Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1902-06-24
:ETHE DEAD SEA.
"A DesoIate : and Forbidding
Body Of Water.
It Lies in a Barren Valley Between
High Hills.
Fish Die in the Heavy Water-The Pill.
lar Of Salt.


plain almost anywhere, for it is like
the Bad Lands of Dakota, except that
the surface is coated with salt and
gypsum instead of alkali. During the
rainy season it is impossible. When
the soil is saturated with water il
sticks to the wheels and makes them SO
heavy that no team can haul them.
There are several camel trails, which
are usually followed by the drivers be-
cause they lead around the heads of
the gulches that the heavy rains have
washed in the soft soil, but camel
usually is a poor pathfinder, and the
unnecessary distance covered by their
trails would exasperate an American
frontiersman.
There is no water upon the plain in
the dry season, but in the rainy season,
the gulches are roaring torrents, for
they carry the drainage of the noun
tains into the Jordan. A few trees are
scattered along the bed of the river,
and occasional punches of grease
wood sage and mustard upon the plain.
Greek monastery, with stately
dome. marking the place where John
the Baptist is said to have had his
abode in the wilderness and where he
lived on locusts and wild honey, is the
only human habitation. The only other
shelter is hut built OF mud and drift
wood on the beach, where the carriages
OF tourists usually come to the water
and where the only boat that plies the
Dead Sea makes its landing.
The hut is occupied by two or three
disrenutable looking Arabs, who were
wirnoW ing wheat this morning in the
old-fashiCned way. The boat had
brought a couple of bags of grain from
the other end of the sea and left il with
them. They spread their cotton cloaks
upon the gravel and threw the wheat
by Shovelsful into the air. The kernels
fell upon the mant"ls. while the breeze
carried the Cbaf over toward the
-vater Ply repeating this process three
OF four times they managed to get the
grain fairly clean.
The Dead Sea occupies a sink inclos-
ed 81 three sides by PERCEPTIONS ard
barren mountains. on the Moab shore
they rise to the height of $500 feet. and
the Jerusalem side to $500 feet, and
touch the water in two places, being
cut by rocky gorges. The Dead Sea is
almost the shape and dimensions of
LAX" Geneva in Switzerland, being
fort seven miles in length and nine
land half miles wide at the widest
part Near the center it is less than
two miles wire. At the northeast corn
q. not far from the mouth OF the Jor-
dan. soundings show q depth of l.3lO
feet From there southwark the bot
tom shelves rapidly upward. and at
the southern extremity il is Only eight
or twelve feet deep. The mean depth
is 1CS0 feet The varia ton in depth
during the year iS often as much as
twenty feet. according to the rai4fall.
The normal level below that of Mcditer-
ranean is 1,292 feet; the total depth of
the depression below the level of the
Mediterranean is 2,e03 feet. Jerusalem
is >, 494 feet above the Mediterranean
and 1856 feet above the Dead Sea.
Scientific obser vation just;fies the
estimate that a daily average of $780,
OOa tons of water is received into the
sea from the Jordan and other sources
during the year. During the rainy
season the amount is very much great
err: during the dry season it is, of
course, very much less, but this aver
age will be maintained year after year
There is no outlet and the level is
kept down by evaporation only, which
is very rapid because of the intense
heat the dry atmosphere and the dry
winds which are constantly blowing
down from the gorges between the
mountains. This evaporation causes
haze or mist to hang over the lake at
In iS ~ ntl
| than usual, heavy clouds form and
| thunderstorms sometimes rage with
great violence in the pocket between
| the cliffs, even in the dry season. A
| flood of rain often falls upon the sur
face of the sea when the sun is shin
ing and the atmosphere is as dry as 9
bone half mile from the shore. The
mountains around the Dead Sea are
rarely seen with Glstinctness because
of this haze.
The waters of Jordan. when they
reach the sea, are as brown as the
earth through which they fiow-a thicF
solution of mud-but the instant the,
mingle with the salt water of the lake
the particles of soil are precpitated
and they become as clear as crystal
with an intensely green tint. Carrying
so much soil and having so swift
current. one would suppose that tn,
sea would be discolored for a consid
cradle distance, but it is not so. TIL
discoloration is remarkably slight. TIL
Jordan has quite a delta at its mouth
breaking into number of streams an,
frequently changing it's course becaus
OF the distractions brought Gown b,
its own current.
All the streams which feed the Dea
Sea are more or less impregnated wit
sodium. sulphur and other chemicals
hence the water contains an 1nusua
, quantity. At least &c per cent. of soil
substance. Seven per cent. of this i
common salt, 6 per cent. is chloride G
magnesium, which gives the water it
nauseous and bitter taste, and 5 pc
cent. is chloride of calcium. whic
makes it feel smooth and oily to tn
touch. There are several other in
gradients in smaller quantities. TIL
water boils at 221 degrees Fahrenheit
Its specific gravity varies from 1,02
where it receives the discharge G
!, fresh water from the Jordan. to 1,25
' at the southern part, near Ie1ge {
}. rock salt Salt has been collected an
: sold in the neighboring cities from tn
, earliest times. and is considered par
h ticularly ST, ong.
At the bottom of the lake are larg
| i. 4