Virginian-pilot. (Norfolk, Va.) 1898-1911, 1900-10-24
SOME SUNKEN CAVES.
Natural Features Caused by Geo.
logical Formation.
Sinks which Become Lakes Description of
Ono In Florida Whose water /. Nearly
Three Hundred and Fifty Feet Deep
The Big jugs vagarics.
New York Timesa


surface. and this is especially true IL
THESE features are connected with
things and phenomena below the sur
race. Caves, especially deep and ex-
tended ones. and those affording oppor-
tunities for adventure, are interesting
to everybody; many person considers
1t prominent events in his life to have
visited the famous Mammoth and Lu-
ray Caves. The Grotto del Cane, OF
Italy, containing stratum of car
bonic acid over its surface. has be-
come famous the world over. and many
tender heart has ptied the poor little
dog that the old chemical textbooks
tell US the cave attendant would lead
into the place just to show how the lit
tie fellow would become asphyXiated
and that the man could go on in safety.
Sinks or sinkholes, as biologists gen.
orally designate them, are conical de-
pressions in the surface of The ground
and are commonly caused by the fall
limestone regions. Limestone is a soft
rockS and, therefore, easily 'vorn away
by the action of water; hence, many
limestone beds become filled with ifs
eroding action of the water passing
through them. When cave OF consid-
era size Is near the surface, Its roof
will eventually. on account or tins
support ITSELF and fall in and the hole
thus formed will be sink.
In places where sinks are of common
occurrence farmer is not surprised
to find that section of his wagon road
has dropped n few feet during the
night, or that Il new sink has formed
in one Of his fields. The resonant
sounds some times heard where country
roads lead over limestone rocks indl-
cate caverns that may fall in at any
time. and drop the passing traveller into
the hole.
Most sinks have dry bottoms, but
some of them contain water especially
those found at low levels. The sinks
of coast regions. therefore, generally
have water in them, and some OF them
are so large that their water areas are
frequently called lakes
FLORIDA AN ODD CORNER.
The State of Florida is an odd corner
OF our domain. 1t has many peculiar
and interesting geological, as we'll as
Photographed features. 1t is we'll
known to biologists that beneath the
orange groves, melon and sweet potato
fields. indeed under the entire sandy
surface stratum of this peninsula, at
depth varying from a few to n hundred
or more feet, Is an Immense bed of
erocene limestone. the solid foundation
upon which Florida surface material
rests. This is known to he very per-
vious to water, and in many places to
be honeycombed by cavities. caverns
and various other characteristics OF the
eroding action.
In evidence of this Florida we'll
digGerS inform us that In sinking wells
into this rock their drills frequently
make sudden drops, falling at n single
drop from a few inches to several feet.
These eroded places must contain
lakes. wells and streams innumera Bile
streams that vary in magnitude from
tiny rills of wandering water to small
rivers following courses many miles
long through the dark passages. 1t is
obvious. therefore, that conditions very
favorable to the formation of sink de-
pressions exist In this bedrock, hence
sinks are numerous in Florida and
they are found all over the State.
In Alachua county there are probably
more sinks than in any other part Of
the State; indeed, they form a CON
spicuous feature of the surface OF that
region. 1t is in this county, seven
miles north OF Gainesville, that the
very large sink known as the "Devirs
Mill Hopper" Is found. This is re-
garded as the great natural curiosity
or the region, and is quite resort for
picnics and tourists. The big jug" Is
another sink In the same county, re-
markable on account of its occasionally
draining completely n large connected
lake. leaving the bed containing thous
ands OF acres. n great prairie And II
was In Alachua county that q few
years ago the earth gave way under
the track of the Southern raiIroo6 ana
the night train pitched headlong into
the hole thus formed, which was about
seventy feet deep completely Wreckinp
the engine and cars. Fortunately. how
ever. none of the passengers were
seriously injured.
THE DISAPPEARING STREAM
An interesting feature of some FIor,-
ia sinks is that they serve as drainage
reservoirs for creeks and rivulets. a
notable example of this is a sink i'm
orange county. into which a large
stream flows and disappears completes
~ without causing the water in the
lake to rise.
But Florida Is noted especially for
her deep Sinks and following is a de-
scription of n very deep one, said to be
the deepest in the world, which was
recently explored and measured by the
writer and several assistants 1t is in
TN lake region. about forty miles north
west Of Orlando, and contains IL small
lake presenting beautiful surface and
picturesque surroundings.
Some people living near the place as
ISOLATED considerable mystery with the
sink on account Of the supposed depth
OF this lake, and this mystery was in
creased by crude soundings made by
curious visitors, and the speculations
to which these soundings gave rise
One person did not reach the bottom
with g. hundred-foot line, and another,
failing to find the depth, came to the
conclusion that the water was so dense
at the great depth reached by his line
that 1t prevented further descent OF the
weight, and hence. that the bottom
could never be reached; oilers were sure
that the hole had no bottom.
-, 1t may be interesting also to state
that In regard to the age of the sink.
random local opinion fixes its origin at
quite a recADt date AccOrdinV to this