Little Falls weekly transcript. (Little Falls, Morrison Co., Minn.) 1894-19??, 1898-02-22
HER MARSHY ACRES.
schEME 70 DRAIN THE FLORIDA EH
ERGlApES EY CANALS.

Captain j. e. Rose PrOposes to ReoA>aA
-Four Million Acres of Very Fertile sou
In Florida at Cost of 85,OOO, OOO-NS
Pumping or Drainage Machines Needed.
The everglades of Florida are to be ~
alarmed. That UNEMPLOYED region Of North
America will soon DO under tho civilizins
influence of steam. pillow and cultivator.
rncle Sam will be made tho richer by the
addition of moro than 4,0r0 OUO acles Of
as fertile q soil as the sun Of tho tropics
ever shone down upon.
Captain j. H. Rose. known to Florida
ae al engineer and surveyor OF experience
and conservative man, now PROPOSES to
engineer the building of asystoil OF canals
which will carry the surface water Of the
Everglades across the limestone ledge On
the east Florida shores and send it out to
tho Atlantic ocean.
Tho soil has been there for countless
agcs-a deposit Of aIluvium or muck from
to 30 feet deep. The glades urc tic re-
mains of an ancient lagoon OF shallow sea
Enclosed on tho Gust by u reef Of limestone
and OH tho south by numerous keys In a
very shallow soa. The alluvium is tie
drift deposit which began to III in netl
s.ie south end of the state, and is now
mixed with docaycd vegetable matter and
enriched thereby 1t is buried beneath the
oarshy waters which flow above 1t. here
at depth Of six feet and thoro little more
than one. Islands and shoals constitute
what land there is In sight, and these are
separated by sinuuus channels whose I'M
sertuin windings only tho Indian knows
how to thread. Twice only has history
secorted successful expedition by the
v;lito man through this uncxplorcd region
~hcro lilo hidden millions and millions 1T
acres of fertile lands awaiting tho cu'1age
and tho science Of man I" carry OIL the Wa
ter and reup rich harvosts Of tropical pro-
auctions.
This la tho tropical jungle. measured By
,polno g. 500 square miles and extending
trom Lake OkenohObco ON the north to the
southern limit of tho state which Captain
Rose PROPOSES to conquer by Il simple sys-
tom OF drainage canals HIS plan provides
Tor tho building Of ono main canal from
Lake OkooohObce which shall cut through
the center of tho 9laCes and empty into
tho Miami river ut its source nCAr thu
city Of Miami Additional out'ets inuo
the heads Of the various streams IN tns
eastern coast arc expocted to take OF all
the surplus water Accurate lovcls show
Lake OkeechObeD-the source Of tho glade
water, fed by numerous large streams from
the Interior of tho state-tO be ~ fees
above tido water The edge OF tho glatlcs.
"a shown by lovels taken at Miami and
other points On tho oastorn coast, Is from
| ~ to Is 1cct above tide water This gives
= general slope Of from to II feet OH the
alndo surface from Okocchobeo to the outer
edge Of tho gludcs
Tho canals once built the surface w,tor
| Al.
| IL IL estimated that IN ton years ut the
most the unoxplorcd ana unknown region
| will be- ono OF tho garden spots OF America.
! Careful estimates have been made te
show TINT tho required excavations Tor tho,
Muln and lateral canals can be made for
| . sum not to exceed ", UOO, OUO. or cost
| OF $l.26 for every ono Of tho 1000, 0OO
acres to be reclaimed. The natural "lny
| Of tho land Is such that, the cunnls woll
| In operation, no pun ping or drainage ma
| chimes will be required The limestone
| reef or rocky ridge on tho east Is pierced
by numerous bold and rapid suroains With
| decided rapids or lulls ut their houds,
! whore thoy enter tho glndes and lose
themselves In various branches III the
marsh and swalMps Captain Rose plans
to connect hiy subsidiary canals with thcsU
strts.n,s-thc HilisLorO, Arch, New,
Snake, Little nl,d Mainland send the
waters Though to tho ocean lilo reneln:
bers that huilAud drained her HuIrlOIn
! lake at 0n origins costs Of ST per acre,
besides providing Tor tho tremendous an
nuul expense VI pumping tho water OIL the
lands, which arc 10 foot below tho lovol Of
tho sea. What Holland did no intends to
do, though tho t,lsk is insignificant In
comparison.
immediately north Of tho everglades.
whore u partial reclamation by dralagU
canals was necessary, tholo Is toduy one Of
tho most extensive sugar Plantations On
the continent. Dry enough to bo free from
tho incursiOn Of lovers und Diseases of ill
sorts, tho tropical climate OF tho territory
| Is almost all that could bo desired. Lake
| Okoechoboc, very lurgc inland fresh W.
! tor like, liee between This DissCOn planCa'
ton and the everglades.
! That tho soil vi tho everglades Is fertile
I no man doubts 1t is entirely In tho trop-
| ical region, beyond >tiIo reach VI trusts.
| Tho great frosts vi 1896 nnd also Of lS04.0o
! failed to kill the most tender trOplcW
plants in tho territory Immediately to the
! north All mo topical pl..nts--tho COCOA
nut, lime. mango, royu' palm. sApudlllo,
| pear and bnnuil;!--grOw iuxurlantly unO
to great sizo IT Is summer time and
harvest time all tho year round These
will 10 tho attractions Of the region whom.
! 1t is reclaimed by tho drainage cuial.-
Chicago Times -IclnId