Los Angeles herald., 1891-07-05

absence OF all VerQuTe anu aulIldi lllo,
the profound stiffness, all go to make
picture of extreme desolation
and death, that is very distress
ing both to body and mind.
Words are inadequate to convey correct
of DEATH" and of the awful fate of the
lost traveller, who, with wearied body
suffering from pain and thirst, follows
the mirage to lie down upon the burning
sands, and die with the pleasant de-
llriums of well-loaded tables and re-
freshing waters.
The great question about the des ert
is, how came this ancient sea to dry up?
A brief examination of the topography
of its southern end will satisfactorily
solve this problem. That the desert
was once covered by an arm of the gulf
of California is evident from the mar
row and low strip of sand that now dis
connects them. This great bar was
undoubtedly formed by the Colorado
river which annually brings down inn
mense deposits OF mud, silt and
debris. For ages past the
river has been steadily. at
work forming new land towards the
gulf. An old Spanish map shows that
the Gila river, which now empties into
the Colorado river, once flowed into the
gulf; however, the accuracy OF this map
is unsettled. Be that as it may, it is un-
doubtedly true that, as the Colorado
river is now making land at its mouth,
it built up and made the great bar, as
sisted also by the gulf, that now divides
the desert from the gulf. Being thus
disconnected, it did not take long for the
waters of the desert sea to evaporate un-
der the intense heat of that section and
leave the immense deposits of salt at the
bottom.
Like many other rivers, the bed OF
the Colorado is constantly becoming
higher than the surrounding country.
At a point about forty miles above
where it empties into the gulf it breaks
over it's western side in many places at
high water, and flows back and down
on the desert. On the western side of
the Cocopah mountains is Lake Ma
quata, which is annually filled from the
overflow of the Colorado. One of these
breaks is the source OF the famous New
river, which runs north-easterly out and
down on the desert, east of the Cocopah
mountains. Its source being in break
on the ancient bar that long ago cut off
little ways to run before it strikes the
eastern slope of the old desert sea. into
into which it flows for long distance,
bending around to the west like great
fish hook. 1t is an unquestioned fact
that each year these breaks in the west
ern bank of the Colorado become larger
with each overflow. The floods of last
winter were among the largest ever
known on the Colorado, and must have
greatly enlarged those old breaks
in its western bank, and hence
given more room for greater
flow of water on the desert. 1t
is known that Lake Maquata had more
water in it this year than ever before.
The Colorado river is some 400 feet
higher than the desert, and hence the
tendency is to continually try to get
back to the desert through these breaks
of the New river. Every year New river
has an abundance of water during the
overflow season from April to Septem-
ber. 1t is reasonable to suppose that
with the constant up-building of the
Colorado river bed, the ever washing
out and enlarging of the New river
breaks or sources, that a constantly
larger volume of water flows therein.
There is only fifteen feet difference be-
tween high and low water mark in the
Colorado, and New river always begins
long time before and continues to run
a long time after the high water mark is
reached.
There is another element to be consid-
cred here, and that is the bore of the
gulf, an immense wave, often thirty feet
high, that comes up the Colorado river
with tremendous force, and has been
observed as far up as Yuma.
Undoubtedly the waters of this bore
affect the breaks from which New river
comes, to greater or less degree, but
helps all the same to do the work of
keeping them open and continuing the
work of enlargement.
+ Suppose, now, that at an overflow of
the Colorado river bore should come
in, and Join its waters with those of the
overfowing river, how New river would
boom! 1t is known that these juno
tions have occurred, followed by i'm
mense floods on the desert, but none so
large as the present one. 1t is possible
that the present food may be from this
cause, although until its source is clear
ly discovered all speculations as to its
origin are useless.
The next great question is: If the old
sea should be re-filled, what would be
the effect upon the climate of Southern
California? Here, as upon many other
points, there are a great many
theories, which each one, who puts them
forth, urges with considerable plausibil-
ity. Here, as in everything else, an
ounce of fact is worth pound of theory.
Suppose the old seabed should be re-
filed, what then? Why, the gulf of Cal
ifornia would be extended some 200
miles north Of it's present head; it's
northernmost extremity would be in the
north latitude of Orange county. San
Diego could then unfortunately no
longer claim to be the nearest seaport
to the east, for San Pedro and Santa
Monica bays would have that honor.
From Los Angeles county south to the
Mexican line the climatic conditions
would then be exactly the same between
the Pacific ocean on the one hand and
the gull of California on the other hand.
as they now are on the peninsula of
California between the Pacific ocean and
the gulf of California. The peninsula
would simply be extended northward
200 miles, and with it would come the
climate of the peninsula, and why not?
The Sierra Madre would still be the
eastern boundary OF Southern Califor-
mia. Beyond the mountains would be
the gulf, the same as is now east of the
Sierra Madre on the peninsula, There