Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1881-04-13
FLORIDA'S BIG BOOM.
THE GRAND IMPROVEMENT
SCHEME.
Drainage of Lake Okeeehobee and
The EvergIades-ObIects Of Present
Surveying Party Exploration
Made in 1S74-GraphTc and Res
aOnabIy Correct Report.


at that time. which will be found sub
stantially correct As the matter of the drain
age of that lake and thereby the reclamation
of vast area Of contiguous country is exeit-
ing the whole community, it may not be un-
interesting to your readers.
The party in interest in this scheme will start
from Lake Tohopekalago on the 9th of the
present month. Their object will be thorough
investigation of the Kissimmee, its depth cur
rent. volume of water discharged into the
Okeechobee. soundings of mud bottom, and in
fact every subject appertaining to an intelli-
gent and thorough understanding of every
point in connection with it. The same will be
made OF the Okeechobee, with survey of the
marsh from the Lake to the Caloosahatchie
river at Fort Thompson, which is a necessity to
a thorough knowledge of the district to be cut
through before commencing work. am in
hopes, on the return of the party, which will
be absent possible four or five weeks, to give
your readers the results of their exploration
and the data as to the various points in con-
nection. In the meantime the exploration
made in 1874 viii be read with interest. This
party found their way across from Indian
river, hauling their boats overland to Fort
Kissimmee, the point of departure for the
lake.
Lake Okeechobee has been thoroughly ex-
plored. 1t may interest the American Geo
graphical and Statistical Society to hear that
no islands covered with ancient ruins" were
found upon its bosom, and no rusty convent
BELLS were seen upon it's shores. There was
no evidence that any white men had ever set
tied within sight of its waters.
The lake is simply huge plateau Of dead
water situated near the centre of an immense
marsh. 1t has no outlets except.in the rainy
season. Then its waters rise until they pour
over the encircllng marshes into the ever
gladeS, and are Slo Wy funneled into the Gulf
of Mexico and Atlantic Ocean through sluggish
sluices, into the CalooSahatchee st. Lucie,
Jupiter and Shark rivers. The CalooSahatchee
does not rise in the lake, as is laid down in
most Of the maps of Florida. Okeechobee
drains the country over one hundred and fifty
north of
ply is the Kissimmee river. This river. with
It's branches is more than two hundred and
pours volume of water into the lake.
Two nights were spent at Fort Basinger, the
starting point The Kissimmee river here is
deep, and its water cool and refreshing. Few
alligatorS were seen Fort BaSinger
is sixty miles north of Lake Ol1eechobee.
The guides were here dismissed, and
the voyagers started down the river
on the morning of WashingtonS birthday
The river between Basinger and
Okeechobee was lined with marshes many
miles in extent, intersected by sluices and
lagoons Occasionally cypress dotted these
swamps, and tall reed and wire grass reared
their heads upon the edges OF the water. Acres
of green lilly pads danced upon the verge of
the stream, and the party passed thousands Of
floating lettuce or "bonnetS.' - The current was
quite strong, and the scenery similar to that
on the upper st. Johns, though there were
fewer palmettoeS. After carefully threading
the marshes the explorers reached the lake
during the afternoon Of February oath The
water stretched to the south as far as the eye
could reach, and a line of marshes gradually
faded away to the east and the west. The lake
is not so large as has been asserted. 1t proved
to be 45 miles long end 25 wide. at high water
it may be larger, butts area cannot be much
increased. The water at this time was so low
that white sandy beach margined the swamp
in the east. There was no high land on the
west. The water is bordered by cypress swamps
and marshes, reeking with decayed vegetation.
The lake is shallow 1t averaged feet and at
q
The floating vegetation was so rank that it
had been churned into jelly by the action of
the water. OF all the islands in the
lake. there is but one on which landing can
be effected. 1t is about mile long, and but
three rods wide. The most prominent object
on it is big cypress. The water line upon this
tree shows that at certain seasons of the year
the island is entirely inundated.
| The lake is dotted by dozen islands, but the
others are small marshes, and have no camp
ing ground. They are from four to eight miles
The explorers resolved to turn west from the
mouth OF the Kissimmee, and to go completely
around the lake.
1t was a terrible job. They had no servants,
and as the wind came out against them they
were compelled to row their heavy boat at
least half the distance. The lake was so shal.
low thatin some places they could not approach
within three miles of shore Where the water
was deep and a landing could be made, they
were in danger of impaling their craft upon
the sharp cypress trees beneath the surface:
AS the voyagers turned from the outlet Of
the Kissimmee they passed a sharp point of
lowland called Asprey Point. Two miles south
west was an old Indian camp. Here the party
passed their first night on Lake Okeechohee.
