The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1891-08-12
PAYNE'S GREAT PRAIRIE.
IT IS A PORTION OF THE FAR
FAMED ARREDONDO.

It Measures Fifteen Miles From East
to West and Six Niles From North
to south-Florida's Noted Fishing
Grounds-Flsh Dying Rapidly and the
Waters of the Creek Rapidly Going
Down.
GAINESVILLE, FLA, Aug. 11.-South Of
this city. stretching out toward the village
of Micanopy. is level tract Of land known
as Psyne's prairie. II measures fifteen
miles from esst to west and six from north
to south. Not tree or bush is to be seen;
nothing now but grass and weeds. Twenty
years ago the same condition existed, but
during the last twenty years this vast plain.
containing sc, 900 or 10000 acres, has been
covered with water to o'depths varying from
three TO thirty feet. Il is a portion Of the
far-famed Arredonda Spanish grant. just
above is large sheet Of water known
as Newnan's lake, which is fed by the Big
hatchet, the Little Hatchet, and at periods
OF high water by the Beetree creek, an OUT,
let of Santa Fe, via Lake Alto, near Waldo.
On the north side of the prairie, three miles
from Gainesville, is one of those large de-
preSsions known here as siuks, which open
below into subterranean passage, through
which the surplus water of Newnan's laka
Is carried TO the Chinese laundrymen on
the other side.
In 1871, during terrific storm Of several
days duration, the moss, leaves, twigs,
etc, taken into HeWnan's lake by It's
feeders was IN turn by its outlet Prairie
creek carried into (Alachua) ''the great
Jug" or sink, and there by the.
gyratory motion Of the water as 1t escaped
into the bowels Of the earth became entan-
gled and inpacted in the throat OF the uns
foreground passage In such a way as to shut
1t up entirely. Then tho flooding process
! began aud kept up until, as before said.
10000 acres OF land was submerged, and
thus It remained for twenty years.
FLoRIDA's NOTED FISHING GROUND.
During these twenty years the Prairie"
as it is called here. had become the most
noted frosh water fishing ground in ALI
Florida. The water teemed with trout.
perch, cat and, in fact, all varieties of fresh
water fish. They were consumed here and
In surrounding towns, while shipments
went daily to Savannah, Macon. Augusta
and Atlanta.
Last Thursday it was observed by visitors
and fishermen that the fish were dying, aud
that tho watsr was rapidly going down. By
Saturday evening, when the writer visited
the sink, the water had, with the excep4
tion of that in the creek bed and in the
"big Jug disappeared. All over the ground
WneTo tne " NdboT uau D5bu Jnero you oOulQ
| see dead fish la such numbers as to tax the
mind OF the most credulous listeners to fish
| stories In ali America, while around the
| bends OF the creek and in the sink they were
| so thick on top OF the water that you could
not SEQ the water. Yet on they came, dead
and dying, with the slow, funeral drift of
the black waters Of the creek.
by hundreds, thousands, tens of
Thousands. millions, while the water was
kept frothing seething. bubbling, Swapping,
| popping by the wild efforts Of the demented
millions yet living TO obtain one more full
| inspiration Of pure air. The tainted air was
! oiled with many kinds of birds of prey,
such as buzxards, crows and eagles, while
cranes, egrets md hogs lined the banks,
| satieting with putrescence their depraved
| appetites. Here the swollen carcass Of an
| alligator which a sportsman had killed
| comes floating down the creeping tide, and
| perched on the rotting raft sit dozsn buzz
| yards, revelinR in the sheSthing of their
| horrid ship, while on yonder point the earth
| is covered with carrion crows fighting over
the friRhtful feast. The stencil is seemingly
unbearable yet hundreds go to get O
| glimpse of the horrible scene. How long
this state Of things will 20 on it is impossi-
| bic to say, but as three miles Of forest inter-
yenes it Is hoped that there will be no sick
ness. Better not buy any fish from here for
| awhile; at least, that is, fresh water fish.
The excessively hot weather for the past
month and the gradual decaying Of the OBJ
| struetion in the underground channel cons
| blned have brought about the rapid subsiI
| dence OF the water.