The Ketchum keystone. [volume] (Ketchum, Idaho) 1885-1899, 1895-02-09
FLORIDA SINKHOLES.
Mysterious Actions of the Ground
OF That State.
Xarxe Depressions In the Earth Which
Appear and Disappear from
Causes ~ Yet Undis-
covered.


covered.
The recent accident on the Florida
Southern railway near Gainesville re-
calls the old question concerning the
Florida sinks. What are they?
Except the railroad feature, there is
nothing so very unusual in the forma-
ton of a new sink; one was formed a
year or so ago about a mile from the
site of the accident, and close by the
same railroad, but there was no partic-
ular publicity given to the fact. I'm
less the formation of new sink causes
some particular accident or incon-
venience, it is only mentioned as a new
curiosity might be-something to look
at if you are going that way.
Alachua county probably has larger
number of these sink holes than any
other county in the state.
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 existence, says correspondent
of the Savannah News.
The numerous recent discoveries in
some western states, in Central Amer
lea and in Mexico of the remains of the
dwellings of a people who lived be-
meath the surface of the earth suggest
the possibility that these Florida sinks
are the breaking-in of the roofs OF
chambers formed by race of people
who, in the long ago, occupied Florida.
That subterranean chambers and
passage-ways exist in Florida is well
known, but how they were formed and
for what purpose l have never seen
even suggested in any work on the sub
ject.
The natural wells all have an artifi-
cial appearance. They are all entrances
to tunnels in which water runs. Per-
sons have often entered one and come
out by another. l have heard it claimed
that these natural wells are 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 Arch
er on the walls of which are picture
writings.
The investigation of this subject
might yield some very interesting in
formation. A small party of friends
have made some very strange discov-
cries regarding these Florida sinks.
They have found that, like the numer-
Gus other ancient works of Florida 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 pas
sages; and this has led to the further
discovery that the same lines are quite
numerous in places where there are no
signs of sinks or natural wells to be
seen.
A decided similarity exists between
many ancient works found in American
and Egyptian work. There is no good
reason why we should not take what is
known of Egypt TO at least suggest the
form or purpose of the unknown in
America. In Egypt and Morocco, | am
informed, the excess of grain crops is
placed in chambers in the ground, the
chamber is closed, and all visible traces
of its existence are destroyed. In time
of need the caid or sheik finds the
chamber by use of the shah ell loo, and
thus famine is provided against.
May not some of our numerous large
sinks represent similar large granaries
or store chambers?
The scene of the accident on the
Florida Southern railway is on the
sdge of Payne's prairie, where twenty
thousand acres of rich land might
yield grain enough to require an i'm
:nense storage capacity. The spot is
centrally situated for water transporta-
ton 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 hollow sound comes from the
ground. l have traced on some of
these spots the very same lines that are
found at the sinks. At Ocala, Dade
City, Tampa and Port Tampa City l
have found the same lines, and have
been told of many other places where
these lines have been traced by gentle
men interested in the same line of in
vestigation.
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
eral attempts have been made to dig
down and see the actual condition-f
there be a chamber and what it con-
tains; if there be tunnel and what it
leads to-; but water and quicksand
were il every instance too much for the
means of the explorer, SO that it still
mystery, and no one has yet
answered the question:
What is Florida sink?-Savannah
News.
MIXED THE POETS UP.