New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1883-11-21
THE FLORIDA EXHIBITION.

II seems strange 10 read Of an exploring cX-
pcdition in State like Florida the familiar
haunt of the tourist and 10 note the melancholy
rumor, that the party may have lost their lives
in the pcriouS undertaking. Yet the Ever
Glade, of Florida, toward which this expedition
i, directed are less known than many parts of
AfTica-arc hardly known at all, in fact, save
through the vague stories of runaway slaves,
Indians and the like. The region, which is ia
nous rs the battling refuge of the ScminolcS
when hard pressed in their stubborn seven
years war, il about sixty miles square. lying
near the southern end of the peninsula On its
upper side is the large inland lake of Florida
Okccchobcc, which is forty miles long by about
thirty mile, wide. The region is called by the
Indians Grass water and is described as
huge marsh filled with islands, varying from
one fourth of an acre to hundreds of acres in
extent, covered with q dense growth and some
times dotted with stately pines and palmcttos.
The depth of water i slight. Such stories ~
have come to the outside world about the Ever
gadcs have led many to believe that the in
terror portions of this supposed plain of coral,
upon which the sea had thrown refuse enough
TO give life TO vegetation, are in reality elevated
and fertile lands. The great Dsston purchase
in Florida Ia, directed attention to the posi-
bity Of further cOnqucsts of supposed unavail-
able lands, and so an exploring expedition was
organized by The Times Democrat, the enter
prisnS newspaper of Ncw-Orlcans, to pierce
the Everglades if possible, and cross 10 the At
lantic shore.
1t was necessary to wait until The season of
rains was over, as between June and October
they would have added greatly T. the Difficult
ties of the trip. The expedition was put in
charge of Major 5. F. Williams, competent
engineer, who with companion made trip
last ycar-thc first by white mcn-rrOm the
head of the Kissmmcc River across Lake Okcc-
chobcc and through the Caloosahatcheo River
to the Gulf of Mexico. The dispatches just re-
ccived from the expedition show that 1t reached
Lake Okccchobcc on the lst inst, encountered
two gales on the lake, ia which two boats were
swamped but no one was lost, and discovered
eight large rivers running from the lake south
into the Everglades The difficulties in cutting
into the Everglades were found To be great.
After six unsuccessful attempts were made the
expedition went two miles mp one of the rivers,
and began to cut through the marsh there.
After two days woll, it was advancing at the
rate OF quarter of Il mile day, with neither
water to float the canoes nor land to stand on
nothing but mud and marsh The -, saw
grass which they were just reaching is ten feet
high. man who was with them up To this
point reports that after leaving them ho saw
the grass on fire for miles. If this was fired by
thcmsclyC. before entering, he says, it was
wisely done; if by accident after they entered,
or by the Indians, no one of the expedition will
survive.
Such an outcome of the expedition would be
regretted for many reasons. For one it would
involve the failure of an attempt to find a route
for telegraph line across lower Florida. Az
Jupiter Inlet, On the eastern coast of Florida,
below 27' latitude, is an important light house
which all vessels from the West Indies and the
Gulf Of Mexico TO New York and other Atlantic
port, pass If there were a telegraph line to
this point, the probable day OF arrival of all
shins could be announced here. The Western