by the "oldest
inhabitant," and it may be that Proyi-
denCe has presented us that inland sea
that Wozencroft wanted Congress to
give us nearly twenty years ago at an
expense OF several millions dollars.
While Fremont and Wozencroft were
in Washington with their visionary
theories and opaque mathematical cal
culations Gen. George Stoneman de-
liyered lecture in Los Angeles, and
concluded as follows:
posing its bottom TO be water-tight and
evaporation entirely unchecked, would
require stream twenty miles wide aad
twenty feet deep, with current Of
three miles an hour To fill such n
lake by stream 1000 feet wide and ten
feet deep, and running at the rate Of
three miles an hour, would take 200
wears. Then, after this lake was filled,
IL would require river $50 feet wide
and ten feet deep, and running at the
rate OF Ave miles an hour-about the
size OF the Colorado at ordinary stages
Ito compensate for evaporation at the
rate Of eighteen inches per year. Archi-
medes said that he could move the
world, only give him q fulcrum big
enough. Fremont says he can make a
SEQ, only give him plenty OF greenbacks.
The one Is about as impractical as the
other is chimerical. And when he
makes his estimates closely the General
will come to the conclusion that long