Show death valley Is 13 deepest dry depression in U S death valley proper Is about miles from north borth to south and from two to eight miles wide and it lies alei in the midst of a vast region of ru rugged ed barren ranges and gorges it is the deepest dry depression in the united states most of it lying from to feet below sea level observes a writer in tile the new york times it la 13 shut in by the panamint Cotton cottonwood wo 01 d grapevine and funeral mountains t the lb e ranges rising abruptly on every side less than miles away la is mount whitney tile the highest peals peak in the united states with an elevation of feet varying stories are told of the disasters which gave the valley Us its sinia ter name the most generally accepted one Is to the effect that a party part of fio 50 emigrants on their way to the california fornia gold fields entered the valley by mistake lost their way and perished of thirst others believe that the party was attacked by indians and fought with their wagons in a circle until the last man fell two survivors are said to have bare reached the coast it Is thought too that the travelers traveler may have drunk from polson pol springs of which there are many la IZ the valleys hemming mountains |