104 



CALIFORNIA. 



CARLTON, THOMAS. 



springs and volcanoes, and a lake of fresh water 

 (Lake Chapman), whose waters flow north- 

 ward down New River. North of what is 

 known as the Colorado Desert is the Mohave 

 Desert, and, farther on, the Amargosa or Death 

 Valley. The two latter are below the level of 

 the sea, and both are really connected with the 

 greater one, and constitute one desert. 



The engineer making the survey found that 

 New River, a branch of the Colorado, could be 

 turned into the desert so that all the lower 

 levels, embracing the barren and worthless 

 part, would be covered with water, leaving the 

 mountains and the fertile districts above water. 



The theory is that this great desert furnace 

 can be cooled by covering a large and now 

 worthless area with water, at comparatively 

 small expense. This theory is indorsed by the 

 engineer, who holds that were the desert a sea 

 it would send up a column of atmosphere 

 charged with moisture, which, meeting the 

 colder currents from the ocean, would precipi- 

 tate frequent showers, and thus change large 

 tracts of country from barrenness to fertility. 

 The rain-currents moving from the southeast 

 toward the northwest, cross the desert, the 

 moisture falling to the upper edge, at which 

 point the rain disappears, it having been ab- 

 sorbed by the heated air of the plains. The 

 engineer observed this phenomenon for nearly 

 a month, including parts of July and August 

 of the present year. 



Death Valley, in California, has also been 

 explored recently by the United States Gov- 

 ernment Survey, sent out to explore the West- 

 ern Territories. From reports made by officers 

 of this expedition, it appears that Death Val- 

 ley, in California, is a detrital sink of unique 

 physical characteristics. ' This whole region 

 presents a series of valleys or detrital plains, 

 each entirely inclosed by the ridges of Cordil- 

 leras that are more or less distinct as a series 

 of mountain-masses. The " Death Valley " 

 proper is one of the most remarkable of all 

 known interior continental depressions, and 

 has portions near the centre of its axial line 

 below the level of the sea, although far inland, 

 and lying much to the north of the lower bor- 

 der of the great Interior Basin. It is the sink 

 of the Amargosa River, which has its source in 

 the areas of drainage formed to the south and 

 east of Belmont, Nevada, and traverses the 

 desert of that name while passing southward, 

 until, reaching latitude 35 41' 5", it makes an 

 abrupt angle to the west, and thence, at right 

 angles to the north, reaches the point of great- 

 est depression, a little less than three hundred 

 feet below sea-level, in the heart of Death Val- 

 ley proper. . This valley, of the ordinary oval 

 form, is fully seventy miles in length, varying 

 from five to fifteen miles in width, surround- 

 ed by frowning nlountainsof volcanic and sedi- 

 mentary origin, the Telescope Range, rising 

 higher than 10,000 feet. . The line crossing 

 this dismal area from the mouth of Death 

 Valley Cafion to the thermal springs in Fur- 



nace Creek, presenting a labyrinthine maze of 

 efflorescent saline forms, creates at the level 

 of vision a miniature ocean, the vibration of 

 whose contorted waves has a sickening effect 

 upon the senses. The lurid glare, horizoned 

 by the bluish haze radiated from the mountain- 

 sides, appears focused to this pit, though broad 

 in expanse. It seems, coupled with the extreme 

 heat, to call for the utmost powers of mental 

 and physical endurance. 



The journey through the Valley of Death 

 occasioned the utmost apprehension evinced 

 through the entire season. To this were added 

 the effect of the fearful cloud-burst experienced 

 while among the Telescope Mountains, to the 

 west, and the absence of the guide, who had 

 ventured toward the northwestern arm of the 

 valley, it was feared, to return no more. The 

 transit of forty-eight hours in a temperature 

 that remnined at 117 Fahr. at midnight, so 

 exhausted both men and animals, that further 

 travel was rendered precarious. 



Tie coinage at the United States Mint in San 

 Francisco for the years ending June 30, 1873 

 and 1874, is shown in the following statement : 



The coinage of trade-dollars is comparatively 

 a new feature. Notwithstanding the large 

 amount of coin turned out, the mint had to 

 close for the annual settlement with orders 

 unfilled. During the fiscal year of 1871-'72 

 the total coinage at thu mint was $18,745,500, 

 of which $955,500 was in silver, and the re- 

 mainder in gold, against $18,616,775 for the 

 year 1870-'7l, including $751,775 in silver. 



CARLTON, Re-vi. THOMAS, D. D., a Method- 

 ist clergyman, long connected with the pub- 

 lishing interests of his denomination, born in 

 New Hampshire in 1808 ; died in Elizabeth, 

 N. J., April 16, 1874. In early childhood his 

 parents removed to Lockport, Niagara County, 

 N. Y., where he enjoyed good educational ad- 

 vantages. He united with the Methodist Epis- 

 copal Church in early youth, and in 1829 was 

 received on trial as a preacher by the Genesee 

 Conference, in which he continued to labor for 

 the next twenty-three years. Of these, thirteen 

 were spent in the pastorate, seven as presiding 

 elder, and three as agent for the Genesee Wes- 

 leyan Seminary. In this time he developed 

 remarkable business and financial abilities in 



