The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1878-01-17

Tile stcu-DCu VI dpPiICO OiiOSply W e1O
growing crops, and the effects will be i'm
mediately apparent.
The Hot Springs. Arkansas.
IA Van Cleef, in Harper's Magazine January.l
At the foot of the mountain, rising
one thousand and sixty feet below tide
water at the Gulf, on whose sides the
springs gush forth, lies the town of Hot
Springs, following the windings of the
narrow rocky valley in the Hot Springs
Creek 1t consists of one long, irregular
street called Valley Street, which crosses
and recrosses the little stream. The
valley of the latter runs almost due
north and west. At one part the
picturesque little valley is SO narrow
that the street takes up most of the
level, the houses on one side being built
over the creek and almost into the
mountain-side, which in many places
has been cut into and blasted away to
make room for the buildings and other
improvements. The town broadens out
considerably on the more level country
at the south, toward the Ouachita River,
and at the other end the houses are
scattered for some little distance up the
valleys of the two streams, which, join
ing at the north end of the town, to-
gether with the waters from the mountain
side, form the Hot Springs Creek. This
stream, after passing over Its rocky bed
in the valley, flows due south for some
six miles to where it joins the historic
Ouachita.
| There are some fifty-sixty springs in
all, said by some to be one spring with
| this number of outlets, ranging in tenn
perature from 930 to as high as 14So !,
! and situated at different elevations on
the Hot Springs Mountain, and in the
valley of the creek below, the highest
| issuing one hundred and eighty feet
above the Hot Springs Creek, and all
rising within space of twelve hundred
| feet long by two hundred wide.
The majority of the springs are sit
uated well up on the mountain-side, a
few are distributed along the base, while
others rise on the banks of the creek,
and one springs from the bottom. The
hot waters rise to the surface through a
formation of milk-white novaculite rock
ON top of which they have deposited q
layer of calcareous tufa, in some places
of very considerable thickness. They
are supposed to derive their high tenn
perature directly from the interior heat
of the earth, either by passing over an6
through heated rock formations, or by
thorough permeation with heated case:
and vapors, rising far below from tht
molten subterrene.
The springs rising on the mountain
are those used for bathing purposes, anc
are mostly covered over to prevent any
pollution at the fountain head, as vel
as to preserve as much as possible all tn,
propert es of the water until it is brough
into use. The waters are carried by
system of wooden pipes to the tank
above the different lighthouses. The,
are still SO hot on reaching the bathing
tubs that cold water has to be added
Together these springs discharge som
three hundred and forty-four gallons pc
minute, or nearly five thousand gallon
of hot water daily, having an averag
temperature of 146o Fahrenheit-cer
tainly plentiful and hot enough for an
: number of invalids. TE7Ys TsAst
Hot vapor rises continually from tn
limpid waters, while carbonic acid ga
, bubbles to the surface. In the colde
months the vapor, becoming visible
/ rises in such clouds that it looks like
, | fog hanging over the mountain-side
r Day by day the springs are depositin
, the tufa, which forms incrusted basin
| for the clear sparkling waters. This
7 also found as coating on the pipes an
f trough, in the receiving tanks, and, j
, fact, wherever the waters pass. At th
| base of the mountain the ridge forme
by the tufa hangs over the hot waters {
the creek.
The diseases notably benefited, and
many cases cured, by the use of til
f waters of the Arkansas Bethesda al
0 those of the skin and blood, nervous a
; fections, rheumatism and kindred dl
q eases, and the various diseases
women. In the case of acute and il
S fammatory diseases, especially those
e the heart, lungs and brain, the use (
a the waters is injurious, and in man
4 cases very dangerous.
The treatment is by drinking ar
& bathing in the waters and in their stear
q producing in each case a profuse pc
! spiratior, which is an active agent in tt
= elimination of the disease by natur
y channels. The advice of physicis
. who has we'll studied the effect of Il
waters on the system is necessary, duril
-s their use, as they, if rashly used, are
le powerful in breaking down the constit
. . tion as they are in building it up.
q many cases the system has to be prepar
j for the treatment by a course of medicir
= = The hot baths are usually taken on
II day for three weeks, when rest
ie necessary, the patient probably spendi
week at the neighboring sulph
springs, near the Ouachita River.
second three weeks course is then take
followed again by an abstinence of sol
s. days from bathing. The duration of t
l. treatment depends, of course, upon
is nature of the complaint and its degr
Id of severity. The usual stay at t
US springs is from one to three months, b
n many invaGds stay year and long
and, in fact, some settle there.
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