The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1896-09-27
THE NEW ATLANTIS.
An Island Suddenly SPRINGS
Up in Union Bay.
DISCOVERED ~ Y. or ". MEN.
n Il u Soft, spongy Soil, sud 9osmp =
Have Come 70 Stay some -
the TningD on Il.

A. the tabled Atlantis existed In mia
neean no one kpew precisely where O.
Aaw. 20 q new Igsar1, rot on the naua
I'D ia fact never seen BY man Unit. ons
Aay Of last week. nas appeared In g1sSe
wsxs.ngtsn, or. speaking more accura sely
n Union bay, an arm OF the iAxe, Just ess,
- the nsx grounds OF the University o.
washington.
Ear.y last week there appeared on yhs
surssee Of the bay q long dark OBJECT thar
~ss thought 10 De q 10, OF drift wood on
FRIDAY evening Dir. and Mrs. Henry H.
Hl,Ashaw, while our fer al evening rid.
An the lake, rowed near what they thought
was drift wood. ard 20 their great sar-
Erlye they discovered newly formed isl
and. They explored as much a. posslsse
n the twilight. gathering - a number o.
lr4sh water Clans found along rae edges
a the soft new land
On Saturday morning q party Of exp.or-
ers vas soon organized. consisting OF Mr.
H!n6sIaw. curator OF the university mu-
sesm: Edmond D. Meany. the registrar.
Nssson Edwards. the steuographer and
etudene: d. Ells Donty. graduate student
ant laboratory assistant; and Everett W
H ssc.sett. student In two boats, arm
a sgf blanks and poles. they SCI ont for
tne terra .ncoErlto brought 50 conv@nse MT
II 10 gse.r very door. The soil was found
% be very soft and spoggy. q sort of peat
er rofted vegetable formation, and all over
the top were scattered specimens Of the
fresh water clans or Ansconfa Orexonsr-
rs some Of which were very large. ard al
o. them high and dry on the new island
One hundred ard forty-nine good spsel-
aeas were soon secured. and thu good fea-
ture OF the specimens Is that they are all
large and healthy. while the same species
eathered along the shores os the lake are
badly damaged by a parasitic mite which
cal laboratory. This new find will there
fore be OF considerable use la the classes,
a. wei as forming good material for the
museum, az the shells VIII be In demand
Ear exchanges after The animals have been
removed and used Up o. the clzss room
ssd laboratory.
Besides the clans there were found a.
pumber OF small granite boaiaers. and
Embedded in the soft soil were the roots
Of rushes WILLOWS and txlgs OF birch,
which tend 10 deepen the problems pre-
ssnted. a. these would indicate that the
Island was formed some time at The wa
ter level, and the other Indications are
that II has Just risen up from the bottom
OF the lake. Soundinxs and further ex-
porztsons will be made TO see II Il can be
determined whether the island has xow-
II nca.ed in from a distance or has risen
from the bottom a, It's present location.
One OF the explorers offers this Sxplana-
ton. The water In The lake In very low.
and possibly the surface of the pea, bog
Ike bottom. becoming more heated than
usual. gases would form and make the soil
more buoyant. and this process continu-
ing q portion OF the lakes floor becomes
detached and rises 20 the surface Now, IL
other portions OF the oozy bottom flow
under this floating mass the island will re-
main permanently until vegetation starts.
when there viii be beautiful little islst
IN Union bay.
The island Is now about 100 feet long by
u feet wide, and stands about one foot
above the water. A rod was thrust into
the soft soft for ten feet without meeting
With serious Obstacles. showing that the
nsss II throughout the same soft soil
Two OF the explorers landed their planks
ard walked all over the island, gathering
up The clans and other interesting speci-
mems. including n cube OF the soil for
eloser examination. A short distance