The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1894-08-13
DEVILS CHIMNEY.
The Mystery of Century Solved by a
Band Of Explorers.

Mr.. P. NJ. Oliver of Gainesville. Fla.
writes to The World that he has solved
what he calls the great Florida volcano
mystery He was member of an expe-
dition that went out and solved if. He
has como to the conclusion that tbe so
called volcano was caused by the IGNITION
of gas, oil and sulphur
Mr.. Oliver shall tell what he found IN
his own picturesque way:
Having accomplished our work. I will
now give to your readers the result in
plain facts, to which we will make aft
dayit On our arrival at ST. Marks,
within 10 miles OF the supposed volcano,
we first interviewed the keeper of St.
Marks lighthouse, from the tower of
which this mysterious column of smoke
has ever been plainly visible, and after
also interviewing quite number of the
intelligent old settlers in that section we
learned that the smoke from the DEVILS
Chimney, as they all term it, ceased to
exist during the volcanic and seismic dis
turbances at Charleston, or for three or
four years since
''All admit having seen FREQUENT forest
hres, but that permanent and plainly visi-
BILE DEVILS Chimney column of smoke,
entirely unlike any ordinary forest fire,
had ceased. This fact having been estab-
Ilshed to the satisfaction of our expedition,
and having no object to run our compass
to or to direct our observation, we moved
our expedition to the famous Pinhook
Sink, where Judge White, Judge James
Bell of our city, Mr.. Cox and Colonel
Barber of Washington and number of
others had camped and laddered immense
pines to height Of from 100 to $50 feet
from the ground to gain observation.
s'We divided our expedition into squads
and all under the direct guidance of Cap
tain James L. Oliver Of St. Marks, an old
and intelligent settler and hunter, each
party or squad closely searching for the
extinct volcano. We found three distinct
assures or chasms in the cone or top of
rock mounds, varying in height from Is
to 80 feet-fssures from which a column
of smoke and fire had in the past issued
leaving melted lava, broken and shapeless
rock thrown or upheaVed in every direc-
ton.
The material upon which this fire fed
must have been gas, oil and sulphur and
burned until the coal supply was exhaust
ed, cooled down and extinct leaving in
assures or round wells, seemingly of great
depth, water covered with a perceptible
coating OF oil, while the walls or 1ues were
fire charred leaving great tags of lava and
broken rock to Enthusiastically show hot
seething furnace once existed Specimens
of this material can be seen on exhibition
at the store Of Judge James Bell at Gaines
vile.
1.-The only plausible cause of these erup-
tions is the great supply of oil, gas and
sulphur presenb IN 0ilaU see6lon OF country
HNely s'fetali anu pong mas d pefcepelple
coaolhg Oh Oh, anu on Keeps issuing from
the rocks ana banks OF soreanls ana slnAs
Whlie sulphur is plalniy visible IN One
cracks ana creVlces OF the rocks; ihe
na6ural OIL ana gas, escaping we pelleve
caugh6 from tlh1e 10 Time rom forest nres
anu, eAhaus6ihg themselves, burned OUT.
we 40 not qoup5 or ceny that Ihsfe
may pe oeher assures e1lseing ana perhaps
OF more r2ce-l6 GATE II tha5 great wllder-
ness OF uhe1PloreQ Jungies OF rhfee rivers.
DuG we are poslblNsay certain ohac an are
OF the same natl1fes red py the same mate
rial' ana are SURFACE 'puThln8s ana nos
chllnheys rom eae internal lakes OIL Vol
canlc IRE.
olly TWO Oh our 0alIesVflle expeoltlon
saw tnese assures accompanied by James
L. =, ollVeF, W.; CONFORM ana one or TWO
oeliers. Inc Times. hioh correspondent
anu eoe4piofer az TINS oline hao sVfucK OUT
Ia a alrec6ioIl OF ms own accompanied py
one OF Vhe 1ailessllle eApeoi0ion. Ihey
sou. los0 uoWh III gle SAM MARSHES, anu
perhaps Woaia nave psflslso OF beeh oe-
ooureo ny WIG pefests hau YOU ffoVloence
nllaily come 20 tnelr alei tWheh thoroughly