REPORT OF THE SUPERINTENDENT OF PLATT NATIONAL PARK. DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR, PLATT NATIONAL PARK, SIR: I have the honor to submit the following annual report on the Platt National Park for 1915: GENERAL STATEMENT. By the acts of Congress of July 1, 1902 (32 Stat., 641), and April 21, 1904 (33 Stat., 220), 629.33 and 218.98 acres, respectively, at the town of Sulphur, Okla. (then Indian Territory), were segregated as the "Sulphur Springs Reservation," which designation, by joint resolution approved June 29, 1906, was changed to "Platt National Park." The park, with a total area of 848.22 acres, extends in irregular form a distance of approximately 3 miles from northeast to southwest along Travertine Creek, including a portion of Rock Creek, into which the Travertine empties, and it has a circuit of 9 miles. Within the park are a number of known mineral and three nonmineral springs, one of the latter (the Cold Spring) having been developed and confined during the fiscal year ended June 30, 1913. The principal groups of springs in the park are the Bromide and Medicine Springs in the extreme western portion of the park, the Beach, Pavilion, and Hillside Springs in the north central portion of the park, and the Bromide-Sulphur, Black Sulphur, and Wilson Springs in the south central part of the park. Sulphur springs predominate. The Antelope and Buffalo Springs, nonmineral in character, are situated at the extreme northeastern end of the park, with an elevation of 1,080 feet above sea level at the Antelope Spring and 1,078 feet at the Buffalo. They have an approximate discharge of 5,000,000 gallons daily into Travertine Creek, and are the source of this beautiful creek. The Medicine Spring was discovered within the last few years, and the work of confining the water of this spring and conveying it to the pavilion at Bromide Springs has been completed, although in a rather unsatisfactory manner, as the spring in its present condition fills up with every flood which comes down Rock Creek. This feature of this improvement has been exceptionally troublesome during the last few months of the fiscal year ended June 30, 1915, for the reason that Rock Creek was flooded by numerous heavy rains and the Medicine Spring was submerged by every flood, thus rendering the water unfit for use after every rain until the spring could be cleaned out. 8161-INT 1915-VOL 1-65 1025 VISITORS. It is impossible to give an accurate account of the visitors to the Platt National Park during the year, for the reason that there is no way to determine the number. Visitors to the park all are domiciled in the city of Sulphur, some in hotels and boarding houses and others in private homes or rooming houses. Even if a correct register of the guests at the hotels and boarding houses could be obtained, there would still be guests at private homes and numbers of small rooming houses in the city who would not be numbered. However, I estimate that about 18,000 to 20,000 visitors came here last year. There were registered in the park office a total of 569 persons who came into the park and camped for three days or more. As shown by the records of the watchman at the Bromide Springs, the visitors there during the year just ended numbered 113,563, exceeding the attendance during the preceding year by 896. This aggregate number of visitors to this spring does not represent as many individuals, but is made up from day to day of visitors and resident citizens who make frequent trips to the springs. During the year just ended 161 orders were issued from this office, on physician's prescriptions, for the shipment of the Bromide and Medicine waters in 5-gallon quantities to persons outside of the city. These shipments were made to various points in Oklahoma and Texas. There were also some shipments to Kansas, Arkansas, Chicago, Ill., and Brooklyn and New York City. There were shipped 5,205 gallons of Bromide water and 278 gallons of the Medicine water. During the entire year 54,430 gallons of these waters (including the water shipped) were taken from the springs. Out of this total, 34,971 gallons were Bromide and 13,976 gallons were Medicine. During a part of the season for visitors no orders were issued for shipment of these waters, as the supply was not sufficient to permit of its being carried from the springs. LIVE STOCK CROSSING THE PARK. Due to the fact that there are now no rangers in this park who could obtain information regarding the live stock crossing the park, no record has been kept of the number of cattle transported through same. BUILDINGS AND THEIR CONDITION. The following is a list of the buildings in the park, their location, condition, and the purposes for which they are used: Frame cottage, 7 rooms, 2 halls, 3 porches (one sleeping porch), with servant's room attached. Located about 700 feet south of the Pavilion groups of springs. Recently repaired and in good condition. Used as a residence for the superintendent. Frame cottage, 5 rooms, 1 hall, and 3 porches. Located about 450 feet due east of Panther Falls. Habitable. At present unoccupied. Frame cottage, 6 rooms, 1 hall, 3 porches. Located approximately one-third mile so th of Pavilion Springs. Habitable but two porches need rebuilding, and roof recovered. At present occupied by Laborers W. K. and A. C. Milligan. Frame cottage, 3 rooms, 1 pantry, and 1 porch. Located 10 rods north of Bromide Springs. Habitable, but needs new roof to entire building and the porch floor rebuilt; also a new flue. At present unoccupied, but will soon be occupied by Laborer W. K. Milligan. Frame cottage, 5 rooms, 1 porch with cement floor. Located about 600 feet southeast of Pavilion Springs. In fairly good condition, but needs flues and roof repaired. At present unoccupied. Stone building, 2 rooms, 1 porch, and coal shed attached, and with comfort station inside building with sewer attachments. Building recently repaired and renovated, and in good condition. Used as superintendent's office. Frame pavilion at Bromide Springs, with stove room attached. In bad condition, crude construction, and should as soon as possible be replaced. Two frame pavilions at Pavilion Springs. Both repaired and