Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1899-11-01
FLORIDA slNk-HoLES
rhe Queer Way streams Have Of Die

The Queer way Strea ms nave Oh LIZ
appearing Into These Pits.
The sinks Of Florida are numerous,
and one Of the States most attractive
features to strangers visiting this part
of the country. Around Alachua Lake,
three miles south of Gainesville, there
are hundreds Of sink holes of various
sizes and depth. 1t is apparent from
the existence of so many sinks that the
whole country is honeycombed with
subterranean passages. Portions of
the land In that region have been sink
ing for ages. Many of the sinks have
trees growing in them, the dimensions
Of which indicate that they must be
centuries old. There is no telling at
what moment the earth may give way
and a new sink be formed.
Only a few years ago the ground
under the track Of the Florida South
ern Railroad, near Alachua Lake, gave
way, and In the darkness of night q
train ran into a hole seventy or eighty
feet deep. The train was completely
wrecked, but fortunately all aboard
escaped death.
HcIC dIS SihhS Al NhIiOu6 PaA 70 Va
Alachua County. but they are more
numerous in the vicinity of what the
Indians called big Jug" or Alachua,
meaning the deep sink hole through
which the water In the lake at different
periods has run out, leaving an I'M
mense savanna, or many thousands Of
acres Of prairie land. Many years ago
several acres Of ground on the public
road leading from this city to New
Evansville, sank and formed a 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
lis Mill Hopper. 1t is a great natural
curiosity and is a popular resort for
picnic parties as well as for pleasure
seekers. who, during the winter season.
visit this part Of Florida. One mile
west Of Gainesville is the Green Sink,
containing a considerable volume Of
water in which 1t has been the custom
for many years Of colored people to
battle, and many untimely deaths have
occurred in this sink by drowning. A
notable sink is that In which Hogtown
Creek empties, about five miles south
west Of this city. Hogtown Greek is
quite a stream, which runs into this
sink hole and gradually disappears
through a subterranean outlet. At this
point quite a lake is formed, which Is
well filed with all species of fsh
known to inland Florida waters.
The natural wells, which are numer-
Gus in the western part Of Alachua
County, are but sink holes reaching to
large underground passages, through
which hundreds 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 Florida's unique
and most interesting scenes, presenting
the spectacle Of large stream sinking
from view for distance Of several
miles. All the streams In the San Fe-
laska hammock. a large body of land
few miles west of Gainesville, disap-
pear into underground passages. Most
-of the sinks are dry. but hundreds of
them are well filed with water flowing
from springs. The depth Of the sink
holes varies all the way from twenty
five feet down to where no bottom can
be found.
The water in a sink hole three miles
west Of Winter Park was measured q
short time since and 1t was found to
be $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 80
steep as to render descent and ascent
somewhat difficult Gainesville Sun.