Arizona weekly citizen. [volume] (Tucson, Ariz) 1880-1901, 1891-07-11
The Desert Lake.

Referring to the new lake in the Weir :
ity of Salton, the Redlands Facts pro-
pounds the following:
This great expanse of desert has a
| history OF the suffering and privation
| and death of untold scores of men.
| Reaching from the Colorado river to
| within twenty five miles of Redlands,
| where l6 terminates In San GorgoniO
Pass, IN which is the town of Banning,
| 1T presents an expanse Of sandy waste IN
which are many springs, a portion Of
which are deadly poison.
From the time of the pioneer scarce
ly year has passed without some poor
| waytarer losing his way and perishing
| or thirst and heat upon this desert plair,
1t Is now crossed by the Southern Pa
cltic railroad, and many an unknown
tramp, IN vending MS way along the
line, has been oyerpOwered by heat and
died. This IS not strange when it IS
known that the desert has record for
80 degrees above zero, while 40 to lbs
IS quite an ordinary temperature. The
United States government has been i'm
pOrtuned for years to turn the Colorado
river into this place, and it vas found
to be feasible by going upon Mexican
soil to do so, but the Mexican govern
ment would not consent to the creation
of an inland sea.
Should it be found that this is really
the escape Of the ocean water through
subterranean channel, what effect il
would have ON the climate'of CalifC rlia?
This Is a question on which scientist
do not agree. Probably one effect, &C
least, would be to modify the extremely
hot winds that occasionally sweep over
the state from the desert, and which,
while not In furious, are not always pleas
ant to experience. But the tendency
would probably BE- TO give US a climate
even more like that Of Italy, which has
sea water on both sides,
Ii this body OF WAFER De but the crea-
ton Of a water spout 1t Will be wonder
full phenomenon, but Will be temporary.
If it be the creation of an inland sea, {
will he phenomenon unequaled IN IL
history OF state accustomed to pecul-
lar happenings.
For years the question has been
put, where is the outlet TO Salt Lake?
There are three or four large streams
pouring constantly into the great
salt sea Of Utah, but no outlet has ever
been discovered. There must, however,
be some way for the water to escape,
and escaping, unless it finds it's way TO
the ocean. IL Will make itself manifest.
Yet the fact remains that for ages the
water has poured into this inland sea
and no man could tell what became
of il.
1t is more than a month since the
reporter come into possession of inform
alton which, with this weeks develop
ment, may prove Of some value. About
midway between Salt Lake and the lake
now forming is a crevice IN the ground
in which can be heard the roaring of a
mighty river, and which, if it is known
TO the earth's surface at all, must b.
the Quiet to Salt Lake. Just west &C
the great Utah lake is the great AInerI-
can desert land especially subject to
underground streams, and it Is not i'm
probable that beneath its sands the es.
Gaping waters find their way for hur-
0reds OF miles TO the southwark, and
the general topography of Nevada aad
southeastern California gives credence
TO the idea that the stream passes be-
meath the Colorado desert.
In view of these facts it is not impos-
sible that this great salt subterranean
river has deposited the salt beds, which
their owner claims do not possess the
same properties found in the Ocean,
and that now the underground stream
has broken to the surface and Is food
ing the desert. Should this be the case
the water would rise some 100 feet
above sea level, making a much larger
lake than has been figured on. OF
course it seems improbable that this
stream would flow for hundreds of
miles under ground. But, nevertheless.
the water does sink into the ground and
must go somewhere, and it Is probable
that it follows the great deserts along
the mountain systems TO the southwark.