Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1870-08-19
HsTHE MAMMOTH SPRINGS IN
HENRY COUNTY.

springs. Everfowing streams of crysts
water run from these and make q consid
cradle branch, which empties into tn
Big Sandy mile and half off. The re
gion about the springs is diversified wit
low wooded hills, and extends towards tn
Sandy in a mild, rich bottom heavily tim
bered and well protected from the sum
mer sun, There is a native air about the
whole place that makes it attractive The
wellknown and enterprising proprietor,
the Hon. j. 7. Swayne, Of Memphis, has
| made, and is making extensive improve
ments around the springs, with view "a
the establishment of a first-class watering
place., The limpid, health giving mineral
waters, the natural attractions of the re-
gion, the improvements and adOrnments
added by Judge Swayne, and the ready
accessibility of the place will make it one
of the most desirable and popular resorts
in the whole country. -.f lad ,--.....--
The particular spring making the CEN
trail point of attraction is really an Arte-
sian-well with depth of 419 feet. 1t
was bored in the year 1928, for salt
water, and is located in an old buffalo
and deer lick. The latter is a BASIN like
place, with an area of nearly half an acre
and depth of four or five feet 1t was
excavated by the tramping and licking of
the wild animals that once came here in
large numbers. The pebbles, earth and
sticks about the place became encrusted
| in dry weather with whitish saline matter,
much of which is common salt. 1t was
| this that drew the buffaloes and the deer
These circumstances suggested the IDEA
| of boring for salt water. In boring the
well the rock (Which is here, and at other
points in the vicinity, a red marble, was
| first struck nineteen feet below the sur
face. From this point the augur contin-
ued in the rock for 800 feet when it sud
denly dropped nearly foot, a stream of
| mineral water at the same time bursting
| out at the surface with great force and in
great volume. From that day to this the
stream has continued to flow most copi-
Olsly. 1t is estimated that fifteen barrels
of water run from the unobstructed well
| every minute. . -l. sl
The water is beautifully clear and
sparkling, and as it boils and rolls up in
the reservoir at the mouth of the well,
tempts the visitor to drink whether he
will or not 1t is Sulphur water, y
and might be well called F'white sulphur"
from the color of the sediment which it
deposits. This sediment lines the sides
of the reservoir, and troughs with rich
coatings, made up of long stringy fila
ments and fringes of sulphur. The wa
ter contains Just about enough mineral
matter to make it an efficacieus medicinal
nora ID 81 10
able water to drink. Those who use it
for short time become very fond of it.
The residents, well and i'll, of the whole
country around have been In the habit of
resorting to the Sulphur well'' for love
of the water. Horses and stock after
once tasting delight to drink it To hun
dreds of invalids it has been agreat bless
ing: indee d, its marked curative powers
cannot be questioned. From the first,
persons afflicted in many ways have re- q
sorted to the well, often camping out like
soldiers with no conveniences around
them. The cures effected have been nu-
merous and many of them wonderful
The writer has had the water of this
well. or spring, as it is now called, under
examination; and, although the analysis
is not completed, the following general
results may be given:
The temperature of the water is 63 de-
grees; one Imperial gallon contains
40 57-1O0 grains of solid matter-that is
to say, gallon boiled down leaves this
amount of residue. 1t will perhaps give
a better idea of the relative amount of
such matter to state that the quantity of
| water held in a commons sized tumbler
contains as much of it as will easily pile
up on gold dollar. This is as we would
have it. The water of many mineral
springs is overloaded with solid matter.
| In this case, however, we have all the
medicinal virtue, and that active, too,
without an excess of earthly material which
for some purposes would make the water
very undesirable.
The following are the ingredients lex
cepting some occurring in minute qTauti-
ty, and yet to be made OUT in 100 parts
| of solid matter:
Chlorine SO. &c; Iodine, in small guam
tity; Sulphuric Acid 1905; Silicic Acid
| 2.76; Carbonic Acid 212S; Calcium (bsse
of lime) 5.27; Magnesium 30; Iron 0. 06;
Sodium 1928, Potassium 7.S7. r. ri
In addition to the solid matter the
water contains the following gases:
Sulphuretted Hydrogen, Carbonic Acid
(free) and Nitrogen.
The first of these is most prominent in
| giving name and popular character to the
water, but the carbOnic acid is perhaps
equally important, as it aids in making
the water palatable and adds to its tonic
effects. The quantities in which these
are present will be given hereafter.
The water is very slightly alkaline, q
characteristic best seen after concentra-
ton by boiling. The constituents of the
solid residue given above are united ii
the water in number of compounds, the
most important of which are the follow
ing: f-.a .--
Chloride of sodium common SALT chic
ride of potassium, iodide of potassium
| sulphate of soda, sulphate of potash, car
Donate of soda, carbonate of potash, car
! | Donate of iron, carbonate of lime, car
| Donate of magnesia. 3
/ These substances are present in yer,
; | different proportion, chloride of sodium
I being most and abundant. Their thera
, peutic effects (the gases being included
= | VIII NC pllAClpaIlJ dllcIdIlNeS OOnIC, aII
, moderately cathartic and diuretic.
more desirable general remedy for man
q of the ills of this life, one SO palatable e
3 well as curative, ;tEiil not DO easy to find
. We viii have more to say of this waite
> hereafter, as it is our purpose to perfeC
the analysis every way. The 'Mammot
/ Springs" are destined to be great resort
for reasons which have been given. Judg
q Swayne will soon erect a fine hotel on
7 beautiful knoll near the famous well, anC
! when his arrangements are complete, wi
n open the establishment to Inc pubic.
9 D.. a.....a JAMES NJ. STAFFORD.
i SINCE the breaking out of the reyol