The Opelousas courier., 1899-02-04
WATERS OF SALT LAKE.
fHE MICHTIEST MARVEuOF ALL MAR.
Vicious UTAH.

vine, is great Salt Lake, the Ameri-
can Dead Sea. Among all earth's
weird wonders in water it has but one
:ival or peer-the miracle-made sea
whose waves of doom and oblivion
roll over Sodom and Gomorrah, the
Chicagos Of forty centuries ago. Think
of a lake from $500 to 5000 square
miles in area, lying 1000 miles inland,
at an altitude of 1850 feet above the
sea level, whose waters are six times
as salt as those Of the ocean: and while
it has no outlet. four large rivers
pouring their ceaseless floods of fresh
watsr into it, without raising its mys-
terious surface a fraction of all inch,
or ever diminishing, so far as chemi-
gal analysis can determine, its indie
scribable saltiness. Where does all
the water go? Where does all the
salt, that no stream can freshen, come
from? Where are the vast saline mag
azines from which it draws everlast-
ing supplies? One may stand upon
it's shores and ask a thousand such
questions, but no answer comes from
its mysterious depths, amid which
death and silence reign supreme.
There is not a fish or any living
thing in all the $500 or 5000 square
miles of beautiful water, except the
yearly increasing swarms of summer
bathers. Not a shark or a stingaree
to scare the timid swimmer or foater;
not a crab Or a craw6sh to nip the toe
of the wader; not a minnow or a frog,
a tadpole or a pollywog-nothing that
lives, moves, crawls or wriggles.
Long before human being invaded
this mysterious and beautiful region
or before the little band of Mormons,
after their long march from Illinois
ann months of weary travel across the
barren plains and over towering
mountain ranges, pitched their tents
in the picturesque valley adjoining
Salt Lake, this wonderful body of
water was larger than Lake Huron and
1000 fpet deep. Its ancient plashings
are still plainly visible on the noun
tain benches and are as easily trace
able as though they were written but
yesterday.
It is now about 100 miles long, with
An average width of twenty-five to
thirty miles. It is from fifty to sixty
miles in some places and its greatest
depth is about sixty feet. It's waters
contain about eighteen per cent. of
solid matter, mostly salt and soda,
with small proportions of sulphur,
magnesia, calcium, bromide, potas-
ium, lithia and boracic acid. The
Asiatic Dead Sea water contains twen-
ty-three per cent. Of solids, including
less salt and soda and much more mag
nesia, calcium and potassium than
Salt Lake. Atlantic Ocean water holds
but 3.5 per cent. of solid material, of
which salt constitutes 90 per cent.
Hundreds Of thousands Of tons of salt
are made by natural evaporation along
the shores of the lake, and at one
place near Salt Lake City a windy
night never fails to pile up many tons
Of soda. eliminated by the movement
of the waves.
Compared with this vast liquid treas
ure house Of riches. the greatest bo-
nanza mines of Utah or of the United
States dwindle to beggars' penny
Take out your pencil and do a
little figuring. Figures, it is said, will
not lie, and you will soon find your
self dumbfounded before your own
mathematical truths.
Say Salt Lake is 100 miles long and
has an average width of twenty-seven
miles; that gives an area of 2700
square miles. There are 27,978, 400
square feet in a mile; so the lake has
An area OF 1921, $50, 900 square feet.
Take twenty feet as it's average depth;
then twenty times times rs, 271, $50, 900
will gives US 1905, 433, soc, 900 cubic
feet as the contents Of the lake.
Now, 16a per cent, or one-sixth of
his, according to the analysis of emf
nent chemists, is salt and sulphate of
soda.
That is, the lake contains $50, $685.
900 cubic feet of salt and sulphate
If soda. OF this mass one-eighth is
sulphate of soda and seven-eighths
salt.
The ordinary valuation of sulphate
soda is n cent per pound, or $40
per ton. Common salt, at q low esti-
nate, is worth one-half cent per pound,
or $40 per ton, aggregating for the
salt and soda contained in this great
Of water a value of $103, 493,-
296, 900.
The irregular, picturesque banks,
a glistening snowy white by
heavy deposits of salt, extend miles
rom the waters edge, marking with
1nmistakable evidence the old bed of
The present lake. Out of the notion
ess emerald water giant mountains
Use to an elevation Of 5000 feet. In
he summer they are covered with YER
lure and abound in exquisite scenery.
Near the tops many springs send forth
pure crystal water, which winds it's
way in silver threads about the noun
tain, and, ultimately meeting other
water, forms larger streams, which
cap playfully over lodges and make
sweet music as they go dashing, splash
ng, singing merrily down the noun
into the lake below. Rich
flourish everywhere, while ex-
groves Of trees lend their ex-
beauty to the scene.
The lake has receded from the city
proper about twenty miles. One of
he most delightful features of a visit
the region of the great Salt Lake is
! bath in the lake. One of the finest
md most imposing pavilions in the
which ia said fo have cost q