Los Angeles herald., 1891-11-09
What the Sun Says to the
SaltOn Sea.
The Latest Facts About the
Phenomenon.
George w. Durbr0w Gives the Result
of His Expedition.
He Explains How the River Broke Into
the Descrt-The Break at Ham
Iun's Ranch-The Inflow Com
pletely Checked.

The Salton lake on the Colorado des-
,ert seems to be a source Of canards
almost as prolific as the Chilean strug-
gle. Every few days conflicting reports
arrive in regard to its permanency, its
depth and the probability Of preventing
the overflow of the Colorado river, which
caused all the trouble. 1t is very diff
cult to get at the real facts, because the
air of the desert seems to be conducive
to vigor of the imagination. Many who
have given the most positive opinions
never saw with their own eyes the lake
or the break in the Colorado.
But facts that one may depend upon
have been very scarce in this whole con-
troversy, so when man is found who
has studied the lake and the Colorado,
and whose scientific knowledge makes
his observations valuable his testimony
is OF genuine interest. Such an observer
is George w. Durbrow, the supeiintend-
ent of the salt works at Salton, who re-
turned to this city recently from trip
to the Colorado river. Mr.. Durbrow has
the strongest personal interest in getting
at the real facts in regard to the perma-
nency OF the lake and the chances of
controlling hereafter the waters of the
Colorado river. He took with him the
best instruments; he made careful and
accurate surveys, measured the flow of
the water and studied the field in order
to determine the feasibility of dyke or
dam that would close the break in the
river bank. He is loaded with facts
and figures, aud any theories he may
have he is able to sustain with for
midable array of evidence gathered at
first hand.
The way the river broke through it's
banks and flooded the desert has always
been mystery to all except those who
visited the scene. Mr.. Durbrow fur
nishes a very clear explanation of this.
He declares from his study OF the river
that its overflow may be checked for all
time by moderate expenditure on a
dam, and that the Salton lake, instead
OF being permanent body of water, as
many contend, will be gone entirely
in forty days or less. Below Yuma
the Colorado turns sharply to .he
west. The east bank OF the river is all
made land, genuine river bottom. The
west is high land, thickly timbered.
When the river rose to the unprecedent-
ed height OF thirty-three feet at Yuma
bridge, the water not only spread all
over the river bottoms on the west side
OF the river, but it broke through at
Hall Hanlan's ranch on the west side,
eight miles below Yuma. Hanlan kept
a ferry in the early days and is one of
the landmarks of that country. The
flood went completely over his 32O-acre
ranch. carrying away a solid adobe
hn oh, inc mi 40
almost due south the Colorado keeps
perfectly straight course. This part of
the river is known as Hanlan's reach.
The enormous quantity OF silt which
the food water carried in suspension
formed great delta in this straight Sec
ton of the Colorado, so that the water
flowed over on either side, and when its
main body struck the big bend TOWARD
the west at the end OF Hanlan's reach,
its force was 30 great that it tore out
the bank in many small breaks, and
when it reached the foot of the mud
islands, where its course was checked by
the filling of the slough beyond, it broke
through the bank, making an opening
800 feet wide. 1t quickly divided into
two streams. The upper one, which
has been named Carter river, made
big curve toward the north, and near
Seven Wells formed great lake. To
the north OF this was ridge of sandy
hills, four or five feet high and forty
FIVE miles long. At Seven Wells the
water found passage through small
ridge of sand, and then the way was
open to Salton, as the gradual descent
led the water across the desert to the
great basin that is 27O feet below sea
level. The other branch of the big
break, which was christened the Tap
scott river, took southerly course and
soon joined Hardy's Colorado, and
thence made its way to the gulf.
When Mr.. Durbrow was at the big
break, about fortnight ago, the flow
seven-tenths of this flow was through
water reaches the gulf. The flow
through the Carter river had greatly d.
minished since June, and at Seven
Wells the big lake was nearly dried up,
and the stream through which a large
volume of water poured at Seven Wells
was only dry wash. Not drop of
water was flowing across the desert into
Salton lake. With no inflow it will only
take little more than month for
evaporation to suck up all the water in
the lake.
Mr.. Durbrow's theory of forming a
dam Just above the break is simple and
plausible. He would build dyke across
the arm Of the river just where it makes
the curve to the west from Hanlan' g
ranch. The willows and cottonwoods
that line the shore just above this place
would furnish ample material, and the
water would assist in the work just as
soon as an obstruction was offered by
depositing mud and sand upon the dam
OF trees and brush. In this way the
whole Volume of the river could be
turned into the channel between the
mud and sand island, and by opening
the channel, which is straight beyond
the course of the Colorado, could be
made straight for four or five miles. BY
this method the river at all times could
be kept within its banks and the desert
would be saved from danger OF flood.
The latest reports from Salton show
that the water in the lake has receded
1900 feet since last July. It is now only
one foot seven inches deep in the deep
est place. All the buildings of the sail
works are now out of water. Everything
therefore, seems to indicate the speedy
departure of this singular desert lake
which came unheralded, and which hat
given rise to so much conjecture an(
speculation.