The morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1899-1930, 1907-08-18

fyom Salt Lake City to san Francisco
Eight miles wide and 40 miles long, thi
enormous saline deposit presents mucl
the same appearance as polar ice foe
the effect OF the glittering crystal
stretching away to the horizon in line
OF unhroken white, being one which can
not be obtained anywhere else In tn
world except in the zones OF eternal Ice
\ So closely are the salt crystals packe'
together that the ties for the railroat
are laid on the surface and the l50.00'
pound engines pass over them without
making any impression on it. In plac
ing the Telegraph poles along the line o
the road, it was found necessary TO BIAS
out the sllt, with dynamite, its rock
like hardness making it impossible t,
Zig down the eight feet required to give
secure support to the poles, Eight feet
is the deepest bore which has been mad,
into the deposit, aud its true depth re-
mains unknown as yet.
The commercial value Of this salt de.
rosit, srid TO he 9s per cent pure, is
something enormous.
Engineers who have studied the TO.
geography OF this part Of the country
are inclined to the belief that large
body ol water unlrrlies thi, enormous
salt bed, and that herein lies the cxpla
nation for the well known saline quality
OF Great salt Lake. The salt body is
situated q feet higher than the lake at
the Mormon capital, ana the slope ot
the land near the deposit i, such that II
water existed there II would flow in the
direction OF the lake. With this as a
basis for their deduction, the engineers
who laid out the road have evolved the
interesting theory that some large sub,
teTanean boiy OF wter is gradually dis
solving the great alt bed from under.
meath and carrying 1t way in solution
through underground channels which lead
to the Great salt Lake,
In view Of the curiou, geological com.
position OF the country, in which rivers
are frequently known to disappear com.
pletely from the surface and rcappear
miles away with greatly increased vol.
ume the hypothesis is plausible at least
and will doubtless be Investigated upon
a scientific basis as soon as the Western
Pacific Is in position to handle passen,
ger traffic. Boring, through the salt,
while similar in difficulty to boring
through solid rock should determine in
large measure the formation Of the salt
beneath the surface and should deter
mine in large measure the formation OF
the sllt beneath the surface ard should
sottle the question as to whether Or not
body or stream Of water is eating
away the salt body on its lower side.
Government officials from the weather
bureau are at present in the Salton ba.
Sin studying evaporation, and may take
mp the study Of salt deposits when their
present Investigations are concluded.
Leaving Salt Lake City, the Western
Pacific skirts the south end OF the lake,
CLOSING it at one point for distance Of
SIX miles, where the wafer lie- on both
sides Of the track, and ut milepost No.
50 enters the Great American desert.
Here, for nearly 40 miles the trains cross
. vast sea Of white alkai, cleaning in
dry, dazzling whitene,s in all directions.
Looked upon with dread in the drys
when the prairie schooner was the best
means Of transportation the desert will
now become simply an object Of curios-
ity, to be viewed in the same light as
any Of the other scenic wonders that are
to be enjoyed from Western Railroads.
The Forty miner, when he reached the
edge Of this desolate stretch of drouth-
ridden territory. fguratively drew a long
breath and plunged across it with some.
thing the same feeling Of desperation
with which man facing prarie fire
would dash through the flames to the
safety that lies beyond When the new
road is completed, the porter will walk
through his Pullman and call the atten-
tion Of travellers to the sea Of alkali and
salt, but the traveller will suffer no in
convenience from making the trip which
was marked in former days by trail
Of whitening bones and rotting wagons.
Over near the west end of the desert
lie the salt beds, and here the dusty
whiteness of the landscape changes to
the sparkle of % Christmas postcard. De-
Il. ~