The weekly Union times. [volume] (Union C.H., South Carolina) 1871-1894, 1888-12-21
1.-THE SHAH "A usoeeAPHER-
But There Il n suspicson'sha tIis ssrshse,
10, o. 'g Now Lake In . Fraud, Es / I


Do Now Lake In . Fraud. G,s T.
The shah, Of Persia, is, dabbling in
geography. A recent issue of The
Ivan, the official gazette Of Teheran,
contains an article, purportiff4 10 have
been prepared by the shah himself. de-
scriptive of strange new lake, of
dimensions large enough, tn make it
almost an inland sea, that has of. late
years appeared In the Great Salt
Desert, the "Dasht-i-Kayir." The
ground in this desert is covered with
white crust of salt, it is habitable
only in q few isolated spots, and there
are said to be vast morasses, escape
from which Isl impossible once a
traveller ventures into them. Tradi,
ton is, however, that once this tract
was covered by sea, with numerous
ports and harbors,, lighthouses and
commerce. There has always been a
sort of expectation among the Persians
that some day the sea would H6tlrn and
cover the desert, and now q ferve bod
'os water has aot,sa fos,S ~
northwest corner OF siiS SSh;rtys
five miles from TeherahFs ne Interest
occasioned by this was SO great that
the car himself visited the spot. In
his account of it he says that O small
lake, known as the Lake of Sayah,f
formerly existed there, but that il
dried up about ], 1857 years ago on the
day. the prophet the blessings of
God be upon him and his posterity-
was born. It reappeared about six
years ago." The shape of this new
body of water the shah describes In
homely fashion. He says: "The figure
of the lake may be compared to that
of pair of spectacles. There are tive
lakes Joined by narrow channel
which is about two miles in width oj
q little less" The shah wears specta-
cles. The size of the lake he gives at
100 miles in circumference. As to its
origin he says: "' A"' .-
"F'rom observations which have
been made we conclude that this lake
has been formed by waters which
bubbled UP in the Kavir like fountains
from underground, for the rivers
which flow ;nto it have not changed
their direction and did not Form a lake.
A camel driver of the Arab nomads of
the Keleku tribe, which has its camp
ing ground on the shores of the lake,
told us that he had seen with his own
eyes how six years ago great guam
tity of water bubbled up in the middle
of the Kavir, and, gradually increas.
ing, finally submerged the places
where it had appeared"
Sad to say, in spite Of the shah's APP
parently honest efforts to tell the truth
about his new lake, there is a harrow
ing suspicion that his honesty has
been fooled, and that, instead Of the
lake that disappeared on the day the
prophet was born reappearing now
out Of the bosom Of TIE earth into
which it vanished, the new body of
water has it's origin in much less
mysterious fashion, There is coin
cidence between the, date of tho ap-
pearance Of the new lake and that of
the opening Of a new road from Tehe-
ran to Kour which becomes irregular,
in view Of the fact that the lake covers
~-ef f5s alrssa srsadsrs as impossible the old road.
through which the @atef ff5wissIfF isIfh inuu ~
the new lake. Near the gap lives a
Persian nobleman who has an interest
in the tolls of the road. New York
Sun