Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1885-01-02
FLORIDA SULPHUR POOLS.
Natural P:renom I'm the Peninsn.
n Nfatc Exrialncd.

great SmaI,a which has been pulling
observers for years, ana which could Ia
seen on any clo.d 'esS day ascending
from the vicinity # Amelia river, II
florida. Various otorts have b'cn
made to discover the supposed volcano,
wh.,c. on the other hand, some have
concluded that the snake came from tie
cama-.ircs Of some remnant OF the Semi
mole Indians Inc Time, Democrat rX-
pcdItjo1 threw 10 light upon ~ mNs-
tcry. the tall cra>,. to,S and dense ia
dar.roWth impeding The progress Of the
cur.uJs.
one Capt. Asher is the hero who ar
rived in ApalacLicola. with the follow
ing Information, winch puts ont the
Florida volcano, and the Romance Is lost
of the poor Seminole lingering IN the
land Of his fathers. vt the same time
il adds to the attractions OF the lovely
land OF fruits, ii"%c"S, and wonders.
Perhaps from tbs 81 hur;c pools came
the hca ing virtues With LAID the foam
dation for the lgcnl that in Florida
flowed the waters of eternal youth.
Capt. Asher was in search Of palmetto
los on the Amelia river when he de
scri.d the smoke or cloud from Il point
in the distance. Remembering the
many reports he had heard about
this smoke, he determined to I'M
earth taIs mystery, if posi-
b.c. 30. calling Lis crew 10
gcthcr. an! picking u? their traps, tie
party purs,icd their way in the SINAI,
boats up the Amelia river lhcy tcav-
eled up the river, or creek, fer Ii hardly
deserves the name o. river, for mics
After ascending from its mouth twenty
five or thirty miles, he Judges, he WaS
brought to an abrni t halt By rock a
ricr in front. Upon investigating ht
found that tn" river cndCd and WAS lost
underneath the ground. SEEING that
/ the smoke iccamc more distinct AT thE
point, an seemed straight ahead, he hac
! the boat hauled up to the bank and
! sprang ashore, determined, if possible
! to pursue his invest cations on foot ~
! lie srrang on shore lie gave an eXclama
! ton OF surprise. Scattered ut varou:
points wrr" LUCE rocks, tower.n; HIau
4 feet above his hcad--a thing unhearj @
in florida
Mr.. Asher describes some Of the rock
as berg as large as an Ordlnar. dwell
ing and apparently hollow, contanin:
much water lie de,t r;brs tncm a
being OF a tiinty appearance, and whel
struck with an iron or steel inslrEmcn
to emit thousands OF sparks. A mile o
two further on weEe seen numerous
rocks that were formed into rount
basins. their S:drs being smooth an,
beautifully polished. Mr.. Asher oprtn:
upon the top of one OF these basins. A
hi, foot came in con act with the flint,
substance hollow sound VA
emitted from the rock. Calling
for pole, and it being handed to him
he pa cd il in the center of the basin
What was his surprise on drawing tb'
pole to the top may be easily imagine
when discovered .h.t the rock, tcin
hollow, was filed with stro' sal
phuric water. rrr-uing their va
through the bog, sometimes up to thci
knees, gain on hard ground for som
distance. then ara Il scratched an
bruised By the undcrb:ush, and fSht:n
mosquitoes that seemed 10 resent thl
intrusion Of their dominion, the it'll
party had n bard time of it. Present.
they came towherc the river issued fror
its underground covert and pursued it
way onward, TO again disappear in tt
bowels OF the earth.
Mr.. Asher states that every few hun
dred yards those poo.s would make the
appearance. and from them would iSsu
white misty clouds that woIld a>cCn
hcavcnward, seeming in the di>tant
TO be clouds Of smoke. He stated tn;
the water in these pools WAS as clear =
crystal and fl led with beautiful fist
both fresh and salt. He caught n gre;
many OF the fish, and attcmpte to drin
some of the water, but It was unpa,at;
blc-nauscating to the smell and taSt,
: lie spent several days wandering aroun
these points, and he SIS
never before though, there WAS such
place in Florida 49, i-covcred srver;
rocks that he pres ;r'I would hay
answered very well Tor hoIscs, BEN
quite rs large, hollow, and the walls ;
smooth n glass. He appeared to thin
ii very strange that these monster rocl
should lie found in such low, iia
marshy section. tic says that tt
rocks are separated 10y distance of 81
: feet, and rear their black, grimy hcat
to heaven from level plain Of marsl
soil. There are no Indications of the
having been hill, much less volcan
in this ;cction and the smoke or clou
seen so often is simply the y;rpor risi.
from the sulrhur:c pools.