Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1883-03-03
RECLAIMING THE EVERGLADES

Observation-Disclosures of the Sectiop
Value of the Lands for Sugar Culture
Fertility of the Soil - The Florida
Ship Canal.
WASHINGTON, March l.-Mr. VIM. Saunders.
who holds an official position under the De-
partment of Agriculture, has just returned
from an extensive visit to Florida. He went
to Florida in an official capacity. He was to
examine and report upon the capacity or the
lands now being reclaimed in the Everglades
10 produce sugar cane He penetrated about
forty miles into the country, embraced IN what
IS known as the drainage system, ON which he
found that the work which was begun in July
last Is progressing very satisfactorily, cOnsid-
eflnS the difficulties encountered. .The
ultimate object of the company which has un-
dertaken this work" Mr. Saunders saws
lis to lower the water lines of these lakes SO
as TO drain all the country now partially in
sWamps, and thus render it fitted for cultiya-
tlon. A secondary. or at least a resulting OBJ
ject, will be that of forming a direct water
communication from the st. Johns river to
the Gulf coast. To give you some idea of the
work 1t will be necessary to enter some
what into details. 4 dredge was built at
kIss1mmee City in July, at the upper end of
Lake TOhOpekaliga. 1t was hOated down ten
miles to the lower end of this lake and there
set to work TO cut 4 canal to Cypress lake.
communication between these lakes is by the
klsslmmee river, the distance being, owing
To the crookedness of the river, fifteen miles,
BY making straight canal from lake to lake
the distance Is reduced to four miles. From
cypress lake TO Lake kissimmee Il is by
the river six miles to Lake Hatchnaha: then
five miles across this lake to the entrance of
the river again, then eight miles more of river
making IN all nineteen miles boating between
the lakes. Tnl5 distance will be shortened to
three miles by a canal to be cut from Cypress
lake to Lake kissimmee; then from this lake
the river Will be Strengthened so as to shorten
it by ten miles to Lake Okeechobee From the
western side of this lake canal has been cut
ABOUT ten miles IN length, which brings the
lake IN direct connection, through the Caloo-
sahatchee river, with the Gulf of Mexico.
Ihls will make the distance from Kissimmee
CITY the present terminus of the railway, TO
the Gulf about 200 miles or less.
1.-The rapidlty with which this canal cutting
is done was surprising to me. From the time
OF commencement, the I'd of July, 1882 to
the time of my visit, the 7th of the pres
ent month, a canal thirty-siX feet in width
and SIX and half feet in depth had been cut
a distance of three and three quarters miles,
leaving less than one e-fourth of a mile to COM
plete the distance between the lakes. 1t was
expected to reach Cypress Lake before the
end OF the month"; Progress depends some
what upon the nature of the soil and freedom
from accidents to machinery, Portions of the
cutting is through a somewhat tenacious, hard
clay-llke substance, which crumbles when
dry. days work through this is about fifty
feet. In the ordinary alluvial deposit and
substratum of sand from $50 to 200 feet is a
days work, if everything is working well.
rms work costs for running expenses about
$1,000 per mile. The best cutting was one mile
IN twenty six working daVs.
"As the dredge advances the water follows
it rapidly and spreads over the surface grad
ually finding its way to the lake below. From
bench mark at the upper end of the lake it
shows that lowering OF thirty eight inches
has taken place since the work began. This
lake, TohOpekaliga, covers surface of about
twenty square miles. The cattle owners
who were rather skeptcal about it, now admit
that the cattle Craze ON dry ground, which
was constantly wet before. The whole coun-
try is overrun by cattle. Tens of thousands
OF cattle are fed there for the Cuban markets.
Some owners have 10000 head, But it must
be noted that the entire country is not swamp
In traversing these rivers and lakes one is
never out of sight Of vast pine lands, which
are high and dry. afOrding excellent timber
and fine sites for settlements. Near Lake
kissimmee fine timbered regoin was pointed
out of which Gen. Sanford had recently pur-
chased 1000 acres for lemon grove"
''As to health, the superintendent of the
dredge informed me that he had employed
twelve men all summer, who worked, ate and
slept ON the boat, and not one of them had lost
single day from sickness since the work
commenced. All through Southern Florida
there is almost constantly stirring cool
breeze. In the sun it is very warm, but on
of any kind, one Immediately feels the effect
of the cooling breeze. In no part of the coun-
try south Of latitude 20 degrees is it more than
sixty miles to the sea, so that the sea breeze |
is felt either from the Atlantic or the Gulf. / !
spent four nights among the swamps and |
lakes and found no Inconvenience either from
in February; but the temperature in the
shade averaged from 75 degrees to So degrees
The pond lilies were in full bloom, and it was
quite hot in the sun. How it is at nidsum-
mer cannot say, except that on inquiry I |
was told that no great Inconvenience was felt
from heat even by those accustomed to
Northern climate"
what is your opinion of these lands for
sugar cane-l mean the tracts to be reclaimed
by draining?" asked the reporter.
81 think, from what saw of them," replied
at no hnr11af 10
tanned as to their special adaptabilty for sugar
growing. The deposit of vegetable matter
varies from eighteen inches 10 several feet in
depth. Thousands of acres are even now
available for sugar cane, and much more could
be made available by merely opening bitches |
so as to remove surface water. As to the !
amount of land which may be brought into |
cultivation after completion of the drainage !
system contemplated and now commenced, |
cannot say, but 1t must be very large, run
ming into millions of acres. 1t is stated |
that eight millions of acres are embraced |
in this drainage scheme. Most of |
the settlers throughout that region grow
enough sugar cane to supply their families |
with sugar and syrup. That the cane grows |
to great perfection, and that il needs no re- |
planting for eight or ten years. is well known. |
Another great advantage is the absence of !
frost during winter, so that there is no need |
for hurry in working it up. 1t can grow all |
summer and be worked all through the win
ter, which viii enable factory to work double |
or treble the amount of cane which can be |
done IN localities where the manufacture is |
confined to the short season between the |
ripening of the caneand its injury from frost |
That the soil is productive is shown by the |
growths which spring up on the exeaYated |
material on the bank. The Superintendent |
had a portion of it leveled and sOwn with |
jute seed. In a few weeks the jute plants |
were six feet high, when the cattle found it |
out and devoured it, The stumps left cor |
rObOrated his statements as to the vigorous |
growth.
sin the swamps was astOnished at the num-
Der of rabbits-swamp rabbits, which scamper /
through the water when disturbed. These |
animals are larger than our field rabbits and |
darker in color. we had one cooked, but it |
was not very desirable eating. On the pine |
lands and dry ground deer are plenty Wild |
turkeys are also in abundance. AS to fish, all |
the rivers and lakes are full of trout as they /
are locally called, but they are q species of |
bass. They are easily captured. We caught |
all we needed, Some specimens weighed over
ten pounds, but heavier fish than these are
commonly caught. They are very palatable
food"
THE FLORIDA SHIP CANAL.
Mr.. Michael Jacobbi, of New York. is in the
city for day or two. He is just returned
from Florida, where he went in the interest
of the Florida Ship Canal Company. He ex-
presses the greatest confidence that the action
of the Florida Legislature in granting a char
ter to the company will insure the building of
the canal. POTOMAC,