The new enterprise. (Madison, Fla.) 1901-1908, 1906-12-27
THE VANISHING RIVERS
MYSTERIOUS WATERS OF THE
WEST THAT DISAPPEAR. w
some of Them Reappear-Two at
Least are Unknown Beyond Their
First Place Of DIsappearance--Na.
ture's Regulator a Lava Bed.

ture's Regulator a Lava Bed.
On the American continent there
are no natural phenomena of more
mysterious and fascinating interest
/. than the lost rivers" of the far west.
these hide-and-seek streams as a rule
head in mountainous areas and rush
downward into bowl-like valleys, where
they incontinently vanish. Some of
them reappear miles from the van.
ishing point, while others are lost
forever and no man knows what be-
comes of their waters. The floors,
OF the valleys into which they flow
generally are comparatively level, and
: are built up OF loose sands and gravels
washed down from rocky and forest.
clad slopes, which absorb the water,
and through which it percolates slow.
Iy beneath the surface. When the
slow-moving underground current en-
counters an obstruction, as 1t often
does, in tie shape OF natural dixie
or the rochy rim of the lower end Of
the valley, the water is forced to the
surface and the stream is born again.
Thus the Santa Ana river in Cali
formal sinks in the wash above Red
lands, rises to the surface above Bun
ker Hill "dike," sinks below it, rises
s from Riverside to. Bedrock Canyon
below FL Rineon, sinks in the wash
above Santa Ana, and finally partly
rises again in the large peat land
springs above Talbert, says the Ana
conda (Montana) Standard. The San
Gabriel and the Los Angeles rivers
exhibit the same characteristics, but
disappear and reappear less often in
their much shorter course to the sea.
At some points these sunken rivers
flow for long distances under wide
stratum of impervious material, where
the water is under considerable pres
sure. When wells are driven through
this stratum an artesian flow results.
The discovery of this fact added
water area Of California, most CT
which is in oranges, lemons. grapes,
and other high priced products.
Another peculiar stream is the Des.
chutes, which drains large area in
central Oregon. 1t is known to n.y.
drogaphers all over the world for the
extraordinary regularity of its flow
throughout the year. This is account
ed for by, the porous lava formation
which constitutes a portion Of the
drainage area and which is especially
prominent where the headwater tribu.
taries leave the foothills OF the Cas-
cades. Successive flows of lava, rup-
tured, fractured, and fissured by con-
vulsions Of nature, extend over many
miles of this region. When the
streams encounter this sponge-!ike
material and disappear from sight,
passing beneath and through the lava
and finally emerging through dark
caverns and deep canyons into the
main stream.
This wonderful lava bed is natures
regulator 1t swallows up the foods
that come down the steep slopes. IL
absorbs the rains and SHOWS and then
releases them slowly through a filter
miles and miles in length into the
Deschutes. In fact, there are no floods
at all. Day after day and year alter
year its flow is uniform and its wa
tiers sparkling and clear. For this rea-
son. probably, it is the finest trout
stream in America.
New Mexico also has a truant
stream--the Rio Mimbres. 1t drains
many miles Of mountain country in the
southern part of the territory and
for time is stream of Importance.
Then, as if tired of existence. it flows
out upon the plains near Denling,
and is lost forever, swallowed up in
/ the lose sand and gravel. The Pecos,
too, is a truant as times and seeks Sc
clusion beneath the surface, coming
up miles below In aftesian springs OF
great volume and flow.
y Ages ago, when the earth was
young, the great Snake River plain in
Idaho, now scene Of utter desolation,
. was a semi-tropical garden. Countless
streams crossed II and lengthwise
through 1t flowed the mighty Snake,
In the forest primeval and over the
verdure-clad plains roamed the mas
todon. the mammoth. the camel, a
queer kind OF horse. and many other
species Of prehistoric animals. We
Know all this TO be true by reason OF
the discovery Of the remains OF these
extinct animals in the recent excava-
lions made at Mendoza Rapids. A
great catastrophe overwhelmed this
valley. On seven different occasions
me lofty Tetons. which frame its
eastern boundary. and which were