The herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1893-1900, 1894-11-30

avn PAotou nttuvn6u UooiAnE sho
legend in English and Spanish: IRE
paired by the boundary commission Gre
ated by treaties OF 1SS2-l8S9."
Conspicuous positions we're chosen for
placingthe new mon uments, with the
intent OF making them in,ervisible. This
was accomplished in oil but two or three
cases throughout the entire line OF 676
miles. No monuments were set on that
part OF the boundary formed by the Col.
orado river below Yuma.
During the summer of 1898 the party
engaged in locating the boundary was
operating in Southwestern Arizona. In
this region the line CROSSES the Tule and
the Yuma deserts. For time the water
Tor men and animals had to be hauled
by rail and by wagon from Yuma, nearly
100 miles. While working ct Sonoyta,
Mexico, the astronomer officially re.
corded q temperature Of l26 degrees in
the best available shade.
On the edge OF the Tule desert as the
Tinajas Atlas. The name signifies
"high vessels" or receptacles, and
designate natural tanks followed In
the rocky mountain side. There are
several OF these tanks, ranged one above
another. Whatever rain may fall pours
into them and, If sufficient in quantity,
fills them successively, from the top
most downward. Uaually q tolerable
supply OF warm, vapid water, covered
with green scum. lie TO be found In some
of these tanks, if not in the lowest, then
in the next, or the next above.
The third great desert crossed by the
international boundary occupies South.
eYn California from the Colorado to the
walls of the Coast range. The field
party worked across this in early N
msr. Although not the hottest at that
season, the Colorado desert ia always
hot and hideously repulsive. For miles
and miles it stretches away, far az the
eye can reach, O yellow glittering ex-
panse of powdery sands. formed into
ridges ana dunes. These sands are
nearly 40 volatile as water. The slightest
breeze whisks them up and bears them
on in an ever.increaoing cloud. The
action ia best shown in the Fact that in
one night q sand dune 26 feet high often
forms or disappears. Frequently the
air becomes so thoroughly impreenated
with flying sands that vision is utterly
obscured. Nothing whatever can be
disting uished; the driver can see no
trace OF his team or Of the person shar.
ing his seat Such storms may last q
lew minutes or o lew days.
1t will be seen that only the perfect
management of a completely equipped
expedition could have enabled the large
force employed by the boundary COM
mission to work to advantage or with
any bodily comfort. Yet probably not
q man was i'll or an animal died, which
would not have been the case under any
other conditions.
1t was often necessary to screen the
face from the burning Winds. However,
not cate of sunstroke occurred on the
survey. Upon the candy plsins, where
the heat Is greateas. the air holds but
little moisture. 1t was therefore possi-
bic to work when the mercury in the
shade indicated from 100 to 126 degrees.
The nights were strangely cool, The men
got into the field as early rs possibl ia
the morning. But from IL O'Clock until
8 no outside work was possible, the heat
causing the atmosphere to visibly waver
or flicker. TbiG rendered the instru-
ments useless for the time.
The mysterious mirage, OF which
much has been told, was everywhere
seen along the boundary. What resolv.
ed itself into number OF scattered boul-
ders appeared to the view OF party OF
employees as small ana regularly laid
out city, so perfectly were tho streets and
blocks OF buildings defined. The illu-
sions OF distant lakes. with images OF
waving trees mirrored in their clear,
cool depths, were most common. Ere.
quently q jsckrabbit, scuttling across
the plain, took unto himself the proper
tons OF full-grown steer.
Monuments were set in places which
seemed impossible. 1t mattered not
whether the proper point fell on the side
OF q bristling cliff or upon @ dizzy noun
tain peak, the monument was placed
exactly there. In Southern Arizona the
Cerro de Ia Lesna is q peak rising
abruptly about 500 feet in the midst OF
level plain. The ascent of the lower
400 feet is very steep, but the remaining
100 feet forms q perpendicular cliff. Its
name. which means the "swl," is pscu.
liarly appropriate. Lesna's crest is
about the width of Q mans two hands
spread eide by eide. The data obtained
by tho engineers called for monument
upon this narrow summit. A monument
was placed there. First q strong, dar-
ing man, Joe H. Wheeler of Tennessee,
scaled the vertical preoipics and placed
line. By the rope others gained the
height, and monument in section was
pulled up by hand. 1t was necessary to
blast OF the top edge Of the peak to give
sufficient width for the monuments bsse.
This is monument 1913, and there 1t
stands, bolted fast to the solid rock.
The field work of the survey was com.
pleted in 10 months. II included the
topography of q belt three and a half
miles wide on either side OF the bound.
airy. Each section OF the commission
obtained the necessary data on its own
side. The erection OF monuments upon
the entire line. except Nos. 255 and 258,
was completed June 80, 1894. These
monuments are located respectively at
Tia JuAna and on the coast line. As
they mark important, frequented points,
they were carefully aud handsomely re-
built, 255 OF granite and 25S OF marble.
The latter had been nearly carried away
piecemeal by relic hunters. It was pos.
sible, however, to recut the old mate.
rial. This was done and the monument
re-ereoted. Both it and the one at Tia
Juana have been inclosed by steel picket
fences eight feet high and of ingenious
design. which are meant to protect them
from future vandalism.
The boundary az now defined differs
in no essential particular from the old,
as it was not the business OF the present
commission to alter the original line,
but to find it and take the best measu res
for keeping it.
The American section OF the interna.
tional boundary commission has now
fully completed al! it's field work and
preliminary maps. The Mexican mem