The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-09-21

OF the dark stream. The descent Is grad
uat ana several years ago two white
men ana a negro TOOK a boat IN ana
explored the river for several miles, nnai-
~ being stopped by waterfall The cur
rent became very swift Just before they
StaLtea 70 return, ana Tor a Whlle II
Ioched as though the party would be
carried BY the dark waters over the rails
70 rate fascinating IN its horror. The
stIean can also be reached through
small cave In the side OF hill near this
point indeed, natives say that II can De
reached almost anywhere. Sink holes,
large and small, are TO be found In every
valley For native TO stick fence rail
Gown one Of these. climb down and get
a drink and then out by the same means,
Is Feat OF only ordinary occurrence. The
Whole country hereaDouts seems TO De
money cOmbed by underground streams OF
which Lost river and Stamper's creek are
but surface developments.
one OF the most interesting phenomena
OF this great underground water system
IS what IS known as Lost River gulf Less
than a mile north Of the village there
seems TO be sort Of break in the high
table land on which the surrounding farms
ana homes are located. Here deep raw
me, or rather, series OF four ravines
uniting In the shape of a great star, are
formed These ravines are covered with
dense underbrush and many large forest
trees On the southeast side the land IS
somewhat lower than on other sides and
a river bed seems TO stretch away for
mar mile or so, one OF the features OF
the depression being huge pile OF weather
worn limestone rocks which appear in the
ancient river. These ravines run down
about seventy-fiye feet from the level of
the surrounding country and there meet
the surface of this gulf. The gulf itself is
about 100 feet IN circumference. Its waters
come from 10 one knows where. No one
KNOWS now deep II IS, Tor Its banks are
the sides or the raVine, and are almost
perpendicular. The water is clear and
very cold, showing that it has long haen
underground.
If perfect silence on the part of the visi-
tor IS maintained for some time, blind
nsnes Will appear on the surface of the
gun ana Will swim slowly around with
their upturned white mouths close TO the
surface in search of food. The slightest
noise viii disturb them: their sense of
hearing is their only protection from an
enemy. Blind crayfishes also are to be
found in the gulf in the shallow water
where the great white pool empttes itself
To the west and TO the northeast the
great ravine lengthens itself, and at the
extremes Of the ravine in these directions
the waters of this gulf disappear. Two
small streams Of water from the gulf
proper flow under the bluffs at these
points. The opening into which the west
stream discharges itself is somewhat
larger than its counterpart, and can be
entered for ten or twelve feet. In times
of wet weather on the area drained by
this stream the water in the gulf rises
higher and higher until it overfows the
southeast side, whore the land is lower
and the rushing flood sweeps across the
fields over the great limestone rocks here
tofore mentioned, losing itself in the dry
the county is drained by this stream is not
known.s The stage of water in the gulf is
entirely independent of the water at
Orangeville or in this vicinity, and the
GOODNESS Of the water. the blind fish, and
all other circumstances. clearly show that
the water flows for a great distance
through a subterranean channel. The
pressure necessary to raise the water in
the gulf high enough to overflow into the
dry bed of Lost river is enormous-almost
enough to move the everlasting hills
themselves
There are no wells at Orangeville. In
the first place, no one would dare to dig
one for fear he would fall through the
bottom into one of the subterranean
streams. The earth here abouts is hollow.
Sink holes in barnyards, into which one
might toss a stone and hear the splash
OF water are too common to be noticed by
a native. Then wells are not necessary,
These CULTS and springs are too numerous.
At the top of the bluff from under which
Lost river appears there is a windlass
ARRANGEMENT, called a telegraph" by the
natives, by means of which a bucket is
drawn up full of water. A similar arrange
ment is In use at the gulf of Lost river.
Orangeville is some distance from any
railroad, has no hotel. and, generally
speaking is not much of town, but in
matters of interest to a tourist 1t has
more to the square foot than any other
village in the Ohio Valley.