The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1899-09-01
STRANGE RIVERS
Wonderful STREAMS Thaf Flow fro.
the Moustafns 81 the Ps-
efAe Nanxe.

e11e HaDHe.
almost everyone thinks that per
force river must be of WATER said a
man on the little car that winds up
Mount Lowe. in the Sierra Madres, bat
it is by no means necessary. Asa an ex-
ample, look at this" and the speaker
pointed UP the steep slope OF the
mountains as the car passed the curve.
Reaching from the track, which, in
deed. had crossed it. was a mass OF
stones, some larger. some smaller, than
q walnut, that extended upward as far
as the eye could see. The grade was
very steep and to all intents and pur-
poses river of stone was impercepti-
bly, flowing down.
Its perfect river of rock" con-
tinued the passenger. Some peculiar
atmospheric effect is continually wear
ing it away or breaking it out. so that
it crumbles and gradually rolls down
in weIl-slefned shape-a verirabEe
stream gradually making its way into
the canyon. just such river was dis
covered by Agassiz in Patagonia when
he landed there from the Blake, though
III this case the so-caIled river was of
great size and the rocks all large and
moving in a given direction with IRE
sistible force. ?
I'm few quarters of the globe SIM
liar rivers can be seen and nowhere are
they more interesting than on the Pa
cific coast. The site of the city of San
francisco is the bed of an interesting
sand river that even to-day is flowing
in from the Pacific toward the city IF
an excavation is made in the heart Of
San Francisco to-day beneath the pave
ments of the streets will be found
vast deposit OF sand and this can be-
traced from the bay to the sea- about
six miles, forming we'll defined
stream. The city has covered up mucf.
OF it, but out near the park the strange
waves of the sand river are seen I'm
mounds, heaps and dunes carved into
curious shapes by the wind, and by
watching these during the prevalence
OF the almost constant trade wind the
passage of this river of sand can be OBJ
served. Over tie surface constant
flow of sand is ever moving on to the
east. The sand river of San Francisco
is formed by the trade wind. Hundred.
OF years ago it began blowing the light
sand from the seashore near the famous
seal rocks and, unchecked, it Travelled
On in a never ceasing stream until il
reached the bay of San Francisco. five
miles away. This river of sand forms
the sand lots of San Francisco history"
Sand rivers of remarkable size and in
terest can be observed on the island Of
San Clemente. From the summit Of
some of the hills the island on the west
slope appears to be covered with gfa-
ciers that fill the deep canyons, which
at one time bore water down to the sea-
They are of sand and instead of flowing
down they flow upward. Some are evil
IDENTIFY 100 feet in depth and filed from
top to bottom with sand thSs is ever
reaching up, threatening the island. or
portions of it, with devastation. Some
OF the rivers are 50 incrusted that they
resemble frozen snow, the surface in
places being covered with small shells
in such numbers that they can be
scooped up by hundreds. The animals
have evidently died and become buried
in the sand, which gradually blows
away, leaving the shells in relief.
That these sand rivers have been here
for ages is evident from the remains
found of the ancient inhabitants of the
island. In one spot what had appar-
emily been a battlefield appeared. two
score or more skeletons being piled to-
gether in confusion. Skulls were
crushed and broken and leg bones frac-
tured. Some of the bodies lay on their
faces; others were doubled up. as
though after battle they had been COW
cred with sand. In the river bed were
found many curious implements, NOR
tars of stone and ornaments of the
pearIy haliotis. The writer found
shell filled with beads near skull. and
by one skeleton, buried in sitting posi-
ton, were two flutes made from the
bones Of deer, each inlaid with pearl
that had been selected for its beauty
In walking over the surface of one
sand river The writer suddenly found
himself on the edge of a remarkable pit
or depression 100 or more feet deep and
perhaps 100 feet across. The sides were
Of pure gray sand carved by the wind
30 perfectly that the surface was
smooth as though polished. It was
pit or cone followed out by the wind,
and at the very bottom was small bare
place and tree showing how deep the
sand deposit was The pit was at an
angle of perhaps SO degrees and by
jumping from the edge one would slide
the 30 or 70 feet and find It difficult to-
make the return in the sliding sand
Near here several smaller pits were
found. illustrating the peculiar poug
Of the wind.-N. Y.Sur.