The Opelousas courier., 1888-02-11
OKEFENOKEE
A sQUAKING TSLAND IN GEOR-
GAS FAMOUS SWAMP.
The Terrible Adventure of an Elk.
ploring Party-EnguIfed in
q Smoking Fissure
of the Earth.

Swamp, says a writer in the New Or
leans 15nqes-D Democrat. We had reached
the spot at lat. In the middle of a
AXE whose back waters were ripping
In a curious fashion was an island of per
haps 200 acres, covered with scrubby
pushe". All over the island thin columns
of brown smoke could be seen slowly
rising.
II don't understand what keeps the
water disturbed, " said one of the men;
''tLere is no breeze"
"Hit I'M de debbil's own pot" said
black Sam, looking wild-eyed and ner-
Yous.
We quoted Sam, and put him to work
with the others constructing a rude raft
out of the dead trees which were lying
around in abScitance. In a short time
the raft was ready, and we padded our
selves to the island.
at Shakes" exclaimed Dupont, who
was the first to land.
Sam was the next one on shore, but he
Mt once stepped back on the raft.
ode Lawd heb mussyn! he said; II
KANT stan dat"
We all followed Dupont and found that
the island was trembling quite p~ercepti-
bly,.
perhaps it is a floating island" sug-
gested one of my companions,
at is nothing of the kind" l re-
marked. 81 have heard of it before, but
we are doubtless the first white men who
have landed here, in forty years"
"What do you know about it," asked
Dupont, quickly.
"Simply this: When Sir Charles LFe!l,
the famous British geologist, visited this
country he explored the swamp and ey-
amined this very spot. He found it
shaking all the time, with assures in the
earth constantly opening and closing,
with this same peculiar smoke rising from
them. He came to the conclusion that
the crust of the earth was thinner right
here than in any locality of the globe.
The volcanic action near the surface
causes the smoke, and also the continual
buildings of the lake. This may have
been going on for centuries. You know
that the Indian word Okefenokee means
trembling earth"
here, said Dupont; "but as we are here
we might as we'll explore a little
This was the general opinion. and Sam
was persuaded to leave his quarters on
the raft and trust himself to the unstable
land.
II have found a geyser," reported one
of our explorers, who had been rambling
about on his own hook.
Guided by him, we went to q little
spring of boiling water that was gushing
forth near the cedeare of the island. With
the water camepiets of steam, sand, and
blue mus. At this place the shaking
was so violent that it made us stagger,
and we could hear unIS<er our feet a
muffied roar or rumble.
"Marse Ross, gasped Sam, II mus git
outer heah."
He made a run toward the raft, when
! small fissure in the earth about a foot
wide yawned in front of him. The poor
fellow dropped on the ground in speech
less terror. We helped him up and tried
to reassure him, but it was no use. AS
o as he was calm enough to walk he
made a break for the raft.
'tSam is the only sensible fellow in the
party" said Dupont. There is dan
ger of breaking a leg in one of these
assures, and | don't see why a man
could not be swallowed up"
/ laughed at this. Sir Charles Lyell
had spoken of the island as a remarkable
curiosity, but had not predicted any Sc
tious outbreak of the forces Of nature.
"See that" continued Dupont.
looked. The fissure which had fright
fned Sam had closed up completely. |
drew a long breath. In the midst of
such phenomenon a man feels small. Be
fore | could say anything there was a
deafening roar, a thousand cracks
opened in the earth, and the smoke
coming out of the ground was SO thick
that we were almost stiied. Undoubt-
edly it was a genuine shock of earth
quake something altogether different
from the light tremors previously felt.
1--WE must run for it, I shouted.
just then another shock came and
threw us heavily to the ground. We rose
in a dazed condition, and saw within a
few feet Of us q yawniDg chasm, fully
three feet wide and 100 feet long. II
emitted a volume of steam. aud with in
conceivable rapidity closed up with
another jar that nearly toppled us oycl
again.
We started on a run for the raft.
"Where is Dupont"
We all asked this question at once
The raft was in sight, but Sam was the
only occupant. We faced about, but
Ecouid see nothing of me missing man.
Had he in his terror taken the wrong
direction? 1t would not do to leave him,
and there was nothing to do but to re.
trace our steps.
W. yelled out his name and ~traversed
every foot of the island. There was not
d trace Of our friend. We looked at eacl
other with terror-stricken face. The
same thought was uppermost in the minds
of all. Had Dupont been swallowed IN
in the yawning chasm? It looked
very much like it. Again we resumed
our search, but without any better sue
cess than before. Then we gloomil,
made our way to the raft and padded Il
the other shore. / suggested tina
Dupont had rushed off when the shocl
came, and, blinded by The smoke, h,
had perhaps fallen into tie lake.
mo, Marse Ross, \ said Sam, gloomiIy
Tiles done swallowed up in de bowel
oh dc yairth. Hits done happened befo'
Use heered many a time dat iniuns an
hunters wus lost hcah In Just dat way.
ulster laugh at 'em as fairy tales, but
members dem now, and knows dem fl
de froof. =
a hurried search around the lake com
PEELED Us TO accept Sans explanation
and WE took up our line Of march with