The Ohio Democrat. (Logan, O. [Ohio]) 1886-1906, 1891-08-29

nhmeu mesquite Vutley. IL rs
region far worse than Death valley
proper. The valley may be compared
to the Grand canyLc of the Colorado. IL
is rather an immensS chasm than val
ley. 1t is about one hundred and forty
miles long, and at it's broadest part is
only eighteen miles wide. In some
parts it is no more than IfteRn miles in
width. In this frightful place, baked
and blistered by the intolcrable heat,
holding within itself innumerable ele-
ments of death, revealing strange as
poets of natural desolation, our party
has been at work for months
ION either side of the valley, stretch
ing almost its entire length, is a range
of mountains, absolutely barren of ami
NAL and vegetable life. The western
range is the Panamint, averaging in
height nine thousand feet. The eastern
range is the Funeral, a suggestive and
not unfit name. The Funeral mountains
rise fully seven thousand feet above the
level of the sea. These mountains arc
black, with the exception of curious
patches of red rock. Away to the north
is Mount Magruder. Beyond, in tho
Almost at the southern limit of the val
ley is Mount Ivanwatch. Behind it is
the Devils Playground" region of
absolute barrenness.
down in the valley hot, suffocat-
ing wind blows with terrific velocity.
In its course through the stricken region
it gathers black cloud of hot shift
ing sand that has blinded many an un-
wary horse and rider. Under the glist-
ening beds of crystalized salt in places
are running streams of salt water Be-
meath there is still another bed of salt.
"In other parts of the valley are
wastes of hot sand drawn in some
places into high mounds by the whirl-
ing blasts that sweep down the canyon.
There, too, is the most curious earth
have seen--self-rising earth it has been
called. AS far as the eve can see it ap-
pears in curving outline, up and down,
as If puffed by a natural yeast. The
unfortunate animal that steps upon the
little hills will crash through, for they
are not much more than fragile crusts.
''Still stranger is that section of the
valley which for want of better name
nacles tapering to points as fine as
needles and over u foot long rise in
close array from the ground. They are
as hard as stone and as dangerous as
sharpened steel. Beneath and hidden
by them are pitfalls, tumble into
which means broken leg or arm.
Then, too, are the rich fields of borax,
which have lured many a man to death.
Dreadful as is Death valley, it's
northwestern arm, Mesquite valley, is
worse. All of the water upon it's sur
face is poison. The wind has thrown
the sand into immense mounds, one of
which is three miles long and three
hundred feet high. 1t was in this val
ley that the immigrants lost their lives.
Water may be obtained only by dig
ging deep wells, and then it is none too
pure.
"Our party, the biological survey of
the United States government, has
been in the valley for months. 1t left
there after having finished its inve sti.
cation. The general purpose Of the
department of agriculture, under which
we work, is to collect facts relating to
the distribution of species with varia.
tions of temperature and humidity
throughout the United States, and par.
ticularly in the western part. The re,
suits obtained will be of the utmost
value to agriculture, for they will save
millions of dollars spent in experiment
by farmers who wish to test the capac
ity and character of their land.
1--WE have found that in certain zone!
certain fora and fauna flourish. Eacl
zone has its peculiar species which vii
not flourish in others. These zones arr
both horizontal and vertical.
"The party chose the desolate regior
of Death valley for its labors, for from
it, and not far distant, can be traced
the seven zones we have established
The valley, Notwithstanding its barrel
elements, has many phases of life.
1T has thirty or forty species of ami
mails and fully as many of vegetabl,
growth. Nothing, of course, will liv,
on the salt or borax bottoms, but OF
the edges of these districts various
hardy plants thrive. In the sane
wastes are gophers, mice, rats, bat
and many other animals, and not a few
reptiles
"Many theories have been advanced
to account for the formation of Deatl
valley. l think it quite probable tha
it was once the sink of the Mojav
river."-San Francisco Chronicle.
A oNE-CENT PHOTOGRAPH.
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