Waterbury Democrat., 1901-12-05
TAPPED A VOLCANO.

While drilling for oil in the great desert of southern California known as the Colorado desert an Indio oil company tapped what appeared at first sight to be the internal regions, but which proved to be q slumbering volcano. The sleeping giant lmmedi- ately awoke when the drill dropped into his fiery nest and the result was indeed startling to the drillers.
 The drill had reached a depth of but 800 feet and as it was expected that 1t would be necessaray to go at least twice that depth to find oil. the work men were not looking for a strike of any kind. It required extreme activity on their part to escape from the der rick when there came from the we'll roaring, hissing stream of steam, gas, hot mud. and brackish water. The volcanic substance shot several hun dred feet in the air and fell i'll | de- structive shower about the derrick. Tie drilling tools were thrown from the hole, and the aperture made by the drill was rapidly enlarged as the roar ing torrent continued to rush skyward.
 Within the confines of the desert, though several miles from the location of the volcanic well. is q region known as ..The Volcanoes" This tract is more than mile In extent, and con tains hundreds of cones and peaks, varying in height from q few feet 10 a hundred feet, from which flow mud and hot water. steam and sul- phurous yapors. Over the whole region hangs dense cloud of noxions gases which taint the air. This tract lies from 20O 10 300 feet below the level of the sea. as also the land upon which the indio Oil company's well is located. \ few miles away rises the towering peak Of Mount San Jacinto, which, though having q location above the level of the sea of but 10,991 feet is the highest mountain above the level of the surrounding country in the United States, for its base Hes below the level of the sea. The region about this mountain has long been the field of frequent earthquakes, light shocks be- ing felt every few days. and as recently as last February one paroxysm was so severe as to cause the loss of six lives.
 The general opinion has long prevail ed that old San Jacinto Is preparing to develop into volcano. It would now appear that the earth about is but 8 thin crust over a3 menacing danger. The we'll of the Indio company contin- ues to cough and spout it's volcanic matter and the earth for many rods around shakes and trembles violently. What the developments will be is hard to conjecture.
 Not many miles from this strange well is the locality known as the Salt Desert" This is a tract of land of a thousand or more acres which lies 300 feet below the level of the sea and has the appearance of q vast field of snow. Over the entire tract lies bed of salt varying ill depth from six to sixteen inches. Seventeen years ago the Liver pool Salt company took possession of the land and began to harvest the salt from this exposed mine There have been, since the establishment of the works there. 1000 tons of salt per year taken from the field. and yet but ten acres have been worked. As fast as the salt is removed a new crust Is formed from the water of salt springs there. The water is rapidly eyapor- ated by the rays of the sun, which is seldom obscured by clouds and which induce temperature often reaching 12O to 13O degrees. Should q volcano of considerable size and activity devel- op, this valuable plant. together with the villages of Salton. Indio, Walters, Drumid, Frink, Volcano Springs, Flowing Wells and Tortugo, all of which lie below the level of the sea, would be in danger of extermination. The outcome of the volcanic well will be watched with I deal of interest and anxiety by the residents of these towns.-From the Louisville Courier Journal