The New York herald., 1921-05-24
No Rainless Regions.
Cioudbursts May BE Looked For in
the Deserts.


To THE New YORK HERALD: Miss
ton Where does It never rain?" will
apply quite as accurately to the desert
region of Atacama Province as to Sa-
hara. II there is any region of con-
siderable area where rain never falls
IL is not known. In the great African
desert ara many stream beds and dry
lake basins; and so there are In every
desert. Perhaps they may be filled
with water on rare occasions. but the
water comes only from the clouds.
Possibly Death Valley, California
might be q better example even than
Atacama. Certain it Is that rain did
not fail there between the tine when
the unfortunate emigrants made their
last camp and the year 1876; for at
that time the imprints of steps were
still in evidence. Perhaps rain has
fallen there since 1875. Who knows?
Desert rains are not always gentle
showers; usually they are the furious
downpours known as cloudbursts. The
cloudburst does not give warning TWEEN
ty-four hours or more of its approach.
AS an old time prospector used to say,
1T comes when II arrives and leaves
when it departs"
Between Banning and Yuma tie
Southern Pacific Railway crosses the
Colorado Desert-in one place 267 feet
below sea level. It Is desert quite as
inhospitable as any part OF the great
African desert. In this region are sta
tons where, within the memory of the
few people living there, rain has not
fallen. Nevertheless the cloudburst is
the greatest trouble maker with which
the railway engineers contend.
Nobody can tell when Dame Nature
is about 10 start something. The day
may be like a June morning. Then,
with scarcely a warning, sky and air
turn black. AID for a moment the still
ness is Oppressive. Not for long. how
ever. A few big drops spatter down.
then the gates of the clouds open and
not In drops but In sheets. Hard lines
for the poor devil riding the trail The
rock waste is washed from under his
horses feet.
II he is wise he makes for the nearest
base OF rocks. where horse and rider
will be fairly safe. Harder lines yet
for the railway company! The water
gathers into floods and when the flood
strikes the tracks-Zpi Rails and ties
quickly part company. The ties 20
everywhere and every way over hun
dreds Of square miles of country. The
rails go one way-down. The light
rock waste covered with water becomes
duicksand that swallows everything
heavier than the rock waste itself. And
IL Gabriel's trumpet were ten thou
sand horsepower magnet those same
rails would laugh at Gabriel. There is
but one thing to do: bring in new con-
structlon material and make n roadbed
where tho cloudburst won't hit. And
the next oloudburst that looms that way
Is sure to hit II.
DO l know what makes the cloud
burst? Why. sure. had my informa-
iton straight from Cub Lee. "why,
Doc" he replied to tho question, "the
bottom OF the dern cloud jest drops
out" Maybe Cub Lees explanation Is
as good as any, for weather men have
rot been able e. determine how an
ordinary rain cloud can hold all the
water that falls during cloudburst.
A cloudburst rarely lasts more than n
few minutes, though a drizzling rain
may follow for half an hour or more.
In the meantime dry washes become
roaring torrents. which finally are gath
cred into sinks or lake beds that are
filed with water. perhaps once in a
score OF years. Even In the desert re-
gion OF Atacama Province there ara
dry washes and sinks aplenty each is
the enrmark OF cloudbursts.
IL Miss Corlett and those OF her cla ss
who sro interested 60 learn about dcs-
erts Will make an appointment with Mr..
scarr az the Weather Bureau Office they
will gather a great deal Of interesting
information about deserts that Isn't In
the book" And II tho question about
regions In which rain does not fair
induces pupils 70 aoauaint themselves
Of knowledge which comes first hand,
Mr.. Edison will have built wisely in
deed. T. w. REpwAY. r.. n. q. S.
NTofYNT VERNON May ga