The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1903-07-21
GREAT SALT LAKE
is FAST DISAPPEARING
Utah's. Famous Inland Sea Is Said to
Be Drying Up.

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah, July 20
Evidence is accommodating that the
water of the Great Salt lake Is d1sap-
~pearing; drying up is the term gen.
orally applied.yte rs ~ gces
"'There is no doubt about the lake
| drying up" said Col. o. P. Chisholm, of
| Bozeman, yesterday.
81 went out to Saltair the other day."
continued the colonel, and saw plenty
of evidence that the lake has consider
able less water than when l last saw
| it, year ago.
why. a fellow has to wade out
mile or more before he gets into water
| deep enough to show that the water
contains a sufficient amount of salt to
| float him.
."The reason for the waters disap-
pearance is not easily explainable, but
| the best theory seems to be that lr-
rigation is one, if not the chief cause.
Water is being taken largely from
streams flowing into the lake. With
out water supply the lake is natural
| ly drying up
A party of scientists spent the entire
day recently cruising upon Great Salt
| lake, making Investigations and gather
| ing data in relation to Utah's myster-
| ious sea, that seems to be drying up
at an alarming rate. The cruise re-
suited in the discovery Of several pc
| culldrlIlGS lIdt IL lCNii ~ S<Ai'N, AN'S
| at least never been recorded before.
Evidences were found which are
taken as proof that in the great lake
there are currents flowing about much
in the same manner as the warm cur
rents in the oceans. Temperature tests
places is not uniform warmth, and this
showed that the water in various
is taken as the cause for the lake cur
rents.
Soundings at frequent intervals
showed that the water in parts where
it is deepest is comparatively very
shallow. Along the coast for dis
tance of more than a mile from water
line the bottom was found to be COW
cred with the water too shallow TO
float launch drawing only % inches.
Wide stretches of new beach left high
and dry by the recession of the water
during the present year were found
along the west coast of Antelope is
land.
Efforts to locate some of the fresh
water springs that some have claimed
feed the great lake were unavailing
Unmistakable evidences were found
showing that the water is now going
down at a more rapid rate than it ever
has before.
Along the entire coast of Antelope
at a distance of about three miles out
the water maintains uniform depth
of tWenty-three feet. Inc potion ap-
parently rises very abruptly toward
the island, and the launch was unable
to go nearer the west coast than half
mile.
Owing to lack of time, the party
was unable to follow the big submerg-
ed valley further thar the north point
of Antelope islanG<<Dut Capt. Davis,
who has made soundings further,
states that the water grows gradually
shallower until the Bear River bay is
reached, where it is but sixteen feet.
The coast water was found to be SO
shallow that it is estimated that
fall of three feet in the level would
expose many square miles of new
beach.
In the vicinity of Salt bay, on the
| west coast of Antelope island. temper
ature tests showed that there were
stretches of w3<er much warmer than
| the surrounding waters. The water
was rs degrees. while the other was
| from two to four degrees colder.
! An examination of the beach. at Selt
| bay flowed that a stretch q beach
more than fifty feet wide has been ex
! posed this year. Deposits of fungus
groWths on the beach show where Hle
1 water stood before it began to go down
! this year.
This. compared with the distance be-
| tween the beach lines of former years.
| which remain perfectly plain on the
barren coast of the Island, shows that