White Cloud Kansas chief. [volume] (White Cloud, Kan.) 1857-1872, 1857-10-22
.asefilI lallS Curious.
The Pillar of salt-Lot's Wife.

TWAS lately mentioned in this paper
that there might be seen, In the library
of Congress, a specimen of rock salt, ia
ken from pillar of salt in the Dead Sea-
fancifnlly called Lots Wife. For an
account Of this curiosity. and other obs
iects of interest iE Palestine and the re-
mote East, VIC are indebted to work
about to be published by Carey 4 Hart
of Philadelphia, entitled "a narratire Of
The late Expedition to the Dead Sea, from
a DIARY 6y one of the party. Edited by
Edward z. Montague" We quote from
the Diary the following description:
"WEDNESDAY. April 26. 1S4S.-This
morning we are examining the hills of
Usdom, and seeking, with good deal of
curiosity, the ever-famous 'Pillar of
Salt" which marks the Judgment of God
upon Lots wife. On pulling round the
shores of the sea, we saw an immense
column, round and turret-shaped, facing
towards the south east. This, we were
told by our Arabs, was the pillar Of salt
in which Lots wife was encased at the
overthrow of Sodom. With some diff
Guilty we landed here, and our esteemed
commander and DIR. Anderson obtained
specimens from it, and Mr.. Dale took a
sketch of it. Our boats crew landed also
and their curiosity was gratified by their
gathering specimens; some from its sum-
NIT and others from its base.
1t was measured and found to be sixty
feet in height and forty feet in circumfer-
enc. We can not suppose that Lots
wife was person so large that her d.
mansions equalled those of this column.
Many think that the stature of Lots wife
was equal to the pillar Of sat- which hi 4: 4:
Bible speaks Of. Let that pillar be
where it may, and whatever its size, they
will not probably credit that this is the
pillar. Preconceived notions have much
to do with the matter, and they would
have everybody think that she was at
once transformed into column of very
fine grained beautifully uhae salt, about
five feet or few inches more in height,
and in circumference that OF common
sized person of the nineteenth century.
Be that as it may, no two minds have,
perhaps, formed exactly the same opinion
on this matter who have not visited this
spot. But here we are, around this i'm
meRse column, and we find that it is real
ly Of solid rock salt, one mass Of crystal
ization. 1t is in the vicinity which is
pointed out in the Bible in relation to the
matter in question, and it appears to be
the only one of its kind here. And the
Arabs Of the district, to whom this pillar
is pointed out, declare it to be Lots wife,
the identical pillar of salt to which the
Bible has reference; the tradition having
been handed down from each generation
to their children, as the Americans will
hand down to succeeding generations the
tradition of Bunker's Hill Monument,
in Boston. My own opinion of the mat
ter is, that Lots wife having fingered
behind, in disobedience to the express
command of God-given in order to
insure her safety-that while so lingering
she became overwhelmed in the descend
ing hnid, and formed the model or foun-
dation of this extraordinary column. II
it has been produced by common, BY
natural causes, it is but right to suppose
that others might be found of similar
description. tit 10.
One is scarcely able to abandon the
idea that it stands here as lasting me-
mortal of Gods furnishing a most DELHI
crate act Of disobedience, committed at a
time when lie was about to show distin-
gushing regard for the very person. We
carefully brought away onr specimens,
intending to show them to our friends in
America, when We shall nave the good
fortune to arrive there and talk with them
on the subject. This end of the sea is
very shallow, and its waters more dense
and more salt than when they are OF
greater depth here it is from one to five
feet in depth. We now leave this ''Pil-
lar of Salt" and return to our boats,
richly laden with specimens from it.
We cross the sea, and obtain soundings
on our way. We had nearly reached the
opposite side when new danger assailed
us. We had braved all the dangers oil
Jordan, in its streams and on its banks,
and the peculiar storms on the Dead Sea,
and now new specimen of the dangers
to which man is subject visits us. The
fearful scorching sirocco RACES around.
threatning Suffocation and blindness, and
causing almost insupportable thirst.
The Fiery atmosphere" seems as
though it would doom US to the fate Of
the unfortunate citizens who now lie en-
gulphed below our boats /; but we fearless
ly pull away, until coming to a. place
called "Meserah," we land amidst the
raging heat of the wind. and encamp
for the night.-NatienoI Zatelliqencer.