138 
THE SCIENTIST- 
slough and the water of the river nothing 
was interposed but a low dyke of sand, but 
nO one seemed to suspect that if this dyke 
was broken through the water would flow 
into the basin. It was rather supposed that 
New River was a dried up t ibatary of the 
Colorado. Therefore it was that so much 
astonishment was occasioned wl.en the Col- 
orado, during the extraordinary flood of this 
year, rose above the barrier of sand and, 
bursting through it, just as the Mis:5issippi 
breaks through its levees sometimes, found 
its old right-of-way into the basin of Dry 
Lake, through New River. I conversed 
with a man, — of the genus cow bo) — who 
claimed to have visited this crevasse and he 
stated to me that at the point where it oc- 
curs the bed of the river fs but a few inches 
above tide-water and that not only the water 
of the Colorado; but that of the ocean also 
flows into Salton Lake at high tide. He ac- 
counted in this way for the sa'ine nature of 
the lake. This is the general opinion among 
the inhabitants, so much so that I was told 
that applications had already b'en sent to 
Washington by several persons seeking ap- 
pointment as collector of the port, pilot, etc, 
the authorities being informed that vessels 
can soon sail into Salton Lake fr.;m the 
ocean. 
As to the permanence of the lake there seems 
no question in the locality. The water is 
constantly rising, slowly it is true, but pro- 
gressively. It is now 6J or 70 miles in 
length by 5 to 20 miles in width, and perhaps 
35 feet deep in the deepest part. Before it 
reaches the ocean level itmust still lise at least 
275 feet and spread over an area of plain 
that will make it larger than Creat Salt 
Lake. During the ensuing winter the water 
pouring through New River will be augment- 
ed by the drainage from the surrounding re- 
gion and I predict that by May 1st next, the 
lake shore will be much closer to the rail- 
road tracks than at present, it approaches 
now within 500 yards. Of course if any- 
thing occurs to again raise the sand dune be- 
tween the Colorado and the lake, the latter 
will soon sink away into the earth or evapo- 
ate into the air. 
Jeffers m City, Mj , Sept. 3.1, 1:9L 
Governor David R. Francis, 
Chairman Board of Managers, 
Bureau of Geology and Mines. 
Dear SiR:I hive th^ honor to submit, 
her^^vvith, a statement of the operations of 
the Geological Survey during the past month 
of August. 
E^amin.,fons of the ziac and l.'ad deposits 
have been extended into Greene, S'.one, 
Webster, Howell, Oregon, Carter. Texas, 
AV^right and Shannon counties. Inspeciions 
of iron ores have been made in Cape Girar- 
deau, Bollinger, Wayne, S oddard, Reynolds, 
Carter, Ripley, Shannon and Ho. veil coun- 
ties. DetaileH mapping has been prosecuted 
in Micon, Cnarlton and 1 lenry counties and 
about 70 square miles have been covered. 
The study of the Qu irternary deposits has 
been continued over the central portion of 
the Slate adjacent to the Missoari rive -. 
The mapping of the crystalline r )cks has 
'oeen continued in Madison, St. Francois, 
Washington, Iron and Reynolds couities, as 
has also llie geological mapping in Greene 
county. For the purpose of constructing 
models illustrating the condition of occur- 
rence of our ore bodies, detailed surveys have 
been completed of two important iron de- 
posits 
In the laboratory, analyses have been 
made of clays and iron ores. In the office 
the plotting of maps preparatory to publica- 
tion has proceeded uninterruptedly, and 
work has been continued on the preparation 
of the report on paleontology. 
With reference to f uiure work, steps h.ve 
been taken towards securing for the State, 
the determination of the latitude and longi- 
tude of a series of points, which determina- 
tions are necessary for the further prosecu 
tion of the detailed mapping now in pro- 
gress. 
Sickness of several members during the 
past month has materially retarded the 
work . 
Very respectfully yours, 
Arthur Wins low. 
State Gecl ogist. 
