The morning times., 1896-08-16
Thousands of Persons Die Yearly
in This Death Valley.
Red Cross Society Is Trying to
Prevent People from Cross
ing During the Dry Sea-
son-rIuies Fitted
with Water.

OF the strange traveller and her dismal
search.
'Yon may be thankful he died outright,
ma'am," blurted out one OF the toughest
OF the men. Suppose he had been like this
POOR teller we brought in one day, when he
was blind from burn and heat"
As he spoke he pointed to a window,
barred and low, in an attic of the station.
which was also the tavern OF the place.
There with head pressed against the irons.
distorted face peered out making the
most idiotic grimaces.
My husband, my husband shrieked
the woman, falling for ward in dead faint
And so it was. Driven insane, as 50
many are by the sufferings of the desert,
the poor fellow had wandered to the border
and had been rescued, but too late TO save
his re asoD.
TIE BEST CROSSING.
Good, sturdy travellers, used to long rides
and abundantly provided with money, boast
that they can cross the Mojave with as little
discomfort as others can follow a mountain
trail for week. These travellers go
mounted upon mules, to whose saddles are
hung water bags without number. One
solitary rider went with three mules
3aTDessed fast to his own. and each was
covered with great rubber bags, each OF
which held twenty-five gallons of water.
So great is the heat that the rubber
has been known to soften. and provision
must be made for this. An improperly I'm
ished piece OF rubber will collapse when
most wanted, namely when the sun gets
driving and thirst becomes unbearable.
These wealthy mine owners, for such
they are that cross the desert with such
abundant provision for their comfort, un-
furi great canopies at midday and sit
under them with the BEASTS AT night
they travel, aud as the sun comes out
they uDf,rri the canopy again and. bathing
the feet of the animals with water, they
refresh themselves and lie down to sleep
away the first hot hours of the day.
1t is unsafe to sleep during the very
strong heat, for the animals may becon,e
maddened by the sun and dash out their
brains. Or the sun may slant and creep
under the canopy and burn the sleeper hope
lessiy. Neither is it safe TO tathe In the
burning sun. for terrible wuter biisters Will
rise almost instantly upon the moist skin.
HumanitariaDs who have at heart the
folIcs as well as the virtues OF mankind.
their necessities as well as their ayarice.
have seriously Considered the establishment
or statious where the Aoiave travellers can
get supplies before starting out, stations
where water and water bags, food and
proper ruinent are sold cheap, far below
town prices. And this lockout for their
comfort would beenoughtOcar them safely
across In the hottest month they would
be boarded until the weather had become
more mild.
Iii q terrible pity that the bringing out
treasure should be 50 fatal to human life.
The argument is that where one man
perishes in the desert a thousand live from
the gold which he will bring out But in
so smiling a country as this, the ingenuity
of man should conceive a way by which
man might perish from adventure and hard
hood and toll. rather from lack Of the
very necessities OF life, shelter and drink.
Meanwhile the Mojava blooms Ike
flower nourished by the blood and cones
of those who die without the rest OF the
world knowing il.