The Irish standard., 1892-04-30
NATURES ANTICS.
Remarkable Phenomena in South
ern California.
OBJECTIONABLE Fissures in the Earth Gre
ated by Internal Commissions
"A Very Mysterious
Region.

A few months ago a small party Of
prospectors left San Diego for that lit
tie known country lying below the
Mexican boundary. just west of the
Colorado river. This region is supposed
to be full of valuable mineral deposits
and prolific in natural phenomena.
They spent d couple of weeks on what
is known as the Santa ISABEL ranch,
some miles northwest Of the Cocopah
mountains. While there they heard
that frequently during several days a
heavy rumbling had been heard in the
direction of the Cocopahs. Proceeding
to Las Juntas, little settlement made
up of few Indians and a white man Or
two, they spent several days there in
prospecting.
Here they were told by man named
Elliott that from high hill he had seen
what seemed to be a cloud over the
Cocopah mountains, and had also heard
heavy rumblings, and once at night had
seen dull light apparently on the very
top of the mountain. He believed it to
be volcano. Indians had also brought
reports that unusual disturbances had
been observed in the Cocopah region,
and they were greatly frightened.
They recrossed the line into the
United States, and at Indian Wells, on
the Colorado desert, not only heard more
about the rumblings and smoke, but for
the first time saw the smoke themselves,
almost On the earth. The party came
westward, and on the night when the
earthquake shock was felt in San Diego
were camped on an elevation some 5000
feet above the sea level.
That night they not only felt the Sc
verest earthquake shock, but plainly
saw great light shoot upward in the
heavens directly over what was believed
to be the main Cocopah mountain. The
brilliancy late into the night, while the
rum bling was almost incessant and the
trenors frequent.
The next morning 1nurl1y cloud of
the color made by burning sulphur
hung like vast umbrella low on the
horizon all day and there were frequent
ly recurring shocks of earthquake. The
party remained in camp that night and
saw the light in the same place, but
much fainter. George Nickle, who has
ranch on the eastern slope Of the
mountains, said that on the night Of the
great shake he saw an Illumination of
the heavens directly over the Cocopah
mountains. The light changed re-
peatedly, being sometimes very bright,
sometimes dull and almost inpercep~
tible. The next morning lie saw an UNI
brella-s shaped cloud where he had seen
the light the night before. There is no
doubt in the minds of all who saw the
light that it was an active volcano.
George Campbell, an old stoclSman OF
the Campo country and proprietor of
the Jacumba ranch On the edge of the
DESERT states that a few days after the
first severe earthquake he was on the
desert looking after cattle that had
strayed far in the direction of Indian
Wells He found that the earth was
cracked in many places as ID result of
the earthquake.
Some assures were nearly two feet
wide One afternoon he was riding
fast when his horse stumbled OH the
edge of huge assure. He recovered
himself, however, and jumped across,
Campbell turned back to look at the
huge crevice, which was about eighteen
70 twenty-five inches wide and extended
north and south as far as he could see
and apparently had no bottom.
The old stage road from Campo TO
Yuma passes through deep canyon,
both sides of which rise apparently to q
great height Mr.. Gasken says that
one hundred huge rocks have been dis
lodged from the mountain sides and
rolled to the bottom of the canyon, OBJ
str11cting travel so much that it is al
most impossible to get through with
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 flow
of the hot springs has ceased entirely.