Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1903-01-24

1 o'clock of "A December afternoon, ana
the climate was Of that peculiar per-
lection which the desert region Of Cali.
! fornia alone can furnish. The sky was
| turquoise, the mountains ruby red from
| the reflected rays OF topaz sun, while
the myriad hues Of old Pilot Butte, nc
gatepost to the Valley Of Death, bright
ened the TRAN behind,
Then the wind came with rush, and
the black lava butte toward which we
were travelling was blotted out as sud
denly as II some Titan had let down
curtain to protect his world from NOR
tai ken. Even the horses staggered, as
the drifting cloud struck them, but des-
ertwise as they We're, continued TO pull
us straight toward the shelter OF the
little mountain. BY this time the wind
had stilfened into a gale and gigantic
sand spouts were beginning to form
along the edges Of the valley, where
Jagged hills broke the direct current OF
the storm. Towering hundreds Of feet
Into the air. these spiral monsters move
with rapidly incomprehensible 70 one
who has not seen them IN operation.
They are all-consuming. too burying
whatever the power OF the wind which
drives them cannot move.
Well TO proceed after half an hours
hard work. we reached the lee side OF
the mountain and made camp Uncom-
Portable as we We're, we were fairly iol-
ly ana having secured the wagons by
means of stone anchors proceed
ed 10 prepare dinner. While the team
stcrs took care 4 the beasts, which
We're, Of course, without water. the re-
malnder Of the party built an impromp-
fgUlHgfttHN ~ 4kttffla - unI
gathered brush for flrewoOd On this
the cook, after many trials and a con
siderable waste Of valuable adiectives.
managed to prepare an excellent stew.
This we ate from small grauiteWare
pans with large spoons all lying fiat
on our stomachs with out feet toward
the wind and keeping our faces as close
as possible 70 the dishes. 80 that the
wind might not blow the sayory liquid
out Of the spoons before they could
reach cur lips The amount o. sand
each r'op sv0l'O"od was I'm inverse
proportion 10 his dextcrlty. T1ov
was not uncomfortable az to tempera-
ture, but Il was all-poWeriul II would
scoop up ton OF sand IN a wayoring
cloud carry t Tor half a mile, and
bury some noffeusive gre0sewoDd or
cactus with &C. The effects Of its crod-
ing power were visible an around; In
TACT, e. has greatly aided in cutting the
canous in the hills OF this desert
We loafed around this poor shelter
for couple OF hours. vainly hoping
that the wind would go down. bu, To-
ward evening pulled out toward the
0minious hloOd-rcd bank Of clouds that
hung just at the rim Of the hazy west
orn horizon. AZ the FIRST "watcrh0le'
we campcd rolling up in our blankets
with The warm wind blowing O gale
above MS. and aWOke next morning be-
meath such q clear summer sltv MS only
the deserts " California can furnish
so Che southern end OF the Furnace
Cree. section Of the Funeral Mountain
enc. .lr from Corpse CITY. Death Vail
leyl o level. sandy plain bordering the
AmHrpossa river leads uu 90 the base
of the mountains. Here the wind. for
ever sweeping in 81 antic draught
through a gap IN the lils has piicd mp
% huge row ~ sand mounds. the SUM
mit 0f the highest or which is o GOOD
hundred feet above the surrounding
plain They extend I'm nearly straight
line for a distance of some two miles.
and are composed Of "a fine sand. 20
white as to dazzle the eye OF the Oh.
server The slightest breeze puts this
sand M motion, blowing q IN cataract
over The ridge. which latter O. always
as sharp ms "a knife blade IN couse-
Guoncc When strong wind blows
perfect moving wave az sand is form
"a. resembling nothing so much ms one
OF the huge c0mbers which follow fast
ou the track ~ a storm az sea. Some
times this state ~ affairs continues
FOR several days. Then indeed. occurs
one OF the most beautiful. as wen as
unique. sights Of the denert-and one
which cannot be duplicated IN any other
desert Of the world. In fact IN many
ways North American deserts generally
are quite different from the deserts Of
Africa or Asia, Harvey II. Dunn in
Los Angeles.