The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1895-02-17
sINkHoLEs OF FLORIDA.
They Form and Disappear from
Causes Not Yet Explained.

Savannah News.
The recent accident on the Florida South
ern railway near Gainesville recalls the
old question concerning the Florida SINKS.
What are they?
ing SO very unusual in the formation of
new sink. One was formed a year or SO ago
b mile he from ba ane se 90 bu there
was no particular publicity gwen TO the
fact. Unless the formation of new sink
causes some particular accident or lncon-
venience it is only mentioned a new
curiosity might be-something to look at If
Alachua county probably has a larger
number of these sinkholeS than any other
county in the State.
dent, where train ran up to Gainesville
over an apparently sound roadbed, and on
had dropped forty feet below the track has
probably more sinks within the adjoining
nifty acres OF land 1H h ANY Gsnep
one of the curiosities of Florida, and was
for many years very popular picnic
About fifteen years ago / was employed
to survey line for a roadway across this
tract of land, and found it very difficult to
lay out a road between the numerous deep
sinks that would be safe for carriages. SO
In some cases only narrow ridge of soil,
sloping both ways from the center OF the
ridge, remains solid enough for travel.
Some of these sinks have water in them,
some are dry, and some are forty feet in
depth, and bearing orange trees grow ON
the sloping sides
All efforts to find natural causes for these
sinks have failed to account for their ex-
istence.
The numerous recent discoveries in some
Western States, in Central America and in
Mexico of the remains of the dwellings
of people who lived beneath the surface
of the earth suggest the possibility that
these Florida sinks are the breaking in or
the roofs of chambers formed by race of
i Raopie ~n0' N '''e io''s 49, oo''p''0 40
That subterranean chambers and passage
ways exist in Florida is well known, but
how they were formed and for what pur-
pose / have never seen even suggested in
any work on the subject.
The natural wells all have an artificial
appearance. They are all entrances to tun-
nels in which water runs. Persons have
often entered one and come out by
other / have heard it claimed that these
natural wells the open air shafts to
subterranean roadways, and that they lead
to large rooms in some places. l have BEEN
told of a large subterranean chamber near
Archer on the walls of which are picture
writings.
The investigation of this subject might
yield some very interesting information. A
small party of friends have made some
Florida sinks. They have found that, like
the numerous other ancient works of Flor
ida of which have written, such of these
sinks as they have examined all bear the
same engineers marks attractive bodies
placed in the ground), by which the outlines
of the original work can be traced, and also
the connecting passages; and this has led
to the further discovery that the same lines
are no signs of sinks or natural wells to be
seen.
A decided similarity exists between many
ancient works found in American and Egyp-
tan work. There is no good reason why
we should not take what is known of Egypt
to at least suggest the &c, form e, or purpose Of
Morocco / am informed, the excess of grain
crops is placed in chambers in the ground,
the chamber is closed, and all visible traces
of it's existence are destroyed In time OF
need the caid or sheik finds the chamber
by use of the shah ell loo, and thus a FAM
inc is provided against.
May not some of our numerous large
sinks represent similar large granaries or
storage chambers?
The scene of the accident on the Florida
Southern railway is on the edge of Payne's
prairie, where twenty thousand acres of rich
immense storage capacity. The spot is GEN.
trally situated for water transportation of
the. crop across the prairie by it's central
drainage canal, and is easily accessible from
a region where there are no large prairies
to cultivate.
Near Gainesville and in the city there are
many places where it is often noticed that
where horses trot over them a hollow sound
comes from the ground. / have traced on
that are found at the sinks. At Ocala,
Dade City, Tampa and Port Tampa City
have found the same lines. and I have been
told of many other places where these lines
have been traced by gentlemen interested
in the same line of Investigation.
Reasoning from the lines found at the
sinks, wells and tunnels that are known.
the same lines being found where no sink
or well now exists, the same conditions
should be in these spots as must have been
in the others before the supports of the roof
gave way to form the sinks or wells Sew
and see the actual there be-
chamber and what it contains; if there be
a tunnel and what it leads to; but water
much for the means of the explorers, so
that it still remains mystery, and no one
has yet satisfactorily answered the question,
c Florida