The Goldsboro star. [volume] (Goldsboro, N.C.) 1881-18??, 1881-07-23
nATEs OF ADVERTISING,
A FLORIDA MYSTERY.
pAYABLE IN ADVANC


A FLORIDA MYSTERY.
nv W Akiah
Tha Dense smoke That Rises From the
Depths Of an Inpenetr9Dle MpVns
phenomenon Which NOBODY nus 10 y.
u Been Able 10 Investigate.
Maurice Thompson, the weli-known
writer, and the champion archer OF tne
country. contributes the following from
Tallahassee, Fla, to the Chicago Times
About twenty-eight milesfrom this CITY,
m the midst Of densely- timbered
marsh, there has been seen ior more
than forty years dense column Of
smoke, rising almost constantly, ana
defying the Investigations OF the curl
GUS. It has long been locally known as
the Wakulla volcano, from the fact that
it is situated at no great distance from
the famous Wakulla spring. Only yes.
terday / stood upon a high hill south OF
tbe 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 q lead
inc LAWYER Of the city, hasfurnished me
q great deal Of information tonchingth
so-called volcano. In fact, he 1t 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 corps Of discovery, which
most disastrously failed to accomplish
its object, the leader losing himself In
the awful morass and nearly stafy ~
.s;ass asiGss Raias bis way sas N
hay be seen fully thirty miles in fail
\ weather. When first it attracted atten
tion, some fifty years ago, it was sup
: posed to be the camping place OF a ban(
Of Indians left behind when OsceolaI
braves were expelled from Florida
~sEfstar the wise heads, attgibqted til.
kindled IN The swamps by runaway
slaves. A few years afterward, during
the war, it was declared to be the worl
Of deserters from the confederate army
Of men who had skulked into the Jungle
to avoid CONSUMPTION. But the Indians
are all gone; the slaves are free, ani
the war is long since over; still the
smoke ascends, and still the sailors
along the gulf coast, and the tourists
through middle Florida gaze and won
der This is no hoax, no silly firesidt
story. The thing called a volcano
actually exisSs. "Some years ago, sale
Judge White, in response to my inqui
ries-"soge years ago. I determined tt
visit the spot and solve the mystery o.
4 that Smoke. / felt sanguine Of success
\ | believed then, as I do now, that some
thing in the form Of an active volcano
but Of course Of very small dimensions
could easily be found. I organized 6
4 party of active young men, and, arrnine
snys.s1f with surveyors transit. set oul
icr 'no scene Of exploration. From &
mgn Jolnt q land ! trained my instru
ment upon the smoke column, and hav
ing fixed on the line ordered my men Il
begin cutting way into the swamp
which. at the first, was bad enough, but
gradually grew worse, until progress was
next to impossible. Cypress, ash, oak,
elders, vines, air-plants, briars, long.
moss, everything that ever grew in
swamps grew there in tenfold tanqIe
Of luxuriance. The weather was terribly
hot, for in order to get through The
wetest parts, we had to choose mid.
summer for our exploit, and, after two
days OF sweltering among the mecca,
sins, alligators and mosquitoes, all my
men
DEsERTED THE ENTEBPRIsR,
leaving me and . plucky colored lad Il
go on alone. Progress at once became
painfully slow. Every foot Of the way
had to be chopped out while we stood
In water from one to three feet in depth
and suffered the assaults Of millions q
ravenous insects. In the afternoon Of
the third day we reached tall pine
standing on sandy hillock in the
swamp. BY cutting cleats and mailing
them transversely to the side Of this
tree, as / had proposed TO do before be.
ginning the exploration, I was enabled
to climb to the height of ninety feet,
whence ] viewed the smoke column risl
ing from the midmost taLgle of the
swamp, not more than five miles distant.
The Immediate point whence the smoke
issued seemed to be the apex Of q fat
mound Of about mile in width. covered
with mass OF swamp growth absolutely
impenetrabfe. NY resolution fofsook
me, and, nearly dead with exposure and
fatigue, I made my way back by the
track I had cleared. One thing is sure,
the smoke is there and the mystery il
there. 1t ought to be thoroughly I'M
yestigated.Y There is no mistaking
Judge Whites sincerity or doubling bis
X kruhhf,1l,,aua THAN (na HE nnyo,.av,.