The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1894-07-16
A BRIG IN THE DESERT.
Its Owner Says He is All Ready For
the Sandy Waste to Become Sea.


the Sandy Waste to Become a Sea.
zone of the queerest and most surpris-
ing sights I ever saw in all my wander
ings over the wilds of this country" said
E. c. Traver. well-known prospector
and civil engineer, a few days ago, was
a newly constructed brig lying on the floor
of Death valley And it is there yet, so
that anybody can see it.
when L first saw it 1 was almost para
lyzed I could not believe my eyes, and
thought 1 must have passed through some
mental lapse and was not in Death valley
at all. But, after gazing at the strange
object a few minutes and then looking
around me and seeing the wastes of burn
ing sands and feeling the hot breath of
the desert wind. L knew that everything
about me was most realistically real.
1T was by the merest chance that l ran
across the vessel" said Mr. Traver, be
cause had L been few feet further south
would never have seen it. You see [
had been working on the eastern side of
the valley for several weeks without sue
cess, and concluded to go to Mount OAR
win, where 1 would at least be sure of
expenses. L was crossing the valley at
the northern end, which is quite narrow
but about the lowest spot on the earth's
surface. I am not exactly certain, but l
200 feet below sea level.
after the first surprise had worn off 1
began to figure out the craft had came
there. That the vessel was a, relic of a
past age never entered my head for
moment, because it was constructed on
perfectly modern lines, and the wood had
yellow appearance, 1ndica ting that 1t had
not been cut very long. l am something
of a sailor myself, and the first glance
| told me that il was the work of some
modern shipbuilder; but that only made
the mystery greater.
Going close, made a careful examina-
ton of my strange find. 1t proved to be
a perfect brig of about 400 tons, that had
never been in water Everything about it
was of the best style of workmanship, and
showed plainly that the builder had put
fat on the sand. and the starboard side
placed up against small reef of rocks.
The port side was supported in the usual
manner
Climbing on to the deck by a small
rope ladder, 1 found everything shipshape.
The decks were as clean and white as a
place. Entering the cabin, 1 found every
thing neat and clean, and several hunks
with bedding ready to sleep in. Such
! thing, however, would have been impossi-
bic. as the heat was simply unbearable
enc | had to 90 to the door, gasping for
breat, before l had completed my in
yestigea ton The more l looked the more
/ mystified became 1t was plain the brig
had been built where she was but by
whom, and for what?
4 spent the whole afternoon in climb
| ing over the vessel. l went into the rig
! ging and looked over the surrounding
! country, but could see no sign OF a human
felng. When night came on / concluded
to camp near by. but had no sooner got
got fixed comfortably when a, voice from
! somewhere called Good evening" You
may pc 3a, sure l Jumped. as my nerves
strange afternoons experience
There was no need to be alarmed,
though for a good natured looking man
with gray hair and beard was smiling at
me- Of course, / at once concluded that
he knew something about the brig |
was SRI right, and in a few minutes he ex-
plalned the whole thing to me, and also
showed to what ends a foolish idea will
drive a man.
~, He lie said ID that his name was Frederick
! trade, ana one of the California pioneers
of 49. He had never made big strike
but had always kept prospecting and
years ago he was at work in the noun
tains around Death valley. 1t was then
that he got it into his head that the water
would eventually reach that locality, and
| he was determined to have the first vessel
to float in the new sea. Evans was not a
poor man, but had enough money to hire
a couple OF men to help him lay the keel
OF the. vessel, put in the masts, and do
the other heavy work. At first the work
was pushed rapidly, but when the water
! commenced to recede Evans took things
/ easy and did all the work himself because
he thought the water would not come
again for a year. He has been disap-
pointed every year since but still thinks
that Death valley will become a sea and
he is ready for It.
Il was we'll treated by Evans" said Mr.
Traver, in concluding. He took me t.
his abode, which was a deep cave a few
feet from the brig, with delightful tenn
perature. | stayed with him two DAYS
and found him a well-educated man and
very interesting, but when L left him his
last words were, When the water rises I
viii be ready for it, -