The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1892-02-10
A SWIM IN SALT LAKE.
While the Water Is Very Buoyaut, the
Briny Bath Has It's Dscomforts.

During a visit to Salt Lake ''en-
joyed" a swim on summer afternoon,
making the trip from town to Lake
Point, the Coney island of the region.
on an excursion train in company with
a number of Mormons. says a writer
in Goldtho0aites Magazine. The little
railroad runs through a diversified
track. in which garden, farm. rocky
uplift, and mud plain are oddly
jumbled-the plain being spotted with
tufts of pale and bristling sage brush
that grows on the rocky mountain
country where nothing else will. There
is a bathing pavilion at Lake Point,
with fresh water tanks, in which to
rinse ones self after the bath, but L
elected to try swim without specta-
tors; so. walking southward along the
shore for mile or so, found place
where the rounded rocks that formed
the sembl2nce of a beach were not
too numerous. 1t was trifle difficult
to keep steady footing in the water,
and at first l attributed this to in
equalities on the bottom. but on get
ting where it was deeper l found that
my legs had a disposition to come to
the top, and it was apparent that the
difficulty of wading across arose from
the buoyancy that the body has in so
dense a medium as this brine. When
had waded out so far that the water
came up to my neck scaled a bowlder
and dived. AS it is my custom to open
my eyes under water, | did so as soon
as l was fairly immersed. In an in
slant it seemed as if vitriol had been
poured into them. Springing to an
upright position as soon as possible,
tried to get the salt out of them, but
the more rubbed the more it seemed
to get in. Nature relieved the smart
after awhile by pouring through the
tear-ducts enough of milder solution
of salt to clear the irritated corner ot
the fluid, and l took pains not to lei
the water into my eyes again.
After that the bath was more enjoy
able, it only as a new experience
There was a singular and unac
customed sense of lightness. and it was
not difficult to float high out of water,
either in a reclining or sitting post
ure, yet bather who is not a swim
mer will fare as badly here as any
where, for the head being heavier thar
the lower extremities, has tendency
to sink, unless one has the skill to keel
it above the surface. To a swimmer
there is no especial danger, unless h,
is choked by the brine or blinded ant
confused by it. To float requires les
exertion than in the sea, a slight mo
ton of the hands being sufficient tt
keep the body balanced evenly, fo
one depends less for his buoyancy OIL
breathing than in ocean water. o.
striking out to swim was surprised
at a spIashing noise behind me an,
discovered that it was made by m.
own feet, for l was so high out o
water that they went into the air
every stroke. This lightness at on
end of the body tends, as l have said
to depress the other, but to one VIII
is used to swimming this is a trille
On emerging from the lake I foun
! that every inch of my skin was spark
ling with salt crystals. and though
rubbed and scraped they were not S
easily to be got rid of. These crystal
were sharp enough to create discom
: fort and to suggest an undue intimac
with thistles. My hair was full {
. them, and they even adhered to m
clothing, so that vigorous shaking {
raiment and fresh-water bath wer
in order on reaching my hotel. Whe
, I told the people in town of my swil
and the manner of I was laughed {
and informed that it was not the CO.
rect thing to swim except at batf
} ing pavilion, where one has fres
water to shower away the salt ths
sticks to him.
Salt lake is by no means saturate
3 solution of salt, yet it is five or 81
i. times as rich in salts as the ocean, an
}, nearly as strong as the Dead sea.
:, summer it contains between 20 and
per cent of salt. the saturation poir
n not being reached until the salt form
! ! little over a third of the liqui
: There are all through the great bas
numerous saline lakes and ponds, b
none of the size and Importance
!. this in Utah. Not infrequent!y th'
are shallow and entirely disappear du
ing the dryness and heats of summe
leaving to mark their sites only
: stretch of some acres-or it may
\ miles = of clay and mud, entire
covered with salt.