Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1916-09-24
HOT SPRINGS IN ALASKA
WONDERS OF NATURE
boiling Water Bubbles Out From
the Beds OF Prehistoric
Glaciers.
FOUND IN VARIOUS SECTIONS
Heat So Affects Temperature OF Land
In Some Localities That II Is Gull
tivateI-Iiow Government Helps
Winter Resorts.
ni ruANk q. cAnrE>r:n.


Winter Resorts.
rs FRANK q. CARPENTER.
BAKER HOT SPRINGS. TANANA
RIVER. ALASKA.-Iio, springs in
Alaska i;oiilng water bubblins out OF
the beds of glaciers steam rising
from the earth on the edge of pre-
historic ice several hundred feet deep.
Scalding baths in natural water almost
the edge Of the north pole. These
are some Of the wonders Of QUIZ great
territory whose shores are washed by
the Arctic ocean and Berin= Sea
have heard of hot springs ever
since came TO Alaska. They are to be
found from the islands at the south
eastern part of the territory TO the
very shores Of the Arctic. Fifty miles
north OF Ketchikan, the first port at
which the steamers stop, are the Belle
Island hot springs. where the water
is lG4 degrees Fahrenheit. or hot
enough to cook eggs. y little farther
north are the Sitka hot springs, which
are 1916 degrees above zero. aud. on
chichagoG island. between Sitlia and
Juneau. are the Tenakee hot springs.
where the postmaster is building cot
,ascs and trying TO make the place a
summer and winter resort. The Tena-
kcc springs are in a natural forest, and
the forestry service is putting in board
WALKS and other improvements.
The Sitka hot springs are sixteen
miles south OF Sitka. They are now
so OF cottages have been already erect
~. a
is good for drinking and bathing II
is especially fitted TO cure rheuma-
tism and will. il is said. drive alcohol
out OF the system and give one dis
taste for drink. The BELLE Island hot
springs also are Il winter resort.
As travelled north through tina
islands OF Southeastern Alaska mot
j. +. Warinc. one the geological
survey EXPERTS, who has come north
this summer to investigate some OF
the hot springs Of the territory. He
has already visited many and is now
testing these here on the Tanana River
We have together explored the Baker
hot springs, Of which write ut length
further on
MANY HOT SPRINGS
DISCOVERED IN ALASKA
Mir. Warng tells me that tho geo
logical survey has discovered many hot
springs in different parts of Alaska.
There is one northwest of BELLE island.
known as the Bailey hot springs. The
water there is close to boiling and
one of the springs is an incipieut
Scyscr, which spurts to height OF
nifty inches or more. Its temperature
is lal degrees Fahrenheit ON the cast
side OF i,aranof Island is Warm Springs
bay, where the government is now con
siderinS laying out a town with the
Idea that il may be resort They
have surveyed the land about the
springs aud are putting in cottages and
boardwalks over the muskcg. The
springs belong to tho forest reserve
There are nine OF them flowing out OF
the side Of a hill almost on the edge
of the sea. The water is now pipcd
into wooden lighthouses i'm which there
are bathtubs OF wood In the same
region there are other springs not far
from Fish BAY which may also be
developed
y little north OF Cape Edward. on
the ocean side OF Chichagor are the
Hoona warm springs, which are right
on the sea- only ten or fifteen fee,
from high tide: and there are other
springs on the islands close to the
ocean. do not know that YOU can
eaten FISH IN the ocean and by giving
TWIST OF your line drop them into
the springs 10 he cooked: but the
springs are so close to the water that
IL would seem TO be possible. There
are hsh everywhere about the warm
springs OF the islands. and fine crabs
ana CLANS where the fresh waters flow
into Tenakce inlet. About all OF these
springs arc deer and other wild game.
including bear. black and brown. which
one is not prohibited from killing
Coming north to the Yukon. there
arc springs here and there scattered
along it.. There is one about thirtv
hve miles west OF circle. where the
prospcctors and miners sometimes 70
and there arc hot springs on the
Cinema River. sixty-iivc miles out from
Fairbanks. There arc hot springs on
the Seward peninsula not far from
Nome and there are other hot springs
that have been reported bu, have moi
yet been investigated by the .colo-
Gists.
The Baker Hot Springs lie on the
Tnnana River about twelve hours by
Yukon. They are on the winter trail
from Fairbanks Ia Tanana and are
just about 100 miles across country
from the northern terminus Of the
railway Uncle sam is now building.
They Ii" about three miles from the
banks Of the Tanana River and upon
landing was able to get a hay wagon
to carry me across to tho town near
i: f.i,
corduroy road covered with sawdust
and muck that crosses the lowlands
and goes up To the springs This land
IL now covered with grass as high az
my knee. with patches or bushes run
ming here and there through it. Some
of the grass is in tasscl, and the land
Is sprimklcd with wild flowers, white,
yellow and red. whose names | know
not. There are Nova Scotia apDlcs
growing on some Of the bushes. and