Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1891-06-19
PANGUlTCH.


hahohIi W. Stcelc anu DANlu ihiu-
cron, came 10 this romantic spot In
the mountains last night, In company
with Brother Steele. Leaving Pan
guitch for the lake, we travel south up
the slope Of low mountain for several
miles, passing through forests Of cedar
and then turn TO the west up through
a romantic canyon, on either side Of
which grow stately pines with an
underground Of quaking asp aud
cellars. Reaching the Panguitch creek
and crossing the same twice, In follow
ing II up for several miles, we finally
reach the summit Of n low mountain
ridge, where one OF the most beautiful
landscapes that eau be met with In the
Rocky Mountains suddenly bursts into
view, for there, right nj our feet, lies
one Of the finest sheets Of water In
America, surrounded by fOrcat.covofcd
mountains whose suOw-cappcd sum.
mi,s are reflected Ia the beautiful trans
parent water.
The PangIitch lake IA about two
miles long from east 10 west and n little
over one mile H. width. II has WE'LL
defined shores all around, but while II
WASHES the mountain base on the
north side, there IN "a narrow strip Of
beach land on the east aud south, HlOp.
ing gently toward the mountains,
while small body Of meadow land
skirts it, shores on the west. The lake,
o. which tho altitude IL about 5000
feet, ab0unds In fine mountain trout,
which made II a fayoriiu resort for the
red man Of tho mountains la past
years, ~ also of The whitce. Panguiteh
u the Indian name for nah.
a number of stories have been cir.
culAtcl about the enormous depth Of
the lake, come claiming II 10 be MI.
most bOitomlcs In some places, but our
friend, Brother lhson, who has lived
ON the lake shore Tor many years aud
knows every nook aud corner Of n, M.
sur,s vs. that the average depth q. not
over forty feet. Tho deepest place ho
has ever been able 10 find did not ux.
coed fifty feet. Thfvc streams Of con.
siderable size tand several smaller
ones that cease "a dow in the latter
part Of tho tummCfl icyd the lake.
The latgest Of those, called Blue
Spring creek, puts Ia from the south;
West Canyon creek comes IN from the
mountains ON the wcstaud lbsenCrcek,
named after Brother ibron, whose
ranch stands NEAR H. confluence with
the lake, puts la from the north. The
outlet lPanpuiich cfuckl IL AZ the cx-
trvme northeast corner. Hero thu
good people " panguitch have
built n dam consulting oi solid mason.
~ OF rock, which can back NJ
the water ten feet, but has -
far only Dcon taxed 10 the capacity Of
raising II seven feet. II D. unu Of the
mUst successful dams ever built; aud
Major Powell IL reported 10 have said
once that the Panguiich lake was the
best natural reservoir within the
borders Of tho United States, and h,,
10y actual measurement, came 10 the
conclusion that the water IN the lake
could 10 raised thirty.fve feet by
building dam seventy lee, long across
the outlet.
The present dam, which l. the pro.
duct OF President jesse w. Cfusby'a
frugal mind, was built IN lssa, alta cost
" about $1,000. The wall IL eighteen
feet thick nj the bottom and ten feet
on the top; II IL built twelve feet high
from the bottom u tho crvak and fifty
feet long. The natural channel 81 the
outlet cuts through n ledge OF solid
rock Tor distance Of n quarter of n
milo. There IL perpendicular rock
walls ON both slides, and the stream
LEAPS over three pfcciplccs, making
that many cataract, the lower aud
largest one Of which II Ab0ut twenty.
1--WE feet high. Emerging from it,
narrow channel nj this point, the
pangiitch creek winds IT, way through
n fine canyon until II reaches the val.
ley below, where II u used Tor iTFiga.
tion purposes by the Pangulich people.
In the summer time the fanguilch
lake n iavorlte place Of resort for the
people of Parowan, Beaver, panguitch
aud other settlements, who occasionally
gather hofo 10 celebrate Independence
day aud Pioneer day. a great number
Of tourists from u distance also visit
herr, includinga number OF the leading
men Of tho Church, who have raid
frequent visits 10 the lake, with their
families. Tho climate In tho hot sum.
mcr months II very pleasant; tho night
air N exceedingly pure and invigofst-
ing, and the water In the mountain
streams putting into the lake very
good. II 10, however, quite muddy Vt
timcr, In fact, the wind either blows
quite hard or else II isA perfect calm.
The winters aro usually very cold aud
drcary. snow falls 10 the depth Of many
feet, aud the Ice. on the lake has a
thickness u three feet or more. IL
freezes every month Of tho year, aud
only three days ago Mm. Ibsen broke
on lcicles from the rOof Of her house
that measured several Inches In length.
There are over dozen ranches on
tho lake shore OF Ia IL immediate
vicinity, but, with the exception Of two
or three, they are all deserted In the
winter months. James Montague
keeps sort Of hotel nj his ranch,
located on the south slde OF the lake,
aud near his place some parowRh PEG.
ple have built a dancing or amusement
hall, which ia used for different kinds
~ entertainment In the summer.
The Panguitch lake cannot, like
Bear lAku In tho north, boast Of ia
monsters, Brother Ihsen said no was
the greatest monster around the lakc,
and his average weight II only 200
pounds. Hut Brother Steele told Of a
certain "Hsh" ,whlch his sister caught
swimming In the lakemany yeats ago,
"who" was six feet Nlong;b his other
name was Joseph. Otherwise the line
mountain trout which abounds IN the
lake seldom exceeds one and half
pounds IN weight, The largest Brother
ibsen ever caught weighed three
pounds. At this Time Of the year the
surface Of the lake Is covered with
ducks aud mud hens,
Tho surrounding mountains are GOV.
cred with the different kinds Of pine,
,,,tfugnsn eetar mah0puv-and