The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-07-25
ANOTHER DEAD SEA FORMING.
Curious Process of Degeneration by
Lake Gcnesaret.

Lake GeneSnret.
Palestine Letter in Philadelphia Times.
VIII there be another sea Of Sodom?
Lieut.. Lynch of the United States navy
has established the fact. previously not
Known with consummate accuracy. that
the depression of the Dead sea (also known
as the sea of Lot and in the Scriptures
as the Salt seal is over 1900 feet below
the level Of the Mediterranean, while that
of Lake Genesaret is 500 feet lower than
the ocean. The measurements were made
twenty years ago, long period in a
semi-volcanic region. Lake Genesaret is
connected with the Dead sea by the Jor-
dan flowing through 1t from north TO
south, and engineers and scientists are
satisfied that the bed Of Jordan is gradu-
ally sinking My observations of the
shores of Lage Genesaret and those of the
inhabitants of the nighboring towns ana
villages indicate that the lake is contin-
uously falling toward the bottom, while
the water is becoming denser from year
to year. The salt strata in its neighbor-
hood are growing constantly, IL seems,
ard sulphur springs are becoming fire.
quent on the plains surrounding II. In
the north and east of the lake the palm
lft19t sunni VI Aiitiu dllNts more OF lHtIl
dead and barren, rise above the water at
a distance Of from twenty to forty feet
from the shore. That they should have
taken root In the water is impossible,
and the supposition is that originally they
stood on little islands that were sub
merged with the sinking of the lakes
bottom
The catastrophe which resulted in the
destruction Of the cities Of Sodom and
Gomorrah and IN the formation Of the
Dead sea is computed to have occurred
about 1900 year before Christ The Dead
sea has puzzled scientists ever since, and
many Of its remarkable features have now
been explained. It's depression below the
level of the Mediterranean is the deepest
known on earth. The bottom Of Lake
Genesaret is on n much higher level at
present. but if it continues to sink as 1t
has done in the last twenty years a rep
etition of the events of 1900 years ago is
not improbable. AS the world has not
been treated to a spectacle Of terrestrial
eVolutions on a grand scale within hun
dreds Of years, the creation of a second
Dead sea within the compass of ordinary
travel would surely attract the attention
of all civilized nations, and at the same
time help to solve many problems of a
scientific nature.
Josephus, who was born in 81 B. c., re-
ports that the water of Genesaret was
clear as crystal, sweet and wholesome"
1 tried to drink of it, but found it putrid
and nauseatng. 1t left a salty taste in
the mouth. l asked the fisherman plying
their trade on the lake as in biblical days
whether the water was always unfit for
drinking purposes, and received answer
that 1t grew more and more foul every
year.
This seems to indicate that the surmises
as to the change of conditions In the lake
are correct. The water of the Dead Sea, as
e. ill l. e.
man. The stencil arising from II creates a
presidential atmosphere for many miles
round. / have never been able to approach
the lake in summer, but the natives have
informed me that about this time of the
year the water, even foot below the sur
face, acquires a temperature Of 80 degrees.
Ii has been observed that past midnight
the temperature of the water on the sur
face measured in the neighborhood of 100
degrees There Is, however, one false i'm
preston in the public mind to be corrected:
The Dead sea is not dead as to animal life.
Hawks, partridges, frogs and pigeons are
numerous upon its shores, and all sorts of
crawling insects abound there; the slug
teish waters too are covered with ducks
in fact. the fauna Is the same as that in
habting the shores of Lake Genesaret,
with this difference, however; all speci-
mems Of the animal world about the Dead
sea are slate colored while those enlivening
aret wear their ordinary plumage and
scaly dress respectively.
The Lake Genesaret, also called the sea
of Tiberias or Galilee, is situated sixty-fve
miles north of the Dead sea. It's extreme
length is fifteen miles. its greatest width
six and three-quarter miles. The water
is very deep even a the shores. In some
spots its depth measures 100 feet, in others
100 and more. In the northeast and north
west the shores are fat and swampy: the
mountains Of Safed approach the lake in
the north; in the west we have the hills
of El-Hamma and Hattin. The volcanic
plateau Of Jaulan commences in the east;
it is distinguished for many dead craters
its greatest hight Is called Hermon and
Il wears an external snow cap. Palms that
bring forth no fruiting, papyrus plants
and oleander flourish in the neighborhood
of the shore. The stones at the edge Of
the water are literally covered with tur-
ties some Of which grow over a foot and
a half long Ducks are plentiful in some
parts: in others the pelican holds forth
in large numbers.