The Washington times., 1918-08-04

tar into the mountain ranges on either
side. II the traveller knows in which
gorges they are he 10 safe enough, but II
he is uncertain on this point he is likely
to suecumb to the most cruel Of deaths
while trying to find one Of them.
Here and there over the desolate plain
of black lava and salt are scattered the
dead bodies of parties that have attempted
unsuccessfully to cross that CHASTITY valley.
They include men and animals. They
did not know where to look for the springs.
They might have been saved If they had
known that at the south end of Death Val
ley there are deep pools, In which last
January the men Of Geological Survey
expedition enjoyed q delightful swim.
There are fishes in those pools OF species
unknown anywhere else In the world.
The air Of Death Valley Is much dryer
than that Of the African Sahara. When
exposed to It. the moisture Of the body
evaporates with surprising rapidiU. To
supply the loss one must drink at least
two gallons Of water per day, and even
then one suffers from thirst. II one did
nothing but sit down and drink water all
the time he would still be thirsty.
The tornado del Muerto-"Journey Of
Death"-200 miles south Of Death Valley,
obtained its unpleasantly suggestive name
from the mummied remains OF men and
beasts scattered all over 1t. It iS fairly
strewn with the bones OF human beings
who have lost their lives there.
Much Of It (as is the case with Death
Valley) is below the level Of the sea- II
is probably the most intensely hot spot
on the face OF the earth. The mirage,
tempter of the dying travellers despair, is
said to reach a more extraordinary devel.
opment there than anywhere else. On any
fine day-and in that rainless region all
days are ineone may behold beautiful
lakes, seductive verdure, and even towns
within seemingly short distances.
Formerly in the tornado del Muerto Il
was eighty miles from water to water. But
since then a few springs have been To-
Gated; and, oddly enough, some Of them
are Of natural soda water. The fluid comes
bubbling forth so highly charged with car,
bonic acid gas that it is hard to keep corks
in bottles filled with II.
The territory here described as the hot.
test. dryest and sandiest" is but fraction
of the vast desert region which (as the
United States Geological Survey states)
covers approximately one-ffth OF the whole
area Of the United States. All Of this
region. about $4,000 square miles, is
deemed sufficiently arid to justify the
planting of sign posts pointing to the near
est potable water.
1t embraces the parts OF Oregon and Cal
ifornia east Of the Cascade Range and
Sierra Nevada, all of the State Of Nevada,
all except the northeastern part OF Utah.
all Of Arizona, southeastern Colorado, and
the parts OF New Mexico and Texas west
of the Pecos River.
Taken as q whole, 1t is a fan-shaped area.
The handle Of the fan Is In southern Cali.
fornia. One side Of 1t is outlined by the
Sierra Nevada and Cascade Mountains.
The other side extends along the Mexican
border, while the outer edge OF the fan is
traced by q line stretching from eastern
Oregon through Salt Lake City and Santa
Fe to the mouth Of the Pecos. II must be
understood that the desert 10 not every.
where continuous, but 10 dotted with highly
fertile regions. At the handle of the fan
Is the highly developed coastal section Of
California; and one might regard the rail.
roads and automobiles highways running
east and northeast from this section as
the ribs OF the fan.