The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-11-21
GREAT SALT LAKE.
CIogsinG of the Salt Rocks Causes a
Loss of Saline strength.


The Great Salt Lake is two feet lower
to-day than ever before known in the his
tory Of Utah, and according to competent
observers Il is rapidly changing its chief
characteristic and turning into an inland
sea of fresh water Every fall the lake is
several feet lower than in the spring but
this year the waters have subsidized to such
an extent that many of the bathing paVll-
ions and boat houses are left high and
dry upon the beach. 1t has always been
believed by experts that the lake had an
| underground outlet, but no explorer has
yet been fortunate enough to discover any.
1t is supposed, however that outlets exist
and that during the last six months they
| have gained noticeably upon the springs
which supply the lake with It's water.
On the northern slopes Of the lakes
shores and down the western border are
numberless springs which have always
run pure brine into the inland sea. These
| springs evidently come through immense
rocks of salt in the earth, and by wash
iug through them they make the spring
water intensely brlny by the time it
reaches the surface. There have been signs
of change in these springs in recent
years. Several times they have ceased to
flow as rapidly as usual and the water
they poured up appeared fresher. They
have now become partly choked up either
give the same supply of salt water as
they did years ago. In several other places
notably on East Antelope, within fifteen
feet of the trimming lake hasin-there are
many fresh water springs that gush up at
all seasons of the year and pour into the
lake. These fresh water springs have be-
come larger and more powerful since the
salt water springs became clogged up, and
1t Is supposed the underground reservoir
of water diverted from it's usual course, Is
now seeking an adequate outlet through
the springs where no salt rocks exist.
II this theory is correct, the Great Salt
Lake will gradually turn to fresh water
and the surface will continue to fan I'M
I'll the winter and spring freshets from
the mountains fill it again. This addi-
tlonal water Will add no salt to the great
sea, but make it fresher than ever. 1t
has been well known for many years that
the Great Salt Lake is fresher in the
early spring than in the summer and the
phenomenon is probably caused by the adj
dition of great quantities of water from
the SHOWS and streams OF the mountains
Those engaged in manufacturing salt on
the lake say that it takes six gallons of
water TO make one gallon of salt i'm the
summer and fall, but that in early spring
IL often takes seven and even eight gallons
to make the same quantity of salt
There are three large streams emptying
into the Great Salt Lake-the Bear. We
Der and Jordan rivers-but they make no
appreciable difference in the saldness Of
the lake, except early in the spring. when
they carry the melting SHOWS of the
mountains down to the lake. So long as
the underground springs of salt contin-
ued to pour their brine into the lake, it
required an immense volume of fresh wa
ter TO neutralize their effect.
The Great Salt Lake is seventy miles
long and fifty miles across in it's widest
part, and it has an area of 1000 square
miles. Another peculiar change that has
taken place In the lake Is the gradual up
( heaval of the bottom. In recent years it's
greatest depth has not exceeded forty feet
while the average depth is only from
twelve TO twenty. Fifty years ago the
bottom could not be sounded in places, and
lines hundred feet long failed to strike
| loft