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Today Highways 60-70-99 runs over the sand plains, along side of the Rail Road, passing between the peaks of San Jacinto and San Gorgonio. The rails of the Southern Pacific were laid in 1875, after winning the friendliness of the Cahuilla Indians by promising them free rides. In 1862 the stage route to Ehrenberg followed the grade but later shifted to Yuma as passengers protested the frequency they had to push the stages from the soft sand. Through this pass winds blow ceaslessly from the ocean to the desert. It was here that the Oliver Power Generator, a curious funnel-shaped tube looking like the barrel of a giant blunder-buss, was located where it harnessed the winds to drive a 550 volt 50,.000 watt generated... M,P. |
