Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1884-12-11
FLORIDA SULPHUR POOLS.
Natural Phenomena In the PenInsuIar state
Explained.

Explained.
The Apalachicola Tribune explains
the great smoke which has puzzled OBJ
servers for many years, and which
could be seen on any cloudless day as
cending from the vicinity of the Ancilla
river, in Florida. Various efforts have
been made to discover the supposed
volcano, while, on the other hand, some
have concluded that the smoke came
from the camp-fires of some remnant of
the Seminole Indians. The Times DEM
ocrat expedition threw no light upon
the mystery, the tall grass, bogs and
dense underground impeding the pro-
gress of the curious.
One Captain Asher is the hero who
arrived in Apalachicola on Friday, May
%, with the following information,
which puts out the Florida volcano,
and the romance is lost of the poor
Seminole lingering in the land of his
fathers. AT the same time it adds to
the attractions of the lovely land of
fruits, flowers and wonders. Perhaps
from these sulphuric pools came the
healing virtues which laid the founda-
tions for the legend that in Florida
flowed the waters of eternal youth.
Captain Asher was in search of palmet-
to logs on the Ancilla river when he
deserted the smoke or cloud from a
point in the distance Remembering
the many reports he had heard about
this smoke, he determined to unearth
this mystery, if possibl So. calling
his crew together, and picking up their
traps, the party pursued their way in
small boats up the Ancilla river. They
travelled up the river, or creek, for it
hardly deserves the name of river, for
miles. After ascending from its mouth
about twenty-five or thirty miles, he
judges, he was brought to an abrupt
halt by rock barrier in front. Upon
investigation he found that the river
ended and was lost underneath the
ground. Seeing that the smoke became
more distinct at this point, and seemed
straight ahead, he had the boat hauled
up to the bank and sprang ashore, de-
termined, if possible, to pursue his in
vestigations on foot. As he sprang on
shore he gave an exclamation of sur
prise. Scattered at various points were
huge rocks, towering many feet above
his head-a thing unheard of in Florida.
Mr.. Asher describes some of these rocks
as being as large as an ordinary dwell
ing and apparently hollow, containing
much water. He describes them as be-
ing of filthy appearance, and when
struck with an iron or steel instrument
to emit thousands of sparks. A mile or
two further on were seen numerous
rocks that were formed into round ba-
sins, their sides being smooth and beau
tifully polished. Mr.. Asher sprang up
on the top of one of these basins. As
his foot came in contact with the flinty
substance hollow sound was emitted
from the rock. Calling for pole, and
it being handed to him, he placed it
in the center of the basin. What was
his surprise on drawing the pole to the
top may be easily imagined when he
discovered that the rock, being hollow,
was filled with strong sulphuric wa
ter. Pursuing their way through the
bog, sometimes up to their knees, again
on hard ground for some distance, then
again scratched and bruised by the un-
derbrush, and fighting mosquitoes that
seemed to resent this intrusion of their
dominion, the little party had hard
time of it. Presently they came to
where the river issued from its under
ground covert and pursued its way on
ward, to again disappear in the bowels
of the earth
Mr. Asher states that every few hun
dred yards these pools would make
their appearance, and from them would
issue white, misty clouds that would
ascend heavenward, seeming in the dis
tance to be clouds of smoke. He stated
that the water in these pools was as
clear as crystal and filled with beautiful
fish, both fresh and salt. He drank
some of the water, but it was unpalata-
ble-nauseating to the smell and taste.
He spent several days wandering
around these points, and he says
he never before thought there was
such place in Florida. He discovered
several rocks that he presumed would
have answered very well for houses,
being quite as large, hollow, and the
walls as smooth as glass. He appeared
to think it very strange that these mon
ster rocks should be found in such allow,
flat, marshy section. He says that the
rocks are separated by a distance of two
hundred feet, and rear their black,
grimy heads to heaven from level
plain of marshy soil. There are no in
dications of there having been a hill,
much less volcano, and the smoke or
cloud seen so often is simply the vapor
rising from the sulphuric pools.
Mr.. Asher describes the section as
abounding in game of all kinds, from
squirrels and birds to bear, deer and
wildcats. While speaking of the game
in this section. Mr.. Asher stated that
there was house on the Ancilla river,
occupied by gentleman's family, sur
rounding which were twenty large
oaks. Huge limbs from these trees
had been torn loose by the bears
searching for acorns. Mr.. Asher stated
that six men could not break some of
the limbs these bears broke e-Jackso'a-