The daily gazette. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1874-1883, 1881-03-12
EVERGLADES sc HEME.

The Philadelphia Company which
propose TO reclaim the Everglades of
Florida are going to work with great
energy. A bill chartering the Conpan
which will be known as The Atlantic and
East Coast Canal and Okeeehobse Land
Company, was put through the Florida
Legislature in three days, and the Com
peny promptly deposited 5000 with the
state treasurer as a guar antee that the
WORK Wsuld De prosecuted energetically.
Meantime Thomas J. Barge, counsel for
The Company has telegraphed Hamilton
Dlsston from Tallahassee that he found
States title to the lands valid, and that
the Board Of Internal Improvement with
whom the contract for retaining The
lands we made, had full power to act
under the laws Of Florida. The title of
the State to the land is by patent from
the United States Of America. The
scheme continues TO meet with the great
est favor. People who are perfect
strangers to Mr.. Disston write to him
constantly from all parts OF the Union
asking to be allowed to purchase stock,
and Offering to send checks in advance
for the amount of their subscriptiops.
The Company will be formally organ
Used as soon as the charter arrives, which
Will probably be to-day. Hamilton
Disston will be elected President. and
other equally we'll known and responsl-
Bile gentlemen will be chosen TO the
other offices. The Treasurership has
been offered to W. II. Gatzmer, who
will accept IL his age aud his manifold
business enterprises do not prevent him
from engaging In this new work. The
Chief Engineer will be man who has
national reputation and IS well &C.
quainted with the Southern country.
MIR. A. b. Ltnderman, who yester-
day returned from Florida, will return
next week, accompanied by corps of
enginecis, who will Immediately begin |
the work of running the levels for the |
canal. The actual work of dredging |
will be begun in thirty days, or as soon |
as the necessary machines can be |
placed on the ground. Patent steam |
dledgers, manufactured in Boston,
will be used in the work of excavat ion. |
Each machine is capable of doing the |
work of tive h undred men.
The plan Of the Company is TO dig a |
canal ten miles long from Lake Okee.
chobee to the head waters of the |
Caloosahatchie River. This river |
flows into the Gulf Of Mexico, and lis
mouth Is, according to the surveys
made by Colonel Meigs of the Topo-
graphical Engineers, United States
Coast Survey, and General Gilmore
23t feet lower than Lake Okeechobee.
The work of the engineers is simply to
drain the lake sufficiently to prevent
its overflow. 1t is this overflow which
causes the Everglades tossb submerg~
ed with water, the lake having no
natural outlet. The Everglades are
surrounded by limestone ridge which
acts as dam TO the waters, and after
the overflow of the lake it can only
disappear by evaporation, which, of
course, is a slow process. The ground
il consequently almost continually I'M
der water. If the canal above men-
toned does not suffi GENTLY drain Lake
Okeechobee to prevent it's overflow an
other canal to the eastward will be cut
to the st. Lu:Ie River, twelve miles
long, which will carry the water into
the Atlantic Ocean. The mouth of
the st. Lucie River Is twenty-five feet
lower than the basin of Lake Okee~
ShODsos ~ Will buub DO bcCll budJ Illc |
engineering difficulties can easily
be surmounted and the lake drained
sufficiently to prevent the overflow of
its banks, which will make garden
spot of the whole Everglade country.
General D'Assi, wealthy Italian,
who represented his country at the
proposes to locate five hun
dred families Of Italian emigrantS on
the reclaimed land for the purpose of
raising fruits, at which they are adopts.
1t has been recently discovered that
the cioutchouc or india-rubber tree
grows wild In the Everglades, and a
large body of hematite ore has been
found. Professor McCauley of the
Institute recently found
an Indian in the Everglades cutting up
a sugar cane stalk twenty-three feet
long. From all this the plain inference
would seem 10 be that the future OF the
Atlantic and East Coast Canal and
Okeechobse Land Company is likely to
be brilliant.