The morning times., 1896-08-16
TT IS THE MOST HORRIBLE
SPOT IN THE WORLD
In the Heart of Smiling California Surrounded by
Very Eldorado of Mines.
(Copyrigit, 1867

IN tile MOJ1ve desert. Inls IL great
tract of land in the heart of the gold fields
of California All around it lie the richest
useful minerals that have ever been found.
and, lying perilously within these EIdor-
ADDS OF fortune and fame is the desert.
across which prospectors must go to seek
for wealth.
II they take circuitous path around
the desert they traverse only the we'll
worn ways, and have less hope OF SUCCESS.
The recent loss of Edgar Clark, Of New
York. and Henry Sanford, Of Columbus,
both members of the best families, has
stirred up into activity the much tall ed OF
relief. If these men persisted what hope
for the less favored with money and in
fluence?
Last year the very most optimistic cal
culation of the Moiaye's victims was one
hundred 1t is probable there were three
times as many. Ninety-eight were fully
Identified and the ons hundred was COM
pieted when traveller came galloping into
the settlement I'm the outskirts, and. throw
ing himself down from his dying horse,
| gasped out the awful peril he had been
through and told OF the 1.-TWO dead OF dy-
| ing out there now!''
| LEFT TO DIE.
| No aid could be sent, for he had passed
| them two days before, and the Mojave's
| victims became one hundred good, strong
men. made to cross the desert by necessity,
| in order TO provide the things demanded
| by civliZation- IL is this AWFUL traffic in
lives that the Red Cross is trying to stop.
| TIE great deserts or the worid-Sshara,
ARABIA, Pharan and Libya-are pleasant
| spots compared to this death valley which
| lies menacinEly in the heart OF the fairest
I, State in the Union. Sahara has GASES
| Arabia boats OF threadlike rivers, cf,en
| dry in spots. but still running above the
surface every few miles. And in the stony
Pharan are two spoutine fountains that
can BE- seen for miles away But the No
| jave, although small, is bare OF anything
to comfort the traveller. Not a drop OF
| water can be found during the eighty
| miles ride across and at TINS season there
/
| blow. The thermometer daily reaches IS
degrees, and on hot days takes jump up
to $50 Never at night does 1t settle
below 100. This deadly heat, without a
| trace of shade or vegetation, the terrible
| sand storris and the burning sun of the
| middle hours OF the day are the elements
that deprive traveller of all hope III
| getting across alive.
| A ride OF eighty miles is a sfort Tip
\ for 4 man mounted on horseback In
| friendly country he can ride it i'll day
| ride OF 100 miles is not impossible
| with trained riders. But in the eesert
| the trip takes n week, sometimes two
| weeks And four miles an hour is the
| best progress man can hope to make
| When the sand storms CCme he must dis
| mount and cover his horses head and his
own with blankets. and when the terrible
heat pours down from the sun he IN list
| improvise a shade or his eychds Will
blister and blind his eyes, making II i'm
possible TO keep the slender trail.
The chances of finding gold near the
| Moiave desert are as great as they ever
| were, for California is still the golden
heart OF tie world The only obstacle is
that much OF the gold lands are already
owned, and to reach the unprospected
portions the seekers must go into the
dangerous places hitherto avoided by
miners
It's only during the dry season that the
Red Cross will seek to restrain travellers
from veDturing into the desert. In tie
wet season they can do so with the great
/ est comfort The air is then very soft
and clear and the ground is covered with
the most beautiful flowers. Those visit
| ing il then can not realize the desolation
| of a few weeks before, and pathetic scenes
take places among seekers after lost
friends.
| A lady, whose husband. venturesome
traveller, was lost, presumably in the
Mojave. started out to look for the body.
The dry season had passed away ADD
about month OF the wet season had
| progressed. Being woman OF means
she obtained a stage. aud with extra
mules for long search in the desert
Yuma The entire desert was to be trav-
ersed foot by foot and the mans body
was to be recovered il it took months OF
search. II shall know him. she kept
asserting positively. and I shall take his
bones home with me-
The ride across the desert was made in
twenty days. Five hours day was al
the time they Travelled, for the hours were
slow from constant bunting. and it TOOK
many days Many times the stage was
nearly Overturned by the skuIls projecting
above the sand; aud the bones OF horses
hidden now under the lovely verdure.
tripped the coach animals and sent them
downward, lying kicking and struggling
among the skeletons o! their kin.
| A VAIN SEARCH.
In sight OF houses the woman gave or
ders to recrOss tue desert by another path
Follow every known trail," she said
land We shall find him II we do not. W,
will branch off and scour the desert steI
by step and foot by foot" ~ :
In vain they tried to dissuade her. The
return was made by more northern
path, but unsuccessfully; and, still search
ing. they turned to come back again. The
last few days Of the second return trip
the devoted wife was out upon the ground
most OF the way, searching and never
firing. among the gruesome objects along
the trail. For miles at q time the stage
would not halt, for the ground was smooth
and fair; and then an oniinous Jolt, q
stumbling OF the Ilorsess, and the stage
would come to q standstiIl, while the
search was being made In TIE new spot OF
DEATH .sa
At length. after crossing and recross-
ing the desert as many times as the drivers
l f1xx ont