The record-union., 1893-08-03
SINKING INTO THE EARTH.
AIachua Lake in Florida, Which Once
Carried Steamship Traffic.

Alachua Lake in Florida, Which Once
Carried Steamship Traffic.
Some time ago a United States survey
ing party explored the region of Alachua
Lake, Florida. The work having been
completed the party returned to WASH
ington recently, and Hersey MunrOe, one
of those who had been engaged in the
geological work, gave Post reporter
some interesting information regarding
the lake named.
"Alachua Lake, said Mr.. Munroe, ''is
situated in north latitude % degrees 30
minutes and west longitude s. degrees ~
minutes, in Alachua County. Fla, ana
two miles south of Gainesville, the
county seat. The lake was formerly
prairie, known as Alachua Prairie, be-
fore the Seminole war during lS3o-31. Ii
has since been named Payne's Prairie,
after King Payne, an old Seminole Chlet
OF an early day. The prairie was great
grazing spot for the Indians cattle, and
| later was used for like purpose and Tor
tillage by the whites, some fine crops OF
corn and cotton being grown. The
prairie lands are immense meadows, COW
cred by the finest grass, interspersedi
with clumps Of beautiful oak trees ana
palmettos.
These lands are subject to inundation
during the summer season. Hatchet
Creek rises three miles north OF Games
vile and flows III every direction OF the
compass for a distance of ten miles, emp
tying into Newman's Lake, beautiful
sheet of water covering ten square miles.
The overflow from Newman's Lake forms
a large creek named Prairie Creek, which
wended it's way through PayDe's prairie
to Alachua sink, one of the curlosltles OF
the State. There the waters found
their way into subterranean pas
sage. Visitors, to have their curios-
ity gratified by seeing what the effect
would be to have logs thrown in the
sink, were the probable cause of the
overflow of Payne's prairie. The logs
would float out to the center Of the sink,
whirl around in a circle and suddenly
disappear. This choking of the outlet to
the waters of Prairie Creek caused the
overflow and made a sheet of water sutfi-
cient to float small steamers and other
craft.
"One steamer in particular had splen-
did freight traffic during the vegetable
season, carrying shipments of vegetables
from its wharf on Chacala Pond across
Alachua Lake to the mouth of Sweet
water branch, the nearest point to Gaines
vile, the principal place for shipment
north. After the overflow and the form
ing of q lake it was chrlSteneu Alachua
Lake. This name has been decided upon
by the United States Board on Geological
Names. Alachua Lake is eight miles long
east and west, and in one place four miles
in width north and south. covers 5000
acres and the average depth is from two
to fourteen feet.
"For several years the lake has been
gradually lowering. The elevation Of
the water above sea level as given by the
Savannah, Florida and Western Railroad
some years ago is siXty-four feet. BY ac
curate levels run by one of the tOpo-
graphical parties Of the geological
survey working in this section during
the winter OF lS9J-'9I the elevation
of the water was found to be fifty
eight feet, thus showing that the
lake has been changing elevation;
and few weeks ago ! was informed by
Professor Lawrence Johnson, now study
ing the geology OF this section of Florida,
that Alachua Lake had disappeared en-
tirely: that only small pools remained,
and the usual amount Immediately
around the sink"