The Middlebury register and Addison County journal. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1883-1885, 1884-11-07
UTAH'S GREAT SALT LAKE.
PHENOMENA OF A WONDERFUL
BODY OF WATER.
The Lake as n Bathing Resort
scenes During the Bathing Hour
Difficulty of Swim ing.


About 4 o'clock during the summer
afternoons an immense cosmopolitan car
AVIAN makes its way from Salt Lake
City to the bathing houses on Great Salt
lake. The city and the lake are TWEEN
ty-four miles apart, and the distance
Is soon annihilated by means of open
cars, which reminds one of long cattle
trains, so crowded are they with every
kind of humanity. Any one who has
regarded Chicago as the point where
the world assemblies, can easily disabuse
himself at the bathing grounds of
Great Salt lake. Here are no great car
avansaries and amusement grounds, such
as one meets at Coney Island. There
are no restaurants no docks, no prone
made, no hotels, nothing that one consid
ers absolutely essential to summer re-
sort. There is just one great, unparal-
leled, delightful, fascinating land the
rest of the vocabulary occupation, and
that is bathing. No one wishes to do
otherwise than battle, not even to climb
the mountains that rise abruptly from
the lake shore.
Arriving at the railway station one
gets off the train at long platform.
An old, barn-like structure connects,
where bathing dresses, towels, poor
whisky, bad beer, and dreadful cigars
are sold over one counter by any one of
three men who stand behind it. 1t is
also possible to get a fint-like sand
wich.
The barn, or rather shed, where these
purchases are made, contains a number
of long tables, seats and dancing floor.
A long pier leads out from it, with
double row of bathing-houses, extend
ing its entire distance. Alongside
barge is moored, and used for excursion
and dancing parties The latter are
very ipfrequent, owing to the unalloyed
delight of bathing. To this enchanting
spot of nature adorned by the uncouth
structures of man. every class of society
wends its way. Without regard to rank
or possessions, all pay their quarter for
Misunderstanding garb, towel and bath
house key.
Arrived at the stairs leading into the
water, the newcomer begins one of the
thrilling experiences of his life. AS he
goes, step by step, along the white
sanded floor of the lake, he has a sensa-
ton that he must either hold down his
feet firmly or be shot out of water like
cork. When he lies down fiat to swim,
his legs are forced out of the buoyant
water, and in working his arms he finds
that only by plunging them in, dog
fashion, can he make any progress, and
then but little. The least wind blows
him along on the surface at an alarming
rate. He tries to get on his feet, but he
cannot sink them. In a spasm of terror,
he makes desperate plunges with his
legs, all to no avail. A drop of brine
flies in his eye and renders it useless for
some time, or he gulps some water in
his throat, producing the agonies of
almost strangulation. In this critical
situation he seizes a rope or a pier-pie
In desperation and regains his feet.
The first thing to do is to rush for
fresh water, cleanse the injured eye
and gargle the throat. He looks out
on the water and sees hundreds of
bathcrs, all lying on their backs, some
with their arms under their heads as pill
lows, smoking or reading, some holding
parasols over head, and others with their
arms stretched out, gently padding
themselves over the surface and steering
with their feet. Among the latter are
experts who fairly skim over the water.
surely, thinks the beginner, he can lie
on his back easily enough. He tries it,
paddles short distance, and stops sud
denly as lie has sensation that perhaps
he has reached deep water. lie attempts
to sink his feet to ascertain, but they are
not OF sufficient weight; not even if he
be an influential politician from Chicago.
Oh, II he could put one foot down to as
certain the situation. In despair he de-
tcrmines to make full breast of it to an
expert near by, and ask help. Some
kind Mormon, who has enjoyed the bath
all his life, offers him suggestions like
these:
"Place your arms AT an acute angle
with your body. Now make a SCOOP of
your hands. Thrust them under tn.
water and keep them under your body.
That's right. Now, see, every time YOU
dip, your feet go toward the bottom.
Here you are sitting up as if you were on
chair. Stand up now. Easy enough,
ism it,
The good Mormon gives few instruc-
tons, and soon you are idly floating or
spinning around on your back, humping
against people, riding on the smooth sur
face or over the waves in the widest
glee The ocean is very good bathing
Colorado and California are helpful to
cOnsumptiyes; but here is the most novel
and untiring amusement in the world.
The atmosphere is so dry and salty
that no consumptivc need despair. Breath
ing the air, and bathing in the morning in
the hot sulphur springs, and in the after
noon skimming over the lake surface on
ones back, will cure the generality of
cases of lung troubles. Two weeks here
will so effectively cure catarrah, that one
need not be troubled with it again for
two years.
Usually at shutdown an object is seen
whirling down through the mountain
passes from the southwest There is
haste to let down the car curtains and
shrill warning to hasten into the bath
houses. A sand storm is travelling with
cyclonic energy and the rapidity of a
whirlwind and hurricane. In an instant,
down rolls great whirls of sand that bury
the cars up to the stills, beat with tire