The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-03-20

the solidity Of marble. II lies on the
Rio Nirgen. a tributary OF the Colorado
river, In the northern portion OF the
Colorado BASIN
A solid wall OF salt IS exposed on each
side Of Cave hill canon, which IS so hard
that II IS necessary 10 blast il down. II
Is worked like an open quarry, and the
salt is taken out In large blocks, which
are so transparent that a newspaper
can be read through them From this
ridge Of salt might be quarried enough
20 supply the whole Of the United States
for ages.
In several places in Lincoln county.
Nevada. and the adjoining country about
Death valley. California, are found
traces Of former occupation by some
race Of civilized people probably the
Spanish
In the Kingston range OF mountains,
on the eastern face Of Clarke mountain,
near the summit. is a perpendicular clin
OF limestone, go feet in hight, and with
a smooth surface. On the face Of this
cliff, at hight of 100 feet from its base,
are cut a cross and the letters y. l.. d.
The cross and letters are Of mammoth
proportions, being not less than 90 feet
in hight. They are cut into the solid
rock to a depth OF two feet, and are
plainly to be seen at a great distance
NO one in the country knows how, when
or by whom the letters were cut
The Indians living in the region have
no traditions in regard TO them. AS the
letters are Roman characters, and are
preceded by cross, it is supposed the
work was done by Jesuit missionaries,
who are known to have established in
1888 missions further south in Arizona.
In order to carve the huge Ietters either
a scaffold 100 feet in hight must have
been erected. sor the workmen must have
been lowered over the face Of the cliff a
distance Of $50 feet.
Far down in southwestern Arizonia
near Sonora, on the Mexican border.
there is a range of mountains which ap-
pears TO have but one face of hard, smooth
granite. Tho I'd Of these mountains
is in the form of a giantic basin.
Here the rainfall has been gathered
for ages until quite an extensive lake
is the result. The overflow tumbles into
another basin below, and so on through
a series of nine. the last being near the
ground, and on the road from Yuma to
Sonora. The lower tanks are easy of ac-
cess and often drained by travellers and
animals.
The great upper tank can be approached
only by circuitous and difficult climbing
To a stranger standing below. the upper
lake. of course. has no existence. In
that plain below are over 200 graves.
Scores of human beings furnishing for
/
in reaching this spot. only TO find the
lower tanks dry, and, ignorant of the
great upper lake, where thousands of
gallons were to be had for a little climb
ing, have laid themselves down in de-
spair to die. Later travellers passing
have buried the unknown remains, and
| have always marked the grave. Mexican
| fashion, by a cross of stones.
| There is in Western Utah, sixty miles
| from Phoebe a sort Of lava formation
running through an immense canon,
which shows plainly that some tremen-
dous upheaval of nature once visited the
/ country and probably destroyed every
/ thing for miles round about.
In the dryest part of this most DESC
! late spot a large stream Of water comes
/ gushing out of a high cliff as if it came
/ from the nozzle a gigantic hose, and
/ falls a cataract into the abyss below.
| Before reaching the bottom the water
| is disseminated into fine spray and
/ spreads out like huge fan, the play and
| sport of the winds. 1t is a strange and
! beautiful sight.
! Probably at some period long past the
| bed of a river was where the water
| energies, but a volcanic upheaval has
| changed the face of nature, sinking the
| bed of the river many hundreds of feet
| and leaving the water TO pour from its
exalted perch into empty air.