Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1890-03-21
Devils Lake in Alabama

"Devi's Lake" in Cahcun county, Ala 70
NIL east of Birmingham, is ore of the most
remarkable natural curiosities to be found 10
America. Like many other interesting 6
places in that region, there is an Indian le-
gerd connected with 1t. To many people
besides the Indians il is q lake Of horror, no
less than 10 persons having been drowned in
its waters. The lake is oval in shape, and
covers about four acres Of ground. No
vegetation Of any kind grows on its banks,
and nothing lives in is waters. Even
saakes and torEapins shun the waters OF
DEVILS Lake, and ish placed in it die in G
few hours. II water is impregDaled with
inns ana has peculiar Taste, which makes
it urpalatable 10 mao or beast Horses and
COWS will not driDk it, 10 matter hoT thirs-
ty they may be Deep down the surface of
the axe may be seen what appears to be the
chaIred and blackened trunks of large trees.
They stand upright in the water, but have
nei her root nor branch, and never rise to
the surface or aiuk TO the bottom. The
lake has 40 outlet, and the volume OF water
10 1t is the same all the time.
A strange fatality attaches to this lake.
Oacs it was the favoriic resort of the boys Of
3
out now they never 60 nearit Fifteen boys
haye been drowned 10 its waters 10 twice as
many years Once large crowds OF boys
would gather there on Sundays, but before
they Ieft oue CT them would be drowned.
Some of the bodies woud be recovered, but
those who were drowned any distance from
the banks sank 10 the bottom aud were
never brought to the surface. Many heart
broken mothers have come TO the banks of
the lake and gsZed for hours Into the water
to see if they could not see the face of their
favori!e son whose body ley at the bottom.
The place became the terror of parents, and
boys were warned TO keep away from Dew
il'9 Lake.
The depth of the lake has never been as.
certajned. Soundings to depth of 700 feet
found 10 bottom, and the people in the vi
cnity say the lake is bottomess. The In
dian legend of the origin of the lake is
known to every resident of the locality aud
they tell it TO every stranger who comes to
see the natural curiosity.
The legend is that many, many years ago,
many moons before the white man came to
this country, two tribes of Indians lived near
the spot where the lake is. One was large
and powerful tribe, the other small tribe
with but few warriors. The two tribes be.
came iavolved in war, and after number
of bloody battles the smaller tribe was al.
most exterminated. Then the old men and
chiefs Of the weak tribe sued for peace The
chiefs of the strong tribe agreed to peace
and a5rauged for council to propose the
terms The chiefs and the old msn of The
weak tribe met the chiefs of the other tribe
in pine forest at noon one day and there
was q council. The terms OF peace were ar.
ranged and then the pipe ofpeace was filled.
While the pipe was being passed around
signal was given, and the chiefs ofthe strong
tibe euiaeniy spraDg up with drawn toma.
hawke ard murdered every one OF the chiefs
af the smaller tribe Then the war was re-
newed aud carried on until the weak tribe
was exterminated. 4 few moons after the
massacre of the chiefs fire b, oke out in the
pine forest at the spot where The council had
been held and where the massacre occurred.
The fire burned in this spot for eight moons,
and then the ground sank down out of sight,
the fire disappeared, and in its stead ap
pesred the lake. The Indians gave the lake
pame which means Lake of Death"