The Osceola times., 1884-09-20
A LAKE OF FIRE.
An ArtiAcial Body Of Water that Ressm
bles Melted Gold.

blss Melted Gold.
A correspondent of the New York
Times. writing from Waterloo, an ex-
tensive estate in Nassau, describes Gu
rious body of water to be seen there.
The lake is nearly one thousand feet
long and two hundred to three hundred
feet broad. Ii is an artificial lake, the
former proprietor Of Waterloo having
built it to store green turtles in. The
plan was to buy the turtles alive and
put them in the lake and let them in
crease in size and numbers, when they
would always be ready to be caught and
eaten. Millions of fish could be kept in
the lake at the same time, and thus the
occupant of Waterloo could always have
a good dinner waiting in the yard. The
lakes bed is cut out of the solid rock,
and is only few hundred feet from the
ocean. 1t is connected with the sea by
small canal, also cut through the rock;
and when the gate of this canal is left
open the tide rises and falls in the lake.
1t was one of the darkest nights |
ever saw. We went into the boat-house
and pushed out heavy row-boat. |
took the oars, and we pulled off. The
first stroke gave me a fine start. There
had not been any unusual appearance
of phosphorescence on the surface of the
water more than is often seen on trop-
icsl seas; but as soon as the oars stirred
it they seemed to be dipped in melted
gold. There was actually fire there,
was compelled to think. While was
wondering at 1t, fish, startled by our
splatter, darted across the pond near the
surface, and in his trail was left streak
of yellow fire. Then we saw at different
places On the surface little vapory clouds
of fire flashing and darting about like
the northern lights.
"If you have newspaper in youi
pocket said my companion, "lay it out
on your lap and splash the water with
both oars, to see whether you can get
light enough to read by"
/ did 80, and was able to read the
heading and all the large lines without
difficulty. | took an oar and splashed
the water, and wherever a drop fell
back into the lake was a round spot OF
| fire. There was something startling in
seeing so much fire floating about, and
had not the faintest notion where We
were. had gone out upon an unknown
lake, in total darkness, and no idea how
large or deep it was, nor where the cur
rent-if there was any-might carry us.
"If you pull hard and watch the bow
and stern of the boat you will see some
thing curious"
| did so, and was well paid for the ex'
ertion. When boat moves fast there
is always a cutting of the water at the
bow and little eddy left just behipd
the stern. That cutwater and that eddy
were of flaming fire. More fish dartet
about, leaving fiery trails. Inc eed
wherever the water was agitated it turn
apparently into fire. When the agita
ton ceased the fire disappeared, exoep
that there was always a little sparklin,
upon the surface. We splashed, anc
rowed, and watched. One of the mos
curious effects was to throw somethinl
| lfOlll tilf I'Pi " 'iiotdDt paw WI lilt
lake and see the fire splash. 4 fountain
put in the center of the lake would be {
fountain of fire. We measured tie deptl
with an oar and found il TO be four ol
five feet. 1t is mentioned rs curiou,
circumstance that the water can b,
changed as often as desired without de
stroying lis phosphorescence. Various
analyses of the water have been made
but without any great results.