East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1910-12-26
GREAT SALT LAKE
IS A PUzzIER
INLAND SEA PROVES
MYSTERY TO SCIENTISTS
Men OF Learning Unable to Solve the
Problem OF Its Escaping Waters
and Diminishing Area-The MaeI-
strom Near Antelope Island.

The Great Salt lake of Utah con-
tlnues to be one of the greatest mys-
teries of nature. For sixty years its
rise and fall have been studied by sci.
entists In an effort to account for the
changes, but as yet they have reached
no satisfactory solution of the prob
lem as to what Is the principal cause
OF the decrease in its depth.
Those familiar with its depth and
the shrinking in its size each year
assert that at the end of twenty years
or so the bed of the lake will be near
iy all exposed, with the possible ex-
ception of few shallow pools of wa
ter. Then perhaps the mystery con-
nected with 1t will be solved.
In its dimensions the lake is really
sea, 1t being above seventy-five
miles in length and fifty miles across
at its greatest width, containing.
therefore, over 1000 square miles of
surface. Near the shores the wates
10 so shallow that there are places
where one may wade out from the
beach for a distance of a mile. vet
viii not be immersed up to his shoul-
ders.
The buoyancy of the water is such
that It Is almost impossible for one
to remain on his feet at a greater
depth, his body beng lifted up as a
strip Of wood thrown into the water
in vertical or oblique direction like
dart is returned to the surface in
horizontal position.
Indeed. il is believed the Great Salt
lake Will support more weight to a
given volume of water than even the
Dead sea, to which In many respects
1t bears striking similarity.
The large quantity of salt in solu-
ton is the principal reason for the
buoyancy. As the lake recedes its
bottom Is shown TO he composed of a
heavy crust OF salt, which is almost
pure lying upon a stratum that con-
sists chiefly of sand. In this respect
the bed Of the lake is similar to some
OF the deserts in the southwest which
once contained bodies of water equal
In size TO that in Utah or even larger.
1t is known that the Great Salt lake
loses a large quantity of water yearly
by evaporation, but estimates of this
quantity indicate that it is far less
than that annually poured into the
lake from the rivers and creeks enter
ing It.
so far as Is known no natural out
let exists, but the lake supplies an ir-
rigating system in the country adjac-
ent that requires a quantity Of water
yearly equal to a depth Of four inches
of the present area. This is a very
small portion of the volume of water
that enters it through its feeders, so
the scientists know the water escapes
in some other manner than by the ir-
rigation canal or by evaporation.
This is proved by the fact that the
Increase in the quantity that enters
the lake at rainy season at times
does not increase its depth, and the
records show that actually it has fall
len Immediately after the Jordan and
other streams have contributed
larger volume than usual
Near what is called Antelope island
is an Indication that a subterranean
opening exists. Frequently the waters
near the island are so violently dis
turbed that people in the vicinity call
this place the "maelstrom" and care
ully avoid it when on the lake in
boats
A number of years ago, it is said,
sailing vessel loaded with sheep
CHANGED to approach too near the
"maelstrom" and despite the strong
breeze that was blowing the force of
the water was greater than the power
OF the sails, the vessel being drawn
into the middle OF the disturbance and
capsized. Although sheep are natur-
ally strong swimmers and land was
but a few hundred feet away not one
Of the animals escaped and most of
the carcasses went under never to ap-
pear again.
While the buoyancy of the water is
so great that it will support a person
without aid, the boats designed for
use upon the lake must be construct
ed especially to counteract this fea-
ture. The ordinary wooden vessel
when empty is actually too light to
be navigated with safety upon it, since
such a small portion of it would be
immersed. Care must therefore be
taken. especially in the building of
sailboats, lest they be top heavy. For
this reason navigation is dangerous
on the lake even when there is only a
moderate wind, unless the sailing ves-
sci is loaded heavily so that it sits
deep enough in the water to counter
act the buoyant tendency.-New York
Press