THE VALLEY OF DEATH.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume 4, Issue 1041, 5 April 1882, Page 2

THE VALLEY OF DEATH.

The valley of death, a spot almost as terrible as the prophet's valley of dry bones, lies just north of old Mormon road to California-a region 30 miles .long by 30 broad, and atj two points, by inaccessible totally devoid of water and vegetation, and the shadow of a bird' or| wild beast never darkens its/white, 'glaring'.sands. The Kansas Pacific railroad engineers discovered it and some papers, which- show the fate of" the' lost Montgomery 'train," which camefrom south SaltLakeii 1850, guided by a Mormon; When near Death Valley, some oame to the conclusion that the Mormon knew nothing of tlie country, so they appointed one of their number a leador, and broke off from their party. The leader turned due) west, and so, with the people and the wagonß and the flocks, he travelled for three days, and then descended' into the broad valley whose treacherous mirage, promised water. They reached the centre, but only the white sands bounded by scorching peaks met their gaze; And around the valley they wandered. One by one the men died, and the padting flock stretched themselves in death under the hot sun, The children crying fer water, died at their mother's breasts, and with swollen tongues, followed. Wagon after wagon- was. abandoned, and strongmen tottered and raved and died. After a week's wandering, a dozen survivors found some water in the hollow of a mountain. It lasted but a short time and they all perished but two, who escaped out of the valley and followed the trail of their former companions Eighty-seven families, with hundreds of animals, perished here, and now, after 22 years, the [wagons stand still complete, the iron works and tires are still bright, and the shrivelled skeletons lie Bide by side,