The Newtown bee., 1904-08-12
THE sHoRE OF THE GREAT SALT LAKE

THE sHORE OF THE GREAT SALT LAKE for some distance before reaching Og- den. At Ogden we made the transfer from the Southern Pacific to the Den yer and Rio Grande train in the fine Union Depot. Our train whirls us along at a rapid pace through fer tile valley. At the base of the Wa Satch mountains on our left, while look. ing of across the long stretch of level plain on our right, we see the blue out line of the waters of Great Salt Lake. We are at an elevation still, of over 4OOO feet, and the peaks of the Wasatch range towering 2OOO feet above our heads are sSnOW covered, but the val ley under intensive cultivation and systematic irrigation is grooming un- der it's burden of luxuriant crops, and the hay and grain harvest is booming. Kenyon, one of the tirst-claSs hotels located in the central part of the city, where after a good nights rest, we on the following day in the city, that for some reasons had become some what widely known. Our stay in Salt Lake City was to be only for one day. Taking points of interest as it seemed to us, in the order by which we could see the most in the least possible time. We took the early morning to look in- to the Mormon feature of the city, as it shows itself in its houses of worship and in it's historic grounds. We went first to Temple Block from which as a center radiates all the streets of the city. Temple Block is 40 rods square, 8 stone and adobe wall, 10 feet in height. All the buildings pertaining to the work of the Mormon church are within the enclosed area and vis- itors applying to the Mormon Bureau of Information will be politely taken over the grounds and given needed in formation. For statistics regarding the Organ, Tabernacle and Temple we are indebted to high Mormon of fcial, who cOurteously took us through places where Gentiles are allowed to to go and seemed very willing to an .swer the questions put to him by an inQuisitive Yankee. Of course the central figure on Temple Block is the Mormon Temple, built of granite brought from a quarry 20 miles dis tant, before the advent of a railroad, the huge blocks of stone being trans ported by OK teams, taking four yoke of oxen four days to transport single block from the quarry to the Temple grounds. Work was commenced on the building in 1853 and finished in 1893, being 40 years in building. The building is 1861 feet long, 99 feet wide, the height of the rock work on the walls of the main building is 1074 feet, and the wall varies from six to nine feet in thickness. The foundation wall below the ground and upon which the building rests, is 16 feet wide and 16 feet deep: The central tower is surmounted by the figure of an angel one-half inches high, covered with gold leaf, represented as proclaiming the everlasting gospel as interpreted by the Mormon church. The Temple is never entered except by those high 1 in Mormon church circles, and never for ordinary church services, but for the highest religious sacraments and ceremonies. All needed monies fol carrying on the financial affairs of the church are obtained by tithing, every
 Mormon being required to contribute one-tenth of all incomes he may have
 into the church treasury.
 THE TABERNACLE
 in which their religious services are
 held, was five years in building, has g
 roof that consists of single unsuppOrt
 ed arch. The dimensions of the build
 ing are 15O feet wide, 25O feet long, 9(
 feet high, and will seat comfortably
 5000 people. It's acoustic propertie!
 are wonderful. A person standing 1T
 the organ loft can drop a pin in hat
 and a person standing in the galler!
 at the opposite end, 25O feet distant
 can distinctly hear the pin drop. Th' l fo2f Wa noQ6o fnr Q icfoNtinn uUl
 heard the pin as it struck, and MT
 Johnson obtained the pin as a souve
 mir. Without doubt the most inter
 esting thing to be seen at the Taber
 nacle is the Great Organ, constructed
 30 years ago by Utah artisans ant
 mostly of native material. It was re
 constructed two years ago, re-vOiceC
 according to modern schools, and
 now regarded by critics the most per
 feet instrument in existence.
 THE DIMENSIONS OF THE ORGAN
 are 30 X B feet with an altitude of, 5
 feet. It has no stops, contains owe
 5000 pipes, ranging in length from one
 fourth of an inch to B feet. It ha
 four key boards in addition to the ped
 als, and is capable of 400 tOnal varie
 ties. The organ is blown by 10 hors
 power electric motor, and two gang of feeders furnish 5000 cubic feet 0
 air minute when it is being played full. The Organist is seated 20 fee from the instrument, with his back t , the organ. Near the organ are seat } for the unpaid choir, which has a men . bership of $50 singers.
 , Salt Lake City has an area of l } square miles, it's streets are 132 fee } wide and cross each other at righ , angles. It's sidewalks are each 20 fee