Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1899-09-09
IS SALT LAKE DESTINED TO DISAPPEAR?
Irrigation Depicting the That Feed
al the Sms Mercy.

from mightiness 10 comparative iowil-
ness are craven on the ranges OF noun
talna. which are within sight VI the lake
on three sides. The fronts uf some u
the mountains have the appearance OF
having been formed by plling truucatcd
pyramids one on top uf the other The
different shore lines Of the past stand
out ~ distinctly and uH evenly ns II "a
surveyors line had been formed and
surveyors line had been run along the
face Of the ridges.
The terrace eject has one Of its beat
illustrations along spur Of the Oqulrrn
range nt the south end OF the lake.
when the body ~ water was "a sea la
truth. these juttlug mountains may
have been "a long. narrow island Either
that or else they were entirely SUBJ
merged. ln the latter event the surface
has fallen more than 1000 feet. how
much more GOO standard is loft by which
90 judge. The line VI the top terrace 10
near enough tp the summit of the RANGE
Co permit the theory that once there
was Htlll higher level above the crest.
That the belief "a not Illogical is
shown hy % comparison on the appear
ance of hilly iHlct1 ln the lake. with the
mountains back from the shore line.
Frequently an Island Shove "a single
terrace, ON the tine generally OF The
lowest of the markings OF the coast
range. The Lowell Of the second terrace
comes above tho top VI tho hill. furnish
ing proof that the lElunu. az least, was
once far under water
ONCE a VAST ENPANsE.
No Imaginary description can give an
adequate lial of what must have been
%" a.-u NJ tho prImeynl sea. Ito area.
" scientific t|tlmIlDH be accented nn
facts certainly Included Bear lake at
the north ana Utah lake at the south.
To the east the Wnsatch mountains
ahd lhelr flsht-angioi spur the Ulnthh
range. interpreted an impossible bnr-
rler. but 10 the west II may have sptpad
over the entire territory OF the present
Great American desert
Many gcogr1phurs have asserted that
orlglnally Il nlled the entire great baaln
% which the desert 10 but part. South.
ward. winding its way between the
opultrh ana the WuHltoh ranges, 20
could have stretched away uutn lie
waters Tapped the sides 1f Mount Nebo
whose sunw-whlto head ~ visible fr1m
The shore of the luloulthuuFh lbs foot
hlllu an" u duys Journey away IL IA
well within the range OF possibility
that the sacred titled mountain Uneif
may have been am island In %, bosom
"t the roh, Some persons even have
dared 90 say that Mount Badly. away
W. htA' '''HNNNNfN 20 W HAH Nl|N" NNf MN
coast range. More probability attaches
20 the abatement that Lake Sevler ls
another remnant uf the great sen. II
tho body ala extend this far To the
south u hlh lvft mo- evidences ON tho
mountains, which, however. are OF n
formation less apt 90 be- nodded by the
water than those farther 20 the north
INLAND SEAS MYSTERY.
The rrs4fsaf 55I,.at.r,s .t,,,,t a.. ana.
Ices ocean Turks ln the manner iu which
~ euhHIded. Hy th- mountain mark.
Ings IL would seem that some unknown
aEeneY made ita force felt ut regular
intervals. tuluiuE out e portion of tho
cpnienia ut The basin with the precision
~ "a man umptylug a bucket Tho
lnNcr never WAS vNertel iu 3D. entire
force, else thorr would be not so much
ms "a strip 1f water remaining. N IL
was OF volcanic origin, It's application
~ hll probability was made on the roe
Flon To the uorthWard and northwest.
ward ut tho shore, each disturbance
opening "a wider and a deeper way to
tho sea
That tho lake drained at one time
into the Pacific ocean long hae been a
general belief though biologists na "a
rulo have insisted that the opening dli
not exist when the surface was lt ia
highest level They have assorted for
the most part the conviction that the
body Of water was as free from outlet
then as now, and that the sinking OF
ihr cuth'H crust To connect tho lake
with what are now the Snake ana the
Columbia rivers was tho first Sign OF
dcCadcuco A few have demurrcd and
have pointed out that the lake was a
fresh water body In the prehistoric era.
Js'ate which would not have obtained