News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1884-01-10
A BATHING POND.
How They Enjoy Themselves in the Great
Salt Lake.

At the bathing places in Salt Lake,
Utah, steps lead down from the pier to
the water, but woe to the bold and I'M
wary diver who ventures to take a
header He will think be has struck
paving stone and swallowed a combined
sulphur and salt mine, for in his aston
ishment at the conclusion he will be
pretty sure to open his mouth. The
density of the water is so great that to
dive into it is simply impossible. The
greater the force with which one strikes
it, the greater the rebound. There is
some danger, too, of slipping into the
water face downward, and not being
able to turn over, even where the depth
is not greater than two or three feet, for
the resistance of the water Is so power
full that only very strong person can
force foot through it tc the ground.
During one of my visits [ saw lady
just about to step into the water miss her
footing and fall face forward. She
struggled violently for several seconds,
but her friends, who were unacquainted
with the peculiar properties of the Salt
Lake water, did not suppose she was IN
peril. An alarm was, however, raised
from the pier, and she was lifted to her
feet But for this timely help she would
certainly have been drowned in less than
two feet of water. 1t seems almost i'm
possible that any liquid can be so in
tensely salt as this. The swallowing of
very small quantity produces violent
vomiting. the action of the salt being
aggravated by several other alkalies held
in solution. The proportion of salt
alone is over twenty per cent.-some-
what greater than that of the Dead Sea
and, even in the rough way of making
salt common in this region, namely,
flooding meadows and awaiting the re-
suits of evaporation, a gallon of salt is
obtained for every five gallons of water.
To those who cannot swim, and who
have been duly warned of the dangers
to be avoided, bathing in Salt Lake is
particularly delightful. As one lies
upon the water a sense of hghtness
seems to pervade the frame. One APP
pears to be half floating, half flying, for
only very small portion of the body
will sink into the water, and only the
exercise of great muscular strength can
keep the limbs upon the surface OF the
water. The exhilaration produced by
this novel feeling of hghtness is very re-
markable. 1t seems to give the limbs
absolute rest as they float in the air, up
held by no conscious volition or expen-
diture of physical force. But to the
swimmer the bathing is by no means so
enjoyable. The resistance of the water
is so great that to force way through
it requires great effort. 1 saw a strong
swimmer, who had gone out about 100
yards from the end of the pier, obliged
to call for boat, as he was too exhausted
to make his way back. On coming out
it is necessary to sponge the body with
fresh water, as the salt forms a complete
scale armor. One man of our party,
who forgot to use fresh water ON his
head, speedily had his black hair
changed to very light gray.
Salt Lake is about 100 miles long and
its greatest width is so miles. The
average depth is 40 feet and soundings
have nowhere reached beyond 80 feet.
The bottom is hard white sand, with a
very gradually shelving shore, and so
far as is known no form of animal or
vegetable life exists in the water, which
is wonderfully clear, the white sand be-
ing easily visible where the depth is
over twenty feet.