Arizona weekly citizen. [volume] (Tucson, Ariz) 1880-1901, 1891-07-04

very slowly at Salton. The railroad
company had sailboat sent down with
men to sail it and they are trying to
ascertain at what point the water en-
tiers the lake. From the amount Of
water required to raise it perceptibly
it may not be long task to find the
inlet. The Colorado stands today at
twenty-three feet and is rising about
two inches per day. At nineteen feet it
overflows and fills New river and Its
branches and runs to Indian Wells. It
will probably not rise much higher but
will stand at twenty to twenty-five feet
for a month to come. This will furnish
water enough to keep the Laguna full
even though Salton makes every draw
on it. The water which has been cold
from the first, was very salt, but now
8 only slightly brackish. The whole
country is intensely excited for if the
desert be comes q great inland sea it
will change the climate Of southern Ca
lforria, western Arizona and all Of
northern Lower California. No news
has been received from the bank or rim
since last Wednesday when the water
stood within four feet of the top and was
rising very slowly.
Engineers believe that the water
comes from an under current or passage.
as the wells in the Big Hole region are
full OF deep openings in the hard clay.
These appear to be bottomless and are
from three to five feet IN diameter. The
heavy desert rain sunk into them for
several days filling them. 1t is suppos-
sed that these connect with the under
| ground passages leading into the basin.
The mud ten miles from the bank which
is dry two thirds OF the year with a
surface almost as hard as an adobe,
cannot be crossed by horses or mules on
account of these holes and the honey
comb formation of the clay and the
shape Of which the bottomsof the lake
is formed. The engineers are of the
| opinion that these holes with the pas
sages beneath the surface join and form
one grand passage that leads out under
the rim OF the bank into the sand of the
desert basin. Heretofore the water has
only stood in this honeycomb region for
a few hours or days at longest; hence
the reason why the water had not found
its way before this into the Salton sink.
| In the great floods of 90 and '84 the
great ten-mile sand ridge twenty miles
below Yuma turned the water of from
the west bank for twenty miles so when
it took direct course for the Cocopah
range and while it set back towards In
| dian Wells there was no force or volume
to the body or water. The flood OF last
year cut this sand ridge away thus re-
moving every obstacle to the flow of five
| feet deep In q direct course to Indian
| Wells and the rim Of the basin. This
extra volume was all thrown off to the
west by change IN the course Of the
| Colorado from then till the present, Mud
lake and the surrounding country has
been from five to ten feet under water
1t is reasonable to suppose that all OF
these passages beneath the surface have
| filled with water and forced on through
the loose sand for the forty miles
between the banks rim and Salton. 1t
| would take days for the water to find
its way through the old waterways now
| filled more or less with the drifting sand.
| LIZ it is not the correct theory where
does the water come from?
The Southern Pacific company is
thoroughly aroused and are using every
possible means towards getting at the
facts, but 1T is impossible thus far to
| get anyone to 60 out to the bank, owing
to the extreme heat on the desert,
which is from 40 to 40 in the shade,
and the trail lies across a painless des-
ert waste. Indians have been sent out
but have not returned. Neighborlng
towns along the railroad are aroused
and want to know il anything can be
done. Everybody is anxiously awaiting
further developments. 1t was thought
the water was not rising, but this is not
certain as heavy gale is blowing the
water back from the point Of observation.
The water covers 100 square miles or
more. The soil of the desert is loose
ash or dust from three to ten feet in
| depth, and as the valley is almost level,
1t would prevent the water from rising
rapidly.
The temperature fell from 120 to 90.
/ The country overlooked east and south
Of Indian Well covers an area of 100
miles square.
ARKANSAS CRY, Ark. July 2.-Devel-
| opmerts fully confirm the report Of the
| detalcation of Sheriff Warfield. The
shortage Of Warfield is nearly $4,000.
A dispatch from Little Rock says the
! sheriff is also short $50, 900 on his SETTLE
| ment Of last year. 1t states that War
| field lost heavily in cotton speculations.
WASHINGTON, July 2-The commits
sioner of internal revenue has appoint
ed five sugar inspectors under provisions
of the tariff bill regarding the bounty
on domestic sugar. The law limits the
number of these inspectors to twelve.
SAN ANTONIO, Tex, July ID. nj
Lowerg, brought here yesterday from
Oakland, Cal, proves to be a much
more extensive embezzler than at frat
supposed. 1t now appears his shortage
will reach $4,000 instead OF $1,000.
YUMA, July 1.-Twh well-known
cattlemen OF this place, Gonseal and
Ramirz, were found last night on the
mesa south of Yuma, almost dead from
thirst. The men were lost in the track
less mesa near the Sonora road and had
been without food and water for three
days. Prospects for their recovery are
good.
The city election was held here today.
The citizens ticket was headed by A.
Frank for mayor, who was elected by
large majority.
SAN RAFAEL, July Fire on Mount
Tamalpais broke out again this morn
ing. and it is said fully 500 men are at
work fighting the flames A gang Of
men were at work all OF last night back
Of the residence OF Mr.. Kent at Tamal-
pals. This morning the fire had crossed
the ridge west of Kent's property and
was sweeping towards Corte de MADEIRA.
-Four OF the men were quickly trans
ferred to that post. About 4 o'clock
this afternoon word was received that
Kent's residence was again in danger
Owing to the stiff breeze which sprung
up this afternoon, the fire gained great
Roadway. The dense forest back of