The weekly standard., 1870-07-06
The Great Utah Mystery-The Discovery
of the Outlet of Great Salt Lake.

To-day we give the facts as we have them
relative to the discovery of a sub;erranean
outlet to Great Salt Lake. This inland sea,
the briniest of all the waters of the world,
and which former investigations pronounced
as being kept at its level by the action of
evaporation, has itself solved the mystery of
the mountains. The lofty hills and all the
lovely islands have for countless ages found
a mirror for their grand majesty in the bo-
som of our lake, and its FURNISHED face has
been kept bright with the crystal supplies
of thousand streams from out the roaring
canyons, clefts and snowy reservoirs of the
Rocky chain. The eye of science has scanned
with care the agencies which, it was sup
posed, held the aqueous wonder i'll is place,
and the IfumhOdts and Siimans of two
continents saw no cscapemcnt for the Hang
ing Sea" save through the erial pathways
of the sun. Many years ago the bureau of
topography sought to explain the perma-
nent equilibrium of Great Salt Lake, whose
thirst absorbs greater supply of fresh wa
ter than Michigan or Erie. but still the re-
duction was the same. Every trial said its
shores were saved from flood by the evapo,
rating power. This is no longer theory,
and never was correct.
One night last week the schooner Pioneer,
Capt. Hannah, on her voyage from Corinne
to Stockton, when at point in the lake be-
tween Fremont and Kimball Islands, nearly
opposite this city, came suddenly in contact
with something which the Captain thought
more solid than water, believing his vessel
to have stranded upon rocks. Instead of
this, however, the men on the Pioneer dis
covered that she was in the whirl of a
maelstrom, for the vessel Immediately re-
volved in circular current and the motion
was so rapid in the revolutions made that
the men could scarce stand at their duties
Capt. Hannah being an old sailor, and un-
dc-standing the danger he was in, at once
added sail, and brisk wind blowing at the
time, the craft was after about half an
hours detention, borne beyond the vortex
of the eddy. He informs Gen. Connor, the
owner of the schooner, and from whom we
get these interesting facts, that while in the
trough of the ugly hole the deck was far
lower than the water outside the whirlpool.
and that he owes the safety of the vessel
and men to the stiff breeze which fortu-
nately sprung up at the time. The noise of the
waters as they descended denoted that some
mighty airlcss cavity below gave strength
to the suction, and the surging, frothy foam
above was like the boiling OF mammoth
cauldron. That this is the safety valve of
Great Salt Lake there seems to be no doubt,
and We can reasonably assume that similar
openings are numerous on the bottom. The
steamer Kate Connor will be ready in two
or three days to so on the lake, when the
general, accompanied by party of gentle,
men from this city, will go and examine the
maelstrom
The men of the college aud university
will again be called to make scientific sur
vey of this great discovery, and geologist:
and chemists will, in the waters of the Utaf
Mediterranean, find many valuable lessons
to impart to student and graduate. How
marvellous are natures works around us =
Utah Reporter, 10:h.