The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-09-02

the swimmers from tn shore and ran
screaming TO their homes Graphing irons
were let down into the lake at the place
where the boys were last seen. But they
went down. and down, and down until
there was no more rope and the bottom
still seemed miles below. A Few weeks
later several Of the settlers who were
fishing in the sound near what is now
called Douglestoa came upon the bodies
of the three boys caught between some
rocks at the high water mark OF the snors.
A search was made at low tide for the
outlet of the lake. cavernous hole
about six feet wide and six inches aboVe
low water mark, was found, from which
a steady stream of fresh water came f1ltn.
In later years experiments were made Gy
lowering bottles, filled so that they would
float at a certain pressure Of water, down
into the subterraneous outlet Of the lake,
and then watching for them at the mouth
of the underground river. Only one out
of great many of these experiments was
successful This has been explained as
showing that there are several branches
to the underground river, but no one has
ever found the spot where they emptisd.
It is known that there is a system OF
subterraneous waters percolatiug through
the sandy soil hundred feet or more be-
low the surface of Long Island. 1t is said
that the main underground stream, which
is as wide as a small river, comes down
from the White Mountains, dives down
under the sound somewhere near New
London and upon reaching Long Island
branches out into a system with subtar-
raneous veins, REINFORCED by springs,
ponds and lakes, that threads the entire
undersoil of the island.
subterraneous OntIcts.
The fact that the underground outlet Of
Scout, now Success Lake, has more than
one branch would account for the bodies of
great many persons drowned in its wa
tiers never having been recovered. Years
ago, before the clang of the locomotives
bell and the tnrob of its vapor-driven pulse
was heard near Lakeville il was sale that
the waters OF Success Lake were rem
devious OF many ghosts on certain moon
light nights in midsummer. There are
some of the old residents still living who
say that they have watched at the shore
of the lake on these eventful nights and
seen the bodies OF the drowned rise out
OF the glasslike waters and fit about for
few minutes and then disappear below.
An incident reported a few months ago
should net fail to convince the most OBJ
stlrate that Success Lake has an under
ground outlet.
The keeper OF a hotel situated on the
pound turtle that had ventured on the
shore. Taking three boxes of empty soda
water bottles, he tied them securely to-
gether and then, boring hole in the
shell of the turtle made him fast TO the
boxes. The turtle had slack enough to so
down TO the waters edge to drink, and
for several weeks he seemed in every way
contented with his lot Then one nigh. he
disappeared and the boxes OF soda water
bottles with him.. A careful search for
several miles around failed to discover him
or the boxes The incident was almost for
gotten, when one day a fisherman who was
digging clans on the shore of the Sound
about a mile from Dougleston. was cx-
ceedingly surprised to see a mammoth
turtle walk laboriously out of the water
and make his way up the beach, dragging
the three boxes of empties behind him.
The fisherman looked on the boxes and
read the name of the hotelkeeper. He i'm
mediately reported the matter and a man
was sent with wagon TO get turtle and
boxes, and the marvellous journey OF the
sixty-five pound turtle and his train OF
boxes was soon discussed at every hearth
stone In the countryside. When the man
and wagon arrived at the place where the
fisherman had seen the turtle, the sixty
five FOUNDER had gone and his train with
him. He was never seen again, and 1t Is
supposed that no is on an underground
Journey, and Ii would be a matter of small
surprise If he should come out of some
subterranean cavern in Great South Bay
or In the neighborhood of Southampton,
dragging his boxes behind him.
Two years ago horse, wagon and man
plunged into the waters of Success Lake.
The man had driven the horse down to the