Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-07-22
The Florida Volcano.

From the Orlando ella. Recorder
J. @. Martin, one OF the many who have tried
to solve the mystery Of the Florida volcano"
believes that he has been successful He says:
81 had prospected for phosphate in Leon. Tay-
lor and jefferson counties for capitalists in
Atlanta and Rome. Ga. and last summer 1
tried my luck in the country about that swamp
supposed TO hold a volcano. 1t is called the
'Pinhook' by the natives. and is many square
miles in extent 1t lies on the Gulf of Mexico,
partly in Taylor and partly in jefferson county
The reasons l came to penetrate the swamp
were two-to see if it contained red cedar and
if the land was high enough and dry enough 10
attempt to drain. Two of my helpers were sick
and the other had to go and see his sick family,
SO 1 could do no prospecting for phosphate for
some time, and concluded to enter the swamp
alone.
las the land outside sloped toward the south
/ knew the swamp must do the same and en-
tered it from the north side, to be bothered
with water as little as possible. Had my pre-
decessors done the same they would have es-
capped many Of the pools and canebrakes.
cut a well-blazed path due south and took nv
time. 1 had plenty of provisions along and
went back to fetch my things up after l had
cut ahead some distance. The growth was very
dense at places, but was raised on the coast OF
South Carolina and was one OF the surveying
party Of Okefnokee swamp three wears ago. SO
OF the red cedar, but a kind of cedar or Juniper,
supposed to grow nowhere else in the world
than along the Chattahochee river in Florida.
found in abundance. I saw plenty Of signs of
and heard at night both bears aud panthers,
but saw very few. l killed probably 100 tur,
keys and one deer.
"After having gone about one-third the
length OF the swamp the ground began to be
honeycombed with holes, sometimes five feet
deep, made by fire. The ground was dry be-
tween them. but vines, briers and fallen logs
everywhere made progress difficult. The water
in the deepest hole was salt, from which take
it that the land in that part is but little above
high tide OF the gulf. One night camped in
an open place and had made up INV mind to
go back noxt day. The mosquitoes and owls
kept me awake and slept but little. Isome-
times heard a booming noise in the distance,
and saw flames reflected on the sky. 1 had almost
forgotten the volcano. but took my bearings
and resolved to 90 there the next day.
well, traversed worse gr ound than / had
thought could exist. Holes everywhere, with
very miry bottoms; sometimes ponds acres in
extent, followed ont by fire. The air was
smoky and the stencil from dead fish and rotten
water terrible, in the hot sun. At noon came
where the ground was still burning-and here
was the solution Of the mystery.
The earth was solely composed Of coarse
vegetable matter. which burns like finder when
not too wet In tine heaviest rains some fire
that has got into rotten log will smolder for
weeks, only to ignite the ground again when
dry enough. At some places a kind Of moss
grew which shed water like rubber coat A
subterranean outlet for rainwater drains the
land. Sometimes there would be heavy gro WITH
OF pine needles fall point foremost, and often
straddle the twigs When the fire comes to
such place the dry pine needles burn on the
bushes to their very tops. and the flames next
devour the tops Of the pines themselves. The
smoke is black as night. and will ascend for
days and be seen at a long distance. and al
night the sky looks red. And this is all there
is about the Florida Volcano i could guide
any one to the spot 1t must have burned for
100 years, and there is muck enough to burn
FOR 900 years to come"