Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1893-06-15
Mono Lake in the Sierra Nevada.


Mono Lake in the Sierra Nevada.
Mr.. Brinton II. Minor, whom the
residents of South Brooklyn will re.
member as an active campaign orator
in behalf of the democratic nominees
during the last Presidential campaign,
writes in letter to the TraascriLta de.
scription of Mono Lake near his late
home on the Pacific coast that is fair.
ly bewildering, and if the original is
anything approaching the counselor'S
description Of it, it must be a gem.
He says:
"Mona Lake, in Mono county, Cal,
is eight thousand feet above the level
of the sea, in the Sierra Nevada noun
tains, whose sublime peaks covered
with snow quarter Of the year, sur
round it on all sides. The definition of
the word Mono is unsettled. Some
Indians say it signifies stranger, F."
others "Dead Sea-"
The mining camp of Bodie, which at
tracted the attention of the civilized
world dozen years ago, and yielded
in ten years the enormous sum OF
10000. 600 in gold and silver, is only
three hours ride from the lake, and a
tourist riding in that section of the
country could visit both places in one
day.
This unique lake is twenty-seyen
miles long and sixteen broad, curving
the shape of half moon, with lars c
island in the centre, five miles long,
and whitened on the edges by peculiar
incrustatlons. A white vapor like
incense from an altar, rises continually
from this volcano, caused by the pre-
sence of the hot springs which it con-
tains. The subterranean heat is not so
intense that nights lodging is intol-
erable. Notwithstanding the existence
of subterrauean heat in the island, there
is fresh water in small springs, and a
little salt evaporates from the water on
its shore.
A smaller island is near by, but Of a
dark and dismal appearance. not even
pleasing to the eye. The water of the
lake is clear, with sleepy and quiet
Movement, in fact letchlike, and con-
tains no living thing with the exception
of an insect which is found in no other
place in the world. 1t is shaped like a
snail three quarters of an inch long,
and of q brownish color. They are
olnd in abundance skinming on the
surface and bottom of the lake, It's
shore in mild weather is heaped with
myriads of these strange insects, two
aud three feet in depth. In winter they
a~e eaten by the Digger and Plute In
dians who live in the neighborhood
of the lake they are ground and used
By them as flour for bread. Innumera-
bic gulls, geese and ducks are fattened
by this juicy species Of slellfsh, and at-
ford nutritious food. The geese and
ducks become so fat from eating this
amphibious insect that they are unable
to fly with ease, and are easily shot
and caught by the ranchers of the
lake.
The steady and slow flow Of the wa
ters is from the shore to the centre,
which is of depth that has never been
fathomed. This great depth seems to
indicate subteranean gulflike the bot
tomless pit. The noticeable difference
in the temperature of the water in diff
ferent parts seems to indicate the pres
ence of hot springs flowing perpetuallY
from the bottom on places that are very
shallow.
Although innumerable streams OF
fresh water disembogue in the lake,
they make no effect upon the taste OF
the water, which which has become so
impregnated with alkaline matter that
it seems to be impossible to destroy its
strong flavor of salt. 1t is therefore un-
fit for drinking purposes. Still the wa
ter is excellent as an antiseptic, and
when distilled produces a fine salt
which can be used to weld iron and
wash wounds. As tonic in a bath 1t
ia said to be as good as the famous Col
orado salts, aod its purgative and me-
dicinal qualities are miraculous. 1T
was on the banks of this strange body
of water that the celebrated bandit and
highwayman of California, Joaquin
Murietta, the performer of more peril
Gus feats than Rob Roy, whom Scott
has immortalized ip fiction, stood with
wonder and admired its sublimity while
on one of his dangerous tours. 1t Is
truly wonderful lake, and great
phenomenon of nature. To see it is to
admire it, but to hear of it, is telling
one of a grand mystery which only na-
ture itself can explain.-Brooktyn
Transcript.
Mr.. Minor is native of this city and
has many friends and relatives now liv-
ing here.
Ii: c, ;. c1 nor share CsiYty)