Weekly Chillicothe crisis. (Chillicothe, Livingston Co., Mo.) 1878-19??, 1881-08-04
A FLORIDA MYSTERY.
The Dense Smoke that Rises from the
Depths Of an Unpenetrated Swamp
A Phenomenon which Nobody has
yet been Able to Penetrate.


writer, and the champion archer of the
country, contributes the following from
Tallahassee Fla, to the "Chicago
Times" About twenty-eight miles
from this city, in the midst Of dense
ly timbered marsh, there has been
seen for more than forty years dense
column of smoke, rising almost con-
stantly, and defying the investigations
of the curious. 1t has long been local
ly known as the Waliulla Volcano, from
the fact that it is situated at no great
distance from the famous Wakulla
Spring. Only yesterday stood upon Il
high hill south of the city and watched
the smoke roll up and drift away from
that mysterious spot whittier as yet no
human foot has wandered. Judge
White, formerly of the circuit court
here, and now leading lawyer of this
city, has furnished me a great deal of
information touching the so called vol
cano. In fact, he it was who headed
the most nearly successful of the many
parties which have from time to time
attempted to explore the mystery. The
New York Herald" once organized a
corps of discovery, which most disas-
trously failed to accomplish its object
the leader losing himself in the awful
mOrass and nearly starving himself be-
fore finding his way out. The volcano,
or whatever it is sends up column Of
rather blackish smoke, which may be
seen fully thirty miles in fair weather.
When first it attracted attention, some
fifty years ago, it was supposed to be
the camping place of band Of Indians
left behind when 0sceOla's braves were
expelled from FLORIDA. Later the wise
heads attributed the great pillar Of
cloud by day to fires kindled in the
swamps by runaway slaves. a few
years afterward, during the war, it was
declared to be the work Of descrtcrs
from the Confederate Army Of men
who had skulkCd into the jungle 20
avoid conscription. But the Indians
are all gone; the slaves are free, Mh
the war is long since over; still the
smoke asccnds, and still the sailors
along the Gulf coast, and the tourists
through Mddle-Florida gaze and Won
der. This is no hoax, no silly Ilrcside
story. The thing calleda volcano act.
ually exists. "SOme years ago" said
Judge White, in response TO my inqui-
ries -"sOme years ago | determined to
visit the spot and solve the mystery Of
that smoke. felt sanguine OF success.
| believed then as do now, that some
thing in tie form of an active volcano,
but of course of very small dimensions,
could easily be found. organized q
party of active young men, and, arm
ing myself with Il surveyors transit,
set out for the scene Of exploration
From high point Of lard trained
my instrument upon the smoke column
and having fixed on the line ordered
my men TO begin cutting away into the
swamp, which ut the first, was bad
enough, but gradually grew worse until
progress was next TO impossible. Cy
press, ash, oak, elders, vines, air-plants
briars, long moss, every thing that
ever grew in swamps grew there
in II tenfOld tange Of luXUriancc
The weather was terribly hot, for in
order TO get through the wettest parts
we had to choose midsummer for ON
exploit, and, after two days Of swelter
lug among the mOccasins, alligators
and mosquitoes, all my men deserted the
enterprise, leaving me and plucky
colored lad TO go on alone. Progress at
once became painfully slow. Every foot
of the way had to be chopped out whilt
we stood in water from one to three
feet in depth, and suffered the assault.
of millions of rayenous insects. In the
afternoon of the third day we reached
a tall pine standing on sandy hillOck
in the swamp. BY cutting clcats mJ
mailing them transversly to the side OF
this tree, us | had proposed to do be.
fore beginning the exploration, | was
enabled to climb to the height Of nine
ty feet, whence | viewed the smoke
column rising from the midmOst tan
gle of the swamp, not more than five
miles distant. The immediate poin
where the smoke issued seemed to bt
the apex of fiat mound of about milt
in width, covered with II mass o.
swamp growth absolutely impenetrable
Ny resolution fersook me, and nearl,
dead with exposure and fatigue,
made my way back to the track haC
cleared. One thing is sure, the smoke
is there and the mytery is there. l
ought to be thoroughly investigated.
There i, no mistaking Judge Whites
sincerity or doubling his truthfulness
Then, too, his companions in the eX
ploration are here, and yonder is thu
column of black smoke towering above
the swamp to add convincing force t
his story. | have talked with many o
a the Oldest and best informed citizens o
the county, and all of them agree tina
, the smoke column has been visible
!, with slight intermissions, for at leas
, forty-fve years. All the old tms OF
! the Gulf-coast line between PensacOl
and Cedar Keys are f milliar with thi
smoke pillar, as it is very plainly visibl
from a great distance on the water |
, is certainly a remarkable and mysteri
q Gus thing. Seen from the hills soutl
of Tallahassee, at Il distance Of som
q twenty-seven miles, the smoke appear
r of about the volume thrown from th
l.. smoke pipe Of an ocean steamer. Whe
+ there is no breeze, the column rises t
4 great height, llaring at the top. !
v the wind is strong it trails across tn
!. wild swamp like a low hanging thunde
h cloud. Judge White says he can form
+ no definite opinion as to the nature o
f the fire which causes the smoke. If
8 is a volcano, it must be very smaI
= one, and unlike any other in the worl(
r The crater could not be over half
d mile in extent, and the smoke sent nc
n more than few feet in diameter, wit
trees and swamp growth springing u
:. close around its rim. To an energeti,
q enterprising man, not fully acquainte
!. with what constitutes Florida swan
jungle, the approach to this volcan
would seem, viewed from u distanc,
quite practicable; but moment
IL reflection upon facts us they e,
n ist will dispel the delusion, The swan
10 in question is near the Gulf coast,
t, about fifteen miles in diameter,
Il nnndnd with water nrnMn full of eYnr,