The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1895-04-14
A FORGOTTEN CITY.
Mysterious Remains In tho Pimey
Woods of Georgia.

Mysterious Remains In tho Piney
Woods of Georgia.
New York Evening Post.
To the careless traveller on his way
covers about one-tfird of the State Of
Georgia, known as the ..piney woods" there
But there are many points to attract care.
full observers. especially along the courses
Of the rivers whose sluggish currents wan
town Of voldosta,. on the banks of the
town, all trace OF which has passed away
save some long lines of oaks, set in parallel
rows about thirty feet apart for nearly
mile. Each ancient street thus marked
was about forty feet in With. intersected
At regular Intervals by ssler streets, the
square. The trees tower above all the
younger underground, their widespreading
trees of various kinds have grown up
among non them. forming dense forest.
overlooks high bluff at the foot of which
winds the river. which has in places washed
away huge slices of the sandstone bluff en-
croaching on the streets nearest the stream.
The river makes bend in the shape of a
crescent around the, site of the town, and
from point Just above the northern line
Of trees, extending in a semi-eircle to a
point just below the southern limit, is a
wall protecting the town from that side.
In some places this will is almost indis-
defined. and its entire length can be traced
through the open pine forest on that side
Tall long-leafed pines have sprung up
from its broken crest, indicating its great
antiquity.
On the river bank, about midway of the
evidently lost much OF its original dinen-
sions. Whether this was a place of sepul-
ture or watch tower has never been de-
termined, one has ever investigated
the matter from scientific or antiquarian
point of view.
AS to who built the town, raised the old
wall and planted the shade trees, history
is entirely in the dark. The region was
the Creek Indians in the thirties but the
country was poor that ID was never
thickly populated, and 1t supports but a
dams seem to have been as ignorant con-
corning the settlement as their white sue
it and the hunters avoided it as an uncanny
place where evil spirits lurked. They did
peee Of po aa i and anse
stone implements, with flint knives and
arrow heads have been found along the
bluff, evidently made and used by race
of people alien to the savage tribes who
occupied the country at the time of the
advent of the whites.
Another strange feature of the neighbor-
hood, for ten or fifteen miles distance, ex-
tending northeastward Is the regular re-
their convex sides invariably lying toward
the northeast, and the inside of the semi
circle partly inclOsing three mounds, a
larger one nearest the embankment. and
the smaller ones at short distances, stand
west. These strange formations reeur
about every three-fourths of a mile the
embankments being from one half to three
quarters of mile in length. What was
their purpose may forever remain mys-
terry. Perhaps they were the approaches to
some great temple of worship erected in
the main town on the river; and the fact
that it was sanctuary and regarded as
holy ground by the builders may account
for the superstitious awe, with which the
Indians avoided the nameless town.
Some five miles above the old town is a
ran
tions of Georgia crackers. At that point
the Ocklacoochee river is about two hum
dred yards in width, flowing over a bed of
swamp and at the edge of a steep bluff, a
part of the river about hfty yards wide
leaves the main current and flowing di-
rectly eastward at right angles to the
in the face of a hill at least one hundred
feet high Attempts have been made at
various times to explore this cave. One
lance of three hundred yards. passing
through a series of spacious chambers con-
nected by narrow galleries along which the
water dashed The course OF this under
sinks for a mile or more. few miles
below, on the opposite side of the river
limestone spring bursts forth. Its water
an unusual freshet they are discolored as
though connected with some surface source.
As this spring is on direct line with the
underground stream, the popular belief is
it's waters flowing below the main channel
and emerging again at the spring.
Geologieally this section or country would
appear to be of comparatively recent or
igin. but from the prehistoric tumuli scat
tered about it is evidently old enough to
have supported many generations of people
Of some forgotten. race who have left be-
hind them not a clew as to their identity.