South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1918-07-29
By Rene Bache.

"HE United States Geological Survey
has Just asceTtaIned the rather
startling fact that one-fith of our
whole countryside. 600 miles-is arid
desert and is spreading rapidly
The Survey has recently completed the
planting of water sign posts" over $4,000
miles of this region and it is now planning
measures TO check the growth Of the whole
desert and 10 make il safe and habitable
for man Al the same time it has com
piled a vast amount Of valuable informa-
tion about this vast, interesting yet terri
flying region. which has condemned thou
sands of men and women to a cruel death.
Il is curious to know that those early
Americans the clin-dweHers. created very
useful barriers against the desert at such
settlements as the Mesa Verde by build
ing water anks and by irrigation. and that
these valuable methods were abandoned
by modern man The desert supports vari-
Gus plants. including the cactus and other
families. which have an extraordinary
power Of attracting water where there is
apparently none. and these, if cultivated,
would help greatly in checking desert
perils
The Grand Canyon OF the Colorado,
which we admire so greatly as natural
marvel, is really a creator of deserts. for
its river is constantly wearing deeper
channel i'm ,he earth and carrying away all
of the muth-ueeded water from the arid
country in its rushing current
III No.. -~-sfo,-- ,4o-o-t -~~t;~., -o,o-
Ing about $4,000 square miles. includes
southeastern California Grom Death Val
lev 20 the Mexican border and southwest
Arizona tt is the hottest. dryest saudiest
region on this continent also the least
known
It is a region In which waterholes are
fartlest apart and most difficult of access,
and in which even nowadays men and ami
mails often perish of thirst.
Perhaps the most distressing feature Of
such tragedies Is that usually the victims
die within each reach OF water. If only
they knew where 10 look for it, tt was 70
provide against happenings OF this kind
that the Geological Survey started out
about year ago to plant sign posts all
over this inhospitable territory. indicating
the direction and distances Of the nearest
water holes The work has now been prac-
tralIv completed
The method adopted was simple and in
expensive Small parties were sent out
over the desert fin automobile. mounted on
truck bodies and carrying light camp equip
ment. posts signs and few other re-
eusite-
The posts were shipped from Los An.
geIes 20 local railroad stations. where they
were transferred % the automobiles They
were galvanized steel pipes. TWO inches in
diameter and twelve feet long To each
one. when driven into the ground was
fastened a steel sign enameled white. with
dark-blue lettering. very conspicuous.
one such sign post was sent up nea the
Tinajas Atlas. on the Mexican bord,r in
Arizona. where on one occasion nearly $40
persons persisted OF thirst II the post had
been there then nothing OF The sort would
have happened
Many thousands OF persons nave died
OF thirst In the Forty-Mile Desert OF Ne
vada and vet IL they had only known il
they could have got plenty OF good drink
ing water BY digging TO a depth of fifteen
or twenty feet.
Death Valley whose unsavOry name and
reputation give IL so terrifying a notorietv.
has springs o. plentiful sweet water AZ
the heads OF some OF the gorges that run