The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1893-12-31
HORRORS OF sALroN DESERT
Where the Mercury Ranges From 100
Above to &C Below.
From the San Francisco Call.


From the San Francisco Call.
Fred L. Monsen, in lecture in San
Francisco recently, gave some interest
ing particulars regarding Death valley
and the Salton basin both of which he
has traversed. There are to be found the
largest, hottest, most unredeemable
deserts in the world-hottest and yet
coolest, wettest, and yet so arid that life
is sometimes impossible The bottom of
Death valley lies deeper beneath the level
of the sea than any other valley. The
desert district Of California covered 3d.
900 square miles, embraced by Inyo Kern,
Los Angeles and San Bernardino counties
Death valley is in the south of Inyo
county, not very far from Mt Whitney,
which is $4,000 feet high The valley
is rs miles long, and from TO IL miles
wide; 1t is 430 feet below sea level.
Mr.. Monsen described his trip from Dag
gett, which is 1866 miles from the valley,
| by means Of a team and blackboard. No
single habitation can be found en- route,
and provisions, water, even hay for the
| horses, had TO be taken In the equipment.
Some idea of the temperature was con-
veyed by the fact that meat can be cured
in one hour, eggs can be roasted in the
sand, flour breeds worms in a week, and
no man can be more than an hour without
/
| is sometimes less than per cent. OF mois-
| ture in the atmosphere. While at the Red
Sea 1T degrees Of heat are recorded, AT
Death Valley 1873 degrees in the shade is
not uncommon. Yet, on the other hand
the mercury sinks TO so degrees below
| zero.
A feature Of the valley is the curious
"salt road" which was graded with
sledge hammers right through the center
n I. a
are many unknown graves, filled by
wanderers who have persisted through
the heat. They are 430 feet below sea
level and are probably the lowest graves
in the world. Only shallow graves COW
cred with blocks of salt are necessary for
the desiccated remains, for there are no
animals there except snakes, taran tulas,
scorpions and lizards. OF the latter one,
the Chugwallah, dresses three pounds in
weight and is eaten by both Indians and
whites. The meat is said TO resemble
that Of chicken. OF the snakes the
''yellow rattler'' is the most formidable.
The name of the valley was derived from
a party of emigrants from Salt Lake
City. The party endeavored TO cross the
canon in 1850 and lost their lives in the
attempt. Stereoptican views of frag-
ments Of their skeletons, wagons, ETC.,
caused a shudder among the spectators.
Much interest attached TO the portion
of the lecture describing "freighting by
teams" Two immense wagons, each
weighing Z 800 pounds, are coupled 50 as
to carry 1900 pounds, and with tank
tender Of 500 gallons capacity for water
are hauled by twenty mules. The mule,
or 'tug Of the DESERT" the teamster and
''swamper." or teamster's assistant, were
given a chapter by themselves. The alb
solute necessity of profanity in a team
ster's equipment was illustrated by the
failure Of d teamster after he had been
converted by an evangelist. When in
yited to move without the usual decora-
tive emphasis. the twenty mules with one
accord turned their heads over their
shoulders and simply gazed In petrihed
astonishment.
Salton is over $50 feet below sea level,
and comprises fifteen square miles OF salt.
Here immense salt works are in opera
tion, and 700 tons of salt are plowed up Ia
one day. The salt covers the marsh 10 a
depth OF from ten TO twenty inches. The
work is chiefly done by Indians, who alone
can stand the terrific heat and binding
glare which prevail.