The weekly Floridian. [volume] (Tallahassee, Fla.) 1867-19??, 1886-03-25


m>-av = r.eteeen - nnqa1Fy--New
80 Interessaag Facts.
Eausvs l,byisIss. avall myself Of your col
umss - eensrouSly o0bred 70 me Tor anything
that may wish to publish concerning the work
of my commlssion.
There are many letters Of inquiry sent 70 me
that have NOT time 70 answer scveraily. -Four
paper has . wide circulation. and iss matter
hnd to b considerably copied; hence trust
othar papers may take the facts here cot iortn
and cause them 70 effect their intended object.
But nr1& wish 70 state matter to editors
generally who have the llberality or pubic
spirit 10 publish facts, or copy them from other
papers-which b likely to b done, because Of the
great importance Of the work In progress, and
the intrinsic interest thereof.
The matter / refer TO b the care that To neces-
sary in submitting copy TO the compositor, to zee
that no error be printed or reprinted. have
been interviewed in few instances. and few
mistakes have occurred 10 taking down what
have said, and such errors have gone into reprint
/ can very seldom see proof Of what thus goes
into print Ny work is in the field, among the
rocks, in the forests, and In and underground
in some instances and have little occasion for
printers ink. But few ludcrous errors have
appeared In print from various interviews. In
one case when had spoken of the form In which
iron ore is found In Florida, the word poems"
was printed instead of noduls. When spoke
Of the locality from which certain deposits In our
State came "Alachua" was in print instead of
Alabama.
This latter mistake the reader would probably
not detect, and 1t placed me In an awkward po-
sition a. Q geologist. The points that came up In
that interview related to the source of the quar-
ternary deposits In our State which overlie the
bed rock tertiary and l had stated that they
were derived from Alabama where the Apalach-
ian uplift had exposed these materials to the
force OF the current of the Gulf Stream that was
DETECTED by them to some extent, but which cut
away the clay, sands, and other materials sub
ject to such action, and carried them to this 10.
calty. had stated that with this came also the
iron that is here deposited, and this was in
nsduLar form-not poems" as the print had it.
At the period OF geological time when the ter
tiary formation was being deposited, the Gulf
Stream had a far greater circuit than now. Its
margin extended probably as far northward as
Austin, in Texas; Little r ,ck, in Arkansas !;
Cairo, in Illinois; the Tennessee river, in Ken
lucky; and Paris, Jackson and Middletown, in
Tennessee. The whole Of the Gulf Stream flow
ed over the Stale OF Mississippi, and all of this
State. except about q sixth part on the northeast
thereof was under sea The west line of Ala
bama was cut 10 Sumpter county, midway up
the length Of the State. and all the south part Of
Alabama was under the sea. The Appalachian
uplift had extended in mountain form far into
Alabama, and had Swallowed the sea about the
end of this mountain range Various swells in
the bed of the shallow Alabama sea existed
these swells were cut away by the Gulf Stream
that then passed over them, occasioning great
turbulence and bTeakwaters. which enhanced
the erosion. This material thus cut away was
the source later on, of the quarternary deposits
in Florida
During the quarternary deposits of Florida
there existed various barriers and inland bodies
of fresh waters, just as now-in regard to the
latter-only that the lakes were larger. About
these lakes were extended tracts of pasturage,
and most astounding number and variety of
animals existed there. The climate was then
even more mild than as now; for the inhabitants
were such as now are found only in the tropical
parts of the earth ; at least part of them were
such. Among these were the elephant, camel,
rhinOceros, of which there were several species
Among the greater carnivorous mammalla were
the lion, tiger, hyena &c. What is notable is the
Fact hot oil thooo IL, l..
than their kinds are now. Besides those tropi-
Gals there were great number of species of the
semi-tropical climes. such as the mastocon, milo
don, megatherium, OK, horse, (hippotherium) and
of the reptile and amphibian tribes, great va.
riety. OF the fossil fishes there are found in the
quarternary of Florida great number of speci.
mems. have found these fossils in almost every
part of the State have yet visited in the work
Of my commission.
About the lakes above cited there were at
various points heavily timbered tracts that
lodged their remains under water and &c pro-
duced the fossil wood thst is 80 frequently found
But this finding of fossil wood must not be con-
founded with more remarkable deposit lower
down, that is in the eocene tertiary. Where
there is a considerable deposit oil Ignite, which
in some places Is of notable consistence, amount
ing even to coal. Thus we may not be sur
prised If beds of tertiary coal be discovered such
as are found in very similar deposits on the east
slope of the Rocky Mountains, In Wyoming,
Utah and Colorado.
Referring again 10 the great variety of fossils
that are found in Florida, may state that DIR.
Neal, of Archer, in this State, made a great dis
covery near that place. and sent them to the
National collection at Washington, where they
occasioned great deal OF interest. Some of the
experts of the government survey have visited
some of these localities near Archer. learn
that they pronounced that place one of great
interest to paleontology. They conceded also
that restaiement of the geology of Florida is
necessary. | am thinking, therefore, that the
facts tina, will be developed by this survey,
which Governor Perry, in his comprehensive
purpose of developing the resources of our
State. has inaugurated, will not meet with anv
severe criticism when neO formulas are pro.
jected in regard to the geology of our State.
LAKE CRY, March %, 1885.
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Written for the Fioridian.l