The next day, the wind still being unfavorable
the explorers made but five miles. Their course
was southwest. At dark they were near an
old slough, made up of rotten lily pads and float
ing cabbage torn and ground by the rolling
waves, Where they were forced.to anchor.
The following day adverse winds continued.
HhA Gin hT1f lloIl hair
efforts, ran only five miles from the slough.
They were fortunate. however, in finding firm
ground on the shore of the lake and in making
a landing. They camped beneath large null
berry tree, few feet from the water. big
cypress swamp covered the view to the west
and the waters of the lake spread to the east
The camp was dry.
During the forenoon of the next day they
passed low cape, embOwered with cabbage
palmetto, which they named Palmetto Point
Two small islands lay well In the shore on the
west, but were covered with rushes and of no
account. About noon they struck a lone cypress |
on the main Shore Its trunk was of enormous |
size and over fifty feet high. IT stood near the |
mouth of Fish Eating creek. On February % |
the course was south and southeast. low |
island was discovered nine miles from the |
shore-O Observation Island 1t was mile long |
and thirty to forty feet wide The trees aver |
aged thirty feet in height. One Of them a |
royal old cypress, was much higher. It stood |
upon the north shore. The boat was headed |
for it, and good camping ground discovered. |
birds. The party remained here two days, |
vainly searching for ancient ruins. There were |
piles of guano and broken birds eggs, but no
'ivy-clad pilaSterS."
One of the party climbed the great cypress
and looked out upon vast expanse of swamp |
and dead water While upon the body of the |
tree his attention was directed to number of |
names cut in the bark They were the names |
of a few of General Tavlor's officers in the |
memorable Indian campaign of 1886. Lookout |
Island was the name given the place. 1t is sup |
tion during the Indian war. The view was more |
extensive than at any other point on the lake. |
On the I'd of March the explorers left Lookout |
Island, and toward midnight a shell beach was |
seen west of small grassy island, and again |
the tired travellers encamped on the main |
land. The shore was strewn with fossil shells |
Of acommon order, and the place was termed |
On the 4th of March the wind
sprang up fair and free. Sail was set and the |
boat sped along nicely. About I2 o'clock they |
the birds as rookery. Late in the afternoon
they we're at the extreme south end of Okee- |
chobee. Four little islands, known as the Sis |
ters, were h9ddled in bay dipping into the
everglades. The entrance to the glades was a |
thicket of custard apple trees. The fruit was |
ripe, its flavor was delicious, something like |
our Northern May apple There was but little !
water in the everglades. CA very dry season. |
1t would have been impossible to force an en- |
trance through the marshes. Sawgrass, lily |
pads and scattered custard apple and |
cypress were All tildI COulu De seen.
At II p. sail was set, and the |
voyagers went a little to the north |
of east until they reached beautiful shell |
beach. By daylight the next morning the wind |
was blowing hard. The lake was shallow, but |
the waves rolled from eight to ten feet high, |
and combed in foam like breakers Of the sea. |
1t was late in the afternoon when the explorers |
left the shell beach. After running about thir- |
ty miles the wind increased to gale, and it was
deemed prudent to camp, and we beached our
boot on a shore Of shining sand halfway up |
the eastern coast. BY dark the leaves Of the |
palmettoes were humming to the tune of |
hurricane. The waves rolled upon the beach |
with such force and noise that it seemed like |
camping within gunshot of the ocean surf
Hurricane Camp" March 9Th, while work
ing along to the northeast. a grove OF
banana trees appeared upon the shore |
The beach was white sand and thirty feet |
wide The men went ashore and secured a |
large bunch of bananas. The land appeared
to be rich and productive. There were traces !
of sugar cane and ruins of houses, either blown |
down or torn up, but few timbers were left The |
plot was the remains or some sort of planta- |
ton. 1t is laid down on the maps as the site of
an Indian village, and was undoubtedly de- |
stroyed during the Seminole war.
March 9TH, our course was north until a |
large bay was reached, which was taken for |
Cohanza Bay. Taking northwest and then a |
west direction, they struck another fine bay, |
stream emptied into 1t, and they were sure |
they had seen the last of Okeechobee and |
were on their way home. A human being was |
seen on the shore-the first for fourteen days. |
We We're informed we were on Taylors creek. |
1t was on this creek that General Taylor fought |
the battle of Okeechobee. The battle-ground |
was only few miles away. We returned and |