Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1893-05-21
VOLCANO IN A SWAMP.


J. O. Martin, one Of the many who have
tried TO solve the mystery OF me Florida
ful. liz uaid recently TO reporter FOR mo
Ocaln Vrc0rdrr. ~ hHd prOspertcd Tor
phosphate In Iloun Taylor Hnd Jeferaon
counties for capitalists IN Atlanta aud Rome,
Ia. and last sunmUr Tried my luck IA
tho country about that swamp supposed t9
hold a volcano, n u called The 1ihkhpok
10y the natives and II many square miles 10
extent II Hes IN the Gulf 81 Mexico, part
~ In Taylor and partly 10 Jefferson county.
The reasons came 70 penetrate the Hwailp
were two Ito see n u contained red cedar
and N the lnnd WAS high enough aud dry
enough 10 attempt 20 nrain Two OF ny
helpers were sick and the other hn1 TO 20
and see his sick family. 80 ! could do ma
prospecting for phosphate fof some tins
aud ! c0nelnied To enter the swamp alone.
A. the land outside rlopel Toward tne
south l knew the swamp must do the Same
nnd l entered II from tho north Side 10
be bothered with water m little ~ poasiblo-
HAD my predecessors done The same ihrg
would hpYr escaped many o. the pools nnd
canebrakes 1 onf web blaked path dng
sUutli and took ny tine I lnd plenty %
provisions along aud went back 20 fetch ny
tnucD. The growth WAS very deuse at places
but | was raised on the odnst ~ Nouth tero.
llna, ana was Que q ne hnrssylns parlY
was used to the work. | I'D not mud much
~ The rcd cedar, but Kind 81 cedar, Or
inniprf supposed 70 grow hownsis ere ~
river "a Florida. / found 10 hbundAnfr.
saw plenty Of signs ~. and heard NJ fighe
both 9eaEs gud gal,ilqfs 9ui saw sepy
few. l Killed probably 100 turkeys ana one
deer.
After having Epnr about pae.thlrd The
length n ihr swamp the ground begun 70 ~
deep, made By nrr, The ground waa DRY
between fhem' bui vines, hrllfe md fall.a
logs cyerywllers made pr9st"ss dinsqll, IN, Ihs
which take II that The land ~ That part
u but lifile above luHh tide Of the sur
one hight ! cnmped n An open place hnd
'iihse I niSSqSiiae ~ aud owl, kept me. awake
And I slept but little. ! sometimes heard a
booming nolae IN the distance sud saw
forgotten The volcano. tut took my bearings
aud resolved 10 80 there the next day,, Wrii
iraywsed worse Wonnd than I thought
ronld have cyiatcd. Holes everywhere, win
very miry b0ttoms;. somefilnes ponds acres
IN extent, followed out by frN The Ar WIS
smoky. and tue stencil from dead hsh htl
noon caine where ID. ground was etlll
burning and here was the soluu2a OF tlis
mystery.
vegetable matter. which burns likr tinder
Wien not tor ' e. III the hkftrst rnins
some IRE that has goi into roifrn loF WI
smonl9er f9r wsssa' Guy 10 sa,'r ns
plH,as n klnd n niosr grew which sued
wnicr Ike 4 ruhbcr rnoi. snblerinnrilN
outlet 70 alnNaisr liHlns ils Hiln, rn ~
pnn mi igini foremost aud ofin uirAddln
Inc iDiEHi When the Ore comes 10 Huci
p5cr. ihe dry pine nrrdise hul osl iiie
bushes 10 their very f0l1, Aui The unfncn
neat dcsdur The tois 81 The plnes iheni.
selves The smoke u hlact a. ulFht Au1
WI ascend for days apd ~ geen ~ iqug
AM tils 10 Al those II uiiput ihr ilorifia
yplrnnr' ! r'uii rlldr my s ,ne % my Hlni;
II mint have huqilNl for lD ytafs' ana
there n,aet eaf urii to burn for lupo years