Then suddenly, on August 31, 1886, the day the great Charleston, South Carolina, earthquake rang the church bells of St. Augustine, drained Lake Jackson, and shook the ground in Tallahassee, the mysterious column of smoke vanished, apparently never to be seen again.
Since that day, no one now able to tell the tale can credibly claim to have found the source of the smoke. Those who made the claim never went back, and were uncertain they could find it again if they did. Over time, the timbering industry has plowed and planted. Swamps have been drained. Roads have been built. What was once too remote and hostile to survive is now just a day out hiking or hunting.
The twenty-foot alligators and cotton-mouths are (mostly) gone and anyone can embark in search of their favorite adventure - perhaps only to walk right past it. 'Difficult' becomes 'impossible' and 'unfound' becomes 'unfindable'. But the legend never dies.
This will be an attempt, not to solve the mystery, but to present the story, in as much detail and through as many voices as possible, of a puzzling phenomenon and local tradition, one made all the more enduring by its very improbability.
And if telling this story and gathering this history together should lead to a definitive answer? Well, that would be a great day for knowledge, but a sad day for imagination, in a world where we so often have more than enough answers amidst an ongoing shortage of wonder.
Read. Explore. Enjoy.
In the Land of the Great Swamps
Michael L. Wright
michael at vashti.net
If you have a story or other piece of the puzzle you'd like to contribute
to this project, email
WakullaVolcano@Vashti.net
Submissions will be indexed using the 'Subject:' line of the email.