Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1881-07-14
M@istellaueuns &eading.
A FLORIDA MYSTERY.

A FLORIDA MYSTERY.
Maurice Thompson, the we'll known writer
and the champion archer of the country, cor
tributes the following from Tallahassee, Fla
to the Chicago Times About twenty-eigh
miles from this city, in the midst of densel
timbered marsh, there has been seen for NOR
than forty years a dense column of smoke
rising almost constantly, and ddfying the in
vestigatious of the curious. 1t has long beel
locally known as the Wakulla volcano, from
the fact that it is situated at no great distanc
from the famous Wakulla spring. Only yes
terday I stood upon high hill south of tn
city and watched the smoke roll up and drif
away from that mysterious spot whittier a
yet no human foot has wandered. Judg
White, formerly of the circuit court here, ant
now leading lawyer of the city, has furnish
ed me a great deal of information touching
the 60 called volcano. In fact, he it was whit
headed the most nearly successful Of the many
parties which have from time to time attempt
ed to explore the mystery. The New Yorl
Herald once organized corps Of discovery
which most disastrously failed to accomplish
its object, the leader losing himself in the aw
full morass and nearly starving himself before
finding his way out. The volcano, or what
ever it is, sends up column of rather black
ish smoke, which may be seen fully thirty
miles in fair weather. When first it attract
ed attention, some fifty years ago, it was sup
posed TO be the camping place of band Of
Indians left behind when Osceola'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 runa
way slaves A few years afterward, during
the war, it was declared to be the work Of
deserters from the Confederate army of men
who had skulked into the jungle to avoid
conscription. But the Indians are all gone
the slaves are free, and 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 wonder
This is no hoax, no silly freside story. The
thing called volcano actually exists. "Some
years ago" said Judge White, in response to
my inouiries-"some years ago determined
to visit the spot and solve the mystery of that
smoke. | felt sanguine of success. believ'
ed then as | do now, that something in the
form of an active volcano, but of course OF
very small dimensions, could easily he found.
l organized party of active young men, and,
arming myself with surveyors transit, set
out for the scene of exploration. From a
high joint of land l trained my instrument
upon the smoke column, and having fixed on
the line ordered my men to begin cutting a
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, briers long
moss, everything that ever grew in swamps,
grew there in tenfold tangle of luxuriance.
The weather was terribly hot, for in order to
get through the wettest parts we had to choose
midsummer for our exploit, and, after two
days Of sweltering among the moccasins, alli'
gators and mosquitoes, all my men
DESERTED THE ENTERPRISE,
leaving me and plucky colored lad to 60 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 as
saults of millions Of 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 l had
proposed to do before beginning the explora-
ton, was enabled to climb to the height of
ninety feet, whence I viewed the smoke COL
umn rising from the midmost tangle of the
swamp, not more than five miles distant.
The immediate point whence the smoke issued
seemed to be the apex of fiat mound OF
about mile in width, covered with mass of
swamp growth absolutely impenetrable. My
resolution forsook me, and, nearly dead with
exposure and fatigue, made my way back
by the track I had cleared. One thing is
sure, the smoke is there and the mystery is
there. 1t ought to be thoroughly investiga-
ted." There is no mistaking Judge Whites
sincerity or doubling his truthfulness. Then,
too, his companions in the exploration are
here, and yonder is the column of black
smoke, towering above the swamp, to add
convincing force to his story. I have talked
with many of the oldest and bestinformed
citizens of the county, and all of them agree
that the smoke column has been visible, with
slight intermissions, for at least forty.6ve
years. AL VIC Olu LdIo vi LliC s VII Cooot 1'AS
between Pensacola and Cedar Keys are
FAMILIAR WITH THIS SMOKE PILLAR,
as it is very plainly visible from great dis.
tance on the water. 1t is certainly very
remarkable and mysterious thing. Seen from
the hills south of Tallahassee, at a distance
of some twenty.seven miles, the smoke ap.
pears of about the volume thrown from the
smoke pipe of an ocean steamer. When there
is no breeze, the column rises to great
height, faring at the top. If the wind is
strong it trails across the wild swamp like a
longhangng thunder-cloud. Judge White
says he can form no definite opinion as to the
nature of the fire which causes the smoke
If it is a volcano, it must be very small
one, and unlike any other in the world. The
crater could not be over half mile in ex.
tent, and the smoke sent not more than few
feet in diameter, with trees and swamp growth
springing up close around its rim. To an
energetic, enterprising man, not fully &C.
quainted with what constitutes Florida
swamp jungle, the approach to this volcano
would seem, viewed from distance, quite
practicable but moments reflection upon
facts as they exist will dispel the delusion
The swamp in question is near the gulf coast
is about fifteen miles in diameter, is flooded
with water grown full of everything, from
gnarled cypress knees to green brier BRAN
bles, which can serve to impede the explorer
Add to this mosquitoes, gnats, foul air, and
venomous serpents, and you will begin to see
the difficulties. No boat can enter, because
even where the trees and bushes are cut anc
removed, the stumps will be in the way. O
course investigation and
SOLUTION OF THIS MYSTERY
are not impossible; but as yet no one having