The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1894-07-28
Cur 0lio.
summering in Death Valley.


From the Chicago Record.
J. H. Clery, assistant observer at the
Milwaukee Weather Bureau, is the man
who spent seven months in Death Valley,
Cal, the hottest place in the world. He
is the only man alive who spent the sum
mer in that place. In the course Of con-
versation Mr. Clery gave some interesting
details of the country.
Death Valley is located in Inyo county,
and is apparently the dTy bed of lake,
the outlet of which was formerly the
Amargosa River, now dried up. | was
selected by the Weather Burear to spend
summer in Death Valley to prove that it
is the hottest place in the world. Early
in April 1891, l left San Francisco, and
after travelling 750 miles-the latter part
of the journey by the Carson and Columbia
River-I got off the train at Keeler, the
end of the railroad. There was a station
of the Weather Bureau there. There [
fitted out with full equipment for obser-
vations. These, with my provisions were
loaded on half dozen pack mules.
started fol, Death Valley on, saddle
horse, with an Indian guide. The distance
on an air line is sixty miles, but the near
est trail is 100 miles. At Wild Rose canon
met the members of the biological survey
who had spent the winter in the valley,
coming out April 21, 1891, I arrived at
the building which was to occupy, which
was owned by Smith Brothers of San Fran
cisco, who control the borax fields at Death
Valley.
This building is the direct neighborhood
of the point where number of emigrants
persisted while crossing the valley in 1850.
Here | unpacked my traps and the Indian
went back to Keeler, leaving me alone. l
was situated between the Panamit Noun
tains and the Death Valley, or Funeral
Mountains. They have very cheerful and
inspiring names down there. The valley
is $50 miles long and from ten to fifteen
miles wide. 1t is peculiar for its vast de-
posits of borax. Some years ago Smith
Brothers tried to work the mines during
the winter months, but as it was necessary
to cart the product by wagons through
Death Valley Desert and Mohave Desert
20 Mohave, it proved too expensive and
was practically abandoned, only enough
work being done to hold the claim. So
the house which had been used for their
business was vacant when | reached it.
felt pretty lonesome there. The 81
lence is oppressive. | got my instruments
in order and went up in the roof Of the
building to fix the cups of the thermometer
with hammer and screwdriver. Owing to
the great heat the, roof was as slippery as
glass, and when | dropped a tool it slid
down to the ground After | had dropped
three or four tools started down the roof
to the ladder, intending to 90 down 10 get
them, but saw great horned rattlesnake,
reptile peculiar to that region. Iclimbed
up the roof again and rolled off on the sand
on the other side. | went around the
building then and shot the snake, not being
particularly delighted with such neighbors.
Afterward | got better acquainted with
this snake 1t has horn on its nose and
is very venomous. killed several of them
The only living things in the valley are
horned toads, horned rattlesnakes, lizards,
tarantulas, mice, and rats, and a species Of
fly as big as the first joint of your thumb,
which is very fierce, and makes a bleeding
wound when it bites. The lizards are'the
only desirable neighbors of the lot Some
of them are as thick as the forearm, and
are said to be good eating although Inever
tried them. They are quite a domestic
reptile. . ssirlas as3. IT, sa mA .hei
The first night spent in the valley l
slept on the sand and several times during
the night L felt things fit across my face
quick as a fash. could not discover what
it was until morning and then Ifoundthat
they were lizards. One good point about
lizards slthat they don't live where there
are snakes, and therefore they are sort
of snake indicator. As long as there were
no snakes around lizards were seen, but as
soon as they vanished I always looked out
for the horned rattlesnakes The latter
eat lizards whenever they can catch them.
1t is o very hotplace-the hottest inthe
world. There are other places. where the
mercury goes higher for short time, .bat
none where the average temperature is as
high. The average hourly temperature
during July and August was lO1o in the
shade The mercury went to 1929 in the
shade several times that summer, and there
were several days together when the min
imum was 900. I took out with me a
quantity Of bacon and hung it up in the
house, and | had to keep pan sitting
under it all the time to catch the fat that
dripped from it. There is scarcity Of
water in Death Valley. I had to get my