The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1890-07-30
FLOATE0 ON AN UNDERGROUND RIVER.
the Remarkable story of Two eovs
Who HALL from Maine.
Their Cash Gave OFT While Tbav
Were Students In Portland
Hnei They Sought Wealth In the
Forests of Florida.

"a .,., yesterday brought
- Ihls city, says me Times-Union two
soune men en- route from the Kssimmee
,t'ot 10 Jrtland, Me. Their names are
= 'ames Dickinson and Roland Brown. and
lE response to inquiry as to their stay in the
state they affably explained their mission
and nnfolded the narrative of their Florida
experience. The story is best told in the
graphic words of Mr.. Brown, and his unas.
sCming manner and quiet earn ,stness were
real marks OF its veracity. Mr.. Brown said :
well, to start at the beginning, we are
from little Maine village on the coast. not
far from Portland. Dickinson and were
both preparing for college in the same Port
land academy, but last winter we saw that
our 1unds were at low ebb, and that, al
though we had worked our way through up
to that time, we would have to stop awhile
and pitch into something to be able to get
back next year and finish up.
we had read good deal Of Florida, and
Florida bunting in particular, as cunning
was our common hobby, and an article on
gathering heron and egret plumes in some
magazine put new idea into our heads.
MY uncle is captain of schooner in the
Ice trade between Maine and the South. and,
to make long story short,.we finally packed
up our traps and went to Portland. "a, atr-
Gle loaned us 30-f0ot cabin sfiarpfe, a very
comfortable boat, well fitted for cruising in
inland waters. With plenty of sporting ap-
paratus, and our boat on the deck OF the
schooner, we came from Portland to New
York, where the vessel loaded with mer
chandise and sailed for Savannah.
On arriving there we rigged up our yacht
and sailed to Jacksonville by the inside pas
sage. After laying here 10 days, on May 80
we sailed up the river and reached Sanford.
Here we found that to get any plumage birds
We would have to go much farther south, as
the dry season had driven them to the
marshes, and we started on through Lake
Monroe and into Lake Jessup.
HeTe we concluded to leave the big boat
and take to our canoe We used as tender a
i6-foot cruising canoe, light and roomy, and
In which we could pack luggage for a months
stay. We stored our big boat and went by
rail to Kissimmee. Here we fitted out the
canoe, and, all sail up, one breezy afternoon
started down the lake, which commences
near Klssimmee. We pushed on through the
canals into Lake Kissimmee and on down
the river.
I'VE stretched tent over the canoe nights.
and got along very comfortably. Down this
mashy, slow-howing river we began to find
tne nerons and egrets, and commenced our
plume harvest. You see, the plumes are
worth from 81 to $L50 each, and this was
what we were counting on.
'O9e morning, after camping ON a little
Island, we started before daybreak to avoid
the hot sun, and followed the west bank of
the river. With good breeze we sailed for
several hours, the river getting very narrow
and crooked, and we must have left the main
stream without knowing it, in following the
through the marsh.
I'VE anchored and cooked breakfast, and
then pushed on under sail and paddle, as we
could see large numbers of herOns fiying for
the marsh ahead to their feeding grounds.
There was no dry land in sight, and we kent
hoping to, find camping place. After
twisting about the creek we finally ran ri ght
by the bluff, and about O'Clock we hauled
our canoe out on sandy beach and climbed
70 the top, where we found an ideal camping
ground. at once started in search of drink
ing water.
murmurng, rushing sound at my right, and
headed for the, water evidently in that d.
1lGn. .,2 PRESENTLY saw a good sized stream
river seemed to end abruptly, and it looked
very puzzling until reached the bank. when
L saw that had run across one of Florida's
natural wonders, of which had often read.
tb here was large, stream of water flowing
between low banks for long distance, and
suddenly pouring into the earth, and disap- |
pearlng from sight a subterranean river.
But was after the water, which was
clear and cold. SO stepped down the bank |
qulte distance above the cataract and tried |
to unscrew the cover Of my tank. The OBJ |
streperous piece Of metal was stuck tight, |
and while was wrestling with it the cr9m,
bly clay bank gave way and / slipped into |
the water, still clinging to my water tank, |
wnlch Duoyed me up as life preserver | |
clung to 1t and kicked out for the shore. / |
had about 100 feet to drift, and although / |
could touch the bank at times l could find |
nothing to grasp but the treacherous, crumb- |
ing clay.
aBgoyed up BY my life preseryer. swung |
round In swirling eddy, and with one last |
cry for help and kind of dreamy wonder as /
70 how far down would drop, my breath |
left me.
After the first agonizing plunge down, it
seemed to me hundreds of feet, my head shot |
Out into the air for moment, and / saw that |
inc stream was running horizontally through |
the black, rayless cavern, on whose walls the |
spray was splashing. Icaught my breath /
when my head struck the roof, and l was /
borne violently under again, and, in the |
mighty pressure of water became uncon-
;ciOus. When my senses returned / was
1oating quietly on the surface of body of |
water, my arms still held by the strap Of nv |
life preserver, which had indeed, saved me,
holding me up while floated unconscious.
II padded slowly to the nearest shore, and
;ell down in the grass, bruised and wearied. |
In the moonlight l saw that the pool had
ust left was circular, and about 100 yards In |
ilameter, black and deep, but without rip
pie. lay down under big pine tree to get |
,ested and walt for daylight, as l had entire
y lost my bearings.
THE pool was evidently a sink hole, fed |
oy the subterranean stream, and with prob
IDLY an underground outlet. had been
irawn into the river and borne through the |
opening into the pool, and could have been |
n the water but a very few minutes, as the |
'osy flush IN the western sky had not faded. |
The quantities of water which l had |
swallowed made me weak and sick, and |
ell asleep, and woke up to find the sun just |
Using. picked up my water tank. deter |
mined to take it back filled, and started in |
he direction | thought had come. After |
.wo hours, tramping. | heard gun fred |
light ahead of me, and in few minutes was |
lear enough to Dickinson to call and attract |
lis attention. He was nearly frantic at my |
mysterious disappearance, and Thought that |
panther had taken me in.
I'VE remained in camp on this blnff till |
)une 10Th, when the plume season was about |
)Ver Then we cruised back into Kissim- |
nee river without anY more aduantnrnr nrd