TI1E TOWN OF WILDBAD.

29

After tliis misfortune a law was passed, to prevent hay and straw heilig kept in the town, and since tliis time tliese materials are stored in small wooden barns, scattered all along the valley of the Enz, whicli are quite a feature in the country.

In 1824 again, the town suffered greatly from inundation; the Enz, rising to an unprecedented height, overflowed and tore away fourteen bridges and two .houses. All the goods and many houses near the river were more or less damaged, and the water stood six feet above the level of the hot springs; the expense of reconstructing the bridges alone, amounted to 4000 florins — a considerable sum in tliis country where wood is almost to be had for nothing. The last conflagration by whicli Wildbad was visited, occurred in 1829, wlien the King of Würlemberg Hotel was quite consume d, and a similar fate was impending over the whole city, but fiortunately a heavy rain came on and prevented further miscbief. The liotel has since been rebuilt of quarried stones, and now looks one of the stateliest mansions of the town.

Since the fire of 1742 the appearance of the place has considerably improved. Particularly the fasbionable quarter, whicli conimences witli the Königsplatz, looks more like a square in a Capital than like the market place of a country town of 2000 inhabitants. If it were not for the liills whose aspect everywhere obtrudes upon your view, the Illusion would be complete. From the secluded Situation of Wildbad people often imagine, tliat visitors must be exposed to many privations — a consideration which prevents a great many from resorting to tliis spa. This, however, like many other populär opinions, is a great fallacy. Dr. Heim in 1840 enumerates already 350 lodgings, partly in hotels, and partly in private houses; and tliis number has been greatly