Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1891-10-29
A FLORIDA LAKE GONE.
Dry Land Where Steamboats, Ran and ALI
gators Swished Their Tails

gators Swished Their Tails
A very curious spectacle was to be seen
on the outskirts of Gainesville last week.
says a letter from that Florida town to the
Atlanta Constitution. Alachua lake, a
sheet OF water from ten to fifteen miles in
length and covering some &c, 900 acres of
land, Is no more. On its banks were w.
ing thousands of dead fish; dead alligators
tioated CHASTITY In pools of black water and
the atmosphere was heavy with noxious
gases. Men and boys were there in
throngs, crowding around the pools left
by the recedlng waters and with hoes and
rakes dragging to shore hundreds of fish
which had sought their depths for refuge.
The waters were fairly alive with their
strue giles for existence.
Except for small stream known as
Payne's creek, flowing from Newman's
lake into the Sink, the two main basins of
the Sink, few stagnant pools, no water
is now to be seen where few years ago
steamers were blowing their way. This
is the second time since 1923 that a SINH
lar occurrence has taken place. At that
time, the earliest year in which there is
any record of that part of the country, the
bed of the lake was a large prairie, Payne's
prairie, having in it body of water call
ed the Sink and small creek. In 1868
heavy rains filed up the prairie, but the
water disappeared after short time, and
the prairie was again dry land. In 1873,
after a series of heavy rains, the Sink
overlooked and the creek swelled to the d.
mansions of lake. During several years
the water increased till larger lake was
formed, and for fully fifteen years sufficient
depth OF water stood over the prairie to
allow of small steamers.
During the last two years, however, the
waters have been gradually lowering, and
about three weeks ago they commenced
going down with surprising rapidity, the
lake falling about eight feet in ten DAYS,
until now nothing is lett of Alachua lake
but the memory of it. The Sink is con.
sldered the cause OF this change There
is evidently an underground passage con-
nected with 1T, and for sor1e reason not
understood this underground passage has
been acting as drain until all the water
in the lake has been drawn off.
Here, In the early part of the century,
says the Florida Times Union, Indians
used to camp yearly and feast On oranges,
principally the bitter sweet and sour,
large quantities of which grew on the bank
above the Sink. The juice of the sour
oilDSc was ilIpSly uScu LII IoVST dnu ma
lariai troubles, and the red men brought
the sick long distances that its healing
virtues might be freely tried. There is
legend of two warriors who, disputing
over dusky maiden of the tribe, struggled
fierceIy in a hand. to-hand combat on the
edge of the Sink, and finally fell in, only
to be drawn down by the treacherous waters
into the sinkhole, from whence they float
ed through the subterranean channels, and
later, locked in each others arms, were
found in the waters of the st. Johns.
Near the center Of the Sink rises mass
Of rock, porous limestone, honeycombed
with assures, and in its middle portion a
hole in which a man could stand upright.
Not particle of soil is upon or around it
and yet vines and ferns flourish, and at it's
peak stunted blackberry tree throws out
asparse foliage. Years ago Prof. Ag SSH,
visiting the spot with local scientist,
remarked: sin that rock you see the
foundation on which Florida rests; as the
action of the water wears one assure
through into another new underground
channels are formed, streams are diverted
from their course, and masses OF earth fall
in-hence the sinks, mysterious rivers
etc."
The Grand Army of the Republic is an
army indeed. It's actual net strength at
the present time is 1913, 067, according to
the ronort of the adiutant- general No