The weekly Union times. [volume] (Union C.H., South Carolina) 1871-1894, 1877-06-15
gauoted to A9riqultme 3ortitultnre

damned in. Then long rainy season fol
lowed, The Jupiter, North, Allokehatchi
and Lake Worth rivers, which empty int,
the Indian river within mile of the inlet
poured out volumes of fresh water, but the
ocean had done its work well, and the dan
remained intact. The fresh water passee
through Hope sound and forced it's way t,
the sea through Indian river inlet, fifty miles
north of Jupiter.
The salt water at Jupiter became fresh
All the oysters died. Trillions of liddler
aHa hermit crabs gave up the ghost Th,
mangrove trees turned sickly yellow, ant
| the thousands of 'insects that draw thei,
nourlshment from saline Disappeared
Schools of black bass left the fresh streams
and appeared at Jupiter. Solid acres ol
fresh water fishes piled themselves into the
blight of the inlet, and fought for the sea
water that oozed through the sand at high
tide. The alligators of the Everglades got
wind of what was going on. They came
down the Allokehatchie and Lake Worth
creek in scores, and attacked the fish dam
med in the blight The slaughter was aston
ishing.
The water turned to blood, and was car
patea with; dead fish. The alligators were
Pre- enforced until their number was etsimia-
!, tsd, at five hundred; They gorged them
selves with fshh, and dSzsd s~sy their days
on the hot sand beneath the scorching rays
OF the sun. The beach was black with their
mailed bodies. At nig ght their muttered
-thunder fairly shook the foundations of the
lighthouse.
One day north wind arose. 1t gathered
in strength day BY day until its fury was
that of gale. 1t began to back up the
waters in the inlet. Rain fell, and the
waters increased in depth. The wind shif-
tod to the northwest. A high neap tide
followed. As it began to fall, 6 thread of
fresh water found its way over the sandy
barrier. Within twenty minutes the dam
was burst, and the pent up waters were roar
ing and rushing into the sea. The army
or "''s"'~"' ''"" "nro''t in the fansi u COZ.
ried outside. A terrific fght tGGsued. The
ncap tide had brought hundreds of enor-
nous sharks to the coast. Ttey scented the
fresh water and made for the inlet Fran
tic after their enforced fasting during the
storm, they attacked the alligators. The
noise of the combat was heard above the
rear of the ocean. A son of Judge Paine,
of Fort Capron, who was an eye witness of
the scene, tells me that he saw sharks and
alligators rise on the crest of the waves and
fight like dogs.
Many of the killed foated belly upward,
and were afterward rocked ashore by the
waves. For days their bodies drifted to the
beach. The dead alligators had lost their
legs and tails. The sharks in some cases
were nearly bitten into two pieces. The
current of the gulf stream strewed the shore
as far north as Cape Malabar with their CAR
oasses. Clouds of buzzards, and even the
Bahama vultures were drawn to the beach
by the offal Mr.. Paine fancies that the
sharks were too active for the alligators, but
others say that the percentage Of bodies on
the beach indicated that the weight of metal
was in favor of the iron-clad reptiles.
a GUILTLEss MAN CONDEMNED.-Tn
the year 1869 five men entered the residence
q