The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1908-05-01
HORROR OF The NFSF1I
cesertS Mean General
Death Grip on the NJ 'a''

- = y eli s - Aal-z =
ture OF the Earth, . in the ,sS t; am L
Deserts already exist On =
and the nameless horra. 'ls g
taches TO the word in tba nat
Of all who have had eTna. .a'ai
them, or are gifted with LIE, enc
to conceive, is in truth gras..
we commonly suppose. F.. !
mic circumstances about tbs,a sn Z,
is most terrible is mt +L' p
are, but that deserts have - =
be- Not as local. evitab,o oss''
they only 10 be pictured H.. s'll' !.
general unacceptable dean - =
our world. For it is tba sllp.
Of the end What dsDaune....ll aS
forests to grass lands. and s .s
wastes, must in turn attset ne
bottoms when they SHAH no.
with their seas Last Of Il. !. y
spots upon the planet bee,a. e
salts the streams bava
washed down, and Of tba -.
moisture that would sim 5...'
them. eventually they nr.- - +
the fortune OF their predacs...
the planet roll a parche5 OH -.
space The picture is fo,. ~
but the fact seems one 10 vsi..
are constructively pledged a-s
which We are in some sort alrs.s.
ventured.
Girdling the earth with
takes but little persoris...:..
liken TO he lifa-ertinguisb;s...1
penis coils. run TWO dssar. -.
country. The one follows III
speaking. the Tropic Of CsD.s.
tending northward from r. 49,.
the Tropic Of Capricorn. 49,
in the northern band ma Il.
hara, Arabia and The desert. n u
tral Asia.
Now these desert belts s,s
Ing II the great desert Of w.
Arizona the traveller. tbreas;.-
way across z sagebrusb and j
plain shut in By ab-upt-sj5as ~
OF land rising here and tbs-s j
hundreds OF feet higher -
comes upon z petrifed forest
Trunks OF trees in all s,,,.I
fracture strev the ground ors
space some miles II extent .
feet are their forms he is IL
minded 10 think the rsusl "a
woodchopper has been BIZ sr
the scattered products Of Biz i
Uttered confusion upon the sss,s
his exploit. Only their beam
color conveys g sense Of strs,.-
TO The eye, and leaning down
touching them, n finds that tbs-
stone Chaleedouy. not earl
Form has outlived substance and
the resemblance. while The nan
OF the original matter have al
spirited away. YET 50 perfect
presentment. one can hardly b
the fact, and where ona fallen
spans z little canon. one al
thinks 10 hear the sound Of
rushing down the creek
But It IS some millions Of
and more since this catastrophs
fell. and the torrent uurooung ii
prone. with limbs outstratched in I
tile grasp upon the other side.
confer II was. cousin oHlY 10 such
grow to-day, and aou-ishaa prObal1
IN the Crstaceous era; iOT the
has not been under water hs-s )
the advent OF Tertiary times
Nowhere near IT, except tr
rare colIonvoods along the b.1n
the Little Colorado. grows anti
to-day. The land which 0le
ported these forests Is incsnE
10 do so now. Yer nothing
changed there since except Ii
crsasing water supply. During
tiary and GuarEe-aary time ths 4
fall has been growing less zai
Proof OF this Is offered BY ths :
pine oasis that caps the plstsA
which these psl-ided forests .s-
part. and is kernalad BY Tx
Francisco peaks. Ths height
sea level OF the spot where The =
trunks are screT1 e
$500 lssg; the lowe present
OF The pine in It's full 6sTeluv1z
650o feat. Two thousand iss
ward The vs75u-e line hzs rsusa
since the former forests vsFs
this Is 10 local alteration, tsF ?
the other side ot ne plateau ?
fed remains O. trees are si-a
found.
Ths line Of perpetual greer
risen because II desert rsgi04
moisture Is found mos plentiful
est 10 the clouds from which
uRon { ps-chlng sar-h. Ssraans
stead CT gathering volume s
&C, are rhs larsssl rear IhsiT
and grow less ana less VIII
fresh mile OF 1OW. The srooh
scsndizg from 1hs Alll-Le5An''
Syria. water the gardens O y
Gus, and, thence isslia7 upol
plain. lose themselves Just psyal'
threshold Of its gates. % y
Ariz0n2 desert. th1-gh in =
gree. and those who iiFs there