The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1894-01-03
HORRORS OF THE sALToN DESERT
Where the Mercury Ranges from, $50
Above to SO below.

Fred l.. MonsOn in lecture in San
Francisco recently gave some interesting
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 vet
coolest, says the Call, wettest, and vet
so arid that life is sometimes impossi-
BILE. The bottom of Death Valley lies
deeper beneath the level of the sea than
any other valley. The desert district of
California covered 10000 square miles,
embraced by Inyo, Lerndai, Los Angeles
and San Bernardino counties. Death
Valley is in the south OF Inyo county.
not very far from Mount Whitney. which
is 5000 feet high. The valley is seventy
five miles long and from six to fifteen
miles wide it is 430 feet below sea
level. Mr.. Monsan described his trip
from Daggett which is 1856 miles from
the valley, by means of a. team and
buck board. 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 conveyed by the fact
that meat can be cured in one hour, eggs
can be roasted in the sand, -four breeds
worms in a week, and no man can be
more than an hour without water with
out becoming insane There is some
times less than per cent. of moisture in
the atmosphere. While at the Red Sea
127 degrees of heat are recorded, at
Death Valley 1871 degrees in the shade is
net uncommon. Yet, on the other hand,
the mercury sinks to so degrees below
zero.
A feature of the valley is the curious
asalt road" which was graded with
sledge hammers right through the cen
tire for the transport of. borax. By this
road are many unknown graves, filed
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 dessicated remains, for there are no
animals there except snakes, tarantulas,
scorpions aud lizards. Of the latter
one. the 'Chugwullah, 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 rattlern is the most
formidable. The name Of the valley was
o1OAA sSo AiOlA a parry VI Ciu1SA IL OiA
Salt Lake City. The party endeavored
TO cross the canon in 1850 and lost their
lives in the attempt. Stereoptican views
Of fragments of their skeletons, wagons,
&c., caused shudder among the specta-
tors.
Much interest is attached to the portion
Of the lecture describing freighting by
teams" Two immense wagons, each
weighing 1890 pounds, are coupled SO as
to carry 45, 900 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,n or Transfers assistant, were
given a chapter by themselves. The alb
solute necessity of profanity in team
ster's equipment was illustrated by the
failure of teamster after he had been
converted by an evangelist When invit.
ed to move without the usual decorative
emphasis, the twenty mules with one
accord turned their heads .over their
shoulders and simply gazed in petrified
astonishmeut.
Sa1ton is over $50 feet below sea level
and comprises fifteen square miles OF,
salt Here immense salt works are in
operation and 100 tons Of salt are plowed
up in one day. The salt covers the
marsh to the depth of from ten to twenty
inches. The work is chiefly done by In.
dams, who alone can stand the terrific
heat and binding glare which prevails.