The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1892-05-05
NATURES ANTICS.
Remarkable Phenomena IA Gouti-
crn California.
Un.at.,o-rlbic Tissrrcs in TIC Earth Cro-
ctcd By Internal Convnlsions
a Very Mysterious
Region.


\ few months ago s,,nll rarty OF
prospcctors left San Diego for that lit
tie known country lying below the
Mexican boundary, Just west of the
Colorado river This reg:on is supposed
to be full OF valuable mineral deposits
and prolific Ia natural phenomena.
They spent a couple Of weeks on what
is known as the Santa Ysobcl ranch,
some miles northwest of the Cocopah
mountains. Vhilc thcrc they heard
that frequently during several days
heavy runbling had boon heard il Tic
direction Of the Cocopuhs. Proceeding
| to Las Juntss;, q little settlement made
up of few Indians and white r.,an or
two, they spent several days there in
prospecting.
Here they were told by man named
| Elliott that from 4 high hill he lad seen
whnt seemed to be cloud over The
! CocopIh r7oIrtains, ard had clso heard
heavy ru,nbling5, and once at night had
seen q dali liehG apparently en- the very
toi. of tic mountain. he believed it to
be volcano. Indians he'd also brought
reports that unusual disturbances had
been observed in the CocopGh region.
md they We're greatly frightened
They rcerossed the In, into the
United States, and at Indian Wells, on
the Colorado desert, not only heard more
about the rutnblings and smoke but for
! the first time saw the smoke themselves,
q cloud-lillc shape that seemed TO rest
almost on tho earth The party came
westward, AID on the night when the
earthquake shock was felt In San Diego
were ccr1pc:, on an elevation some 3,ooo
fec. nboTc ne sea level
That night they not only felt the Sc
vercst earthquake shock, but plainly
SOW great light shoot upward in the
heavens directly over what was believed
TO be the main Cocopnh mountain. The
light continued with greater or less
brilliancy late into the night. while the
treaors frequent.
The next morning murl,y cloud Of
the color made by burning sulphur
hung like vast umbrella low on the
horizon all day nod there were frcGnont-
~ recurring shocks of earthquake The
party remained il camp thot night and
saw the light in the same place. but
much fainter. George Nici1le, who has
ranch on the eastern slope Of the
mountains. said that on tho night Of the
greet shake be SOW an illumination of
the heavens directly over the Cocopah
mountains The light changed re-
pcatcdly. being sometimes very bright.
sometimes dali and almost inperccp-
tiblc. The next morning he sssw an urn-
sorclla-shaped cloud where he had seen
the light the night before There Is no
doubt In tho minds Of all who saw the
light that It was an act:vc volcano.
George Campbell, on old stockman Of
the Campo country ond proprietor OF
tho Jncumba ranch on tho edge Of the
desert, stetcs that o few days after the
frst severe ccrthqHake nc was on the
desert looking after cattle that had
strayd far In the direction of Indian
Wells. He found that tho earth was
cracked in many places us q result OF
the earthquake.
Some fissrres were ncnriy two foe.
wide. One afternoon he WAS riding
fast when his horse stumbled on the
edge of huge fissuc. He recovered
himself, however, and jumped across.
Campbell turned back to look ut the
huge crcvioe. which was about eighteen
to TWENTY-FIVE inches wide and extended
north and south ns far as he could soc
and apparently had 10 bottom ;,
Tho old stage road from Campo &c
Yuma passes through deep canyon.
both sides OF which rise apparently to 9
great height MIR. Gaslscll scys thu,
one hundred hugo rocks have been dis
lodged from the mountain sides and
4 rolled to the bottom Of the canyon. OBJ
structing travel SO much that it is nj
most impossible to get through with Q
wagon. This canyon is near Coyote
Wells, In Jacumba valley, where are
hot and cold springs TO which many In
valids resort for bathing. Mr.. Camp.
BELL the proprietor, says that the fow
Of tho hot springs has ceased entirely.