Western sentinel. [volume] (Winston [i.e. Winston-Salem], N.C.) 1856-1886, 1880-02-19
A Texas Wonder.
Il Curious Luke-H'eHs that Emit Gas
and Contain Sour Water.

and Contain Sour Water.
The Sour Lake and Springs Of
Texas have loEg enjoyed local
reputation of high order on ac--
count of their alleged medicinal
virtues The lake and springs ars'
located in Hardin county, about
fifty miles cast of Houston and near
the line of the Texas aud New Or
leans railroad. .iasE nls44 ut
Sour Lake is circular pool of an,
acre or two in extent, situated in y
depression on the most elevated +
tract Of land in wide scope ot
country. 1t rises above the CONT
guons territory, as an island in the
sea rises above the waters, Now
conceive depression in the centre
OF our island, filled with bubbling,
boiling pond, as round AS we'll,
surrounded by Il dense forest, and
we have Sour Lake and its topogra-
phy. On the edges Of the lake Or
pool are situated most OF the wells,
five or six feet in depth, with plank
curbing, Some of these are in a
vigorous state of ebulItion, whiie
others have very little e5ullition.
This ebullition is nothing but cur
rents of gas escaping from the
bowels of the earth. This is made
apparent by common experiment
here. Take common truit can
open at one end aud a small hole
bored in the ether. iininerse half
or it in the water where the ebnlli-
tion is going on, and then touch a
lighted match to tho hole. Instant
ly a brilliant fame pops up, which
will burn unless blown out by the
wind as long as you choose to hold
the can in its position. There are
jets of gas issuing GU: of the ground
all about the pool, SO that with your
fruit cans and milk CANS you may
have flames without end. You may
even set fire to the pools, or APP
parently do SO, by applying match
to the surface it IS bubbljng or boil-
ing, but these flames speedily SO
out. Some OF these wells throw
up yellowish and blackish oil,
which collects on the surface and
may be SKINNED like cream, This
smells very strongly of tar or naph>
tia, but at little distance is pleas,
ant to the nostrils, Tho water on
which this substance collects tastes
precisely like the substance smells,
He who drinks it gets his whole
body considerably infected with the
smell. This substance is gathered
here, and the people readily buy it
at dollar quart. They say it
cures sores, cuts and bnrns. 1t is
iuflammablc and bnrns with a great
smoke. 1t is, l suppose, liquid
carbon. Others of the wells are as
sour as crab apples, and these in
variabiy .end up strong order OF
sulphur. They bubble and boil con
. siderably, and have a whitish APP
!, pearance, as if pulverized chalk had
, been stirred mp in them. This is white
sulphur. They have a slight taste
/, of the fluid carbon. These are SAFE
eN to act powerfully upon the liver
: and several have told me no case
= of dyspepsia could long Withstand
n them. Then there is another wei
|. that is strongly impregnated will
y iron. Its watet are di> tincl)y = ma, K
: ed from the others in appearances
: being exceedingly soft aud limpid
II Then there Is another wei. or pool
d which, if what is said be true, is,
! not the most remarkable, yet Ger
u tainly destined to be the most re.
: nowned of all. They call it Youtl
y and Beauty" 1t deposits pecu
'e liar sort of sediment on its bottom
5, as they say, has the rema'kabl
Ie property Of beautifying the ski
and removing freckles. l am toll
that this deposit is SO mnuh i'll de
:, maud that it is no: an easy matte
". to keep supply OF it during th
" watering season. The site here
,. really glorious one Tor water
vi ing place; great prairie to tn
as south, filed with fragrance an
IS wild flowers, and a great forest i
~ every other direction, penetrate
m with labyrinthiue walks; oaks, mag
10 nolias, myrtles, bollies, beeche
at naples, gums and vines withor
) end. How easy it would be
) light oil this extensive G oupd int
ee a blaze OF glory at by ntif zing th
lis gas that pours in torle ats out {
the earth. ~.