The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1916-12-23

Florida's only volcano, extinct for
thirty years, is believed to be nothing
more or less than rich gush of oil
that burned for years.
This fact came to light when the
vein of high-grade petroleum was
struck recently in Wakulla county, the
first real discovery of oil in Florida,
dismissing for good the tales Of mys-
terry that surrounded Gum Swamp for
many years after the Civil War. In
cidentally, the find is one that may
mean wealth to property owners in
the district concerned.
A tale that reads like romance or
an old legend is furnished by Nat R.
Walker, a lawyer and legislator Of
Charlottesville, whose theory that the
extinct volcano" was a burning oil
we'll has come true. He writes that
the oil lands are now being developed
by the Gates Brothers, who organized
a company, and that to date the guam
tity of the mineral has not been as
certained.
t.4s3
Suspected OIL Veins.
For many years, residents of that
section have known of the wonderful
geological formation of surface rocks
and the kerosene looking substance
found covering the waters Of many
pools in the vicinity of the recent dis
covery. Some had faith that sooner
or later petroleum in large quantities
would be found in the extreme eastern
part of the country.
All of the land east of the Wakulla
and the St. Marks river is underlaid
with rock near the surface, and in
many places covering almost the sur
face. Across the st. Marks the nature
Of the rocks changes, further east for
five or six miles the rocks being hard
er. A Gum Swamp, at the extreme
east, the rocks are flint, as pure as
any Indian arrowhead.
1t must not be forgotten that this
gum marsh was veritable swamp,
covering many miles along the coast
Of Wakulla and Jefferson counties,
from whence the smoke of the So
called Florida volcano came in the
days of 1854 when 1t was first seen.
The smoke was constant until after
the Charleston earthquake in the ear
ly eighties, after which it was seen no
more.
Thought lmpenetrabIe.
Considered impenetrable, no man
had even explored this swamp, then
supposed to be a wet, Doggy morass,
with briars and brambles, so thick
that you could scarcely stick butch.
er's knife to the handle in it," as the
old residents used to express it. This
opinion prevailed until recent years
Now, it is favorite ground for hun
tiers and trappers.
| Who discovered that Gum Swamp
was not such an impenetrable place
is not known. However, in the days
when the volcano spit forth its smoke
in greatest volume, one party of ex
plorers attempted to locate it.
/ Explorers Try Hand.
Headed by Hon. Judge P. Woodsor
White, who is still living in Quincy
at the age of s5 years. the party en-
tered the woods i'm 1876. Among these
bold and intrepid men was reporter
of the New York World, whose mis-
sion was to write up" for the first
time this great, mysterious smoke.
The band sailed eastward on the
st. Marks River until they reached q
deep creek running into the swamp
Several miles inland they camped fol
the night and the next morning at
tempted to rig ladder up the side
of a tall pine. The adventurous re
porter claimed the honor of taking
the first peep of the surrounding
territory. He fell from height of