The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1891-07-19
THE TORNADO DEL MUERTO
Strange Facts About the Weird Colo
RADIO Waste Where a Sea Has Formed.
The United States Government is Going to Ex-
plore 1t Soon-Hottest Place by Far in All
the WOrld-A Mosaic Floor of Gems.

ert. a great part of which has been mys-
teriously transformed within the last few
days into an inland sea. is shortly to be ex-
plored by the government. OF late the De-
partment of Agriculture has been devoting
much of its attention TO investigating the
waste regiOns of the United States with q
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 addition to ZOO
logical and botanical specimens for enrich
ing collections, vivid pictures were brought
back of that red expanse of heat and bar
renness, with its scattered cliffs of rainbow
hues. topped by heaps of fossil wood. and
its sand-storms threatening the luckless
traveller with their towering columns of
whirling sand 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 VAL
ley is nothing, as to heat and picturesque
ness, when compared with the Colorado
desert. which was the original tornado del
Muerto. or Valley of Death, of the Mex
leans. This extraordinary region is two
uuuuIou ulllcS bOutu tLlo SO-Calleu Deat0
valley In almost straight line. being that
much nearer the equator. and is q consid-
erably deeper hole. Ii covers nine thou
sand square miles. and more than quarter
OF this area, space of one hundred 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
Underwater. Reliable authorities assert
that 1t is the most intensely hot spot on the
face of the earth. The Sahara is nowhere
rad xrlf 70 foir
be said to be strewn with the bones of
human beings who have lost their
lives there: Expedition after expedi-
tiCn has been lost in attempts to
ct the Geological Survey. spoke yesterday
In conversation of an occasion some years
ago when a railway train on which he was
q passenger broke down in the Colorado
desert. BY good luck the nearest station
was only three-quarters of a mile away,
and number of people started out to walk
the distance over the ties. Before reach
ing their destination twelve of them were
struck down by the heat, SO that a rescu-
ing party had to be sent out for them. The
thermometer stood at 1876 degrees in the
shade. Many time tramps have under
taken to walk the track for a distance. and
their corpses have subsequently been found
between the rails, sometimes not five hun
dred yards from a station where safety
was. Under such conditions people cannot
live for more than very little while with
out copiOus draughts of water. The water
In the blood dries rapidly. all the secre-
tions of the body thlcken, and cOnstipa
ton of most direful type sets in.
AN IDEAL DESERT.
1t might be said that this tornado del
Muerto was 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 a more extraordinary development
there than anywhere else. On any fine day
and In that region all days are fine, be-
cause there Is no rain-One can behold In
the Colorado desert where all is hopeless
misery around. beautiful lakes, tempting
verdure, and even towns with houses and
churches within distances apparently small.
Beyond all other characteristics. this desert
possesses that of the picturesque. For the
aesthetic who can live on pictures, 1t should
be an ideal abode. He would never be
fatigued, because the strange phantasma-
goria is endiessly changing
The explorer who is bold enough to vent
ure into this region of despair for pur-
poses of Investigation is struck, to begin
with. with the welrdness of finding him
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
lakc, ana 1t Is Win INTEREST tDaC ne looks
upon the shores of what was erstwhile
mighty body of water. A great shallow
lake it was ages ago, and the rocky banks
which Enclosed it still remain-clitfs of
imperishable stone, with the ancient water
marks still upon them. When water was
there the lime which it contained was de-
posted upon the rocky shores gradually
for thousands of years, so that now the
cliffs are coated with 1t three feet thick in
many parts and one is thus enabled to
n afyan in
land reservoir threw it's waves in times
gone by. Its bed to-day may well afford q
study to the seeker after marvels. as well
as TO the geologist. 1t is a desert wonder
land. Imagine plain of clay, mOnOtO-
nOusly level relieved here and there by hills
of sand built in beautifully wave-like out
lines. These hills are not stationary; they
travel constantly, though slowly, journey
ing over the plain as the winds direct. The
sand OF which they are composed is not
like ordinary sand at all. but of q nature
marvellous. Most of the grains are trans
parent, others are translucent. while many
are OF rainbow hues, being in fact small
gems of red carnelian, green chrysolite and
ri-colored garnet Looked upon beneath
q microscope they are most interesting. A
majority of them are perfect spheres, round
ed and polished by attritiOn with each
other. When mixed with q familiar acid
they effervesce like Seldlitz powders. Com
posed of these strangely wrought materials.
the sand hills look like great snOw-drifts,
with here and there CLEAN of color. Con-
tinually they give forth a rustlinR sound,
as the tiny spheres are shifted by the winds.
slowly rolling onward.
In some parts of the desert, here and
there, water boils up from springs which
are surrounded by circular hillOcks of car
Donate of lime from four to eight feet
in height. the material of which has been
deposited from the flowing fluid. The lat
ter Is SO highly charged with gas that it is
very difficult to keep corks in bottles filed
with il. 1t seems queer to find in such o
des0late country real soda-water fountains
supplied Dy nature. Syrups are not offered
To order, unfortunately. The lime de-
posted on the rocky shores was contrib
uted by such springs as these. hubbling up
from what was then the bottom of the lake.
The atmosphere of the desert is SO close,
owing to the absence of moisture, that
small objects at great distance seem close
at hand. All sorts 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 of clear water invite the traveller to
turn aside for refreshment.
FLOORING OF GEMS.
The northern portion of the desert is
paved with the most wonderful pebbles in
the world-in many parts SO exquisitely
laid as to defy successful imitation by the
most skilled worker in mosaic flooring.
These pebbles are IN ade of porphyry. gates,
carnelian. quartz crystals, Rarnets. chrysO-
| lite and other beautiful materials. They
| are packed together so that the surfaces
1~f& - f.ts xtax-