Formation of an Inland Sea.

Evening Star, Issue 8611, 3 September 1891, Page 4

Formation of an Inland Sea.

A most remarkable thing has taken place in the Colorado desert—viz, the submergence of that section in the vicinity of Salton, and the formation of an inland sea. Salton is a station of the Southern Pacific Road, about 100 miles from Yuma and 150 from Los Angeles, Col. It is a sort of basin, 259 ft below sea level. Salt works (called “the New Liverpool”) are located about three miles south-east of the station, and a spur of the railway runs out to them. There was always a little water in the lake there, but not enough to amount to anything. About June 27 the water began to creep in, whether from,the Colorado River or the sea is still in doubt, and now the whole face of the country is covered. Looking in a south easterly direction, nothing bat water and the horizon can be seen. The waters form a lake or sea estimated to be twelve miles wide and from fifty to sixty miles long. Sailing expeditions have been sent out in all directions to gather information in regard to this phenomenon, but there is a great disagreement on the subject. The deepest water found by the boating parties was 3ft, the shallowest 14io. Some contend the flood comes from an overflow of the Colorado ; some that it is sea-water finding its way in by subterranean channels; some that it is caused by a cloudburst in the mountains; but the later reports settle conclusively almost that the water ooraes from the Colorado, and that the whole river is emptying itself into the desert. The breaks in the west bank of the river probably form a total extent of 300 ft. Whether they can be closed at any reasonable cost is a question. The position is one of great seriousness for the Southern Pacific Rail-

way Company. In case the basin fills and the water remains permanently, the main line of the railroad would have to be moved far to the north, beginning at Seven Palms, and make that route at least 100 miles longer than it is at present. The spur switch from Salton station to the salt works has been taken up, and the works will be abandoned till time determines whether the waters have come to stay or not. Many are the conjectures as to the effect of a permanent sea on the climate of Southern California. Some contend that it will change it to San Francisco weather, while others say it will moderate the winters and cool the summers. The dream of Tremont, Wczencraft, and other pioneers, that the Colorado desert might with advantage be turned to an inland sea, has been realised, it would appear, by Nature herself, in a most inexpensive and easy way. Writing on this subject, Major John W. Powell, director of the U.S. Geological Survey, believes that this new lake or sea is the overflowing of the Colorado River through a newlymade month. He says the traditions of the Indians are by no means the only evidence that this basin has been filled wholly or partially before, since the delta was formed, and that a portion of the Gulf of California was cut off and left to evaporate under terrific heat of thesun. The Colorado has played pranks of this sort on several occasions. Along the hills which form the sides of this basin there are shore marks, which indicate that at different times this basin has been flooded to different heights, and then, when the river cut back to its old channel, the evaporation has again changed the lake to a parched desert. The indications are that the valley has been inundated within fifty years. There is no immediate danger of the basin being entirely filled, because it requires a large volume of water to fill it to the river level, and the evaporation is something wonderful. The waters of tho Colorado River are saline, for they flow through beds of rock salt at places many miles up from its mouth, and the successive deposits from the waters of this river as they have flooded the valley, and then dried up, have largely added to the original deposit,

When the Sultan of Turkey has the toothache, and the Royal dentist eaya the tooth must be drawn, the Sultan compels a slave to have a tooth drawn first, and if the slave takes unkindly to the operation the Sultan puts up with the toothache. In awarding compensation for the bite of a dog, tho Worship street magistrate said it was a false notion that a dog was entitled to its first bite,