The Lynden tribune. [volume] (Lynden, Wash.) 1908-current, 1911-01-05
Great SALT Lake
PuzzIing Aspects of Utah's Won"
derfuI Saline Sea.
ONE OF NATURES MYSTERIES

Science Unable TO ooiVe tHe Frop's"
of Its Escaping Waters and oimin-
ishing Area-The Maelstror Near
Antelope island.
The Great Salt lake of Utah con-
tinues 10 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
iem 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 n few shallow pools of wa
ter Then perhaps the mystery con-
nected with it will be solved.
In it's dimensions the lake Is really
sea, it being above seventy-tive miles
in length and fifty miles across Mt 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
may wade out from the beach for
distance of mile, yet will not be i'm
mersed up to his shoulders.
The buoyancy of the water is such
that it is almost impossible for one
to remain on his feet at 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
given volume of water than even the
Dead sea, to which in many respects
it 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 be 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.
It Is known that the Great Salt lake
loses large quantity of water yearly
by evaporation, but estimates Of this
quantity indicate that 1t 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 outlet
! exists. but the lake supplies an irrigat.
| ing system in the country adjacent
that requires a quantity of water year.
ly equal to a depth of four inches Of
| the present area. This is very small
proportion of the volume of water that
enters it through it's feeders, so the
scientists know the water escapes III
some other manner than by the irri-
cation 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 it's depth, and the
records show that actually it has fallen
| Immediately after the Jordan and
other streams have contributed
larger volume than usual.
| Near what is called Antelope island
is an indication that 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
| fully avoid it when on the lake in
boats.
a number of years ago, 1t 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 natural
| ~ 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 appear
| again.
While the buoyancy of the water is
so great that it will support person
| without aid, the boats designed for use
upon the lake must be constructed es-
pecially to counteract this feature. The
| ordinary wooden vessel when empty
Is actually too light to be navigated
with safety upon it, since such small
portion of it would be immersed. Care
must therefore be taken, especially in
the building of saiboats, lest they be
| top heavy. For this reason navigation
| Is dangerous ON the lake even when
| there is only moderate wind. unless
| the sailing vessel is loaded heavily SO
| that it sits deep enough in the water
to counteract the buoyant tendency
! New York Press.