New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-07-06
MAKING THE DESERT BLOOM
a PLAN FOR TURNING THE WATERS OF THE
GULF OF CALIFORNIA INTO 1T.
CHE BOLD PROPOSITION OF W. S. CHAPMAN. OF
CALIEORNIA-ITS PRACTICABILITY, AND
THE.EFFEcT on CALIFORNIA, ARIZONA
AND UTAH OF ITS EXECUTION.
49, ~v,r,p.pu tn TIP TRIBUNEI

ny TELEGRAPH TO THE ThiBUhEj
San Francisco. July 5.-There is now no question
that George W. Durbrow manager OF the SAN MOiN
at saon, has settled the question of the source OF
,be lake that threatens his property and that has
aroused so mnch interest among scientific men III thS
country HIS Indian runner sent out on fraay has
found that tho water comes from the Coorauo "'oi'
through Caresco Creek. This theory Is Dorhe ouO W
the fact that Indians Yuma have found s'rons
current in the New River channel from the Ooora"'
toward saon Indians declare that the water pas
been running into New River since February. INC
railroad company will probably stop the breah WIN
bars of sand as, II much more water comes nh'o
salton their track will be endangered Tor many HINTS
"A theory Is advanced by Mr.. Howell, Editor OF Inc
Redland Facts that the water at Salton comes from
the Great Salt Lake; but this theory is untenaoe' as
no case of underground currents for such oiS'a'o
Is known. 49,.
William s. Chapman the pioneer In sinking artesian
wells in the San Joaquin Valley, and man WIZ has
had much TO do with the developments OF CALIFORNIA
furnishes your correspondent with the most interesting
matter which has yet been contributed III Nealu "
schemes for changing the nature OF the Colorado desert
md restoring it to its original fertile conouon' In
talking on the subject he said: 80
3This basin. OF which salton is tho low point-26o
feet below the sea LEVELS estimated TO contain 4ooo
square miles. This region, now furnace curing BIN
months of the year. formerly kept fuii OF water
from the ocean, and all the country for hundreds OF
NJ the Pacific The evaporation was so great that uie
moisture was carried for many miles mianu' iHo
Eubsidence Of these cooling waters destroSeo 'oeo
In Southern California, Arizona, Nevada ana Juan
Springs were dried up creeks ran dry ana Ue "iio,0
country became great furnace, summed py aniiai'
and man The proof OF this is found in the remains
OF large forests In Arizona and In other marine lea
found all over the desert. Even Death valley
now so fatal to all animal nfe' Was
then a great inland lake, receiving It's waters
/ believe, from the Colorado River. EVldences Va
dense population exist, not only around Dec 'ei9'
but throughout Arizona and Southern utah' "neo
pottery and other remains now found, IN country
which even reptiles abandon The Withdrawal Oh
This sea water has also caused the dry north WlhuS
which prove so fatal to fruit and all other croP' vi
this coast. =, . .o s
$40 prevent these winds, and TO furnish WAFER Ior
eyaporation the Colorado desert ought 70 NO NV
AGAIN from the Gulf of California, as " onco "-
Death Valley should be filed from tle Oofoiau ,,
River, and ell the other sinks and dry aAes snouu
be filed Then these deserts would DO maze sVo'eo
pronnds tn supply water for evaporation, ana theS
would Immediately transform the clindVo anu man
the desert habitable for man. KNOW UiaV ~ -
possble to transform at reasonable cost tese uo'U
Mains into productive land, and II the uoNeThnvn'
does not do II, the Southern Pacific Company eHViu
II woud return many times tho cost OF the invest
mept - rr,od,orSer
the grain hing the waters Of the gulf would nave
been Turned into this desert twenty years ago IN
$50 commissioned Isaac James, Nevada engl-
neer to survey the bar Of the Gulf OF CALIFORNIA, anu
estimate the feasibility and cost OF restoring us
waters to their cd place in the Colorado DESERT
He made the surveys and showed that the work was
,ractlcable His estimates submitted to senator
Jones of Nevada, and Jones was so favorapV III
messed with the scheme that he paid me hat the coso
of the survey He took the papers to Washington 10
anlist Government aid, but lie met with hhahclad
reverses and in the meantime the Southern Paclhc
C6aoy selected this part Of the desert for their rail-
n track It 1t had not been for many losses through
Eriedlander and the Bank of California, WOula nave
harmed The Gulf waters at my own expense, IL was
nv Man 10 select chiefly lands at the head OF Iie
Cuff where the millionaire, Blythe esOaoHsheo MS
colony and to raise feed for teams there. - /.
T proposed TO plough and scrape o canal, zen 10
fifteen miles back from the Gulf ms w0u1 paw
cost then about 100000; but with the steam
dredges OF to-day 1t could be done for onequarter
of that sum. This would have gwen an opening ior
The waters of the Gulf once having entered, the
nressure OF the tides as well the lower level OF
The desert would have done the work. No human
power would be able to stop such flow OF water rom
The great bar Of sand, formed of light material car
ried In suspension by the river waters would soon Oe
washed back into the deep basin. Thus the ocean
would fill the desert again. as OF Old giving out 70 e
hot air GOODNESS and moisture believe that the
Southern Pacific Company would make millions II
they would do this great engineering work, Tor they
could then sell thousands Of acres that are now worth
Arizona and Utah, which are their tributary ter-
horlns