Delaware gazette. [volume] (Delaware, Ohio) 1855-1886, 1869-05-21
HOWTHE FLORIDA KEYS WE'RE
FORMED.
BY MRS. E. c. AeAss1z.

just outside the lower extremity Of
Florida are a number of islands,-the
Leasternmost almost touching the main
land, while the western lie q little
farther of.
In consequences Of this pBcuIiarity Ga
/ their disposition, the space left between
/ these ISLANDS and the Florida coast.
I marked on She map as mud hats, ll
broad andopen at the western outlet
but almost close towards the east It
/ is important to remember the form Of
i this Broad intervening space, stretching
between the keys and the nein-lGndt
because the narrower and more shallow
lend may easily be filled with sand
4 mud, &C. 4f' you viii look at the fats
at the eastern end Of this once open
channel that such q process SIS actually
going on. ll fact, a current sets to-
wards the channel drifting into 80 sand.
mud, and debris Of all sorts.
hope to show you that these hats
beng gradually consolidated into dry
land, VIII a. lest make @ bridge Between
the 1slanda and lower extremity OF
Elorida5 uniting BolfdIY together. SO
that the former Will cease to be islands
and viii become part Of the mainland.
Indeed, we shall dnd that Florida
hersei1l Sc far as her structure is known
4 ~ onlySs succession Of such rows Oh
islaneE as now Lie outside her southern
| shore, united together, by hats eEaefIV
| lIeo those RcCumulafinRat this monhsnt
Ibetween the present Islands and the
I coast. These. islands are called the
Keys Of Florida, and are diBtihR Ruighed
| from one another by e variety Of ap-
pellaEons, such &s sand Key. Kew
West, indian Key, Long Key, and the
like. They are ofvariOus sizes; some
| like Key West, for instance-are large
inhabiteG islands, planted with fruit
and hower gardens, where cocoa-nuta
and other palms, oranRe-trees, and
! bananas, grow ia great luLurianc8,
while others are mere barren rocks
scarcely rising above the surface Of The
ocean washed over by waves, and
Suppose now that in fancy we sail
out from the keys on their seaWard
side, choosing a bright, calm day when
the surface OF the ocean is BtlM. The
waters of that region are remarkably
clear; and undersuch influences Of sky
and atmosphere they are so transpar-
ent that the bottom may be seen alta
considerable depth, distinct as picture
under glass.
Sailing southward to a distance Of
some four or five miles from the keys.
we find ourselves in ueighborhod Of
q rocky wall rising from the ocean bot
tom. AS we approach Dc, if we look
over the SIDE Of the boat, we shall see
that we Sre passing over a floating
shrubbery, branching growth spread
ing In '5very direction, los lighter por-
gently with the move
NEST of the sea, it Is not green like
lal1d shrubbery, but has a variety Of
OF soft, bright huess-purpleI rosy,
amethyst, yellow, brown, and Grange.
If circumstances are favorable and the
water crystal-clears 0s IL sometimes lai
we Bhallhave glimpses Of brtght-col0r-
ed fishes swimming ia and ouG amid
this tangled thlckeb, or here and there
we may discern variety o. sea-ane-
mones, their HOft featheTy fringes fully
expanded
This wonderful growth over which
we have imagined ourselves to be sail
ing is the top ofthe coral wall. Reach
ing the surface Of the water at intervalg
it forms Ettle rocky ISLANDS hgr5 aul
there, divided from each other by open
channels, through some OF wtI-ch Vas-
sells Of considerable size may pass
This wall Is in fact q repetition of the
same. process as thet which has formed
che inner row Of keys, though 10 amOre
incomplete stage; it is built up by the
coral animals from the sea bottom
Wherever circumstances are most IA
VOrable to their development, there
they grow most rapidly. In such spots
they bring the wall to the sea level
sooner than in others.
This done however, the work Of the
coral animals ceases, Because they can
not live out Of the water. But an con-
Of a process Of decay and de-
which I shall describe
when we examine the structure and
life Jf the animals themselves, such a
HRll-Or coral reef, as 81 is callsd-is
iurrOunded by coral sand and frag-
nents worn away from it by the action
IF the sea.
Materials Of this sort, mixed with sea.
weed, broken shells, DC, soon gather
lpOn the top Of the reef wherever the
oral growth has brought &c 60 the sea
evel. By degrees a soil 81 collected up
N such spots, raising them more and
more above the surface Of the water.
n this way the islands have been form
md In the same way the little patches
low rising highest on the summit Of the
Reef will enlarge gradually into more
extensive islands, though &C present
many Of them are scarcely 81 visible above
ne water leNeA--oaLL. Lll--L- EnL---.