Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-09-09

quently in Mesquite valley is innumerable
pinnaces of salt and borax that rise from
the ground to the height of foot or eight
cen inches. They are perhaps from four
to six inches in diameter at the base and
taper off uptil the points are as sharp as
needles and as hard as steel. An animal
that falls upon them is cut to pieces and
they are frequently made more dangerous
by being covered with the drifting sands.
They call this 1.-The devils playground"
When the Valley Became Famous.
Death valley first became famous, or
rather infamous. because of the experience
of a caravan of argonauts who called them
selves the jayhawkers. They started from
Galesburg, ILL.,, on April 3. 1S49 to find their
fortunes in California. When they reached
Salt Lake City they were showed in, and
being impatient to reach the gold fields
joined several other parties under the lead
ell ship of a Mormon elder named Hunt In
an attempt to cross the mountains through
southern California. They went southwest
from Salt Lake City. crossed the lower part
of Nevada. and entered Death valley, where
they wandered for four months. Fer fifty
two days they had no food except their
emaciated oxen but they finally came out
of the awful desert and entered Santa
Clara valley, where they were kindly re-
ceived and cared for at the ranch of a
Spaniard named Francisco.
Every year since 1872 the survivors OF
this fearful experience have had reunion.
The last was attended by only four-Col-
,JO Is,
Clay of Galesburg. ILL.,. l.. A. Richards of
Beaver City, Neb. and Charles B. Mecum
of Perry, Iowa. Eight other survivors sent
messages. 1t is very remarkable that SO
few lost their lives. The party was COM
posed of thirty-five men, one woman ana
two children. Three died in the desert,
one expired from joy at the end OF the
Journey and another was driven insane and
was lost. Under the circumstances they
can be pardoned for telling some eXtraor-
binary tales which lost none of their sem
sational features by being told and retold
in every mining camp on the Paclhc slope
until the region which has real terrors
CROUCH to entitle it to the distinction or De
ing the most dangerous spot on the siooe
was magnifed into Veritable nell OF nor
rors from which no one could return allVe.
Fate of PrOspect"rs.
The valley, surrounded on all sides by the
vast expanse of arid, stony desert and pre-
cipitous mountain chains, remained pracu-
cally unknown to the outside world 1or
many years although it was visited in the
year 1861 by Lieut. Charles r. Bendlre ana
bv Lieut. Wheeler in 1871. In the early '7os
silver and gold were discovered in the Pan
amt mountains. near by, and mining
camp was established in Surprise canyon,
on the side of the range opposite Death val
ley 1t seems to be the lot of every I'M
known and mysterious region to have
ascribed to it fabulous mineral wealth, and
Death valley was no exception to the rule
For several years after the discoveries IN
the Panamit mountains prospectors set out,
sngly or in small parties, to search Death
and Mesquite valleys and the Funeral and
Grapevine ranges of mountains. in the hope
OF other and richer fields. AS a rule, the
Drospectors were poorly equipped and jig
norant of the location of the few springs II
fresh water that are to be found in the
country The result was that many of
them never returned, having persisted from
thirst or starvation. The fate of these
prospectors did not improve the reputation
of Death valley and the surrounding coun-
try nor cause a general stampede to the
locality. Those who did return, however,
effectualy disposed of many of the current
ileas regarding the place, besides demon
Strating that the valley and the mountains
beyo nd it We're devoid of precious metals.
ii was not until the year 1891 that Death
valley and the surrounding mountain
ranges and valleys were thoroughly and
Systematically explored by party of natu-
ralists sent out by the United States Dc
partment of Agriculture.
One Ranchman's Experience.
The number of men who have lost their
lives on the desert will never be known,
but an idea may be formed from the fact
that in a single season thirteen thus per-
ished In the ante-railroad days it was a
frequent occurrence for teamsters and
stage drivers to find by the roadside the
bodies of who had evidently persisted
from thirst. Generally the discoveries of
such CHASTITY remains would dig shallow
hole and give them burial.
A notable case, illustrating the danger
to which even the most experienced desert
traveller is subjected. was that of a ranch
man of San Bernardino named Cornman,
who sent messenger to the mining camp
of Resting Springs for the purpose of OBJ
tanning the election returns. After he had
been gone a few hours it struck COrnman
that the messenger had never been on the
n Il in don or nf haj -
he was himself familiar with the routes
he saddled a horse, filled a canteen and
started out. Overtaking the messenger he
sent him back and then continued on what
was destined to prove his death journey.
He reached the mines obtained the infor-
nation and started back for San Bernar-
dino. But he never reached that place.
Some time elapsed and finally parties ar
rived in town who had left Ivanpah several
days after Cornman's departure. This at
once caused an investigation to be made.
Experienced crackers found where Corn
man. evidently craZed with thirst. had left
the trail in search of water and had wan
dered amlessly about for miles, and finally,
completely worn out and beside himself
with suffering. had blown his brains out
with six-ShOoter. He left a rudely
scrawled note, which afterward found
upon his body explaining that he was lost
and killed himself in preference to endur-
ing further torture.
Many Tales of Suffering.
One of the most singular mental features of
the suffering in the Death valley is that man
often imagines himself lost when he is real
ly the right trail. The horror and the
nervous tension is great that the imagi-
nation is inflamed and the reason becomes
dethroned. The profound desolation the APP
palling silence and the tremendous heat
contribute to unSettle the mind and weak
en- the nerve of the strongest man Not
long ago 4 member of a party of railroad
surveyors became accidentally separated
from his companions and lost sight of them
behind some sand dunes He Immediately
imagined that he was lost and commenced
to run about like an insane man, first this
way and then the other, until he confused
the points of the compass and gave up in
despair. few hours after some of his as
sociates accidentally found him lying stark
mad in the sand almost within the sound
of their voices He was taken up tenderly
and carried to camp, but died the same
night, a victim to his own imagination
Columns might be filled with well-au-
thenticated tales of suffering and death
from thirst that have come within the OBJ
servation of that hard race of pioneers
who Travelled the desert with team and
stage long before railroad was thought of
In those times there far more suffering
tran now and hundreds of lives were lost
Such perfs not possible now at least
r.,