The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1903-05-14
ROCKIES DON | EXIST
Are Only a Legend by Lewis
and Clark
ARE NO SUCH MOUNTAINS
Would Upset General Belief in
Chain
ARE NO SUCH MOUNTAINS

New York. May 13-The World says:
THE passing of the Rockies" pictur-
| esquely describes a change in the geo.
graphical conception of the United
States which. it is said by an authority,
| will very soon become generally acknowl-
| edged. This person maintains that there
are no such mountains as We have known
as the Rockies, that those rugged peaks
| extending in an unbroken chain from
! Mexico to Puget Sound are really moth
ing more than geographical myth.
Besides upsetting the general belief in
this famous long range Of high mount
aims we are further informed that it is
| not possible to irrigate the vast extent
| of country west of the Mississippi and
| hence for farming purposes the plateaus
and valleys of the Rockies are not ad-
vantageous homes for the immigrants
who are filling up the land.
| Mr.. Cope Whitehouse, of New York
| city, whose explorations in the Libyan
! Desert TO the west of Middle Egypt, have
! completely changed its appearance on
our maps, now denounces as a pernicious
error the popular representations of the
vast plateau between the watershed of
! the Mississippi and the Pacific ocean. In
| Egypt ne showed the feasibility of con-
verting millions of unproductive acres
| into fertile land and proved that several
1 hundred square miles, which had been
depicted as far above the level Of the
| Nile were in fact far below the level Of
| the Mediterranean. 1t is not as an icono-
| clast, nor soley in the interest of scien-
| tific truth, that he has directed atten-
ton to this subject. by preparing a map
for certain members of congress TO aid
| especially the committee on irrigation of
arid lands.
| study of United States maps, espe-
cially those prepared in foreign countries,
will show at a glance that the idea of
this western mountain range has from
| year to year undergone remarkable
| changes.
AT first the Rockies were represented by
| a series of high mountain chains, extend
ing in unbroken lines from north to south,
| and from the Pacific coast to the valley
of the Mississippi Apparently these
mountains were a continuation of the
Andes in South America. Later the
smaller chains were pictured separated
by valleys and plateaus. but still forming
a line from Southern California to Wash
ington. One of the newest and most
truthful maps of the West, accord
ing to Mr.. Whitehouse, ornaments the
front window of a railroad Office in Fifth
avenue. In II the Roock mountains are
shown in fairly correct extension and
relation, as small and separated ranges
with high peaks here and there.
Among the documents presented to the
committee on arid lands is map prepared
by Mr. Whitehouse, which is intended TO
show the objections TO any fostered i'm
migration in the plateau west of the 101st
degree of longitude. The map, which is
colored by Mr. Whitehouse, is the one
published by the United States geolog-
ical survey, 1902, and is most creditable
to the workers under Major Powell and
NJ. Walcott.
Mr.. Whitehouse has endeavored to ex-
plain by his map why settlers should not
be encouraged to make their homes on
unfruitful soiol, while at the same time
he points out the neglected areas of the
Appalachian range. which are both prof
liable and easy of access.
1T is obvious, says Mr.. Whitehouse.
speaking of this subject. which interests
him so thoroughly, that with ali the
work done by the bureau of immigration
In New York and the department OF ag-
riculture and bureau Of statistics in Wash
ington there is really no adequate ma
chinery for the wise utilization of the
stranger landing in our ports. He may
be passed through Ellis island and saved
from financial ruin for the first few days
after his landing, but there ought to be
an examination of his habitat, as it might I
be called, II he were frankly looked at /,
as the parent or grandparent of a future (
generation.
The immigrants possess certain power I
of resistance to adverse influences" con-
tinued MI Whitehouse, which does not /
apply to the second and third genera (
tions It would be my idea to furnish /
each one Of these immigrants with a GER |
tifcate and map. as an insurance COM
pany wouold do IL il had a policy on his
or her life There should be. according
TO my scheme, a map showing the area in |
which the government invited the immi- /
grant to live 1t is even within the limits 1
OF the same compusion which imposes
vaccination to require him to continue 10 4
live In the district assigned to him I'M
til at least he was capable Of passing an /
other examination and wss declared i'm I
mune The result of giving Norwegian.
a Syrian or an Italian map Of the fav-
orable, or necessary. climatic conditions
would Immediately disabuse the minds OF
the men who are charged with its prep
aration of that wonderful Pigment of the
disordered Imagination OF the map-mak- /
ers. that there was. roughly speaking,
one-third OF the United States which was
as available for settlers as the hills OF
PENNSYLVANIA or the plains OF Iowa or
Kansas.
The most striking feature OF this
scheme is. however. a negative one. ana
IL IS best expressed by the reference 20
the passing OF the Rockies An inspec-
,,on Of the map shows that line drawn
at an elevation Of 5000 feet is due north
and south When IL IS considered that
The plains Of Illinois are under so feet,
and that European countries. except the
serni-arid parts Of Spain. are 10 very
large extent below this line. II is obvt-
Gus that Professor Bunpus 81 the Amer
,can Museum OF Natural History. or any
other leading authority In natural his .
tory would never advise the government
70 encourage these Europeans 20 cross
The danger line Of the western plateau
OF course. this does not apply TO Alpine
residents OF the sunny and fertile valleys
NJ Colorado or New Mexico and Oklahoma
Rr,, there is as the contours and sections
show an elevation Of over ..eC feet .
throughout the whole plateau 10 the
south Of the Yellowstone Lake ard Sc
netghbor. the headwaters OF the Coiurn- &
bia river.