The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1860-10-20
The sulphur springs of Illinois.

A correspondent Of the New York Ere
ming Post gives the following account of the
Mineral Springs situated about midway
between OttawIand La Sale:
Following the road along the great H.
inois Bottom, pleasant ride OF six miles
and a half, on the main travelled road be-
tween Ottawa and La Sale, brings us to
Snring Valley, a location celebrated for its
mineral springs, and what is remarkable
about them is, that but very few scientific
mon are aware OF their locality and great
value for medicalpurposes. These springs,
which are upon :. tract Of land OF over one
thousand acres, are the property OF DIT.
Snebley, formerly lawyer of New York
City Previous to Mr.. Suebley ownership
they were the property OF eX recorder
Smith OF the same City, who had an anaiy-
sis OF the waters made by Dr. Potter
There are two hotels here, one being now
occupied by tenant Of Mr.. Snebley, and
the other large and elegant three story
sandstone house, being occupied by Mr.
Snebley as hotel. There are also beau
tiful drives, and the scenery is magnificent
From the northeast windows you behold
the Buffalo mountain, once celebrated Tor
being the range Of numerous herds OF these
valuable animals. To the West, scarcely
4 mile, you behold the celebrated Starved
Rock" mentioned in the Indian history OF
Illinois, where a tribe of Indians were
driven and surrounded by their enemies
until they persisted by famine. Three
sides of this peculiar bluff which is per-
haps three hundred feet in height, are per
pendicular and inaccessible, while the
fourth side can with difficulty be sur
mounted Below lies the clear, sparkling
Illinois. beautiful with its woody islands,
on some of which are perfect sylvan groves,
and which appear TO the behOlder almost
9 fairy vision Such is the scenery about
these springs: but | must speak more
particularly Of the waters.
At the house or hotel Of Dir, Sncbley,
the one spoken of as occupied by his ten
am. and which Is first approached on the
road coming from Ottawa toward La Sale,
you viii notice a walled enclosure about
eight square Arriving at this enclosure
YOU will. find ii contains 4 spring of inn
mensc volume, and from six 10 eight feet
in depth, whose sulphurOus exhaia;ions at
once denote ii mineral spring Of the first
order his Is the White sulphur Spring,
and its water IS clear and llmpId, leaving
no incrustations upon the surface. Near
the canal Is - similar spring yet not 50
strong and still further on, near the rail
way i a spring vi saline character. Lcay-
.
the grounds OF the hotel proper One
hundred yards back from the hotel are
two stone enclosures Immediately adiCiu-
ing one another ia which are two springs,
one Of IRON and magne-ia, and the other a
chalybeat spring, similar TO the famed
Congress Spring at Saratoga. Tho Iron
and Magues!a Spring presents very pc
I cular appearance, the water bursting
forth mixed with sand, iookiu. for all the
world like a spring of boiling sand. The
spring issues from under the creylce al q
sandstone rock, bearing the appearance Oi
pum!ce-SIoue in it. formation. GA take
d pole ten or twelve feet long and sink il
in this ebu!ition Of sand and the deeper
you force II through the stratum Of sand
the greater the pressure Of the water
There l. no a>certa!n!ug the depth OF tn.
stratum Wood cast into this wafer sink.
and becomes sPonEy, and some substance:
petriiy The Chaly beat spring has the
flavor of the Congress Spring. except thai
it. saline qualities are not As strong
Leaving these springs. We take path !,
z souti-,yssto.ly couIs= toward the IIlinoi
I.yer. and come TO small stream "hief
leads Us 10 another sEr!uE, when issue
boldly from sandstone rock. and trOu
which = strong su.Dhugous oior issues
This Is the Blue Sulphur Spring and : th'
most noted spring Of all The water i
very strong OF sulphur, al! Leaves a sharI
TASTE in the mouth Tor = long time ate
drinking it The natural basin in whct
i j. contained hold, some fifty or sixty
gallons OF water About this spring. a
vel! - abogt all of them, vegetation i
Yerv raak, and q peculiarly - that tn,
Mexican Cactus and Sensitive Plan
, abound Thee Indications together viii
. ind icatious of pumIce-s tone and black san,
denote . yC7,tlfiU virgin.
= The temperature OF these springs is a
p follows:
The White sulphur Springs 81 deg; IL
Blue Sulphur Syr!uE7 - deg: the Iron an,
Nagresia. and the Cualybeate, each )
deg: while the temperature Of the. l!.uoi
river j. - dee.
There are within the space Of tw
square miles over fifty springs of a mine, a
, character many o. which are saline, an,
= which the cattle resort u in great number,
, Although having been discovered owe
twenty -Hvc years, they are but little know
even in Illinois, but from their valuabl
: medical qualities in culaneous disease
= and for purifying the blood, they mus
e soon become As popular as Saratoga c
I Chsiteuham-
These springs can he easily reached b
l railroad The hotel is admirably We
kept, and the charges 81 to s.
week-are moderate compared with OF
2 other wateringpiaces. These advantage
= with the beautiful natural scenery an
surroundings, cannot fail TO bring tn
, Sulphur Springs OF Spring Valley, IllinoI
= into immediate notice.