Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1862-1865, 1864-06-08
GREAT SALT LAKE.

Among the grcs; natural curioSities ofNorh Auerica
the great saline body of in Utah Territory known
as Great Salt Like snds in the hrst order Toe lske
tselt il not individually rest curiosity whea
vie we'd il connection with surrounding corelatve indi
catons which give us combination oil natural wonders
truly Astounding Tae water marks stow that the lake
is nOK a remnant Of what was of the mighty
water collections OF the eatth-psrhaps OF n body OF
water thu: spread itself houghOut the whole Utsh ha
sin. Provo Lase bydy OF water, distant PERHAPS rs
miles from the great lake, is surrouGd=d 10y Indications
Of ESe chseGc!eT, tha; dErcty point to early pc
Rod when iudSiju Ii,y VS. .oG wtaia the inis Cf
mighty sea that aDsO'bed beth Itself and Great SIT
Lake. A'on5 tie b ~ Of the mOun'an walls OF the vi
ley, it W. may term tho limits OF tie bisin are de
tnCt va or marks OF vardu5 eisVatous Taey ceGr
y disceInlb;e ut G dso4nce rs Gi 3D. the moe eleya
Etd order bang ,Cm 10 loo leot the svel Of
,e v-ey, VII 6rrGAsfs have lett the marx OF thsir
power nted upon tue ROCKY font Of their onntsn
cOu6n,s as o monument CT their power.
TIE different elevations of he marks shoz The
z adu,l declnauUn Of this sea from body OF va er
oOyerirg may be- OF square miles, 70 ;Ae pfesept
s cody OF about sI5y miles in leDggh AMI about
40 o 50 glCs n W dth This presumption is strength.
eLed oy tao CT siecs, throughout she va Icy, OF co
q atds az p1ss suo. "a sheIIs pos iSod Es nee water
soFn r0cas s., Up0u ms theory Tue inference may
draSn thAl Great Salt Lake III gradu.l dminisbng
out this not the case, II IS now rtdacei 90 bgsS VI
REsd causes which vii give Il p;rpetuty in ia present
oni. The mcsture Ct the sphere of .huse lsd
tuGes 10 sufficient 10 always keep ssupped With ui
iofm quantity OF water The mt ing Snow o; TIE
tan swell tue rivers in tho Spring and SKINNER that
empty into IT, and this melting prevented by the
Goodness Of The fail ana Winter ls rive fall end by
evaporation the lake rapidly Geelines-ihc evaporation
carving ca more water thll tho streag deposit. Il
in this Ginning condition that sal ia obtained
from lhe beach OF Tie lake N Quantities dd sRfRtt1R
New, 20 long the meteorological, system prevails tie
abe must contnus the same roH.
No theory is settled upon BY scientific men as to the
cause of the sal nature OF the lake. We have an
opinion oil our own which believe to be rational -
The rivers emptyiog ioto it-Causan, Jordan, Weber
MAlade and numerous small e streams--head ia the
mountains where they supplied by myriads Of
tain brooks, OF which have their source IN sat
SD iuss The brooks impregDate the great water
ris re- OF the lake with sslio small extent though
il be- that it percepibe to the taste and they
carry into the lake, where IL must forever ROMAN aud
accumulate a. evaporation increases the proportion of
the salt to the The salt may have been carried
to the lake hundred mles, and it has perhaps
been accommodating there for thousands Of Yeas; AID
if the supply should be mex laustibs.
The IOca; 10 Indications surrounding the lake are
peculiarly impressive aud could well be made the s,b
ect OF the natural philosophers study. The whole face
Of the country appears to have passed through caorc
OF the inteHsest character Enormous rocks
fringe s margin which are charfed as black ebony
from the operation heat ana their frsgmentary
dtoa beapsak the mighty convictions which they pass-
ed througa. Near the lake, centre thsrs Is quite
lags isaud upon which these volcanic indications
Isy emphanc This leland ia very FERTILE and is
owned by the Church. watch institution holds il for The
exclusive purpose Of grazing. ALI the ttock which |
Gomez INTO ihs Iishing ofics-alf kofmons are com
PEELED 10 pay one tenth of everything that they make
or raise to the Cburch-sre taken to this island, and
there must be thousands OF head upon it. l. Is reach
ID by small sailing vesscs. s. rtly s Il tue
t,s Of salt Lake, that piscatoIy life Is nlpossibe
: average dsptl ID ffsy feeL-FOrt'and (0rsgoa) |
Meas.