The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1890-11-07
THE APOLLlNARlS SPRING.
Where Is to be Had the Refreshing sobe
ing Beverage.

eral springs OF the Ahr valley, L hDd II
stated that the mineral water from 1.-THE
fountain ApOllinaris is counted among the
most luxurious drinks" Yet others than
the spoiled children Of luxury can afford to
buy il, as the water Is cheap as welt as
good, and the moderation Of its price is one
reason why the demand for it is great and
increasing. 1t is not unworthy of note that
an English company has the credit OF hay-
ing brought ApOllinaris within the reach OF
all water drinkers. This company began
its operations in 1873. The spring itself was
discovered twenty-five years before.
There is a legend connected with the dis
cOyery of nearly every mineral spring Of
note. In many cases it Is very difficult 10
ascertain the actual facts or TO separate the
grain of fact from the mass Of fiction. That
the thermal Springs Of Bath and Teplitz
should have been discovered by pigs and
those of Carlsbad byldOgs may be true, but
the evidence is of doubtful value. There Is
no question. however, either about the way
in which the ApOllinaris spring was found
or as to the place after which il was named.
Herr George Kreuzberg, who lived at
Ahrweiler, had vineyard on the left
bank of the river Abr, at a short
distance from the village Of Neuenahr.
He noticed that the vines would not flourish
on particular spot, and he learned that
carbOnic acid gas issued from the ground
there. An eminent geologist, Professor
BischOf, Of Bonn, was consulted a 10
whether anything could be done in the mat
ter. and he suggested that search should be
made for mineral spring, which might
prove quite as remunerate rs the most pro
ductiye vines that the earth could produce.
Accordingly a well was sunk. and at the
depth Of forty feet a spring was reached.
which rose to the surface with the force and
effect Of a small lcelandic geyser. This oc-
CURED in 1871. The ApOlinariskirche Is
not far distant from the spring, which was
named after IL.
Chemical ANALYSIS showed "A close rcsem-
blance between the AppOllinaris spring and
those at Settlers and Ems, while in one re-
spect il differed from any one Of those which
were then in high repute. This consisted in
its containing such an extraordinary pro-
portion Of carbOnic acid as TO cause the wa
ter TO boil upward as if it had been forced
from below under steam pressure. The vol
ume OF gas. is 50 great that it is dangerous
20 approach the spring on MINDLESS day.
More than one fatal accident has been caus-
ed by approaching the spring and inhailine
the gas. At the outset il was found dlili-
cult to bottle the water. However, means
was devised for doing so.
] have long had q desire % visit the
spring. to drink the water on the spot, and
TO see the arrangements for bOttling and eX-
porting it, but the desire has only now been
gratitied The English Company, which
has eniOyed the exclusive right 10 bottle
and export the water since 1913, has resO-
lutely objected 20 make the place one where
visitors might enjoy new sensation. and
by their presence impede the operations.
Besides, many precautions have to be OBJ
served lest fatal accident might happen
through inhaling the carbOnic acid gas with
which the air near the spring is heavy and
deadly. Birds that alight near it die
almost Immediately. ! saw three dead
birds lying within half ward of the spot.
The English managing director, having
kindly made an exception in my favor,
have now examined everything that is to
be seen at the ApOllinarls spring. | have
drunk the water as it issues from the
source, and ] watched the several processes
from the moment the wafer Is pumped from
the spring till ii is bottled, cOrked. labelled.
and packed for transmission 10 all quarters
of the globe. The operations are many in
number. and are carried on with an atten-
ton to detail which is beyond praise. Many
difficulties have had 10 be surmOanted, and
the ingenuity displayed in overcoming
them is highly creditable 10 all concerned.
me IIODltu WHICH, udu 10 ut SDlNel WIS
how to bottle the water IN such a way that
all the carbOnic acid gas which makes il
sparkle should be retained. As the tenn
perature Of the spring is 81 degrees fahren-
heit, the tendency OF me gas is To- ny of on
reaching the surface, and it is owing to the
quantity Of gas escaping where the spring
rises from the ground that the surrounding
air is mephitic. Without entern0 into me
chancal details / may cOncisely state that
the process adopted consists in conducting
as much Ofthe gas as can be collected az he
surface Of the water 10 chambers where il
is compressed. The water is drawn from
depth Of fifty feet below the surface
and is elevated into tanks above tee bot
tling-house. This water and the natural
gas are then brought together and mixed
before entering the bottles, the result being
that the bottled water is moi only "a pure.
but as gaseous ~ the same water is far
down in the rock though a assure in which
it ascends. Moreover, "a part Of the carbOnic
acid gas is forced under pressure into each
empty bottle 50 rs 10 eXpel the common air
before the water enters II, and thus the
drinking of the bottled water IS certain of
obtaining the water in its purely natural
state.
Its scarcely necessary 10 explain, 1 think
that artiiicially aerated waters contain car
bOnic acid gas, but this gas is not "A product
OF the chemistry Of nature. There is no diff
Guilty in making it: the puzzle is how to OBJ.
tain il as pure as in its natural form. The
artificial gas can be washed, and the manu-
iacturers Of the best artificial aerated waters
take every precauti0n 10 insure the purity
of the beverage which they supply; vet nat
ural chemical processes are the only perfect
ones, and the popularity Of ApOllinaris
water is chiefly due TO its irreproachable
character. Though the water itself be
so good and the method OF bOttling IL so COM
plete yet other things have an importance
which is almost paramount.
The empty glass bottles are placed neck
downward On revolving table, and a
stream of water is repeatedly forced into
each under high pressure as the table moves
round. A woman is stationed at one side
Of the table 10 watch each bottle. when
empty and before being taken off, and See
whether any inquiry remains. As an
electric glOw-light is behind the bottle. tn,
slightest speck In the glass can be detected by
her at glance. The stone bottles are Kept
filled with water for twenty-four hours, and il
any leakage is perceptible they are broken
up, and they are repeatedly washed before
being filled with mineral water. Though
the water forced into them is the same as
that in the glass bottles, yet, as they cannot
be corked with the same lightning rapidly.
portion Of the gas escapes, and thus the
water when poured out OF them Is less spark
ling.
A few statistics will probably have
greater attraction for those who have read
what has been written; indeed the figures
in this case are more eloquent than any
phrases. Ii was in 1873 that the ApOllinaris
Company began operations, and in that
year the number of glass and stone bottles
filled and exported was a little under
=, 900, 900. Last year the number was nearly
IT, 900, 900, and orders have been given for a
still larger supply Of bottles in expectation
Of an increasing demand next year. The
cOrks used last year weighed fifty.seyen
tons. These figures are,gigantic, and were
not certain Of their accuracy should NOT
give them. was quite prepared fog hear !
Ing that the total amounts were eXIraOrdi- |
nary, ias | took pains TO estimate the speed |
al which the bottles were filled during my |
visit, and found that the filling went on az |
he rate OF $1,000 day. Four hundred and |
fifty persons are engaged in the several |
operations.
The question may be put by others which
put after visiting the Apolliaaris spring: |
should the demand continue, can the sun
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