The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1893-02-04

eyitable But their terror and suspense
passed away as quickly as the storm had
come, The tornado wore itself out by its
frightful energy in less than half an hour.
1t missed the camp entirely, and when it
was gone the people went out and found
that it had scooped out ditch 800 feet
long that was in some places seven feet
deep, but nowhere more than twenty feet
wide. The mass of water that fell rushed
in giant wave out through Dry Greek
Canon into Fish Lake Valley, destroying
nine miles of the stage road and creating a
rise of water in the marsh there such as
had never been known before, although
this valley had been inhabited for more
than 20 years. Considering the amount
of water that fell in the ten minutes, the
storm was the most remarkable known to
the desert region.
In contrast with the storms noted so far
are those observed by the Signal Service
officer stationed in Death Valley at the
suggestion of DR.. G. Hart Merriam, the
biologist sharp of the Agricultural Depart
ment, who had the valley explored scien-
tiically in 1891. The observer was there
for 157 days. During that time rain fell
twenty-five times, but on the thirteenth of
these occasions there was such slight
sprinkle that no measurement could be
made. The other nine occasions were
''thunder storms, according to the report
the largest fall measured being "a Of an
inch, on August 16, and the next "a. on
July q. The rains were in every case
local. In commenting on the total rain
fall for the FIVE months l 4 inches, Mr..
Mark W. Harrington, the chief of the
Agricultural Department. weather bureau,
says "This for the dry season is by no
means very dry, but the excessively low
humidity and brisk winds evaporate the
rain rapidly"
OF this light humidity of the air there
several interesting observations were made.
While rain was falling at one time the air
near the earth had 81 per cent of the
moisture of saturation, while at another
time it had 4S; ten minutes after third
rain there was but 20 per cent, and dur
ing the heaviest rain of all the per cent.
was only IS. These conditions of affairs
will be better appreciated when it is re-
membered that comfortable and healthful
per cent. is 20 or more The fact that
during the heaviest rain of all the surface
air held but Is per cent Of the moisture
of saturation shows, according to Mr.. Har-
riugton, that the deadly stratum of arid
air in this valley is usually very thin one.
1t must have been thin, or else it would
have absorbed the raindrops before they
could pass through it. Nevertheless it
must be deep enough to cover the adjOin-
ing canons, for party of men who once
started from the old borax works there to
60 over to those in the Amargosa Valley
failed to reach the springs twelve miles up
the canon, and would have died of thirst
had not the Dead Valley superintendent
understood the condition of affairs, and
sent relief expedition after them with
water.
However, Death Valley, or rather the
mountains round about, have frequent
cloud bursts and foods. They have never
been recorded save in one case noted in
the Suns series of articles on the desert
region, but the effects Of these storms are
plainly seen in every canon. 1t is even
said by the desert men that the bottom Of
the valley, which, according to Mr.. Mer-
rams topographer, is $50 feet below sea
level, has in recent years been flooded un-
til it was lake good many miles in ex-
tent The valley is the sink of the Amar
gosa River, but this river has no visible
flow of water within fifty miles of the
sink. The lake, if one did exist tempor-
arily, was probably caused by some cloud
burst, though it is not impossible that a
blanket storm did within the memory Of
the Oldest Arab cover and food the region.
The hardy tourist who ventures on the
desert will find many peculiar and attrac-
tive features Of nature there-the rugged
mountains, the barren valleys, the scant
and parched herbage, the gaunt fauna, the
aiirages, tho cloudless gales, the brown
fogs of sand, and. ..if lucky, the cloudburst
and the tornado He will endure some
hardships and risk some dangers, but when
he has returned and sits down to think
it all over, he will say, that the time spent
there was too short, and that not waking
hour was dull. If he be asked what feat
ure of all was most interesting, he will very
likely reply that he is unable to decide,
but among those that were most impress
sivc none exceeded in grandeur the omi-
nous, black, lightning-streaked cloud that
on hot day appeared above some noun
tain top. and while the thunder roared
and reverberated through the deep canons
below, sagged down until it euveloped the
peak, and poured out its foods, to run
thence in crashing waves to the mesas and
valleys miles away below.
In Tornadoes.
From Harper's Bazr
Those living in portions of our country
exposed to tornadoes will be glad to know