Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-01-09
in DEATHS VALLEY.
Adventures of a Government 'EXplOr-
ing Party in the Sierras.
THE TERRIBLE HEAT AND COLD.
A Cluster Of Basaltic Pillars Equal to the
Giants Causeway.
THOUSANDS OF SPECIMENS FOUND
ESPECIAL TELEGRAM TO THE DISPATCH.

ESPECIAL TELEGRAM TO THE DISPATCH
SAN FRANCISCO, Jan. ESPECIAL Field
Agent Nelson, of the Governments Death
Valley exploring party, has just reached
here after an eventful trip through the
mountains back of Yosemite Park, where
he explored the new territory and discov-
cred basaltic columnar cliffs which, he de-
clares, are fully equal to the Giants Cause
way on the coast of ireland.
The party went from Darwin, in Death
Valley, across the Paramint Mountains to
the Grapevine range in Nevada, and then
returned over the White Mountains, enter
ing Yosemite by new route. In Saline
Valley they found it worse than in any part
of Death Valley. The manganese in the
rock was oxydized by the internal heat Of
the sun until it was like furnace.
a Dog Takes a Fatal Bath.
"We had a fine black dog" says Mr.. Nell
son, ''and on arriving in the valley the dog,
being warm, jumped into spring to cool
himself. When he got out the heat was so
intense it steamed and sealded his skin, and
next day all his hair came out and he was
completely raw Tne following day he died.
That night it was so hot in the valley that 1
went early, before the sun was up, to ex-
anime tie traps we had set. / found sew
eral small rodents, but they were dead and
cooked in the trap from the heat, and fell to
pieces when 1 attempted to get them out.
"Our next objective point was the White
Mountains, between California and Ne
vada, 60 miles away and $4,000 feet high.
There, as we gradually ascended, we reached
banks of snow and the fora and fauna of
ha tEn
get up and prepare to get away again. In
that time we captured many curious mount
ain marmots.
At the Head of the san Joaquin.
''Thence we proceeded to Owens river,
and from there on to Yosemite. We made
our way over enormous glacier beds, cross
ing into the head Of the San Joaquin river
mountains, which rise to q great height
here. and are full of frightful gorges.
''From the head of San Joaquin we left
all known trails and proceeded across the
divide of the Sierras, 12, 500 feet high, and
down into the extreme head of the Merced
liver. We had some rough experiences
there. The country is cut up with preci-
pices, and for 25 miles as we pushed on
toward Yosemite we at no time knew what
half mile would develop. A curious
sight we beheld was three humming birds
amid the snow and Arctic plants.
'tFor three days it was awful. In that
time we did not make more than q mile a
day. We would camp at night sometimes
in sight of the ledge where we had camped
on the previous night.
Some Mammoth Basaltic Pillars.
"On the border of the hitherto unex-
plored part of Yosemite Park, back of
Mount Lyell, at the head of the north fork
of the San Joaquin, we one day came upon
sight so strange and interesting that we
did not care to move until we had made
full exploration. What we discovered was
curious cliffs of basaltic spires, some reach
ing so feet high, and all x-sided. One 80
feet high stood out unsupported. AT the
base of the great cliff were thousands of
pieces of basaltic spires which had
fallen and broken. The pieces were
from 10 TO IA inches thick. The basaltic
spire which stood out alone was about a
foot thick 1 do not doubt that these
columnar cliffs will eventually become
famous. Their location at the head of the
north fork of the San joaquin is one of
great picturesqueness and beauty.
t'When we reached Yosemite, old Galen
Clark, guardian of the valley, could
scarcely believe when we told him by what
route we had come. He said the Indians
avoided that country because it was so
rough"
The expedition, since it was organized
year ago, has secured from 1000 to 5000
skins of various animals, and many
thousand birds, flowers and plants. As a
result of its work the animal life of Cali
fornia will be better known than ever
before.