Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-08-31

CHANGED to be exceedingly slender. 10
stout ladies the experiences OF hrst batn
in the Great Salt lake are especially try
ing.
Great Salt lake is no mill pond" 1t
covers an area mere than twice as large
as the state Of Rhode Island. From its
depths rise mountains thousands or feet in
height ard from fifteen to twenty miles N
length. Its sadness Is believed to be due
to the simple fact that 1T has no outlet,
and that the water which flows INTO IL
from the numerous mountain streams is
entirely removed by evaporation. leaving
of course all thei minerals which it con-
tains All spring and river water, although
denominated fresh contains a trace OF
salt. and wheE evaporated year a1ter-year
and century after century has left quanti-
ties of salt and other minerals in the basin
which it occupied meantime. Besides the
quantity of water now in Great Salt lake
is mere remnant of that which once &C.
cupied this basin.
Once 1t Was Vast Sen.
On the sides of the mountains surround
ing the lake and adjoining valley are
plainly visible beach marks full thou
sand feet above the level of the present
lake. showing that it was fifty times as
deep and many times as large in former
geological epoch, and while it is probable
that some of it's waters found an outlet
at that time it is believed that much of
that great mass of water evaporated, leav-
ing the present area of $500 square miles
of water from ten to twenty-five feet deep,
a mere remnant of that which occupied
the entire valley where Salt Lake City and
the fourishing rural homes surrounding
it now stand. Even the millions of gal
Ions, daily poured into it by the Jordan"
and other streams from the mountains
seem to have no effect in increasing its
depth or decreasing its sadness. The
atmosphere here is extremely dry, and
seizes greedily upon every drop OF mois-
are shallow and easily evaporated by the
sun, which beats down upon 1t within the
basin formed by the surrounding noun
tains. The water thus evaporated IS
Quickly absorbed and carried off by the at
mosphere and the result is that this gen
Grafton finds here nearly a mile above the
the sea level an inland sea covering $500
square miles, with four times as much
salt as the water of the ocean, a bottom
whose cleaning white sands are as soft
to the feet as any carpet and as free from
impurities, water delightfully."- warm and
exhlarating in its effect upon the system.
No Animal Life.
It is withc:t a trace of animal life, such
as render s,l bathing source OF anxiety
to persons of nervous temperament. In
fact, the only trace of animal life is a
single species somewhat similar to the
shrimp though almost microscopical in di-
mansions, and seldom seen.
One of the visible evidences of the
| quantity of salt in the water of the lake is
found in the salt works which one passes
en- route from the city to the bathing pavil'
| ion. Located OH the shore of the lake
are several pumping houses. which pump
| the lake water into long bitches or con
duits, which carry 1t to large evaporatine
| basins dug near the railway track, milk
| or so from the lake. The water, when
| exposed to the rays Of the sun and the
| atmosphere, in these basins. evaporates
| RAPIDLY, leaving upon it's surface a film Of
salt, looking like ice. This thickens until
| it can be shoveled up, when it is stacked
| near the railroad to be carried away, some
to the refineries and some for use In the
| mines and smelling works in its crude
| stote O. P A.