Baxter Springs news. [volume] (Baxter Springs, Kan.) 1882-1919, 1891-07-11
A Wonderful Change Mt salton.

anytnlng away
A Wonderful Change Mt sRlton.
SAN FRANCISCO, Calf, July 6.-The
lake in the Colorado desert at Salton
is reported to-day to be thirty miles
long by twelve wide, with an average
depth of twenty-one inches. The stream
that feeds it runs at the rate Of four and
half miles per hour. Pacific engineers
have discovered that the water rushed
TO the Salton underground passage be-
meath low range OF hills that separate
the sink OF the Colorado desert from
Salton. Tomorrow five engineers Will
start out to determine the possibility oil
stopping the water The railroad peo-
pie, however, have no fear OF the track
OVERLOOKING, as evaporation Is 80 rapid
on the desert that that alone would
keep down the water unless it came in
more rapidly than it does. There Is
no danger OF much damage to the salt
works of Salton. There are sew
eral thousand dollars invested in this
out-of-the-way-spot; so out OF the way,
so out of touch with all that can be called
life. that even birds of the air avoid
this desolate marsh. Even coyotes
stink terrified away from the great,
mysterious, white fringe, which, ike
huge ice pack, glitters and glistens I'M
der the rays OF the sun, that almost
heats to redness iron tools exposed TO
it. Imagine heat so fierce that II one
stood immovable, without clotnlng,
water would run from him as II he were
under douche; imagine heat 80 nerce
that it is necessary to keep water Dol.
ties continually to ones mouth, and that
il the water were not Immediately
forthcoming your tongue would cleave
to your mouth. your lips would be
swollen, veins in your face and neck
stand out as il varicosed. All that one
Graves for is water for the throat to
cool the warmth OF the body, which Is
famed to intolerable heat by wind as
warm as the famous winds oil northwest
India, and as violent as that which
blows along the northwestern Coasts OF
Africa.
Such then is Salten. Water is needed,
and plenty of it-for evaporation Ii
rapid-and the more water falls on the
marsh the greater is the yield OF salt.
The ground around the salt works mas
always been SO shaky that it would not
bear the weight OF locomotive on Inc
switch from the main track, ana the
company have had to use q light dunn
my. A heavy piece OF iron:dropped on tne
ground will often cut through II as IL IL
were butter and disappear. FREAKS OF
nature are plentiful in this mysterious
region. 1t will be remembered
that last winter the whitewater
river suddenly disappeared and was not
seen for months. when 1t resumed run
ming. Those who have examined the
geological features of the Colorado
valley are of the opinion it was once
covered by the waters OF the gull, but
that the shifting of the sands at
the mouth OF the Colorado river, which
gradually shifted southwark, formed
bar and cut of the main body OF the
pulf and the waters OF the inland sea
thus created were speedily evaporated
bv intense heat. This theory is FUR
Their strengthened by what Is known as
New river, which was first seen by
Cartain Ansa in 1874, and by all others
who have crossed the desert after his
time. The New river is caused by the
OVernOW Ol IHc SOIOI1uO AA'SA
point a good many miles below Yuma
and runs back on the desert eighty
miles, bending around like great fish
hook.
It is seldom that the food waters get
so far as they have gone ut present
The ''bore" or tidal wave at the mouth
of the Colorado river Is about thirty
feet in height; and the waters oil tins
''bore" to the annual overflow oil the
Colorado river, II they should happen
at the same time, and there is posi-
bility that the great bar would be
washed out, so that the gulf waters
would be permitted to get back into the
valley again, anc I'LL at least that por-
ton of 1t now below the
sea level. Scientists are dis
cussinQ the effect upon the
climate OF southern California should
the food be permanent The result
would certainly be beneficial, making
Il more like that Of Lower California,
which lies between the gulf and ocean.
There would be no more hot sanIanas
from the desert, thus making the cli-
mate still more even than 1t now Is.
The peninsula would be extended north
ward to the latitude Of Orange county.
II is possible that one OF the greatest
geological changes OF the age Is now
going on.