The evening herald. [volume] (Shenandoah, Pa.) 1891-1966, 1892-08-15
NATURES ANTICS
Remarkable Phenonnena In South
Orn California
UnfathomabIe Fissures In tho Earth Gre
ated by Internal Convulsions
"A Very Mysterious
Region.

A few months ago small party Of
prospectors left San Diego for that lii
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 a couple Of weeks on what
Is known as the Santa Ysabel ranch,
some miles northwest Of the Cocopah
mountains. While there they heard
that frequently during several days
heavy rumbling had been heard In the
direction Of the Cocopahs. Proceeding
to Las Juntas, little settlement made
up of few Indians and white man OF
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 reorossed 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,
oloud-hke shape that seemed to rest
almost on the earth. The party came
westward, and on the night when the
earthquake shock was felt in San Diego
were canped on an elevation some 5000
feet above the sea level.
That night they not only felt the se-
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
light continued with greater or less
brilliancy late into the night, while the
rumbling was almost incessant and the
tremors frequent
The next morning murl1y 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 Niclkle, who has
a 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 impercep-
tible. The next morning he saw an UNI
10 al T. 10
the light the night before. There is nc
doubt in the minds of all who saw the
light that 1t was an active volcano.
George Campbell, an old stoclman o1
the Campo country and proprietor oi
the Jacumba ranch on the edge of the
desert, states that few days after the
first severe earthquake he was on the
desert looking after cattle that had
strayed far in the direction of Indiar
Wells He found that the earth was
cracked in many places as result oi
the earthquake.
Some assures were nearly two feet
wide. One afternoon he was riding
fast when his horse stumbled on the
edge of a huge fissure. He recovered
himself, however, and jumped across
Campbell turned back to look at thS
huge crevice, which was about eighteeI
TO twenty-five inches wide and EXTENDED
north and south as far as he could Sc,
and apparently had no bottom.
The old stage road from Campo Il
Yuma passes through deep canyon
both sides of which rise apparently to
great height. Mr.. Gasl<el says tina
one hundred huge rocks have been dis
lodged from the mountain sides anC
rolled to the bottom of the canyon, OBJ
structing travel so much that it is al
most impossible to get through with
wagon. This canyon is near Coyote
Wells, in Jacumba valley, where ar,
hot and cold springs to which many in
valids resort for bathing Mr.. Camp
bell, the proprietor, says that the fov
of the hot springs has ceased entirely.