The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1897-07-18
DESERT LAND OF FIRE
Strange Valley Near the Mouth Of the Colorado River


stick substance resembling ink, craters
that blow out only dry ashes, Others
that send forth stones and gravel. and
still others that belch forth liquid and
blazing streams of mud. There are
other holes which emit only Indifferent
puffS of smoke or steam, while from
all issues burning odor of birthstone.
Strangely in contrast with this area
of fire and destruction there are nu-
merous springs of clear and sparkling
cold water. exquisitely grateful to the
palate parched by the heat and the
sulphurous fumes What is more pc
culiar is that the springs of cold wa
ter are often found in proximity to
the hot springs ard separated from
them by only a few yards.
This is a land that has never been
traversed. Hunlsn beings have tried
1t. but they never return to tell of
their experience or Of their discoveries
Little heaps of bleaching Bones can
be seen scattered about here and there
over the lava-strewn surface aS the
ground. Bones of animals also lie
about, telling the story of the fatal
wanderings of beasts.
INSIDIOUS DANGERS TO EXPLOR-
ERS.
1t is a dangerous spot in many ways.
A sudden upheaval of molten earth. a
huge rock shot up as from a catapult,
or shower of scalding water-each
or all of them may overtake the un-
wary traveller and forever stop his
progress But those are not the great
est dangers, for invariably any up
heaval or violent CONFUSION of these
forces of nature is heralded by a sullen
roar and rumbling noises that shake
the earth and give one ample warning
TO get away. The greatest danger is
from the suffocating clouds of deadly
fumes that perpetually hang over this
region and sometimes insidiously steal
down and overwhelm the traveller, or
which some sudden gust of wind may
drive down with the same fatal re-
suits.
For this reason it is dangerous to
venture far from the edge of the basin,
and even then puffs of these death
dealing clouds may swoop down upon
one. The only thing to do in such an
emergency is to run for it and get as
far as possible from the place. Sew
eral times members of the recent ex-
petition among the volcanoes were
suddenly overcome by the
POISONED ATMOSPHERE
and their lives were probably saved by
their dropping PROSTATE on the ground, |
but still enough of the poisonous va |
pors was inhaled to cause feeling OF |
sickness and nausea that did not wear |
off for several hours.
The scene is one of violent contrasts |
IF glazing whites and dead blacks. |
Some parts of the valley are wastes
If hot sand drawn in places INTO high
mounds by the whirling blasts that
sweep down the canyons of the noun
aims that wall this valley of desola-
ion. There, too. is the curious self
Using earth" AS far as the eye can
Zee it appears in curving outline, up
Ind down, as if pulled up by a natu-
ale yeast The unfortunate creature
Who steps upon the little hills will
rash through, for they are not much
more than fragile crusts. Beneath is
swamp of thin, Shiny, salt mud Of
depth. Still stranger is
hat section of the valley-a dozen
niles southeast, farther in Mexico
which, for want of a better name, is
allied salt earth" Innumerable pin
acles, tapering to points as fine as
eedles and over a foot long, rise In
lose array from the ground. These
re as hard as stone and as danger
us as sharDened steel.
PECULIAR MINERAL FORMS.
This land is a desolate waste Of mani
late mineral objects. The volcanoes have
slipping sides and each has
ne same distinguishing characterlstlc-a !
rater. Some are dead, their nreS having
cen extinct for ages, and many of these
re nearly filled with ashes or solid mas
IS of lava which have cooled One OF
leSe extinct craterS. near the edge OF the =
asfn, is on a mound whose apex IS about
feet above the surrounding level InlS
FOUND is one of the largest in the region .
nd its base covers two or more acres.
ne crater is fully 20 feet across and is
lied with water so clear that one can 6
a he si nj
Glow the surface. but farther out this
tile elevated lake is practically bottom
IS. A line with sinker attached fell
0 feet and did not touch the bottom. One :
ever sees bird here. Nor even bug
rs been known to venture into this val
Y of death. As for trees or vegetation
any kind, there is none. Even the
lctus, that friend of the desert, cannot {
Id root here. AT the springs of cold
alter not a blade of grass or a tuft of
OSS finds life. c
A very Interesting object in this land is :
huge volcano that is on the outskirts
the valley proper and therefore easy
study. 1t is 80 feet high and has cir
of 500 feet at the base 1t Is c
active volcano and is the largest ele-
Ltion in sight. though there may be big
r ones further in the interior never dis
vered by man, but a circuit made en-
rely around the edges of the basin has
lied TO find its equal in size or anything
EN- approaching it.
BEG MINING OF AN ERUPTION.
1t is an accommodating monster. It
IS regular periods of unrest and when
er it wants TO spit fire or vomit rocks
I'd molten mud IL gives notice of its in
ntions by peculiar roar, before which :
other sounds become stilled- 1t
oans as if with mighty pain, and if
e should chance TO be standing on the =
ge of the crater and preserve his bal L
ce long enough to take a Sood look in
lie, he would see masses of molten mat
? far down begin to heave and boil
wi 0r1x~ r1eix~ al
That is an opportune moment to depart.
q quarter of an hour the bubbling.
ething, rumbling caldron within has a"
ZEN TO the level of the cater and its
canning, red hot contents are pouring
er the sides. while with an increased
under and splurging noise little coli go
ms of lava spout up into the air and
nps of mud and stones are thrown out
shot far away These commissions
Il only few minutes and then the old go
I'M SO to " hours 1t takes "a hours
viewer for the elected matter TO cool CT
to permit one to approach
: crater. What this volcano does
the other active volcanoes and as OF
~ are countless in number, it follows
1t the din of an eruption is continuous tn
1 we'll nigh deafening. The air is al OF
Us murky with smoke and steam and re
derS, particles of dirt and ashes drop m
necessarily that one is covered with qu
TX yellow dust in a very few moments. ca
STRANGE LAKE OF INK.
erhaps the greatest curiosity in this
canny land by the Colorado river is T.
at the naturalists in California call a
e of ink. Scientific journals have dis
'sed time and again what this lake of p.
really is 1t is a great pool of black vi
ting ink more than anything else. 1t u,
situated about half a mile from the ~,
ge volcano just described and lies flush m
h the ground 1t is about an acre in ev