Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1899-09-09

Before another century ncnrs o. end
the Grca; salt Lake, the mysterious.
tldcless inland uen Graded 1000 feet
above the level or oceans. may have dis
appeared into air. For three decades.
says a special writer " the Chicago
Tribune. ~ shore line steadily has been
contracting ~ depth continually grow
ing less. until today its ultimate des-
tiny IL written 10 lcEibly that none
deny the approach. The declaration
that the waters arc being waited into
the atmosphere IL NO figure % speech.
Evaporation II the Zoe which IN certain
course u time. under prevailing con-
ditionH. ~ going 10 transform the vast
expanac of water into "a huge salt plain.
Ages ago. thousands Of years the
biologists say. the Great salt Lake,
then sea covering the greater part.
possibly the whole, u the great basin
began 90 ruhsldc. but strangely enough
the agency which now 10 fastening itH
disappearance Do distinctly Of human
origin. OF moro astonishing purport
Htill the MOrmuuH who made the valley
OF the Jordan widen from "A narrow
"trip % green Co miles on miles OF nclds
the people who have sacrificed the lake.
That they may exist that their rich
tracts may continue TO bear, they de-
lihcrutgly are cutting nn tho source OF
fresh water supply Of the mountain sea.
Htagnhnt and helpless the lake o. COM
Ing 10 Ne ut the complete mercy OF "A
plulcaH sun
HIDDEN SPRINGS a MYTH.
Not many years ago gcographors and
descriptive writer's took "A fancy TO eN-
pressing the belief that the Great salt
Lake was fed not alone BY the four
rivers which empty into u, but by hid
den springs at it bottom. A. long na
no one took the trouble to question the
assertions they were accepted Hr fnctH,
and by many persons are utlll credited.
II there were springs az Intervals along
the bed OF the lake II would not matter
20 much whether the rivers continued
60 pour their contents into the basin,
but no springs exist They were called
into The pages OF text books and into
the accounts ~ travellers TO explain
why the lake N Hu exceptionally salt
IL sounded much better 60 say that
nature. by one ~ its freaks, had opened
w the crust OF the earth at this point
and sent volumes uf brlny water bulb
bling forth, something after the style
OF gvyrura ana sulphur springs, than 60
mako the simple statement THAT the
the process Of evaporation on body
OF water lacking q drainage outlet, and
that itH excess was the consequence of
altitude. Plainly enough. if the inflow
ms water Doe diverted Go other uses bee
fore 10 reaches the lake. thurG will come
day when the Huit deposit. which is
the result NJ the long continued ware
fare between sun and water, viii stand
exposed, itH blanket gone.
USE WATER ~ IRRIGATION.
The Mormoua. more. perhaps. than
any class OF settlers iu the arid dis
trleiH Of North America. have mastered
the science uf irrigation They have
been studying uul experimenting FOR
over hut century In ull the time
since they entered thoir pr0mlHed land
they have luhOrul with the end "
making d. little water do the most pos
Hlhlv good.
Unfortunately for tho Great sal,
Lake, the lessons lu economy Loo the
usage uf irrigation uVulDtH have NOT
served 10 Keep pace with the Increase
IN population ana tho consequent noccs-
Sly OF the continued reclamation of
arid luud. Al the water Tor the irrlga.
ion " the Jordan vallyy=the Great
SAT- Lake Stake VI the Mormon
Church us q b. denpmlnated- must
come from the rivers which feed tha
lake. They are tho Jordan river itself
connecting the fresh water Utah lakl
with the larger body. Weber river
winch has itH source in tho foothills oi
tho ylntuh mountains and flows north.
ward, winding close 10 ogden before II
emptieH into the lake; ogden river. 4
smaller stream, which parallels In,
weber for the latter half OF The jour,