Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1897-11-28

| by one of the old residents, that one
| season the people tried to hold it down
| by pouring on its sunken surface four
| teen wagon-loads OF large stones, rowing
| them over the lakes surface to the place
I where the island was known to lie sub
! merged: but, like Banquos ghost, the
| island would not down; 1t makes its
| entree into air every year just the same.
| The photograph shows it's locality
and the islands elongated shape. The
| photograph was taken in October Of this
present year, the time when the mys-
FERROUS island is most prominent In
the centre of the island a half-dozen or
! more large stumps are growing a clump
of three being in the centre Of the mass.
L think these stumps are in great mea-
sure responsible for the phenomena at
tending its annual sinking and rising.
That is, L am of the opinion that a col
lection Of these originally formed the
nucleus for the growth of this strange
freak among the islands Of our fresh
water lakes.
''The fora Of the lake is something
marvellous in it's richness and variety.
These stumps have drifted out to the
centre OF this portion of the lake, and
taken with them some of the strands of
the long, stake-like plants that grow
there TO a length Of nearly 10 feet, with
the lily fronds, MOSES, and various
others Of. the aquatic plants. These
floating growths have formed there, with
the earth attached to the stump roots,
an island garden all to themselves. They
grew luxuriantly, and the underbrush
cleared away from the shores and other
islands whereabouts gradually drifted In
to them, and so increased the size Of
the mass; then, as the wood of the
brush and of the stumps decayed, the
mass became water-logged, and the
whole gradually sunk beneath the sur
face.
But how comes IL to rise again, as
does each succeeding year? This is the
point that has puzzled wiser heads than
mine, but l have theory for 1t, which
seems to answer all the requirements.
AS the flora rlpens during the hot months
OF summer-for the island is a thick
mass OF vegetation-the stems enlarge,
become buoyant, and, as the season ad-
vanoes toward September, undergo the
first stages OF decay--that Is, the stems
become filled with the gases attendant
upon fuller ripeness and commencing de-
cay; this large mass OF gas-enclosing
vegetation overcomes the natural weight
Of the mass. the specific gravity being
only little heavier than the water, and
so the whole mass gradually rises above
the waters surface; 1t stays in this con-
dition above the surface till the heavy
frosts of the fall occur, when, the plants
having been destroyed, and decay
measurably completed, the whole mass
being heavier than the water again, 1t
gradually sinks TO the bottom of the
lake. which Is about thirty feet deep
at this point, to arise again the follow
ing year, when spring and summer have
hrn Lob Int
vigor once more.
"1hese lakes are fed by large springs |
entering I'm at various places along the |
bottom and II is my belief that large |
one Is located under this Sinking island |
and that the upward current from this /,
source also helps the vegetation In the |
raising of the island from the lakes |
bed during the late summer months.
1T Is not above the waters surface |
long enough TO have grass grow upon It's |
surface. or shrubs or trees, ex-
cept few wind-sown seeds from the |
adjacent fields, and even these have little |
or no time for development before the
frosts come to destroy them.
1t seems 10 change It's position but |
very little, the winds blowing across
the surface having little or no effect
upon IL In this respect This leads me
TO think II is anchored by the long
rooted and tentacled weeds that luxu-
riate so about and upon the unstable
mass.
Another thing OF note is that with
all this rich INTERPRETATION OF Orion
Lake there is no unhealthiness arising
from Il. This liz another peculiar thing
10 me. as a physician. My family have
summered on the lakes borders for some
nine years, and there Is yet to come toi
my knowledge case OF malaria, arising
within the neighborhood Of the iaks. In