Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1891-08-13
THE COLORADO DESERT
THE WEIRD WASTE WHERE A
SEA HAS FORMED.
Walking on What was Once Part
of the Oceans Bed-A Mosaic
Floor of Gems,

of the Oceans Bed-A Mosaic
Floor of Gems.
The Colorado desert, a great part of
which has been transformed into an IN
land sea, may soon be explored by the
government. OF late the Department of
Agriculture has been devoting much of
its attention to investigating the waste
regions of the United States with view
to finding out what things, animal and
vegetable, live in them. Two years ago
the So called Painted Desert of Arizona
was the object of inquiry, and, in ad-
dition to geological and botanical speci-
mems for enriching collections, vivid pic
lures were brought back of that red
expanse of barrenness, with its scattered
cliffs of rainbow hues, topped by heaps
of fossil wood, and its sand storms,
threatening the luckless traveller with
dancing over the plain.
Not less weird are the descriptions
sent by the present expedition to Death
Valley respecting scenes and experiences
In that strange alkali sink. But even
Death Valley is nothing as to heat and
picturesquencss when compared with the
Colorado Desert, which was the original
tornado del Muerto, or Valley of Death
of the Mexicans. That region is 200
miles south of the called Death Val
ley in almost straight line, being that
much nearer the equator, and is con-
siderably deeper hole. 1t covers 5000
square miles, and more than a quarter of
this area, space 100 miles long by an
average width of twenty-five miles, is
below the level of the ocean. In some
parts its bottom is $50 feet below tide
water. Reliable authorities assert that
it is the most intensely hot spot on the
face of the earth; the Sahara is no.
where compared with it. Expedition
after expedition has been lost in attempts
to cross it. Prof. Gilbert Thompson, of
the Geological Survey, tells of an oc-
casion some years ago when a railway
train on which he was passenger broke
down in the Colorado Desert. By good
luck the nearest station was only three
quarters of mile away, and number
of people started out to walk the distance
over the ties. Before reaching their
destination twelve of them were struck
down by the heat, so that a rescuing
party had to be sent out for them. The
thermometer stood at 1875 degrees in the
shade. Under such conditions people
cannot live long witeout copious draughts
os water. The water in the blood dries
rapidly, and all the secretions of the
body thicken.
1t might be said that this tornado del
Muerto is the ideal desert of the world.
In no other of the earth's most fearful
wastes can be found such natural con-
ditions of ideal horror. Even the mirage,
tempter of the dying travellers despair,
reaches more extraordinary develop
ment there than anywhere else. One
can behold in the Colorado Desert, where
all is hopeless misery, beautiful lakes,
tempting verdure, and even towns with
houses and churches within distances
apparently small.
The explorer who is bold enough to
venture into this region for purposes of
investigation is struck, to begin with,
with the weirdness of finding himself
walking in what was once the bed of the
ocean, hundreds of feet lower down than
Neptune's waves are flowing few miles
away. He knows that this branch of
the sea subsequently became an inland
lake, and it is with interest that he looks
upon the shores of what was erstwhile a
mighty body of water. A great shallow
lake it was ages ago, and the rocky
banks which enclosed it still remain
cliffs of imperishable stone, with the
ancient water marks still on them.
When water was there the lime which it
contained was gradually deposited on
the rocky shores for thousands of years,
SO that now the cliffs are coated with it
three feet thick in many parts, and one
is thus enabled to observe just how high
this strange inland reservoir threw its
waves in times gone by.
Its bed to day may well afford study
to the seeker after marvels, as well as to
the geologist. 1t is a desert wonder
land. Imagine plain of clay, monot-
ossusly level, relieved here and there by
hills of sand built in beautiful wave
like outlines. These hills are not sta
tionary; they travel constantly, though
slowly, journeying over the plain as the
winds direct The sand of which they
are composed is not like ordinary sand
Most of the grains are transparent
others are translucent, while many are of
rainbow hues, being in fact small gems
of red carnelian, green chrysolite, and
vari-colored garnet Beneath a micro
scope they are most interesting. A
ma jority of them are perfect spheres,
rounded and polished by attrition with
one another. When mixed with GER
tain acid they effervesce like Seidlitz
| powders. Composed of these strangely
wrought materials the sand hills look
like great snow drifts, with here and
there CLEAN Of color.
In some parts of the desert, here and
there, water boils up from springs,
which are surrounded by circular hill
locks of carbonate of lime from four to
eight feet in height, the material of
which has been deposited from the flow
ing fluid. The latter is so highly
charged with gas that it is very difficult
to keep corks in bottles filed with it. 1t
seems queer to find in such desolate
country real soda-water fountains sup
piled by nature. Syrups are not offered
to order, unfortunately. The lime de-
posted on the rocky shores was con-
tributed by such springs as these, bub
bling up from what was then the bottom
of the lake.
The atmosphere of the desert is so
clear, owing to the absence of moisture,
that small objects at a great distance
seem close at hand. Allsorts of illusions
deceive the eye. A man far away on the
plain assumes gigantic stature. Ranges
of hills take on wonderful effects Of
color-rose, violet and yellow. The
phenomenon OF the mirage is developed
on a gigantic scale. Mountains below
the horizon rise into view, and vast
lakes invite the traveller to turn aside for