Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1893-06-25
WAKULLA VOLCANO.


For The Sunday Gazette.
la The tangled wildwood Of that part
of the great Florida swamp that Dor.
ders on the territory Of phosphate min.
ing u prospector has just nude an inter.
esuug discovery, He has solved the ia
nous mystery of tile Wakulla volcano.
lustend Of u volcano de- has found q
vast cXpanse OF burning earth,
Lcurned men for long tiuu have held
that an active volcano must exist In
phis hitherto inaccessible region. For
many years scientists, adventures and
explorers have made spasnodic attempts
10 penetrate the swamp, lured On by the
strange tales of the simple people who
live IN It's vicinity and by the wonderful
phenomenon which they themselves have
observed from afar
The mvurying report Of the country.
folk has been that out Of this great
swnmp from the time Of their fathers
and grundfathcrs clouds of steam aud
smoke have risen in volumes, and that
ht certain periods flames of fire have
been seen to belch forth as from the cru.
terror huge volcano, making Mt night
most weird display on the distant hori
20h' Indeed, since no one had ever
seen the actual spot. aud no adequate
cause could be given of the strange phe
nonena, they have been regarded with
sort Of superstition.
The swamp is located on the Gulf of
Mexico, and Is many square miles In ex-
tent. II Is just south of Tallahassee.
the state capital and covers part OF
Wakulln and jefferson counties 1t Is
most easily approached from the state of
Georgia. During the civil war. Union
ghnbonts on their way TO the siege Of
New Orleans anchored on the place and
shellcd the spot where the smoke was
issung IN the belief that 1t was camp
Of Confederate soldiers engaged In re-
filming salt
Six or seven years ago New York
newspaper man offered reward of $1,000
to the man who would penetrate the
swamp explain the mystery aud prepare
full account for Its columns
Since that time continued interest
has been manifested in the mystery. one
advohturer. who had made his way with.
Ia two miles OF the supposed volcano,
climbed TO the top of tall tree 20 catch
view of the distant wonder, but the
boughs gave. way beneath him and he
nearly lost his life Mr. A. W. Barber,
who was formerly connected with the
Florida Geological survey. made several
excursions into the swamp. He care
fully surveyed the region and after max.
lug observations of the strange fire he
located its situation, but without reach.
ing the spot.
Mr. Martin. a prospector for firm
OF Georgia capitalists, who have extern
slNe interests in mining Florida phos-
platc, Is the man that made the conclu-
siNc discovery largely To crafty his own
curiosity; He found the surface OF the
swamp honeycumbcd with holes made
by the fire. They extended for miles
aud miles, showing that the hre had
steadily burned for many years The
depth of the vast assures was about
nye feet and in the bottom OF the
deepest salt water was found. which
proved that the surface of the swamp
was but little higher than the lrvvl OF
the gulf, aud UNDERGROUND channels were
discovered which drain the swamp of
It's waters.
As he approached the locality whore
the lire was active the air was filled
win thick smoke, the stencil Of decay
ing iish became almost unhearable ana
boomings Ike that OF distant cannon
were heard
The earth Of roots and coarse yeeeta.
Die hbers, protected by a waterproof
moss, like an immense peat hog, has
fed the tire with ccaseless supnly of
fuel, IN such soil the flames woul,l
shoulder for months during the rainy
season to burst forth when the sun ana
the dronlh returned. The tall trees
70 the. very top Of which the flames
have climbed, account for the phenomena
Of the spouting fires, at which people
nave stood aghast for generations.
The success of the discovery 4 duo 10
The fact that the approach was made
lou me hurth sue, by which the pools.
and ednse growth OF cane-brakc. which
have been hindrances 80 former ex.
ploiers' were avoided. Plenty of time
ana abundance Of provisions We're avail,
able. and the work Of hewing a path
through the dense underground hnd
and patiently, ''''''''
u Is impossible to estimate the time
me Wakulla fire may have been burn.
ink' nut 10 Judge from the vast expanse
already covered. It must have been
lighted AZ least 100 years ago. ma thers
Is iuel IN this deep morass 70 feed Il