, 1896-08-15
BATHING IN SALT LAKE.
Floating Is Easy. But an Attempt to
Swim Has Comical Results.

1t may seems preposterous to talk o.
the fines. sea bathing on earth a thou
sand miles from the ocean: but truth
is no less truth because it appears alb
surd. The sea bathing in Great Salt
lake Infinitely surpasses anything OF
ohe kind on either the Atlantic and Pa
ciffc coast. The water contains many
times more salt and much more soda,
sulphur, magnesia, chlorine, bromine
and potassium than any ocean water
on the globe. 1t is powerful in medi-
cinal virtues. curing o r benefting many
forms OF rheumatism, rheumatic govt,
dyspepsia, " disorders and GU
taneous diseases; and 1t acts like magic
on the hair of those unfortunates
whose tendencies are to baldheadness.
It IS a prompt and potent tonic and in
ylfgorant OF body and mind, and then
there is no end of fun in getting ac-
quainted with its peculiarities.
A first bath in 1t is always as good
as a circus, the ibather being his or her
own amusing trick mule. The specific
gravity is but a trife less than hat Of
the Holy Land Dead sea. ':he actual fig
ures with distilled water as unity be-
ing, for the ocean, 1.027; for Salt lake,
1.1O7; and for the Dead sea, 1.116. The
human body will no. and can % sink
in it. You can walk out in it where it
is so feel deep, and your body will
stick up out of it like a fishing cork
from the shoulders upward. You can
sit down in it perfectly secure where it
is fathoms deep. Men lie on top of it
with their arms crossed under their
headsheads and smoke their cigars. Its
buoyancy is indescribale and unimag-
Unable. Any one can float upon it at
The first trial; there is nothing to do
but lie down gently upon tt-and float.
But swimming is an entirely differ
mt matter. The moment O begin to
paddle your own canoe" lively and
to the Observation-Disclosures
exercises ensue. When you stick your
hands under to make a stroke, your
feet decline to Say anywhere but N
Top; and when. after an exciting tus-
sic with your refractory pedal extremi-
ties, your hands fly out with the splash
and splitter Of a half dozen f1utter
being heavier than your heels, you
chance to turn a somersault and your
head goes under, your heels will pop
up like a pair Of frisky d%idapper ducks.
You can not keep more than n end
OF yourself under water at once. but
you soon learn how to wrestle with hts
novelties, and then it becomes "a thing
of beauty and a joy for any summer
day. The water is delightful to the
| skin. every sensation is exhllarating.
and one can not help feeling in it like
a gilded cork adrift in a jewel-rimmed
bowl Of champagne punch. In the sense
| Of luxurious ease with which 1t envel-
ops the bather 1t is unrivaled on earth.
The only approximation TO it Is in the
phosphorescent waters of the Mosquito
Indian coast.
The water does not freeze until The
thermomdtric mercury tumbles down
to 10 degrees above Zero, or IA degrees
below the ordinary freezing point. 1t
is as clear as crystal, with a bottom OF
snow-whfte sand. and small objects
can be distinctly seen at a depth OF 20
feet. There is not a fish or any other
living thing in all the $500 or 5000
square miles OF beautiful and mysteri-
Gus waters. except the yearly increas-
ing warns OF summer baythers. Not a
shark or a stingaree to scare the timid
swimmer or ffoater. not a crab or a
crawtish to nip the toe of the nervous
wader, not a minnow or a frog, a tad
pole or a pollywog-nothing that lives.
moves, swims, crawls or wriggles. 1t
Is the ideal sea bathing place OF the
worfd.-Utahnian.