The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-06-06
THE SINKS OF FLORIDA.
objects of Interest to Strangers WIS.,
iting the State.
From the Gainesville Fla) Sun.

From the Gainesville Fla) Sun.
The sinks of Florida are numerous, and
one of the states most attractive feat
ures to strangers visiting this part of the
country. Around Alachua lake, three miles
south Of Gainesville, there are hundred Of
sinkholes of various sizes and depths It
is apparent from the existence of so many
sinks that the whole country is honey
combed with subterranean passages. Por-
tions of the lands in that region have been
sinking for ages
Only few years ago the ground under
the track of the Florida Southern Rail
road near Alachua lake gave way and IL
The darkness Of night a train ran into a
hole seventy or eighty feet deep. The
train was completely wrecked, but fortu-
nately all aboard escaped an untimely
death.
There are sinks in various parts of Ala,
chua county, but they are more numer-
GUS in the vicinity of what the Indians
called Big jim or Alachua, meaning
the deep sinkholes through which the
water in the lake at different periods has
run out, leaving an immense savanna or
many thousands of acres of prairie land.
Many years ago several acres of ground
on the public road leading from this city
70 Newnansville sank and formed lake
in which the tops of tall trees could be
seen beneath the surface of the water
This spot is known as the Blue Sink
Seven miles northwest of Gainesville is a
mammoth sink known as the Devils
Mil Hopper. 1t is a great natural curt
csity and is a popular resort for picnic
parties, as well as for pleasure seekers
who during the winter Wason visit this
part of Florida. One mile west of Gaines
vile is the Green Sink containing con-
siderable volume of water, in which il
has been the custom for many years of
colored people TO battle, and many I'M
timely deaths have occurred in this sink
by drowning. \ notable sink is that in
which Hogtown creek empties. About
five miles southwest of this city the
stream runs into this snkhole and grad
ually disappears through a subterranean
outlet. At this point quite a lake is form
ed, which is well filed with all species
of fish known to inland Florida waters.
The natural wells which are numerous
in the western part of Alachua county
are but sinkholes reaching to large I'M
foreground passages, through which hun
dreds of thousands Of acres of land are
drained.
The natural bridge over the Santa Fe
river in the northeastern part of Ala
chua county, is one of FIoridas unique
and most Interesting scenes, presenting
the spectacle of a large stream sinking
from view for a distance of several miles.
All the streams in the San Felaska hum
mock, large body of land a few miles
west of Gainesville, disappear into under
ground passages. Most of the sinks arc
dry, but hundreds of them are well filed
with water, flowing from springs. The
depth of the sinkholes varies all the way
from twenty-five feet down to where no
bottom can be found.
The wafer in a sinkhole three miles
west of Winter Park was measured a
short time since and 1t was found to b,
$50 feet deep. The hole is 125 to $50 yards
from side to side, and about forty feet
in depth to the surface of the water at
the bottom From the top of the bank
the water has the deep blue tint of the
ocean. The banks are so steep as to rem
der descent and ascent somewhat difn-
cut