Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1899-11-24
PALACE OF SALT.
A Dome in Utah That Shines Like Diamonds in
the Sunlight.
Salt Lake Herald

The great dome-like structure
which has been rapidly building into
the air down at the salt palace
grounds is now beginning to look like
palace of salt. All the framework
and the base boards are being covered
up with coatings of salt, some very
thin and some very thick.
The work has been begun in earnest,
and from now on will proceed rapidly
until the building shall become mass
of glittering and glinting particles of
salt from the waters of the Great Salt
lake. The ceilings and potion Of
the walls, both inside and outside, will
be covered with layers of salt probably
one half inch in thickness. At other
places thick chunks of salt will be
nailed on to the walls. Every part of
the interior except the ceiling of the
dome will be entirely covered. Wood
work will not be visible anywhere.
The wonders that will be seen when
the electric lights shine upon this
mass, the brilliance and scintillation
may be imagined much easier than de.
scribed.
1t has required many and arduous
experiments to find method of put
ting the salt layers on the walls. For
time it seemed that no method
would be found, but by continuous
trial J. w. McGrath, who has charge
of the matter, learned way by which
the salt may be squirted and sprayed
against the walls and ceiling and yet
retain its native brilliance.
McGrath took an ordinary painting
machine, such as is used by railroad
companies in spraying paint on build
ings through hose, and by putting
on one or more attachments he can
squirt the salt, half dissolved or dry,
against the walls or ceilings.
His machine works with compressed
air made by small dynamo and
stored in tanks giving pressure of 80
pounds. He began on part of the
ceiling under the roof OF the west por-
tico. First there had been put on the
boards a coating of chemicals like
whitewash, and the half dissolved salt
was squirted against it. After this
one coat mixture of sawdust and
glue will be put on and two more
coats OF wet salt will follow. While
this is yet damp finely powdered salt
will be sprayed upon the ceiling.
That will lend pure white effect on
the surface made rough by the saw
dust. McGrath has his machine SO
regulated that he can spray larger
crystals OF salt that will have the
sparkle OF diamonds.
To secure a rougher appearance
outside paper slightly raised and ruff
fled will be nailed on the walls. The
thin layer of salt upon this follows all
the indentures. making the salt as
sumo the irregularities seen as the
water is evaporated from it upon the
shores of the lake.
But lower down on the walls on the
outside there will be placed layers OF
salt, some two to five inches in thick
ness, and the interstices will be filled
with cement. The finest specimens
are on the magnificent pillars sur
rounding the building. Very thick
and heavy blocks, with peculiarly
rough formations, have been placed
on them. These were found on piles
at the lake, where waves had reached
up, each one leaving sediment until
layers several inches thick were
formed. Had enough been found 1t
might have been placed around the
wainscoting on the outside. But only
a sufficient quantity to cover the large
columns was discovered.
There will be no covering OF salt
upon the outside nor the inside OF the
dome. 1t would be too costly to put
salt layer on the outside, though Ar
chitect Kletting said that prepara-