East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1905-08-05

There is a decided difference of
opinion between one mining man and
the geological survey in regard to one
of the queerest, hottest and most dis
agreeable parts of the United States,
Death valley, Inyo county, California,
is the bone of contention, and it will
be something for scientists to study
before the wardness-outwardn
of this strange region is given its
proper place in the geological records
Already the government surveyors
have said: This is a dead sea, a
dried-up lake such as might have
been in its day a counterpart of the
Great salt lake Gradually its wa
ters receded, exposing to the hot
southern desert sun. the sands that
are declared TO be several hundred
feet below the sea level.
But there r. practical mining
man, a rough and ready mining en-
gineer, a man who has made n study
oT rocks and strata and all that, who
presents TO us an entirely new version
OF the creation of this uncanny re-
gion.
The gentleman is Col. Edward
Brown of Colorado, who has recently
been detailed by the Santa Fc rail-
road to investigate the Tonopah and
Goldfield district in Nevada with a
view of ascertaining its permanent
value as mining center. The Santa
Fe road may some day wish to eX-
tend its roads into Nevada and it will
y,,l. 4
Incidental to the trip to the mines the
colonel travelled into the great Salton
desert and skirted the edge of Death
valley.
Not being satisfied with the report
that the government supervisors had
made regarding the silent hollow
where not an animate thing exists
except the horned toad and the occa-
sional lizard, the expert determined to
investigate for himself.
Death valley is not a dried up in
land sea or lake, in my opinion" ="
said the colonel 1T is an extinct
volcano; one that was so immense
that when 1t was active it could not
have reared its head above the earth's
surface less than 40 miles 1t was
one of the great phenomena of pre-
historic time-time when men did not
people the world, but when all things
were abnormal according to our lat
ter day ideas.
Giant trees and giant reptiles.
Giant mountains and giant birds that
flew about their mileshigh peaks.
This was the condition of the period
Af IN
"why do draw these conclusions? =?
Well there is nothing to show that a
lako. or inland sea ever existed where
is(Death valley. The bottom of the
valley Is surfaced with n layer of
ashes in which is nothing of the sedi-
ment such as develops after evapora-
ton on n body of water. The edges
of the valley are layers OF ashes and
there are traces of these deposits for
a hundred miles from the depression.
Another remarkable proof that the
valley was once a great volcano are
the deep springs extant there. Many
of these are found In the valley and
some are apparently volcanic vents.
| had my men fasten rope about
my waist and I cautiously approached
one of these springs. 1t was pecu-
liar hole, with sleeps sides that were
likely to give way under foot, being
decomposed. loose material. Fifty
feet below the edge was a body OF
blue water so clear than when
threw stone into It my head reeled
as watched It go down, down hun.
dreds of feet into bottomless funnel
"The water of the springs Is i'm
pregnated with poisonous chemicals
and few OF the springs near the val
ley can be utilized for man or beast
when this monster mountain wa;