The Banner-Democrat., 1901-02-23
| GREAT LAKE OF SALT.
tpe sNcWAtKE DEPOSIT IN THE
.uRNlNc COL oRAco DESERT

tpe sNcwaiKE DEPOSIT IN THE n n
BURNING oLoRAoo DESERT (.
The Method Of Obtaining the Salt hto G
Plow II Us by steam-A Mystery How ths 9
Indians Can Work In Such Climates s
The greatest wonder of the Colorado
desert is its crystal lake, as white al
driven snow; a lake of chloride OF sool-
um extending for miles, In wNen, Win
plow and shovel, work the Coahuiii"
Indians ten hours a day In tempera-
ture of 15O degrees, writes the lndio
Cal) correspondent Of the New xofk
Sun. So level is the region, 80 snSu-
lar in ali its details; that the irresast-
hle conclusion is that ages ago the en-
fire country was part OF the duii OF
California; indeed, the old shore hne
can be traced, and along the rock the
trans of the early fishermen seen.
In the centre of wide valley 2So
feet below the level OF the Iuil ol
California; glistens q sheet OF moits1
silver, nd bank Of virgin snow 10 more
beautiful. During the day 1t Is dazsiihg
white. a lake Of crystal Indeed, ana
os the sun goes down crimson nue.
peryades it. and transformation scene
Of marvellous beauty is set on this des-
ert stage. The traveller who reaches
the region at night might well amagine
J that q miracle had occurred and that
, snow storm had fallen, az the area Oh
white extends to the horizon, ana py
: the largest building, the mill IN Salton'
! great heaps Of seeming snow are piieu'
cleaning and scintillating In the sun.
Rut the snow is salt. 1t Ii not the salt
left by the ancient sea, but the deposit
I Of peculiar springs that are ever run
- ming down from the distant mountain
e. The salt is spread over a great area
q and Is so pure that all that Is necessary
le to do Is to collect and dry It Usually
ls steam heating appliances are neces
= sary to dry the product OF sait mines
70 but the intense heat OF Salton IL al
- that Is needed.
10 The method Of obtaining the salt II
~ to plough it up by steam, the piougn'
"a cutting burrows eight feet wide and 81
u inches deep; the harvest Tor eac,
!" plough each day being TOO tons' wnNl
T. Is suggestive Of the immensity OF TN
deposit. The salt Is put on cars wnlcl
rg ore run out into the salt lake; 1t
~ then hauled to the mill and DRIED, wne
ie. It is ready for transportation. Inou
us sands of tons of salt are heaped u
ne in small mountains here, presenting
ne remarkable appearance. :,
10 How men can work In sucn ci
ct mate seems one of the mysteries, D,
u the only real difficulty one has at Sa
up ton IA from the glare OF the salt, Whi'
10 makes green glasses q necessity.
es, +omnerature Of $50 degrees IN Ne
cn York for FIVE minutes would MI u
w. hospitals and create q panic, Dut
uAo Sslton a case Of sunstroke ID y
known. This Is due to the fact tn
Ind the humidity Is very low here; molstu
t a "a almost eliminated from the atmo
NaS phere.
o This feature has given this part
ded The desert fame as health resort q
Be- - rrdio which 10 an oasis In the "a
It a er+ , health resort is rapidly growi
II I'D. and winter and spring ma mo
the consumptives here. The Coioraoo =
the ert from Indio to the sea ID an int'
lood esting region, abounding IN MIN
re- cI.ims from copper to coal. Here
last NAV 90 down, as at Indio. 300 feet
'ir1t, low the sea, literal hole which wo
true ha filled and become a deep lake
at +ha sea should break through from
4 OF culf This was the cause OF the :
lgeis ton Sea some years ago; the Hio Cs
tkas RADIO broke its banks and nowea
gra- unon the desert, forming vast IL
lesu and demoralizing the Indians, VINO
lirth ~ the mountains and watched the
con- ling Of the great depression with
Be and trembling. Midway between
ltAas and the Gulf are many mud volcal
lhsa of exceeding interest, suggesting
ana uncertain character Of the crust IN
t,,,t vicinity.
Ou. The Arabs of this desert are
4. d' Coahuilla Valley Indians, and
.ouo thoroughfare is a trail leading from
'neni Coahuilla Valley to Indian Wells,
nlen- an on to Yuma. After leaving IL
Mountain there is water. but once
tween there and Indian Wells,
along this highway, where the
n has reflect heat like furnace, death
ciated stalked in many forms. GRUB stt
s, eS- ora tho easiest victims. 1t ID dif
rm OF to get the Indians, who know
)plica- nook and corner Of the mountain
seem venture into them during the sun
,acity. and so the miner, tenderfooI
es IN chance. essays the trip himself
ats OF found, mayhap, a desiccated mu
MIA on months after by some one who
TRIAL. not heed the warning.
wn al ST have seen some terrible sign
oultice this desert" said an old miner. "(
emon- ran across a team begged In the
IN It was away off the trail and l
ID case not have noticed 1t had 1t not
mas for the canvas top which fappe
cine. A flag in the sun. / rode up to
sweet saw at a glance that an awfui
'et TWO tragedy had been enacted. The
el and 80 s.o,noa IN tho harness and q
on . Of dried skin and bones was al
very told the story. Beneath the
TO ths where they had probably gone
'nd tne cane the fearful heat, were the n
lo' anu Of the poor human creatures, dr
aA "0 mummjes."
Yet on the desert live many 1
from choice, grouped about the o
and a few years ago there
/ upper fourishing village at Indian W.
crippled During the past two years th'
ly from dams have suffered much
has sad drought: their wells have gor
ey both their cattle have died and theil