The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-07-20
A VERY HOT PLACE.
A Glimpse of the Seething American
Desert In Summer.


San Bernardino (Cal) Letter in Brooklyn
Hot! Well, should exclaimm remarked
the switch tender at Barston, as 1 swung
on the train for an observation while the
engine wet its thirsty whistle. Hot? Say
neil amt patch alongside this here place.
W ed go there # we could, to cool off"
the Mohave desert, either Nor is il the
biggest settlement, consisting mainly of
an eating house; few shanties and a
saloon or two. It's Importance lies in the
fact that at this point trains for south
ern California turn off to the south
and those for Frisco keep on still west
erly. Another fact also--here we set our
watches back another hour as the stand
ard official time changes from mountain
to Pacific From the Colorado river
westerly, perhaps $50 miles, stretches the
great Mohave desert, a portion of that vast
ARD area which guards all the eastern
approaches TO California, matter which
rallroad you take to enter the Golden State
AS morning dawns the beautiful though
forbidding, forms of the Needles, those
sharp-splred and multi-colored mountains
at the crossing of the Colorado, rise against
the sky: Once over the muddy and treach-
erous river, the real desert is entered and
for nearly two hundred miles the rails pur-
sue their sinuous course, glistening and
blistering in the sun. We call this a desert
and so far as the term goes, ii is not msap-
piled, yet 1T is vastly different from the
African Sahara, which l looked upon in
Alg1ers nine years ago-not actually sea
of sand, like that of the dark continent,
with only a fertile oasis here and there
to enl1ven its vast eXpanse. This American
desert is not entirely destitute of Vegeta-
ton, for we have here several varieties of
cactus, areas of sagebrush and the yuccas
with pointed leaves and tall spikes of bios
SONS. Gases, too, are occasionally seem
as at the infrequent stations, where water
from hidden streams or artesian wells has
carried life and fertility TO this barren
waste. AS there is nearly always a breeze
stirring, life is rendered endurabe beneath
the planted groves and by the side of water
courstng through the ''acequias."
No, this is not the hottest spot earth
North from Barston and its sister station
of Doggett, from which latter place line
of freight wagons once in a while ran to it
across the torrid alkali plains lies the ter
rible Death valfey-a great furnace-heated
basin, depressed nearly three hundred feet
below the level of the sea and surrounded
by mountains brilliant in coloring, but bar
rem of vegetation.
Only one miserable river runs into 1T. the
poisonous waters of which, vile that it
is known as the Amargosa, or Bitter, are
valley. Gold has been discovered in the
mountains surrounding Death valley, and
there are large deposits of soda and borax
there, but the intense heat prevents their
successful working Would-be visitors
also deferred by the fate of several pros
pectorS who persisted of thirst and the terri
BILE heat. 1t seemed the irony of fate that
water was subsequently discovered close to
the spot where the last man had fallen
by those who were digging their graves.
Still 1t is said by those in authority that
even Death valley does not hold the record
as the hottest place earth That unen-
viable distinction has been fairly won and
is held by station on the Southern Pacific
Railway, known Mammoth Tank.
This station has been declared the hottest
place out of doors the mercury disporting
itself at 128 degrees during the summer
season day after day.
There is little else there besides the tank
aforementioned and the station keeper. The
latter not long since took respite from
his arduous duties of pouring water into
himself and hunting a shady spot long
enough to WOO and win the belle of a little
village up near Indio, on the same railroad.
The climate of IndiO is pretty hot Thermal,
the station below, is hotter; Volrano
Springs, still farther south, is even more so,
but Mammoth Tank beats them all for tor
ridity
Those who have tried it out here say
that a reliable temperature of 100 in the
shade is not at all oppressive | don t know
how that may be, but can Vouch Tor the
fact that you don't feel the same degree of
heat so much here as on the Atlantic coast
A few days ago I had occasion to go to
San Jacinto, south of here, and to be out
driving all day. 1t seemed pretty hot,
though l had often felt the heat more in
other regions, and / was surprised when
returned to the hotel to find the tempera-
ture that day had reached 106 in the shade.
The hotel was a wooden structure, and
every room was in the western END, so
that il was late that night before the
temperature was lowered enough to per-
nit of sleep. Various articles on the bu-
reau, such as comb, hairbrush ana razor,
were SO hot that the handing OF them
was not pleasant. On the train next day L
sat behind two ladies. one OF whom nad .
child with her. / overheard considerable OF
their conversation, but the fragment mat
particularly struck me was this' i e. 1 ySS-
my little Bonnie here is year Ola coming
Sunday and the day he was porn II was
10" She was hearty looking woman and
Rennie was healthy child, apparently. 80
7 fancy the climate must be beneficial even
If If is hot.