New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-03-27
A LAND OF VOLCANOES.
ALONG THE LOWER COLORADO river, IN
THE LAND OF THE COCOPAS.
THOUSANDS or LITTLE HrMMocKs SPLITTING
rIRr-A DEADLY REGION or SULPHUR
oJs TCMEs-TIE LAKE OF
BLACK INK.


xumo. Ariz.. March ia few lines in the
press dispatches Of the daily nc"sI apors inc
other day relative to the present season OF I'M
usual turbulence among the little volcanoes
along the Lover Colorado River. in the land OF
the Cocopa Indians was the first intlMallon
that thousands OF American people had that 4
land of volcanoes exists within the doinaln on
Uncle Sar.. Indeed, there are comparatively
few Californians who have had an iiea thit
within the borders of their own commonwealth
there have been. through countless ages nun
drods of coasclcssly active volcanoes ana ire
spitters" None of these burning mountains as
the Mexcaas and half-brced Indians know
them. are az large Vesuvius to be sure put
they are fully as active and more noisy ana
restless
The exact situation Of this region OF volcanoes
IS about two hundred miles southwest OF Yuma
and fourteen miles from where the COLORADO
River flows into the Gulf of California Inc
Cocopa and the Yuma Indians call the country
Bad Mans Hunting Ground and not a rcd
skin OF any Of the tribes in the Southwest can
ever be induced even 10 visit that region MI
Indians are superstitious. and those in Arizona
and Northern Mexico believe that the land oil
volcanoes is the next door to he'll itself. There
Pin,as Maricopas and Cocopas about the hor-
rblc beings that in ages past have come from
among the volcanoes to the injury of the Ind
ians. ana Of the spirits Of dead and wicked red
men that wander about down there in the sui
phurous atmosphere. only waiting an opp"r-
tunity to wreak vengeance upon some unsus-
pecting savage.
The ali for miles around tic valley Of the vol
aud only
sons of strong lungs and throats can stand the
odcrs. even several miles away. for more than
few hours When one has gone into the midst
Of the volcanoes the smells are not only abonl-
Unable. but very dangerous to any animal life.
unless there is Il strong breeze blowing to carry
the sulphur-ladcr air away There are un-
doubted stories Of persons who have vonturcd
too far among tho volcanoes whore the air was
calm and heavy with the poison from the bowels
of the earth. and who have died in few min
utcs Several years ago Professor Smcdlcy. Of
Ontario College, fitted up an apparatus whereby
ne could carry a rubber bag full Of pure air
while he was exploring among the livelost Of
the volcanoes. In some way his device failed
to work when he had gone only two hundred
yards into the valley of the firc-spitters and,
had he not been seen TO staggcr and fall 10y scv-
eral companions. who. at the risk of their own
lives. rushed in to his rescue. he would have
died in few minutes. AS it was. the whole
party was i'll for a week or more from the eff
fects of inhang the poison.
The first sight Of the land Of volcanoes Is one
never to be forgotten. The feeling as ono gaZcs
area Of thirty miles. under the hot.
burning sun of tho desert, dotted everywhere
by literally thousands Of hummocks and mounds,
with blue smoke curling up from countless num-
bers OF these. ana flames and particles Of molten
lava from others. is that here, indeed is a literal
inferno on earth. The mounds or volcanoes are
Of all sizes, from that Of hogshcad up to a hill,
some 80 and 200 feet high. The majority OF
them are about fifteen feet high and are sixty
feet in circumference at the greatest point.
Most Of these little volcanoes are active, and
when they not splitting forth vapor and urid
flames boiling and stewnS within, much
like steam engine about to raise its safety
valve. The noise of several thousand volcanoes
seethng grumbliDg and bubbling is not an un-
usual occurrence. and fills the average visitor in
the land of them with indescribablc sensations.
Bad Mans Hunting Ground" is reached only
by boat from Yuma down the Colorado River.
The journey be made only at Il certain sea-
Son in the year, ard then it is hazardous and
requires expert navigation. The danger lies in
tnc u"dcncfOuS edulcS ana rapids or the Colo
RADIO. and then the route is not a certain one
owing to the unaccountable freak the little
stream has Of suddenly drying up when it IS
least expected. The best time of year to get
into this country is in May the latter part Of
April. because later in the season it gets too UNI
comfortably hot there If the prospective tray
eller be a good boatman or canoist he might
be perfectly safe in attempting the trip by the
a., I,.r ,l,o