Show I In nth n t the h e Beg B e g inn I n n i n g 9 By J. J Cecil Alter Stansbury Surveys Salt Lake Captain Howard Stansbury did such a thorough job of surveying the shape and extent of Great Salt Lake and its islands and Utah lake in 50 1849 neither survey has since needed amending in any important important important im im- im- im part particular cular save spacing the contours of or elevation on the shore line linc at different stages for determining the var varying ing area It happens for the advantage of such sucha a supplemental survey that Stansbury Stansbury Stans Stans- bury surveyed the lake when it was at its lowest known stage until un un- un- un til iii 1934 The Thc Utah lake and Jordan river surveys were practically completed by Lieutenant Gunnison before an early winter drove all parties into hibernation in Salt Lake City Gunnison occupied the winter time gathering material for his book published two years later while white Captain Stansbury superintended the classification of or their collection collection tion of natural specimens in ing field notes and plotting results checking latitude and longitude and building a large proof leak sail oar boat He also made a study ot of the Mormons l for lor hs his report re re- re- re port Living Li In Wagon WaJon Beds Before leaving earlier for Fort Hall Captain Stansbury had had- haden engaged engaged en en- aged the services of Albert Carrington Carrington Car Car- rington a prominent Mormon official of of- of scientific leanings and a liberal iberal education who had already made mad some explorations of ot the lake himself himsel He later became edit editor r of the Deseret News and arid became an apostle Captain Stansbury spent at least part of his time in Carrington's Car- Car CarI I rington's home that winter the theold theold theold old log house preserved in the corner corner cor cor- cornec cor- cor ner of ot the Mormon temple block but contrary to usual report that was not the house he lived in for for he sa says s 's Our quarters consisted of a small unfurnished house of un- un burnt brick or adobe and roofed with boards loosely nailed on which ever every time it stormed admitted so much water as called caled into requisition isit on all aU the pans and buckets in the establishment establishment establish establish- ment to receive the thc numerous streams which came canoe trickling down from every crack and knot hole We were much better lod lodged ed than many of our neighbors for lor very man many families were obliged ed still to lodge wholly or in part in their wagons which being covered served when taken of off oU from the wheels and set upon the ground to make bedrooms of limited dimensions di di- it is true but yet exceedingly exceedingly exceed exceed- comfortable Many of these were comparatively large and commodious commodious com corn and when carpeted and furnished with a little tittle stove formed an m additional al apartment or back building to the small cabin with which they frequently communicated communicated communicated by a door It certainly argued a high tone lone of or morals and a habitual habitual habitual habit habit- ual observance of good bood order and decorum to find women and children children chil chit dren thus securely slumbering in jn inthe inthe the midst ofa large city with no protection from midnight molestation molestation moles moles- tation other than a wagon cover of linen arid and the Aegis of the law Names Fremont r o-r mont Island On April 3 1850 the survey party cast their new boat bott adrift on the swelling Jordan and after aCter a drag across the mud at the outlet reached Antelope islands island's fertile pastures next day Stansbury says The southern part of the island Is connected with the shore by an extensive extensive ex ex- sand flat which in summer summer sum sum- mer is for lor the most part dry but butis is 19 3 frequently flooded to the depth of ot eighteen inches the water of the lake being- being driven over it by every gale from the north indicating indicating indi indi- cating eating a water level a foot or so higher than has prevailed in 1934 Wagons were being driven over theand bar to the island regularly where a church guarded livestock A triangulation on frame or station a heavy tripod of driftwood or poles was placed on a high point of the island April 6 they did the same on the island ten miles north called b by the Mormons Castle and b by Fremont Disappointment is is- is land laud I 1 deemed it 11 but due to the first t adventurous explorer to name it after arter him hm Fremont's is is- is land While putting up this station sta sta- sta- sta tion search was as made for lor the cover of the object end of Fremont's telescope telescope tel tel- teleSCope but it could not be found Incidentally Fremont's reference to this article of little worth has cost thousands of dollars j if tourist searchers' searchers time has even a moderate moderate moderate ate monetary value Returning to Antelope the Fremont party arrived arrived arrived ar ar- ar- ar rived at nt the name of their own boat Flower of 01 Salt Lake Lake- Sali- Sali cornia dubbed Sally for pr practical use The signal station went up on Egg Ei island April 9 and on ton island early next morning I where they spent pent that night Next came Hat island practically all points being named at that time by Stansbury Depth soundings s were made every mile mite or so in all boat trips Returning from Carrington Carrington Car- Car rington to Fremont the depths observed were 18 24 27 and 33 feet one of the deeper measure ments Next came a station on 00 Mud island a miserable place to reach north of the Jordan outlet t and thence back to Antelope camp camp to meet the provision team from the c city ty V The Thc party party- moved thence to the west shore of Bear River bay for tor several days while white Gunnison in charge of the shore party meandered meander meander- ed that side of or the lake On the they returned to Fremont's island and thence to the large is island island is is- land west vest of Antelope which the officers of the party had done me the honor to call by my name says Stansbury A triangulation station was placed on oct its northern point But to follow the party in all aU its its- would be like following the yarn of the knitter of large garments Twenty venty or thirty times Umes one or more parties crossed the lake lacing aCIng paths to and fro in all directions setting points returning to c cover ver them for better sight or to change or fill in gaps aps of ot places missed and to obtain food and water ater Corned Beef Bed From Lake At Black Rock on April 20 a apiece apiece apiece piece of fresh beef was wa submerged more than twelve hours in the lake and found to be tolerably well corned The result was that barrels of beef were taken along afterward alter alter- ward submerged in lake brine The preserving was hardly a success success suc sue cess eess however a. a as the meat ment became too salty CarrIngton worked about Promontory point Gunnison surveyed surveyed surveyed sur sur- the eastern shore southern shore Antelope Antelop Island and Fremont's Fremont's Fremont's Fre Fre- monts mont's island while Stansbury and party part covered the extreme northern northern north north- em ern end the west side and its islands Is Islands Islands is- is lands and Stansbury island It w was wild fowl season searon and bird eggs were carried in barrels and gulls herons pelicans cormorants and other birds were found in hindering numbers Stansbury island was a peninsula being connected with the shore by dr dry land at the south June 26 the actual lake survey was completed its shore hore line finally beIng being being be be- ing traversed on July 16 when they all took final linal leave of the lake |