Western sentinel. [volume] (Winston [i.e. Winston-Salem], N.C.) 1856-1886, 1877-05-03
PkCULI1R/7IES or SALT
LAKE.

Among the places of interest in
Utah Is Great Salt Lake, situated
about twenty miles west of Salt
Lake city, ana accessible by the
Utah Westerb Railway. The size
of the Lake is about eighty miles
from east to west by one hundred
miles from north to south. The
water is a strong brine. in which
common table salt, chloride OF
sodium, is the principal constituent.
The Lake is situated at the lowest
level qf Great Salt Luke basin, and
] is the receptacle of all the water
chat is brought down the moun-
tain The names of the rivers are
the Jordan. which flows through
Salt Lake valley from the south;
the Weber, which flows through ii
canyon on the east of the Lake,
and b ar river, which empties in
to it on the north. The Lake has
no outlet. It's waters are gradually
carried off by evaporation. or
late years the water brought down
has exceeded in quantity that car
rled Oft by evapor alton, for which
reason the waters are higher than
usual. Daring the last year an ell.
ovation of thirteen inches was
indicated by the gauge erected hy
the university of this city for the
purpose of recording any chnnges
of level. The size of the Like
r varies according to the amount of
rainfall and evaporation.
! BY Il recent exploration at one
: polnt Of the western shores it is
> found that the Lake has extended
itself about fifteen miles inland be-
yond the lines marked at the time
of Stansburv's survey in 1919.
There are no forms Of life in the
! Like except small creatures three
: quarters of an inch i'll length, re.
> sembliug the brine shrimp. These
. are found in The warm season in
!, great abundance. There is also a
q species of weed thai floats abon,
, III the heavy waters, that abound>
+ in minute insect life. The tiny
), shrimp alluded TO is an object O
e much interest to visitors anC
e naturalist, by whom it is called
i Artemoa ferti Is. Observation:
s are now being made by scientist,
n with Il view to determine the vasi-
n Gus form OF life which have thei
y origin in this Lake, and it is highly
a probable that it will no longe
u merit the uame of the dead Sc;
y OF America.
: When these valleys were frs
set led by the Mormons the leve
of the Lake was so low that til,
; people could walk over from tht
= present shores to the adjacen
island at a place where there i
now fourteen feet of water. Tha
was in 1917. From 1852 to 1851
u " the waters rose some six feet. :
From that date to 1861 the water!
= subsidized and the Luke becam,
- cont acted to its usual size. From
that date there has been an up
; heaval tendency. until in 1S74-'7;
# tie waters had lisen some twelv
feet. In consequence of this man,
r thousand acres of valuable farm
n aud pasturage lands were covere,
d by the water, and coutinne 20 b.
e 50. During the last year the furthe
o rise OF thirteen inches has cause;
8 large quantity of land to be Gov
It cred on the east shores of th
! Lake.
y The mean elevation of Grea
o Salt Lake above the sea Lowell, Il
. given in the rvernmeut's reports
is 4 200 feet-that of this city, ii
the base line. is 4 $40 feet, so ther
'f is no dagger o; an inuAdation here
e except in the lover wards of tn
city, where the lands ale nov
occasionally flooded for season
? when the snow on the mountain
s Is melting rapidly. 1t has beel
G. suggested that an outlet Nigh
It possibly be made on the western
shores for conveying away th
y surplus waters, whtre they woulc
/ be absorbed and dissipated on th
It great western desert whic4 exist
there. The recent exploration
: made was not carried far enougl
II 10 ascertain whether :his is practi
: cable or not. The principal in
u convenience sustained ut presen
n by the uplise and expansion of tn
u area of the Lake is the destruction
of valuable lands on its margin
,e and The dense fogs which envelol
# the Lake and lis banks ut times b.
h the partial condension of the evap
= Grating waters into vapor.-Sal
S Luke Tfa6u7ec.
1t
IS LIE TIrRKLSH POSITIONS O1