Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1882-08-16
A Submerged City.
CURIOUS DISCOVERIES MALE IN
FLORIDA.

The following very interesting story
Of the discovery Of submerged city or
town belonging TO centuries long past,
we fnd IN ihe Tavares Herald OF this
week:
For the past SIX months the work Of
digging the canal to connect Lakes Eus.
tis and Dora. in order TO open up the
mere southern lakes of tie Great Lake
region of Florida has been prosecuted
by st, Clair Abrams Il Samerin. near
Tayares. The work was undertaken
and prosecuted 10 the interests OF COM
merce and the development Of this por-
ton of the peninsula of Florida. The
history of the first digging, the subse-
quent dammlug Of the waters Of Lake
Dora, and the further prosecution OF the
work has already been given ID previous
issues OF the Herald. The work, which
vas undertaken, however, with the
view of only opening the channel be.
tween Two of the larger lakes in the
great chain of lakes which form the
beadwaters of the Ocklawah river, has,
in the completion of the work, opened
up 10 science chapter in The history ot
Florida as yet unthought of and unwrlt-
ten. A careful survey of the levels OF
the water in the two lakes last Novem-
Der revealed The fact that Lake Dora
was nearly four feet higher than Lake
Eustis. into which IFS waters emptied.
The northern margin of Lake Dora for
nearly mile on either side OF the open
ing through which it discharges its wa
te.s into the rivulet between it aud LAX e
Eu,tis was a knoll about six feet high
and from ten 10 forty wide, on which
grew large pine, hickory and magnolia
trees, While the decayed stumps OF oil.
der trees that had fallen during past
centuries attested the fact Of the grea.
ace of the natural barrier which kept
ba ok the waters into lakes Dora, Carle-
ton and Apopka. The second cutting
of the canal as finished last week, un-
der the supervision of Mr.. I. II. Sprott,
who has been from the commencement
one of the foremen Of the work. At the
outlet ofLake Dora the sand bar had
had already been cut TO the depth oil
nearly or quite three feet on the prevl'
! GUS digging, and was dug about two
feet deeper last week. At a distance
of over four feet below tue old level OF
Lake Dora mound was discovered.
The first excavations revealed the exIs-
t, nee OF clearly defined wall, lying IN
line tending towards the southwest
from where 1t was first struck. This
wall was composed of dark sandstone
very much crumbled in places, bat more
distinct, more clearly defined, and the
stone more solid as the digging increas-
ed in depth. The wall was evidently
the eastern side ofan ancient house or
fertilization, as the slope OF The outer
wall was 10 the west. About eight ieet
from the slope of the eastern wall a
mound OF sand was struck, imbedded 10
the muck formation above and around
it. This sand mound was dug into only
a few inches. as the debth OF the water
demanded but slight increased depth
of the channel at that point, but enough
was discovered 10 warrant the belief
that here, on the northwestern shore OF
Lake Dora, is submerged city or town
or tortifcatlon older by centuries than
anything yet discovered in this portion
of Florida. Small, curioLsly shaped
blocks ofsandstone, some OF them show
ing traces of FIRE pieces Of pottery and
utensils made of a mott led flint were
thrown out by the men while WORKING
waist deep in water. The hnest OF
these specimens was presented to che
Herald on Monday BY Mr.. Sprott, Who
promises TO use his best endeayors to
securs If possible. more ol these SUBJ
merged curiosities. There are several
theories by the knowing ones to ac'
count for this submerged building or
fertilization. Some think large house
or fortifcation has gone down 10 sink.
such as has been known in Florida. but
the topography Of the country around
would seem to contradict such SUR
mise, as the land IS higher and rolling
and no depression exists to warrant the
belief that the ground has ever been
subjected to a caving 10 Of any portion
of the surrounding country or this par
licular spot. About thrce-lourths oil a
mile east Of the present channel between
the two lakes is natural depression
with bay head on either and (although
the ridge between is several ieet higherl
which, some think was the old channtl
of the river between the two lakes, and
the gradual filing mp of this old river
bed forced Lake Dora to find new out
let, in its present channel, which Is
now the lowest land between the
lakes. This would seem 10 be the cor
rect theory, as the discovery OF the
mound and wall, which may have sunk
somewhat from the action of the wafer
on its base, is about on level OF The
present ordinary high water-mark of
Lake Eustis, the more northern oil tie
two lakes and the last before the Ockls-
waha proper begins. Further inyesti-
cations will be made as soon as pracu-
cable into tue supken mound for the
purpose of ascertaining, if possible,
what is really now hidden by The waters
of Lake Dora. A spear head oil mot
tied hint, five and half inches long by
one aud a quarter inches wide. nicely
I Hal ~ Rnlh