Omaha daily bee., 1905-08-20
PERILS OF THE SALToN SEA
Dangers of TriainE with Great
Natural Forces Demonstrated in
Southern California.

A few weeks ago the California Develop
ment company was confronted with a large
claim for damages resulting from the es-
cape OF the Colorado river from its con-
troll and destroying the salt works in the
Salton sink That damage. however
shrinks into insigniicance compared with
the danger OF whose existence there is
now official warning. that the river may
permanently reoccupy the great district
lying below sea level and once forming
an arm Of the Gulf of California, and
later an inland sea- Unless artihcially re-
strained and restored to its channel the
main river will apparently revert to this
old course, with the result Of submerging
district including hundreds of square
miles, more than 100 miles Of railroad, the
Imperial colony and all other settlements
in the depressed region. This occurrence
shows the wisdom of the law forbiddIng
Interference with the course Of navigable
streams except by permission Of the secre-
tary OF war, upon the recommendation Of
the chief Of engineers, made after his ap-
proval of the designs OF the proposed
works. In making its diversion the Cali
fornia Development company ignored this
law. Ultimately application for permission
70 divert was made to the secretary OF
war and refused, after which application
was made TO congress without result II
is now evident that permission to divert
could not have been obtained from the
secretary Of war, for the reason that the
controlling works which would have been
required by the engineers would have been
wholly beyond the means Of the company.
The river, however, is not being d.
verted through any opening OF the banks
made in United States territory AS a
~ he
then president OF the development COM
pany publicly announced that II his de-
mands were not granted he would con-
meet with his canal by an opening made
in the banks below the boundary line, for
which he had a concession from the Next
can government, and the American gov
eminent might go hang. That opening was
In fact made. The opening cost very lit
tie. but the construction OF suitable head
gates, with their necessary ianking walls
and supports, required money, which the
company could not get. The floods came
and took possession OF the cut widening
and deepening 1t until II has become the
main channel OF the river, and the result
IL the Salton sea. What the outcome may
be cannot be foretold. The river must be
falling by this time. but will not reach its
lowest stage for some months It is prob
able that IL can be brought under control,
but not certain. Unless the damage can
be repaired before the floods OF next year
It seems certain that the Salton sea will
become a permanent body Of water with
an outlet by some new channel 10 the
gulf. The annual evaporation from its sur
face would be enormous and, in the opin-
ion OF some, sufficient to produce decided
climatic changes since the vapor must
be condensed and precipitated somewhere
How that may be we do not know, but the
situation as II exists today is an emphatic
warning not to tamper with great natural
forces until assured Of the means and the
skill to provide superior forces for their
control.-San Francisco Chronicle.