The Bennington banner. [volume] (Bennington, Vt.) 1858-1894, 1889-08-08

ar several small streams which carry
into The D ad Sea on the south constant
accumulatious of brine from past salt de-
pUsits, which have taken the form of
low hills many miles long. Here then
we have in the Dead Sea a vast deposit
toIy Of Gll the salt emptying out OF an
extensive country, aud what is remark
able, this lake has no outlet.
The density of the water OF the Dad
Sea ia that of saturated solu' ion OF sOlu-
BILE saline substances, and amounts to
about one ami quarter times that of
ordi ary water 1.2I5 to 1897 The
specific gravity may average 200. that
of distilled water being 000. This in
creased deUsi;y acnOunts for lis remark
able power of floating up the body of a
swimmer It is misleading to compare
this Dead Sta water to ordinary ocean
water. 1t is more like the mother liquor
Of salt work Choloride, bromide, sui
phate of magnesium, sodium, calcium,
and potassium are the chief ingredients.
The last analysis gives: Calcium 24-5
chloride OF magnesium 1913, potassium
IL, sodium 81. a.,, -.
The fact that this sea has no outlet
suggests a question why it does not over
flow and fill all the plain with the enor-
nous quantities of water constantly
pouring into itI The answer is to be
found III the almost immeasurable evap-
orstion al a depth 30 far below the level
of the sea. In other words, the sun is
daily drinking up as much as the Jor-
dan and other rivers supply. So extra
ordinary is this equilibrium between
supply and demand that there Is no ap.
preciabe excess or deficit. 1t has been
calculated, that whilst the aversge
quantity of water received daily is about
20, 1000, 900 cubic feet, the evaporation
will consume almost the same quantity.
There may be slight increase of water,
as the Arabs testify that fifty years ago
there were fords passable on donkeys
longer so. But as this trifiing increase
has taken fifty years to accumulate, the
annual difference is only microscopic.
This in its way suggests the care Of
special Providence, and the nice adjust
ment of natural laws, startling as well
as instructive. This Dead Sea plain has
been called the hottest place in the
world, and our own experience as early
as April 10, will confirm this bad reputa-
ton. Shut in on all sides from any
cooling breez4s, the heat is most intense
anu OAOtCu'hS W. VI thhotys ~ AoPo
up the water from the sea, and when
the sun goes down heavy mist lies over
it and the air is full Of streaming moist
Q. This will account also for the dens-
ity and saltness Of the water, for the
sun drinks up only the absolutely fresh
water, leaving the heavier, saline parti-
cles behind.
Now, after ages have passed since thus
process of separation or straining began,
we can imagine the thick residum
which must he left behind.
The most of writers on the Dead Sea
refer to bathing in Its waters as an ex.
perlence of another. We enjoyed il for
ourselves and it is most unique pleas
ure. The first essential for comfort
able bath is to know whether there is
any abrasion of the skin. Ii this be
overlooked the bather soon feels the hor-
rible sens. tion of molten lead being
poured into his skin. As very few make
the hard journey to the sea without
some trivial mulilation, this may account
for the small number who bathe in It,.
AS we were among the lucky few, the
bath was among the most agreeable ex-
periences of our life and the only draw
back was the agony of our friend who
entered the water unmindful Of its ter
ribe effects on wound. The element
into which you enter is more an oil than
water. You slip through what seems a
greasy, liquid body. IL parts oleaginous-
ly for you and lies about you without
pressure or cold. 1t was bewitchingly
warm. The rough stones at the bottom
seemed oiled to save the bather's feet
from harsh contact. An attempt which
we made to get btyUund our depth was
not a success. When the feet ceased to
reach the bottom the whole body floated
to the surface. and when an effort was
made to strike uut for a swim, the feet
instead of propelling were hoated up
high on the surface. This effect was SO
singular and so funny that we suTmised
some mistake and made another attempt
with similar results. Then our arms
were folded and we lay on The surface
without the slightest eff 'rt at floating.
When the heavy men of the party tried
to float on their backs, they invariably
turned over on their stomachs, in an eff.
fort we presume TO reach the center oil
gravity.
On emerging from the lake the body
is covered with this same oily water
which il not absorbed by towel will
form salty encrustation over the body.
The proper course is to thoroughly dry
the body before assuming ones gar
ments. Occasionally whilst enjoying
this odd bath our laughter was directly
responsible for imbibing more of the
water than was agreeable, and then we
realized all that is meant by the report
] ed horrible, indescribsble bitterness ol
its waters. After twenty four hours we
found to our disgust and by an accident
that the towel retained urdiminished
all this bitterness.
Although this low form Of vegetable
life docs exist on the northern extremity
there is no approach to life in the
waters. When fish is Carried into il
through the Jordan death smites them
instantly, and so deadly is this water
; that there is no trace even of the lower
marine life in the form of mollusks.
1t was already observed that this lake
is called by the Arabs the Sea of Lot
and in the Talmud the Sea OF Sodom
These names connect il with that terrible
, doom which fell on Sodom and Gomor
rah, and in the belief of most people
the present bottom Of the Dead Sea i:
the ancient plain Of Sddim, whert
, these Ill-fated cities stood. In other
words, it is generally accepted that the
Dead Sea only originated with the des
truction Of the cities Of the plain.
This theory cannot be sustained. We
examined the ground and the surround
ings with an unprofessional scrutiny
and we surmised the Dead Sea goes far
, back into the Pleistocene era Of geology
! Unmistakable evidence exist that al
least beyond the present valley OF the
Kishon to the north the Dead Sea ex
! tended.
All the geological formations and salt
deposits prove this beyond doubt In
those days, and this was long before
Johsuc, the sea could have had one or two
outlets-one to the south by the Arabah
valley into the gulf Akaba or to the
, north by the Kishon, that "AnoienI
, River" as Deborah calls it, perhaps in
) allusion to tradition OF its ancient inn
, portance in this way. As to the first, Il
, Is simply absurd, as the sea must have
been 1000 feet above its present leve
I to reach the level Of the Arabah valley
or wady. The second is more probable
as an iucresed elevation of only 975 feet
would have carried the waters into the
Kishon over through the plain of Jez-
, reel and Esdraelon into the waters oI
the Mediterranean. That this latter
outlet once existed is almost certain.
As necessary factor in connecting
; the Dead Sea with Sodom, it must bC
observed that at present large quantities
of bitumen and asphalt may be found
J about this region and from the periodic
appearance OF asphalt floating on the
} water it is surmised that there must bt
asphalt springs at the bottom Of the sea
} 1t is conceded that the source Of btu.
men is to be found in the bituminoui