Los Angeles herald., 1891-07-03
The Mystery Of the Desert
Sea.
Various Theories to Account
for the Flood.
Assistant Engineer Swayne Out on
a Search Expedition.
General Hewitt Returns from the Scene.
He Thinks There Is No Cause for
Alarm-Others Think the situ-
alton Is Serious.
SpcciG to the HERALD,

Spcci'a to the HERALD.
SALroN, July 2, p. m.-Superintend-
ent Durbrow is preparing to vacate the
salt mill. At a. m. a strong wind from
the north set in; but the water contin-
ued to rise, and increased in depth to-
day eight inches.
1t now extends about 175 feet further
towards the north than it was before
and at the end of the spur has increased
in depth to twenty-six inches. 1t is
gaining in depth steadily.
Manager Durbrow is somewhat fear
full that he will not be able to save his
machinery, as he has not much Of a force
o iaborers. The mill was kept running,
bit the water is now under it, and it is
only a question of short time when it
will be flooded.
1t is certain that if the theory is COR
rect that the water comes from the Col
orado that there must be enough be-
tween Salton and the river to fill up the
entire basin.
1t Is feared that the main track of the
Southern Pacific will be reached in a
few days at the present rate.
A gang of section men have been
bringing in the south part OF the spur
all day, trying to save the rails.
A very peculiar fact about the water
is that it is very hot, SO much so that it
almost overcomes the men when they
are forced to go in it, and the most Gu
rious part of the matter is that it is
hotter at the bottom than it is on the
surface by several degrees.
THE WINDS EFFECT.
SALToN, CAL. July 2.-[By Associated
Press. AT this afternoon strong
wind from the west was backing the
water in the desert lake to the south and
east. At 8 a. m. light wind from the
south raised the water eight inches and
advanced the water line 150 on the
north shore. At noon the depth of wa
ter, two and three-quarter miles from
Salton, was twenty-six inches. That is
the deepest point, and the water was
surely rising, but slowly. At 5 o'clock
this afternoon the wind backed the
water south until it lowered the depth
at the deepest point to eighteen inches,
and the water receded from the north
shore about 200 feet.
A YUMA THEORY.
YUMA, Ariz., July g. by Associated
Press The latest news received from
Salton reports the water still rising and
a stiff wind blowing. Tie theory ad-
vanced that the water now running
into the Salton basin is caused by the
barrier being washed out on the Colo
RADIO river last year near Pilot Knob
is exploded by the fact that the food OF
February this year carried twice the
amount of water OF that of month ago,
and would have run into the desert if an
inlet existed. A careful investigation
proves that the barrier between the Col
orado and the rim of the desert was only
a ridge of four feet. This was ascer-
tanned in survey made by James sew
eral years ago. The Colorado river has
been falling for over week past and is
lower today than the same day last year.
ii the water is running from the gulf
the amount must increase daily as the
difference in the level is great. .
COLONEL HEWITT RETURNS.
Colonel E. E. Hewitt, superintendent
of the Yuma division of the Southern
Pacific, returned last night from two
days. visit to Salton. He was seen di-
rectly on his return by HERALD re-
porter. According to my way of fig
uring, the road would not be disturbed
in five years." said the colonel. "You
see, this is the season of intense heat,
and the evaporation is something enor-
nous. I reckon that the volume OF
water which flows down the Colorado is
about one-eighth of that of the Missi-
sippi, or, say, 5000 cubic feet per second.
figure that, when the area of the desert
and the evaporation is taken into con-
sideratinn, that am safe in saying that
it would take five years to touch the
railroad track"
The colonel gave the reporter some
statistics which will be of interest. At
noon Thursday the deepest point oppo.
site Salton was twenty-six inches. The
brow. The saturation at the same hour
was per cent. The analysis also made
by Mr.. Durbrow shows that the water is
fresh water.
Gas Pilot Knob, twelve miles below
Yuma, Hall Hanlon keeps ferry" said
Colonel Hewitt. HE has lived in that
locality for from twenty-five to thirty
years, and is therefore qualified to speak
understandingly. / had long CONVEX
sation with Mr.. Hanlon in regard to the
matter. He gave it as his opinion that
the inflow has been going on since the
Yuma flood, about five months since,
and that it took the water all this
time to come across the desert
and that it is clearly an outbreak of the
New river. Mr.. Durbrow and myself
both think that Mr.. Hanlon's theory is
the correct one. In 1866 there was an
outbreak of the New river and the In
dians say that the lake filled in that
year. The water is still half a mile
from Salton. Mr.. Swaine, the assistant
local resident engineer, leaves today on
an exploring expedition. He will go
down the Colorado river"
The report of Mr.. Swaine will be anx
iously awaited. 1t will be the first
authentic news, everything else ad-
vanced thus far being mere theories.
Colonel Hewitt, it will be seen, is not
uneasy about the water, and states that
it is only repetition OF what has oc-
Cured in the past.