The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1911-01-18
IITAH'S GREAT SALT LAKE
DRILLING ASPECTS OF THAT
WONDERFUL SALINE SEA.
One of the Mysteries of Nature


science Unable to Solve the Problem
of Its Escaping Waters and Dimin-
;sbing Area. The Maelstrom Near
Antelope Island
The Great Salt Lake of Utah con-
tinues to be one of the greatest mys-
tories of nature. For sixty years it's
rise and fall have been studied by
scientists in an effort to account for
the changes, but as yet they have
coached no satisfactory solution of
She problem as to what is the prin-
.ofnal cause of the decrease in its
depth.
Those familiar with its depth and
+he shrinking in it's size each year
assert that at the end of twenty years
or so the bed of the lake will be
nearly all exposed, with the possible
execution of a few shallow pools Of
water. Then perhaps the mystery
Connected with it will be solved.
In its dimensions the lake is really
% sea. it being above rs miles in
length and so miles across at its
greatest width, containing therefore
over 1000 square miles Of surface.
Near the shores the water is so shall
low that there are places where one
NAV wade out from the beach for
distance of a mile, yet will not be
immersed to his shoulders.
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 being lifted up as
strip of wood thrown into the water
in a vertical or oblique direction like
a dart is returned to the surface in
a horizontal position.
Indeed it 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
it bears a striking similarity.
The large quantity Of salt in solu-
ton is the principal reason for the
buoyancy. AS the lake recedes it's
bottom is shown to be composed of
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 entering it.
So far as is known no natural out
let exists, but the lake supplies an
irrigating system in the country ad
jacent that requires a quantity of
water yearly equal to a depth of
four inches of the present area. This
is a very small proportion of the
volume of water that enters it
through its feeders, so the scientists
know the water escapes in some 9TH
er manner than by the irrigation
canal or by evaporation.
This is proved by the fact that the
Increase in the quantity that enters
the lake at a rainy season at times
does not increase it's depth, and the
records show that actually it has
fallen Immediately after the Jordan
and other streams have contributed
a larger volume than usual.
Near what is called Antelope island
is an indication that a subterranean
opening exists. Frequently the wa
ters near the island are so violently
disturbed that people in the vicinity
call this place the "maelstrom," and
carefully avoid it when on the lake
in boats.
A number of years ago, it is said,
a sailing vessel loaded with sheep
CHANGED to approach too near the