The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1850-07-15
From tie Iaeon { Ga.) journal and Messenger.
WukuIIa Sprinp.

spring in the Wakulla Fumes of the 18th instant 1t
Is contained IN letter to the editor, by Mr. Geo.
,. King, OF Newport, who visited the spring, IN
company with Mr.. G.. l.. peterborough, for the
purpose OF raising the bones of some enormous an
mai which were seen lying beneath the surface OF
the water the depth OF some thirty to fifty feet AT
yer describing the apparatus proposed for the pur-
pose MIR. X. says:
al was prepared by means of this apparatus to
work at the depth OF seventy feet, but did not have
occasion TO work at that depth. There were no
bones 10 be seen except in one spot which was on
the northeast side of the spring, and scattered pro-
miscuously over an area OF about 80 by So and at
depth from thirty to forty five, and in two places
near nifty feet. They lying upon sand, of
which, however, think there is but thin strata
above the lime rock, and OF which rock is formed
the true foundation of the whole spring. Such is
the perfect transparency oil the water Of this spring.
that these bones could be seen as distinctly as if
' one was looking through airy instead of
terry medium.
''Mr. b. and myself left Newport between eight
and nine O'Clock in the morning, arrived at the
Spring about noon, raised the bones, and returned
to Newport the same evening. The day being pro-
pitlous for the work, and the apparatus working
well, we had no diftc ultes whatever to encounter
In ten minutes from the time the boat was properly
stationed and made fast, we had one of the largest
OF these immense bones resting upon the gunwale
OF the boat. 1t was my first impression that these
bones were ina state of petraction But upon
animation find that they not in the least de-
gree petrihed To be in state of petrifaction, it
might have been supposed, was necessary in order
! to their being preserved for great length OF
- time must have elapsed since the death of the
animal. The outlines and shape of some of them
are, with some slight exceptions, perfectly retained
and from the absence of petriiacton their texture
= and general formation may be dis
tinctly as at any other time. Their outer iorma-
ton Is for the most part an enamel, (and which is
perhaps a peculiarity,) of from ! to ! of an inch
4 thick, generally Of beautiful Wilderness, and very
hard too hard to be cut with knife. The upper
lower 1--WE cannot tell which at presently bone of each
leg, which were obtained, measures little up
wards of three feet in length, 10 inches in diameter
above joint and 49, or IA inches in diameter, at
what appears to be the knee Joint A single Joint
only obtained of the vertebra belonging either to the
neck or small of the back measures seventeen
q inches, land was apparently from to inches more
originality across one way and ~ the other, and
4 the aperture which admits the spinal cord mea-
sures by a inches. The principal part of each
hip bone obtained, indicates length of at least
4 feet They are so much broken, however,
as to render 1t difficult for here to determine
what were their real size in every particular. The
socket alone, where the hip and thigh bones joined
measures nearly % inches in circumference, or
inches IN diameter. part of one blade bone and
several others were obtained That which proved
\ to be part of tusk taken from depth of forty
3 hive feet, which was spoken of in my last, when
viewed lying upon the bottom, presented length
OF not less than feet, and think it nearer
than A. The shape of the part of the tusk seen
was, lengthwise a little curved, and is nearly
I round. There was no perccptible diminution of
size for the whole length of this part and at each
end appeared To have been broken nearly square
{ off. Ii is TO be regretted that this piece of tusk
had raised it, perhaps ten feet not having strength
enough to hold its own weight, it broke in and
fell 10 the bottom again and the largest piece then
to be seen was but little foot This
raised but misfortune still pursuing this piece of
tusk it fell from the hooks into the boat and broke
/ again into many pieces. II measured, have
before said, inches in diameter, and, Judging
from the fact that there apparent dmnu-
ton in size for the length of four feet more and
from its enormous thickness it could have been
less than ten, and was probably near twelve or even
fifteen feet in length. The piece obtained proved the
tusk or tusks TO have been OF pure ivory, encased
{ by enamel OF almost transparent whiteness. The
weight OF these tusks tusk was, beyond doubt,
also enormous. The piece which we attempted to
: raise, and partly accomplished, was quite heavy
pull for both MIR. Peterborough and myself IL
must have weighed $50 lbs, and the whole weight
of the entire tusk could not have been less than
300 and 1t Is quite probable that il weighed high
Il as 400 lbs One of the big bones which have de-
y scribed weighs 90 lbs, and could not originally
have weighed less than rs or so lbs. They
more or less hollow, and there a hollow in the
part of the tusk secured Of 81 to inches. There
! were no thigh bones to be found Their length.
Judging relatively, must be near or quite feet"
After specuatons by Mr.. X as To the
manner in which this animal came in the spring,
! he says j
"a few lines more in reference to the spring
alone, and will trouble you no more upon the
subject, Tor the present at least | prefer to be
little particular, however, IN describing this great
spring for, like the descriptions of the falls of
Niagara, have never yet seen written out any de-
: Of those who have beheld this mammoth
spring, distinct idea Of its true and wonderful
magnitude and grandeur, and if can, even in one
particular, succeed in placing correct description
clearly before the minds of such persons, will
consider myself amply repaid for the trouble.
'The shape of the Wakulla Spring, at its brim, is
nearly or quite regular circle, and this shape is
as fully maintained beneath the surface of its
tiers, for twothirds of it's north portion, and
versey in every direction, the curved lines are
nicely observed, even down to the point of the
greatest depth. The basin commencing at the
brim is distinctly marked at every point. From
the south side of the rim at its commencement,
third of the distance towards the north,
appears the mouth OF what seems TO be, and doubt
less Is, an immense horizontal cavern, pointing and
dscbargng the water from its towards the
north, or two-thrds portion already described.
The roof ar may 80 speak) Of this cavern, COM
posed also Of lime rock, where IL Is terminal
ing, and is distinctly at every point, presents
an irregular and jagged outline, commencing on the
east and west side, about equally distant from the
rim either side, and at the depth Of sixty feet it
rises in the form Of an irregular arch TO within
twenty five feet of the surface ofthe water con
siderable portion along its greatest elevation IL
quite thin, and a number Of holes or assures may
be seen penetrating quite through the water be
i meath.
''By the aid Of the line and pummet, which never
crrs instead Of by the means Of fancy and guess,
4 I asccrtained the greatest depth 90 be nineteen
| fathoms, one hundred and fourteen fcet-and
thus, too ascerained that the mouth Of that great
cavern s eighty. nine feet in perpendicuar height,
|
two hundred feet The distance across the spring
at the rim s, in every direction, nearly four hun
dred feet. The water of this truly magnificent and
wonderful spring is of such perfect transparency
that any bright substance, as small even a half
dime, can be seen on the bottom at it, greatest
depth, on a calm sunny day, "whon no gentle
breeze goes ripping DER" Owing 10 the great
transparency Of the water IL is highly retroactive,
and, aided by the white sand most Of the bot
TOM every hue of the rainbow may be often dis
nctly seen, reflected and flashing from every sub
stance thrown in and sinking down. The appar-
cnt color Of the water, when viewed I'm any direc-
ton except perpendcularly is light blue, or blush
green, according TO the depth. There IL really not
the slightest tinge of any color, and the blue or
blush green appearance il owing 10 those causes
which produce the same appearance in any deep
clear water-that of the sea, for instance. Owing
70 the great size of the inlet into the spring, by
means Of the cause already described, compared TO
the quantity of water il eects there is perccpt-
Bile current or boil To get into boat and push
out upon the bosom OF these beautiful waters when
IL s perfectly calm, the appearance is that of being
HI. IN al