Walker Lake bulletin. (Hawthorne, Nev.) 1883-1926, 1895-07-17
Usalkep Lake D
The Kind Caught in the Time
of Christ.
IS THE SEA OF GALLILEE SINKING.
An Interesting Visit to the Spot Made
Memorable by Miracles Told OF In
the Bible.


States Navy. established the fact. pre-
viously not known with accuracy, that
the depression of the Desd Sea, also
known as the Sea of Lot AID in the
Scriptures as the Salt Sea, il over 300
feet below the level of the Mediterran-
can, while that of Lake Gennesaret is
500 feet lower than the ocean. 1t was
in Lake Gennesaret. or the Sea of CALI
lee, that the Apostles fished, and the
place is associated with many memora-
BILE events in the life of Christ.
The measurements were made twenty
years ago. Lake Gennesaret is con-
nected with the Dead Sea by the his
toric River Jordan. flowing from north
to south. The region is semi.volcanic,
and engineers and scientists from re-
cent observations are satisfied that the
bed of the Jordan is gradually sinking.
A World correspondent who has visited
the shores of Lake Gennesaret and
talked with the inhabitants of the
neighboring towns and villages writes
that the lake is continually falling to-
wards the bottom, while the water is
becoming denser year after year. The
salt strata in its neighborhood are
growing constantly, and sulphur
springs are becoming frequent on the
plains surrounding it,
In the north and east of the lake the
tops of palm trees. some alive. but
most of them dead and barren, rise
above the water from twenty to forty
feet from the shore. That they should
have taken root in the water is impossi-
BILE, and the superstition is that origin
ally they stood on little islands that
were submerged with the sinking OF
the lakes bottom.
The catastrophe which resulted in
the destruction Of the cities of Sodom
and Gomorrah, which were located near
the shore of the Dead Sea, is computed
to have occurred about 1900 years be-
fore Christ. The Dead Sea has ever
puzzled scientists, and it's remarkable
features have never been explained.
It's depression below the level of the
Mediterranean is the deepest of all
known bodies of water. The bottom
of Lake Gennesaret is on much
higher level at present, but if it con-
tinues to sink as it has done in the
last twenty years repetition OF the
events of $500 years ago Is not inn
treated to a spectacle of terrestrial evo-
buttons on grand scale within hun
dreds of years, the creation of second
Dead Sea within the compass Of ordi
nary travel would surely attract the
attention of all civilized nations and,
at the same time, help to solve many
problems of a scientific nature.
1t has been said by Typographical his
torians of the Holy Land that the water
of Lake Gennesaret was as clear as
crystal. sweet and wholesome. The
World correspondent tried to drink of
it, but found it putrid and nauseating.
1t left salty taste in the mouth. The
fishermen who ply their trade on the
lake, as in Biblical days, said the water
was always unfit for drinking pur-
poses, and declared that it grew more
and more foul every year.
This would indicate that the sur
misses as to the change Of conditions in
the lake are correct. The water of the
Dead Sea, as is well known, is entire
ly unfit for use by man. The stencil
arising from it creates pestilential
atmosphere for many miles around.
Approach to the lake in summer is i'm
possible. and the natives say that about
this time of the year the water to foot
below the surface, acquires tempera-
ture of 90 degrees, and holds it even at
night
There is. however. one false impress
sion to be corrected; the Dead Sea is
not dead as to animal life. Hawks,
cartridges, frogs and pigeons are num-
erous upon its shores, and all sorts of
crawling insects abound there. The
sluggish waters are covered with ducks
i'm fact, the fauna are the same as
those inhsbiting the shores of Lake
Gennesaret. except that all living
things about the Dead Sea are slate
colored, while those enlivening the
shores and the surface of Lake Genne-
saret wear their natural plumage and
scaly dress.
Lake Gennesaret. also called the Sea !
Of Tiberias or Sea of Galilee, is stu
ated So miles north of the Dead Sea.
Its extreme length is Is miles, its great
est width 6s4 miles. The water is
very deep, even at the shores In some
spots its depth is 100 feet: in others
750 and more. The correspondent /
writes that palms. papyrus plants and
oleanders flourish near the shore. The
stones at the edge of the water are
literally covered with turtles. some
Ut which grow over foot and a-half
long. Ducks are plentiful, and the
pelican is found in large numbers
Big Holsters are also in evidence. The
inhabitants of the many ruined cities
now mere villages on the western
shore, filed with mud huts and novels.
notably Tiberias, Capernaum and Mag
almost entirely upon the
lake product, just as the Apostles did.
1t was "his own city''-and there it
was that he taught the multitude and
v,,arv x,,sroolao Px,t kha