Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1885-01-09
FLORIDA SULPHUR POOLS.
Natural Phenomena in the Fruin>"-
lar Stair NrIaisifN.

lar state Explained.
'I,rk--av!le + "a Times rr'n'.'
The Apa}acbico'a Tribune explains ="
grtat siuoi;r which has t''a pr"z31-
observers for wears, ami which c"L.'i ia"
seen on anv cloli'.'">> day a~rrn"rG
from tho vicinity e -Anc!l.4 I1or, n
florida. Various c'frCt> lay" i'''u
made 10 discover TIE supposed N"icaij",
while. on the other haul. SON" il"i"
concluded that the slpOk" camc from t"e
camp-iircS Of some remnant OF the ~"lill-
nolr Indians. Tie Times Democrat ~
,cdtinn throw 10 light upon III" n.y.
t"ry. til" tall gra>s, boys and d"ll-" un-
drrgroNth impeding the progress OF III"
curious.
one CAPT. Asher Is the hero VINO az
rived in Apalachicola. with the f"it"W-
lng information. which puts ont IL"
Florida volcano. and the rornaT"" ! lost
Of the ,,0ur Seminole lingering n iii''
land of his fathers. At the sane t.lot
il adds to tho attractions Of the lovely
land of fruita, flowers. and wonders
Perhaps from the suiphurlc pods amt
the healing virtues which lald the loan
dation for the lrgend that IN il"r!ia
flowed the waters OF eternal N"Gtn.
Capt Asher was in search o! painl"t'"
logs on the Amelia river when h" lie
scri-d the smoke or cloud from q point
in the distance. Remembering the
many reports lie had h"arr: "'"Ht
thus smoke, he determined - rn
earth tits mystery, Il posi-
bic. 20, calling las crew to-
gctkrr, and picking up their traps, IL"
party pursued their way in the small
boats up the Amelia river. They tray
e!cd up the river. or creek, for II har'i!y
deserves the name Of river, for nii.'~
Af'cr ascending from it, mouth twenty
five or thirty miles, he Judges, ii' NaN
brought 10 an abrupt halt by loc!; ''r-
ricr III front. | pom investigating lie
fol.nd that tht river ended and va lost
underneath the ground. Seeing that
! the smoke became more distinct at t-i>
| point, and seemed straight ahead, he had
| the boat hauled up to the bank and
sprang ashore, determined, If possible,
Ia pursue his Investigations n foot. rs
| he Sprang on shore lie gave an cXclama-
| ton of surprise Scattered at various
| points We're huge rocks, towering many
feet above his hcad-a thing unlicard OF
i'll Florida.
| MIR Asher Describes some Of the rocks
| as being as large as an ordinary dwell
ing and apparently hollow, containing
| much water He describes thcin rs
being Of tiinty appearance, and when
struck with an iron or steel instrument
to emit thousands of sparks. 4 mile OF
I ~,
rocks that were formed into found
basins, their sides being smooth and
bcaui lily polished Mr. Asher sprang
upon the top of one of these basins. y
| his foot came in contact with the flinty
substance hollow sound Wa
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
wien he discovered that the rock, icing
hollow. WAS filled with a strong sui
phuric water. Pursuing their way
through the bog. sometimes M to theiI
knees, again on hard ground fer SON,
distance. then again scratched and
bruised by the undcrbrush, and fighting
mosquitoes that seemed To resent tn:
intrusion of their dominion, the It'll,
party had hard time of it. Presently
they came to where the river issued from
its underground covert and pursued it,
way onward. TO again disappear in til,
bowels OF the earth.
Mr.. Asher states that every few hun
bred yards those pools would make then
appearance. and from them would ISSUE
white, misty clouds that w0uld aScen(
heavenward. seeming in the distanc,
to be clouds Of smoke. lie stated thai
the water in these pools was as clear a,
crystal and filed with beautiful fish
both fresh and salt. He caught grea
many of the fish, and attempted to drinl
some of the water, but 1t was unpaata
Demonstrating to the smell and taste.
He spent several days wandering arounC
these points, and he says h,
never before thought there was such {
place in Florida. He discovered sevcra
rocks that he presumed would have
answered very well for houses. beins
quite as large, hollow, and the walls a.
smooth as glass. He appeared to thinl
it very strange that these monster rock.
should he found in such low, fiat
marshy section lie says that the
rocks are separated by distance of POI
feet, and rear their black, grimy head
to heaven from a level plain of marsh,
soil. There are no indications of Their,
having been hill, much less volcano
in this section. and the smoke or c,out
seen so often is simply the vapor rising
from the sulphur!c pools.