The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1890-05-10
Fabled Palace of Aladdin Rivaled by
Real Castles at Helena
Hot Springs.
MAGNIFICENT Creations Due to q
Resolute, High Minded, Enter
prising Gentleman.
An Hotel Furnished Like a Palace, Baths
Finer than Cesar Gave Rome, do
Icons Fountain of Youth.

and AQUATIC theatre at the foot of the noun
tain where flow the healing waters OF the
Helena Hot Springs. Nature did much,
art. genius, money and enterprise have done
more. The results are marvels, and nave
inspired the pen of many writer with
praise akin to rhapsody. Among them the
graphic vet particular description written
by Judge c. G. Goodwin, of the Salt Lake
Tribune, is of deservedly high rank. largely
from the felicity of style with which cyclic
medic facts are interviewer with exquisite
pen pictures. 1t is given in full.
In iourneying over the desert the traveller
now and then sees that phenomenon IN ma
ture called a mirage. by some freak OF Tue
cass Of a dead animal assumes the proper
tions and form of n host. The traveller gaz-
mo mon it believes he is about to be con-
fronted bv an army. or by wheeling squad
rons of savages. He fancles ne can see the
long ranks of the men, sometimes career,
inc horses and all the colors of wonderful
banners dance over the host. 1t is but
ratification of tho air which blends ana
confuses the sunbeams. Often the traveller
sleeping on the desert, IN visions sees
around him trees ana mowers, nears .iie
play of fountains and breathes the air that
comes from spice groves, and feels rest1ul
thankfulness that the WEAKNESS ana hard- |
ship of the desert are past, and that ne IS al
last in haven of delight. In the case OF
the mirage few advancing steps cps ana tn ne
the vision, he has but to awaken to know 1t
was all a dream. The passenger that in the
evening lands in Helena, Mont. and is
quickly transported to the neighborhood OF
the Hot Springs, beholds a mirage that
does not pass away, a vision that is real.
Suddenly out Of the darkness blaze twenty
scores OF electric lights, fountains are play
mo ut his feet grand castles stand out I'M
der the strange light, stained windows re-
fleet back the sheen and he rubs his eyes
That such thing exists is due first to the
Creator of the world and second to the Gre
alton of resolute, high-minded, enter
prising man. Three years ago Just out OF
Helena was little place called the Hot
Springs. An old fashioned pioneer mouse
Of water trickled down the canon
and it was but roadside resort just
far enough from the city to make turning
point in an after-dinner drive: Col. Y: "A.
Brondwater, an old time resident OF Mon
tana, seeing this place from time to time, at
last concluded that it was possible to make
of It a haven of delight to all who might
Wait il. He bought all the land and the
water in the immediate neighborhood. be
went to work to clear and level the ground.
He piped the water down from the hot
Springs. He built hotel, an aquatic
theatre, miles of macadamized road. set
fountains to playing, made an artificial
lake, and never rested until he had expend
cd full half million of dollars. With that
he caused such TRANSPORTATION on spot
that before was but common canoned
plain, that men from the ends of the earth
came to see and wonder at it. The hotel is
beautiful structure, three stories IN height,
covering broad tract of ground, built on
the cottage plan with broad verandas,
lighted by electricity, warmed by steam, sup
Piled with hot and cold spring water, fur
1ished like palace. and has attached to it
the finest private lighthouses in the world.
finer than those Caesar gave to Rome. 1t is
conducted as elegantly as the finest hotels
to any that can be found in the east. To
Judge of the scale on which the institution
is fitted the steam heating ana light plants
require five sixty-horse power boilers, two
$50 horse Corliss engines and one auxiliary
engine; two incandescent and one arc dy-
namos. The ladies' and the gentlemen's
private ath-houses-entirely separate ano
distinct though in the same structure
which contain, each. twelve double rooms
one for dressing and one for bathing-art
fitted out with solid porcelain tubs upo1
marble stands, the tubs weighing nearl!
1000 pounds each, glazed and tinted, ane
imported from England, each at cos
of $3.50. There are besides shower, vapo
and spray baths. Around the hotel tn
grounds are laid out in walks, planted witt
short distances. There is also great poo
made bright with gold fish. In the rear
the artificial lake Il quarter of mile long
In front is the Aquatic theater:. Ihi
Aquatic theater was designed to be tn
largest and finest structure of the kind i
the world. The architecture is Moorish,
is one hundred and fifty by three hundre
and fifty feet, one hundred feet high to tn
top of the roof, and one hundred and tift
feet to the top of the towers. The buildin
is supported on circular trusses with no II
terror supports. 1t is a most imposin
structure seen by day; it Is wonderf'
structure seen by night: electric ligh
shine through all its colored window
giving it the appearance of an enchante
palace The swimming pool is 100 by 3
feet and varies in depth from two feet
twelve. 1t is constructed of masonry Al
cemented. A million gallons of hot miner
water runs through it daily aud 5000
gallons of cold water is required daily
temper it for bathing. The water is broug
into the bath over an artificial casca'
forty feet high. constructed of granite bou
ders, some of them weighing 10000 poun
each. This structure looks like the point
mountain tossed into place by an cart
quake and smoothed of its soil by the rail-
of centuries. Numerous fountains pl,
here and there and it is surrounded
tropical and aquatic plants imported fro
California, which flourish i'll the warm moi
air better than in their own native ciimat
The temperature in this building Will n
vary five degrees all the year around. bell
heated in winter by the hot water. Wa.
ten feet wide surrounds the bath and o.
hundred large dressing rooms open from
These rooms are also heated by steam.
the construction of this building there "
used 10000 feet of cathedral glass. In
winter season person can enter this roc
and see one hundred bathers sporting
the hot water, and stepping through
door can see one hundred skaters enjoy
themselves on the lake in an atmosphere
zero. In sight and perhaps two miles aW
is old Mount Helena. A boulevard Is n
being constructed around the foot of
mountain and the intention Is to carry 1t
to the summit by an easy grade and on
crest to build magnificent summer hou
Some items of actual money expended
this place will be interesting. Bringing
hot and cold water flom the springs =
conveying them TO the hotel cost S5o.t
The hotel and its furnishings cost $3.50.
The great aquatic theater and plunge b
cost 1928. On the grounds and lake
far have been expended Sl9,5oo, and
roads, machinery, etc.. make up fully 81
O0o in all. The spot is situate
short distance out of Helena,
city of 1900 population and
wealthiest city of its size IN
world. To the north of the hotel Is
Grand Canyon of the Missouri river, TO
east rises Mount Helena. to the SC
stretches away the main chain OF the Z
Rockies. and to the west the Mullan's
over which the Northern Pacific rail