Daily tobacco leaf-chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1890-1895, 1890-09-25
UNDERNEATH FLORIDA.
TIE EXPERIENCE OF A NEW ENG
LANDER UNDERGROUND.

Ef,E EXPERIENCE. Of a NEW ENG
LANDER UNDERGROUND
Two CoIicGc Boys in Search of Plume
and Skins Into the Mysterious Abyss
by Moonlight Wonders Galore Eelou
FIorIdn'n Surface
The IRAN from South Florida brought II
Jacksonville two yonng men en- route frur
the Kissimmpe river to Portland Me Thcii
names nrc james Dickinson and Rolant
Brown They affably explained their mis-
sion and unfoldpd the nariutive of theil
Florida experiences Mr. Brown said
well, 10 start NJ the beginning we art
from little Maine village on thp coast
not far from Portland Dickinson and
were both preparing for college in the same
| Portland academy, but we saw that ON
funds were ut "A low elib, and that although
we ind worked our way through up to that
time, we would have to stop awhile and
pitch into something to be able u get hacl;
next year and finish M We had read Il
great deal Of Florida, md Florida hunting
in particular, us cunning waa our common
hobby. and an article on gathering heron
md egret plumes in some magazine put u
new idea into orr heads
| "Wc went by rail to KisSimmcc Here we
fitted ont the canoe, and with all sail up one
breezy afternoon started down the lake
which commences near kissimmee We
pushed on through the canals into Lake
| Kissimmec and on down the river We
stretched tent over the cnnoe nights and
got along very comfortably Down this
marshy, slow flowing river we began to
find the herons and egrets and commenced
our plume harvest, Yon see the plnmcs
are worth from 81 to $3.50 each. md this
was what we were counting on to help us
| out
FLORIDA's WONDERS
After twisting about the creek we finnl
! ly ran right by bluff, and about 3 o'clock
we hauled our canoe ont on n sandy beach
md climbed to the top, where we found an
ideal camping ground, carpeted with fine
| needles and abundant in firewood
1--WE soon had our tent pitched, II fine
blazing and things fixed in comfortable
style. Our supply Of water, however was
short, the creek being muddy and brack
lsh, and our metal tanks. which were filled
the week before, were nearly empty. These
zinc tanks were made to fit in the bow and
stern. and took one of them and started
Off through the high pine woods to find a
spring The short twilight was over, but
n full moon gave plenty of light After
walking about II mile heard n murmur
ing, rushing sound at my right and head
ed for the water evidently in that direc
ZION
Presently | saw good sized stream gllm
mering through the trees, the silver river
seemed to end abruptly, and it looked very
puzzling until reached the bank, when
saw that had run across one of Florida's
natural wonders, of which had often read
Here was large stream of water flowing
between low banks for long distance, and
suddenly pouring into the earth and disap
gearing from sight, was n subterranean
river
'3ut was after the water, which was
clear and cold So | stepped down the
bank quite II distance above the catarac;
md tried to unscreE the cover Of my tank
The obStreperous piece of metal WAS stuck
tight, and while was wrestling with il
the crumhly clay bunk gave way and !
slipped into the water. still clinging to my
water tank, which buoyed me up ns II life
prcscrver chung to it and kicked out for
the shore
INTO THE EARTH
Il had about hundred feet to drift, and
although | could touch the bank AT times
could find nothing to grasp but the treach
erous crumblinR clay. Buoyed up by my
life prcservpr, swung round in n swirlinR
eddy, and with one last cry for hell and
kind of dreamy wonder IA to how fur down
would drop, my breath left me. After
the first ngonizing plunge down seemed
to me hundreds of fect-my head shot ont
into the air for n moment and saw that
the stream was running horizontally
through the black, ray less cavern on whose
walls the spray was splashing caught
my breath whcn my head struck tho roof
and | was borne violently under again, and
in the mighty pressure Of water became
unconscious
when my senses returned wGs floating
quietly on the surface of n body of water
my arms still held by the strap of my life
prcseryer, which had indeed saved me,
holding me up while noated unconscious
padded slowly to the nearest shore, and
fell down in the grass, bruised and wearied
In the moonlight saw that the pool Ind
Just left was circular, and about n hundred
yards in diameter, black and deep, but
without n ripple
81 lay down under big pine tree to get
rested and wait for daylight, as had en-
tirely lost my bearings The pool was eyi
IDENTIFY sink hole, fed by the subterraneun
stream, and with probably an underground
outlet | had been drawn into the river
carried underground and borne through
tho opening into tho pool and could have
been in the water hut Il worry few minutes
as the rosy flush in the western sky had
not faded.
MADE MONEY, NEVERTHELESS
'rhe quantities of water which | had
swallowed made me weak and sick, and
fell asleep, and woke up to find the sun
just rising. picked up my water tank.
determined to take it back filed, and start
ed IN the direction thought ] had come
After two hours tramping | heard gun
fired right ahead Of me, and in Il few min.
utcs was near enough to Dickinson to call
and attract his attention He WINS nearly
frantic at my mysterious disappearance,
and thought that Il panther had taken me
in. told him my wonderful adventure,
and we made for camp, as ! was nearly
starved.
I'VE remained in camp on this 0luir till
the plume season was about over Then
we cruiscd lack into Kissmmee river
without any more adventures and re-
joined our shnrpie in Lake 'lcssup. We
secured cno%,,h heron and egret plumes,
bird skins and alligator hides to enable ms
to clear a good sized sum after paying all
nur expenses We shipped our booty 10