Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1884-06-27
HOT SPRINGS. ARK.
a Description Of She Various Attractions
OF the Springs.

Correspondence of the Gazette

aioi SPRINGS, ARK, June a -
"heh Ponce de Leon went to Florida
IN search of the magical waters that
the Indians told him would restore
youth to the aged, he evidently missed
MS course, for here in this VALLEY Of
vapors" flow those wonderful waters
and, while they may not restore lost
youth, they certainly tend to palliate
.ne suiierlngs OF mankind and To drive
away the most loathsome aud the most
horrible diseases to which poor mortal
man is heir. va
THESE SPRINGS
nave OF late years become widely
known aud their curative powers are
SO famous that thousands of inyalids
VISIT them every year to receive the
Dement'S OF their waters, the effect. of
winch In many forms of chronic dis.
ease are truly astonishing. The
copious diaphoresis which the hot bath
establishes opens in itself main chan.
ne, for the expulsion of particles in
furious TO health. A similar effect in
diminished degree is also produced
by drinking the hot water, a common
practice among the invalids. The
large. quantity of free carbonic acid
which the hot water contains has an
exhilarating effect upon the system,
and the waters being charged with
THIS gas persons are Enabled to drink
IL freely at temperature mt which Of
binary tepid water would act as an
emetic. Various have been the specu.
latlons as to the cause of the hi I'll tenn
perature Of these waters, but the most
plausible theory seems to he the one
attributiDg the cause to the internal
heat OF the earth; that the waters are
completely permeated with highly
heated vapors and gases emanating
from sources deeper seated than the
waters themselves. The whole geolog-
ical structure of the country, and that
of the ridge in particular, from which
these waters issue, justiiies this as
sumption.
Thete are seveniy.two of these hot
springs with temperature ranging
from TS to l57 degrees Fahrenheit and
they discharge over AS, 600 gallons OF
water per day. In addition to THESE
springs there are numerous cold water
springs, some sulphur, iron, potash,
and there is one hot alum spring which
is only separated from the other hot
springs by u narrow creek.
THOUSANDS or lNvALIps
visit these springs every year and
many and wonderful are the cures
performed by their waters. Cripples
of every description are seen on the
streets and syphilitics presenting the
most horrible appearance, with great
holes and eating sores upon theii
necks and faces, come here to be cured.
Some have their lips or noses partially
eaten off by this terrible disease Will.
the heads of Others are literally
covered with sores and scabs.
The lame on clutches and
the paralyz in wheeled chairs are
constantly met with and it is esti
mated that nine-tepths of this horde
of cripples leave here cured. Many
have to return second or third time,
but the waters are said to he specific
for all the ills that drive humanity to
crutches.
BATHING.
Dressed in heavy uuderclotiies. the
person desiring bath provides him
self with two coarse Turkish towels
enters the Office of one of the bath
houses and for twenty-five or thirty
cents purchases Il ticket from the
superintendent or his clerk. lie
is then captured by one of the many
bath room attendants or rubbers who
are always eager to get bathers, fol
their only compensation for cleansing
the tubs and attending the baths Is
what they receive from their bathers
who generally pay them one, two or
three dollars week for bathing them
and rubbing them down after coming
out of the bath.
The bath is usually taken at a tenn
perature of "a to 100 degrees, and from
eight to ten minutes, while the vapor
which is considerably hotter, Is
taken from two to five minutes After
having been rubbed down well the
bather dresses and goes into the
sweat room, where he remains half an
hour or more, after which he remains
i'm the parlor until he gradually cools
of. thereby avoiding the risk OF catch
ing cold.
THE EFFECTS OF THE BATH
are WeaheDlHS, anu tpues "'.N
feeble condition are forbidden 10 oapht
until their doctors bolster them vi
with tonics. The regular use OF the
w .ters soon brings about a sharp hppe'
lite aud q constant longing for sleep
and the man bathing and drink
iny these waters mas Y
solid enjoyment in food aud
slumber that he may never have ex'
nerienced before, unless perhaps he
has roughed 1t out West.
ruEU. GOVERNMENT RESERVATION
comprises two sections 81 Iand on
which the springs are located and the
| government has appropriated SiVo,Vp
10 wall up the creek flowing through
the main street of the city and fed by
the many springs along It's banks.
THO owners of bath houses lease from
the government and are subject TO gov
eminent restrictions.
THE u. S. ARMY AND NAVY HosII' a..
now in PROCESS OF erection, ior tne On
elusive use OF diseased soldiers ana
sailors, will he a precious boon y
many a poor invalid for whose gai,an'
service his country owes MIN p'hcs
If refuge, where his shattered eonsli
tuition may be repaired ana MS ios
h l recained. The administration
.uiIding. forty by sixty-lhree feet Ant
~ rsa stories high, containing twenty
~ rooms. exclusive of the basement
and aitic. win he used for the accom-
rndation OF the surgeon and the ON
nays In charge, for stat rooms, quar-,
e ters for the medical officers and
leIs "a. and len rooms for sick officers.
me The building will he of brick and eur
funded uv with veranda on each floo'
a ''ud "nrovided with elevators. closets,
ana The annex to the building VIII
sn' ~ kiMhep, S2x44 feet aud twt
s ~ high, and there will De wv
sm or.s e-1l(pi feet each, connected "
Wau ,d.. with the administrator