Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1869-08-28
WASHINGTON TO THE PACIFIC
VISIT TO GREAT SALT LAKE.

Of the Lake-Steady Rise Of the Water
Will the Mormens be Drowned Out
SwsAmiBg Under Difficalties-Water
Strong Enough TO Sit UpsR-Ssicks Shoot
Out Like Rockets-The Utah He
spTinss-Boiling Eggs aud Fin2ers-A
Boiled Iri.hman-The Mormoa Cemete-
ry-AD Dismal Burial lGrsund-How Pelyg.
amy Blupts Family AHections-Impar-
sial Eulosies by a Mormon Husband
Matters Miscellane sus about the Msr.
mens-Mormen Women Vote in the
Church-What the Women Think absu
Polygemy-The Msrmoas Upon Polys
amy as q ss Morei'' Institution-The
Great Central City Of Mermendom to be
in Missouri-The Wages Question i'm
Utah.
Editorial Correspondence of The S.eT.1
SALT LAKR CITY,
July 81, 1859.
Salt Lake is apparently so Fear Salt Lake
City that the visitor to the latter proposing to
take trip to the lake is surprised to learn that
it involves tedious, dusty ride Of twenty-five
miles from the city, occupying most'of day
Tourists, pressed for time, are therefore apt to
content themselves with distant view OF the
lake. and take the various tales OF its wonder.
full qualities for granted. This seemed likely
to be our case, but on mentioning our difficulty
to Mr.. Cannon, of the Deseret NeGs, whose IN
telligent courtesles had previously aided us
greatly in seeing what there was OF interest In
Utah, he informed us that new rolte to the
lake had been recently developed by which il
could be reached by a short and pleaslnt trip
of ten miles. He followed up this agreeable
intelligence by offering to plo: US to the spot
and early the next morning he summoned US
from the Townsend House for the interesting
q ION for rfah Ia
vided with all the appliances for Salt Lake ex-
cursionizlng that his experience and ho5pits-
BILE ideas could suggest. These included the
usual bathing requisites and also a number of
broad-brimmed bathing hats to project our
heads and shoulders from tae particularly
elective rays OF the sun as experie ced on the
borders OF the lake; also a very complete
outfit for pic -nicing purposes OF which more
ancE. Our journey was partly by the usual
travelled road but we soon lef: il and its blind
ing dust and then our way was through some
pleasant lanes and green fields 10 the waters OF
the lake. On the route we passed a specimen
of the mud. wall built around the city in ISJ2
as a pro.ecton against the indians. 1t was
about nine miles in Length, twelve feet hist
and six feet thick at the base.
a Curious Feature of Salt Lake.
Ii is singular fact that Salt Lake has within
tue las HAIL uOZcu years risen SOfEo nine 16eL
and the point we visited is sub merged farm.
ing land, the fences of which are stIll Standing
in the water. Far up the h',l-sldes, bounding
the valley, may be seen the we'll mar ked water.
line showing the height formerly reached By
the lake. Should it ever reach similar
height the Mormon problem will be solved. SO
ar as Salt Lake City is concerned, by the burial
OF the place an hundred fee. or more under the
brine. The Mormons account for the rise in
the lake by ths unusual amount of cloudy and
rainy weather Of late years by which the pro-
cess OF evaporation has been retarded; bat as
they seem to count also upon a perma lent in
erase IN the ram fall Of the valley in conse-
que ecce of Its being brought into cultivation, the
same ca uses which have produced tne present
rise in the lake may continue to operate until
it as overcome the moderate elevation OF the
ty above IL.
salt Lake has four rivers of con ride rable
size. constantly contributing their waters to
Lwell its bulk, and yet it has no outlet what
eNeV-at least no visible outlet. Under
hot unclouded suns the work Of evaporat is
undoubtedly rapid over its broad extent of 40
by 12O miles, but any change in the atmos pheric
conditions to arrest this evaporation may
chan ge the whole aspect Of affairs in the valley
in a few years.
The lake has a number Of mountainous
islands, more like the bold, rugged islands of
the Mediterranean in picturesque effect, prob.
ably, than any others in the country. These,
with the wonderful indigo blue Of the waters,
the rich cultivated valley, and the background
Of snowy mountains, make up picture of va
ried ana striking beauty. Hundreds Of gul!s
and snIpe occupied the shore as we drove up,
and seemed disinclined to move, afording a
tempting opportunity for a shot had we been
provided with guns. On alghtirg some OF our
party found some interesting specimens of the
horned toad hopping about in the grass The
water of the lake appeared clear at a little dis.
tance. but on closer view il was found to be
perfectly alive with a whitish semi.transpar.
ent animalcula, and the shores Of the lake
Were covered with the dead insects in such
numbers as to make q sert of scurf. The In.
sects were from half to two.thirds OF an inch
in length, shrimpish in shape, and as lively as
vinegar eels, affording rather a striking CONTRA
diction to the writers who have set down Salt
Lake as utterly destitute Of animal lite. On
entering the water for swim our host warned
us TO beware of letting the BRINE enter the
mouth, nostrils or ears, as 1t would causeacute
pain in consequence of its strength, but the
novelty Of our experiences in attempting to
keep the body under water were so novel that
shouts Of wonder and explosions of Laughter
greeted every new effort and catastrophe, and
soon to all this Was added the splitting, sputter.
ing and sneezing from the introduction of the
pUngent water to the nose aud mouth. It
caused violent bleeding OF the nose with some
and we all had occasion to remember the brine
with some depth Of feeling.
The water Of Salt Lake, according to STAINS.
bury, contains more than twenty per cent. OF
chloride Of sodium, and ,ts specific gravity is
greater than that OF any other body Of water