The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1894-07-28

used to walk over to the creek every night
to bring in supply of water. L drank
four or five gallons of water every day.
The intense heat makes men thirsty.
Often | mechanically got up in my sleep
and walked over to my water canteen be-
fore woke up. After L had drunk water
| felt refreshed and could go to sleep again.
l took the regular observations that are
required by the service and kept up the
record for the Washington Office. | took
them by Washington time, and the days
were only twenty-four hours, but they
seemed like forty years. They sent me in
an assistant July l, but he could not stand
the climate and went back again in ten
days. People who get into that climate by
chance do not die; they merely blow away.
They have sixty-mile winds in Death Val
ley. That is about all that occurs to break
the monotouy ofthe day. No living thing
stirs abroad in the daytime-it is after
dark before the snakes come out very ex
tensively The glare of the sun on the
sand is terrible. 2 You see the glObules of
air writhing six or eight feet above the
earth's surface. Nothing grows in the val
ley except mesquite brush and the noun
tains are as barren as the palm ofyour hand
Although the valley is L 80 miles long there
is only one trail by which it can be crossed.
The soil of the valley is what miners
call ''raised" ground 1t is impregnated
with lime and borax, and the water runs
down under the surface Of the ground and
settles in the valley. The soil is raised by
the subterranean action of the water like
bread, and if one tries to walk across it he
sinks in out of sight. In this way many
men have been lost in the valley. The
appearance of the raised soil of the valley
is like river that has been frozen over
and in which an ice gorge is formed. At
ter became accustomed TO the valley |
knew where to 30, and was not in any
danger. aal
One night, though thought was gone.
Heavy rains fell in torrents for hours, and
at last could hear the water running down
the mountain canons like the sound of
thunder. | was only six miles away from
H. E,,no.oI No,nta;ns ond from, tbat sida
came the noise. Presently | heard the
sound of rushing water on the other side
of me, and considering that | was some
distance below the sea level, thought /
might be drowned if did not move. So
I lighted a lantern and went out to look
around. I went short distance from the
building, when suddenly | struck some
raised ground in the darkness and went in
up to my waist. | got on again after some
trouble but lost my lantern.
| had few visitors during the seven
months I was in the valley. Three times
an Indian came in from Keeler with sack
of mail for me. Twice parties of prospec-
tors. who had lost their way, came where |
was. One of these parties showed me how
to make bread Bread making was not
my forte, nor cooking of any kind when |
went into the valley. And it was three
weeks before l could eat the bread that [
made. Even then it was pretty heavy
The prospecting party-I believe they had
eight pack mules taught me to make bread
in the form of fapjacks, and after that |
got along all right.
can't say that | liked the climate. No
one does on account of the heat and soli-
tude, There is not good point about it,
as far as | was able to discover The val
ley is rich in minerals, but it is so expen-
sive to work the mines that no one wants to
do it. There is great difference in the
attitudes, comparing the valley with the
surrounding mountains | used 10 spend
a good portion of the day moving around
the building to keep the shade. | could
sit in my cabin below the sea level and see
quite plainly through the clear atmosphere
Telescope Peak, sixty miles away and TO-
939 feet above the sea level. The Funeral
Mountains-at the foot of which you might
say l lived-were not so high, but was
surrounded by a temperature of l19 on the
Fourth of July, 1891, and saw snow on the
mountains six miles away. The principal
part of the everyday prospect was sand.
One of the grandest sights is the approach
of a sandstorm. On clear days often saw
them coming far up the Mesquite Valley,
which connects with Death Valley, looking
like great white Clouds As they came
nearer the cloud completely hid the noun
.tains. 1t took about an hour after the storm
first appeared for it to reach me, covering
everything ike a veil. You might think
would go into the house to get away from
the sand. But it was too hot to stay in
the house, so wonld lie down on blanket
with my cheek on flask of water until it
had passed away down the valley and into
the Amargoso sink"
Mr.. Clery saw the last Of Death Valley
October l, 1891, and returned to civiliza-
tion on saddle horse, with train of mules
which guide brought from Keeler The
scientific results of his experience were
sent to Washington.
lsos A Point in Cooking Eggs.