Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1913-09-24
HOT SPRING BATHS.
MIR. Whatley Sends Another In
terestng Letter From the
:. Health. Giving Springs
Of Arkansas.

hotel on Central avenue, which leads
through the heart and. lung of the
city. The last census gave Hot
springs about $4,000 population.
when really she has from 40 to l25
thousand. The Is thousand are per,
manent residents and the big re-
mainder are guests, bathers, Grip
Piles, gentlemen, sharpers, million
bucks and doctors. Thirteen doc
tors are located in the hotel where
l am staying.
This is city of hotels, rooming
houses, eating houses, restaurants,
curiosity shops, souvenir shops,
large beautiful jewelry stores, etc.
At home we think Hampton Ter
race some hotel but compared to
some cf these hotels it's but shanty.
These large hotels, and there are an
endless number of them, are built
of stone or brick. The wooden ho-
tells are usually called rooming
houses AS one walks tue citv, the
sign furnished rooms to rent
meets his eyes at every nook and
turn. There are numerous places of
amusement, theatres, moving pic
ture shows, shooting galleries, dance
halls, etc.
Hedged in by the mountains l
think this the most beautiful OF
cities. At places the valley is only
wide enough for a street and row
of, houses on each side. Back of the
houses are the steep high noun
tains, 80 thickly wooded yathsRbage
ground can not be seen ;froin she
streets and so. steep cat
q IEsp e liso,sg ss y 8.
tains a are not SO steep and faTHps sths
side are houses. One sidesE0f the
house may be three stories and the
other one story. Some two and
three stories high in front and one
story in the rear.
Boiling hot springs are many and
are surrounded by people drinking
the beverage. One soon learns to
drink it 80 hot he cannot hold the
cup unless it bas a handle. Every
body goes equipped with a cup,
usually collapsible ohe. This wa
ter is not allowed to run off on the
surface of the ground and heat up
the city, but is piped away. Then
there are the cold water springs if
you want drink of ice water. I'm
Gle Sam has a large hospital and a
reservation here where he sends
many sick soldiers.
His shower not water bathing
house alone, Will accommodate five
hundred soldiers at a time. The
reservation contains many acres Of
most beautiful grounds and build
ings on the mountain side, with
steps of stone, cement and marble.
Beautifully fashioned balestrades,
lion and tiger heads are everywhere.
On the 5th inst. great fire broke
out in the city of Hot Springs.
When it became evident that the
local fire fighting force could not
control the flames, telegram was
shot to Little Rock 50 miles away
for help. A special train soon
brought the great engines and re-
doubled efforts were made to save
the city. Everybody, thousands,
turned out to fight, using garden
hose, buckets, etc., and great was
the fight from o'clock that day
until 8 o'clock that night.
TO the southwest the FIRE moved,
as "a tide moves, not stopping until
it burned itself out in that direc-
ticn, hundreds of people fleeing
with part of their household effects
on their heads and back, wagons,
buggies, automobiles, all loaded and
fleeing to the open.
Water seen ed of little effect.
Wind carried the burning debris for
blocks and falling on other houses
took fire and raced on through
lawns and parks, enveloping beauti-
full residences, hotels. schools and
churches. Most magnificent groves
of large oaks now stand charred,
limbless and black. The very ground
seemed to burn, 80 intense was the
heat. Great flames wrapping them.
selves together from. adjoining
buildings broke off and assembled
skyward lighting up the town and
elements. :
The dynamiting Of buildings was
heard in all directions in fruitless
effort to stop the fire, but it licked
across the streets and bare blocks
!! and relentlessly ate its own way