repainted a year ago. Pavilon at Hillside Spring, conglomerate rock columns with pagoda roof and cement floor. Repainted a year ago and in good condition. Pavilion at Black Sulphur Spring, frame. Repainted a year ago, and in serviceable condition. Pavilion at Sulphur-Bromide Spring, frame. Repainted a year ago, and in serviceable condition. Pavilion at Wilson Spring, frame. Repainted a year ago, but still in need of repairs, especially to roof. Pavilion at artificial spring near old Vendome, frame. Repainted a year ago and roof replaced. Ten frame resthouses in good condition. Seven old resthouses in fair repair. Frame structures. One resthouse, with sewer attachments at ranger house near superintendent's residence. One new frame barn, with hayloft and buggy shed (the buggy shed with cement floor); also new tool shed with cement floor (the tool shed built during the fiscal year just ended), attached to barn. The whole structure recently painted and in excellent condition. Located immediately south of superintendent's residence. Lo One shed henhouse and one shed storeroom, both crudely constructed. cated, respectively, southeast and immediately east of superintendent's residence. One frame storeroom, roughly constructed. Located immediately east of 5-room cottage, which is 600 feet southeast of Pavilion Springs. One frame stable, small and crudely constructed. Located southeast of 5room cottage, which is 600 feet southeast of Pavilion Springs. One frame stable, roughly constructed. which is due east of Panther Falls. Located just east of ranger house, One frame barn, new and in good condition. Rebuilt recently from old barn which was blown down by storm on May 6, 1915. Located just west of residence occupied by Laborers W. K. and A. C. Milligan. One small frame crib, crudely constructed. Located just northwest of residence occupied by Laborers A. C. and W. K. Milligan. Frame poultry house, crudely constructed. Located northwest of 3-room cottage near Bromide Springs. One small frame barn, crudely constructed. Located just west of 3-room cottage near Bromide Springs. One small frame tool house and comfort station combined. In good condition and located southwest of superintendent's office. OFFICIAL VISITS. In November, 1914, General Supt. Mark Daniels came here and made a thorough inspection of the park, familiarized himself with the conditions, and made suggestions for its improvement and maintenance which have been of great benefit to me in its administration. ROADS. Under date of October 26, 1914, the department made an allotment of $1,000 for the construction of a new road from Lincoln Bridge along the north bank of Rock Creek to connect the Travertine Road with the road at Bromide Springs. The work of actual construction on this road was commenced on February 24 and completed on May 27, 1915, the entire cost amounting to only $792.27, the amount expended for labor alone being $775.99. The unexpended balance of the $1,000 allotment was transferred to the unallotted funds and reallotted for other purposes. The character of this road is the same as that built along Travertine Creek during the last fiscal year by Mr. E. A. Keys, viz, graded roadbed 18 feet wide between ditches, with a graveled surfacing or paved way 14 feet in width. The entire length of the new road is 5,906 feet, and it is graded with a 5-inch crown, and there is not over a 1 per cent grade on any part of it. It has nine cement culverts built at intervals along the road, which were deemed sufficient to properly care for the drainage. These culverts all have cylindrical openings, four of them with 12-inch openings and five with 18-inch openings, and all have square wing walls. There were 1,180 yards of gravel spread upon the entire road, the gravel used being the natural macadam which is found in abundance within the park. During the month of June, 1915, repairs were made to the south part of Buckhorn Road, which leads south and southeast past Wilson Spring to the south line of the park and to the Bromide and Bromide-Sulphur Lanes. These repairs consisted of the proper grading and side ditching of these roads. The Buckhorn Lane was graded at the south end for a distance of 1,750 feet, the Bromide Lane for its entire length of 3,000 feet, and the Bromide-Sulphur Lane for its entire length of 2,200 feet, making a total of 6,950 feet of newly graded road. These roads have not yet been graveled, but this will be done during the early part of the next fiscal year, and there will then be within the park something like 7 or 8 miles of good driveway, which, if properly maintained, will be of a permanent nature. REPAIRS TO BUILDINGS. Allotment of $250 was made on October 26, 1914, for repairs to the superintendent's office, including painting of both exterior and interior woodwork, as well as the roof, repapering interior, rebuilding porch, and other minor improvements; but when the actual work was begun it was found that the allotment was not much more than sufficient to pay for the material required in the repairs to this building, hence it was necessary to draw on the miscellaneous emergencies and contingencies allotment in order to thoroughly renovate and repair this building. I found some of the sills and all of the underpinning to this house decayed and these had to be replaced, and the old chimney which had been built so as to rest on the ceiling joists had to be torn out and a new one put in its place. The old one had for a number of years been propped up with a piece of timber set up in the middle of the house, and I had the new chimney set on a stone foundation built from the ground up and properly concealed within the walls of the building. The old porch around the office was entirely torn away and a new one built in its stead, and the roof was reshingled and painted. Inside the office was entirely done over, and all the woodwork (including the stationery cabinets and one long counter desk) was stained and grained in imitation oak, and then given a coat of varnish. The outside woodwork was all given two coats of good lead and oil. The front room of the office was repapered and the back room finished with alabastine. The stone piers under the porch |