| Date. | Reading. | Wind. | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year. | Month. | Day. | Feet. | Inches. | Direction. | Force. |
| 1875 | September | 14 | 0 | 6 | N. | Gentle. |
| 22 | 0 | 5¹⁄₂ | N. E. | Quiet. | ||
| 25 | 0 | 5 | N. E. | Quiet. | ||
| October | 6 | 0 | 4¹⁄₂ | N. | Quiet. | |
| 12 | 0 | 4 | N. E. | Quiet. | ||
| 18 | 0 | 3¹⁄₂ | N. E. | Quiet. | ||
| 26 | 0 | 3 | N. E. | Quiet. | ||
| November | 9 | 0 | 2 | W. | Quiet. | |
| 16 | 0 | 1¹⁄₂ | N. | Quiet. | ||
| 23 | 0 | 4 | N. E. | Quiet. | ||
| 29 | 0 | 5¹⁄₂ | E. | Quiet. | ||
| December | 7 | 0 | 5 | E. | Quiet. | |
| 14 | 0 | 5¹⁄₂ | E. | Quiet. | ||
| 21 | 0 | 6 | N. E. | Quiet. | ||
| 1876 | January | 5 | 0 | 8 | N. E. | Quiet. |
| 11 | 0 | 8¹⁄₂ | N. E. | Quiet. | ||
| 29 | 0 | 9 | E. | Quiet. | ||
| February | 1 | 0 | 9 | S. E. | Quiet. | |
| 15 | 0 | 9¹⁄₂ | — | Calm. | ||
| 22 | 0 | 9¹⁄₂ | N. E. | Quiet. | ||
| March | 15 | 0 | 11 | N. E. | Quiet. | |
| 22 | 1 | 0 | N. E. | Quiet. | ||
| 28 | 1 | ¹⁄₂ | N. E. | Quiet. | ||
| April | 17 | 1 | 2 | — | Calm. | |
| 25 | 1 | 3 | N. E. | Quiet. | ||
| May | 2 | 1 | 4 | N. E. | Quiet. | |
| 22 | 1 | 9 | N. | Quiet. | ||
| June | 2 | 1 | 11 | W. | Quiet. | |
| 8 | 2 | 0 | — | Calm. | ||
| 13 | 2 | 2 | N. E. | Quiet. | ||
| 23 | 2 | 4 | N. E. | Quiet. | ||
| 30 | 2 | 6 | S. | Quiet. | ||
| July | 18 | 2 | 3 | N. E. | Quiet. | |
| 25 | 2 | 4 | N. E. | Quiet. | ||
| August | 1 | 2 | 3 | N. E. | Quiet. | |
| 10 | 2 | 2 | N. E. | Quiet. | ||
| 22 | 1 | 9 | N. E. | Quiet. | ||
| 29 | 1 | 8 | S. E. | Strong. | ||
| 30 | 1 | 8 | N. | Quiet. | ||
| September | 14 | 1 | 7 | — | Calm. | |
| 19 | 1 | 6¹⁄₂ | N. | Quiet. | ||
| 26 | 1 | 6 | — | Calm. | ||
| October | 9 | 1 | 5¹⁄₂ | N. E. | Quiet. | |
| 1877 | July | 12 | 2 | 0 | — | Calm. |
| October | 19 | 0 | 10 | — | Calm. | |
Comparing the October observations for three years, it appears that the lake rose 13 inches from 1875 to 1876, and fell in the next year 6¹⁄₂ inches.
SKETCH OF BLACK ROCK AND VICINITY, UTAH TERRITORY.
Prepared to show the position of the graduated pillar erected by Dr. John Park for observations on the water-level of Great Salt Lake, and the position of the granite bench-mark.
The Black Rock pillar has not the permanence that is desirable. Although it has thus far been only the more firmly established by the action of the waves, it is still true that the lake is encroaching on the land in this part of the coast, and a storm may at any time undermine and overthrow the pillar. To provide for such a contingency it was determined to establish a bench mark out of reach of the waves, and connect it with the pillar by leveling, so that if the existing standard should be destroyed its record would still have a definite meaning, and the relative height of a new standard could be ascertained with precision. In this undertaking I was joined by Mr. Jesse W. Fox, a gentleman who has long held the office of territorial surveyor of Utah. A suitable stone was furnished by the Hon. Brigham Young, and was carried to Black Rock without charge through the courtesy of Mr. Heber P. Kimball, superintendent of the Utah Western Railroad. The block is of granite, and is three feet in length. It was sunk in the earth, all but a few inches, on the northern slope of a small limestone knoll just south of the railroad track at Black Rock. Its top is dressed square, about 10 × 10 inches, and is marked with a +. It will be convenient to speak of the top of this monument as the Black Rock bench. On the 11th of July, 1877, the surface of the lake was 34.5 feet below the bench, and it then marked 2.0 feet on the pillar erected by Dr. Park. The zero of the observation pillar is therefore 36.5 feet below the bench.
The accompanying topographic sketch will serve at any time to identify the position of the bench.
After consultation with Dr. Park, I concluded that it would be better not to depend on the Black Rock station for observations in the future—at least in the immediate future—and other points were discussed. Eventually it was determined to establish a new station near Farmington, on the eastern shore of the lake. The point selected is in an inlet so sheltered that a heavy swell in the lake will not interfere with accurate observation. At the present stage of water the spot is well adapted to the purpose, and it can be used with the water 2 feet lower or 5 feet higher. I was not able to attend personally to the erection of the pillar, but left the matter in the hands of Mr. Jacob Miller, of Farmington, who writes me that it was placed in position and the record begun on the 24th of November, 1877. The pillar is of wood, and is graduated to inches for 9 feet of its length.
On the day of its establishment the reading of the water surface was 2 feet 1 inch. On the 21st of January, 1878, the reading was 2 feet 1¹⁄₂ inches.
The Farmington and Black Rock pillars are 23 miles apart. The relative height of their zeros will be ascertained as soon as practicable by making coincident readings, during still weather, of the water surface at the two stations. It is already known that the Farmington zero is approximately 16 inches lower than the Black Rock.