The weekly true Democrat. (Tallahassee, Fla.) 1905-1912, 1906-06-15

canal LhaL mas Tor It's object simply
the carrying on of the waters OF Lake
OkeechObee. without let or hindrance,
will be detrimental to the scheme OF
reclamation. II might have the effect
Of drying the Everglades. but by dry
ing them would ruin them. II Is q
perpetual menace to the destruction
Of the Everglades by fire and their
unproductiveness for want OF water.
In one case II will destroy them en-
tirely. In the other case It units them
for cultivation.
Muck land. being a peat, will take
fire and keep on burning sometimes
for months. just like an old sawdust
pile, and keep on burning until It is all
burned away. The fire will burn as
long as there is anything left to feed
upon and no water to extinguish Il.
II the Everglades were perfectly
drained, there would be no Everglades
In five years. II fire should be start
ed-not vestige. II would simply be
one immense ash bed on a rock bot
tom and absolutely worthless.
Another essential reason for the
storage OF all the water possible in
Lake Okeechobee is that in the imme.
diate vicinity OF Lake Okeechobee II
would have the effect Of making the
country warmer, because that large
body OF warm water protects the coun.
try around II very much: because all
along on that belt OF beach that l
have spoken Of there are numbers Of
rubber trees, some OF them over a
foot in diameter. probably 40 to 90
feet high, growing probably 60 to 100
years, and they have not been killed
by the cold simply because that body
Of water protects them from being
killed. Take away the water and you
remove a storehouse OF heat from the
section Immediately around Lake
OkeechObee, and II you hold the water
up there, six or eight feet OF warm
water on the lake would probably
protect that entire marsh that would
be brought into cultivation, from the
frost; 1t would keep enough heat so
that in one night 1t would save mil
lions Of dollars There is nothing in
nature that is a greater storehouse for
heat than water. II holds more latent
heat than anything else we have. and
that IL q thing we should not lose
sight OF.
Affiant has kept In touch with the
schemes for the drainage of the Ever.
glades now being contemplated, and
finds that the irrigation feature Of the
problem has not been mentioned, and
he Is Of the opinion that II the plans
discussed are carried out, the recla
nation Of the Everglades will not
be accomplished. but the Glades will
be ruined as an agricultural prOpO
sitiOn.
Affiant does not think that any com.
prehensiVe survey Of the territory
has been made. nor any comprehen.
Stvs plan Of the drainage OF the Nv.
eTglades as a whole has been laid
out.
An ocean canal brought In from
Lake Worth. running South of Lake
OkeechObee, but not into 1t, and run
ming across the Glades To the pine
woods on the West side, would In
terCept all the waters of Okeechobee
and cut OF every particle Ut water
south OF that canal. thus absolutely
and completely taking this supply Of
water away from IT, This would drain
those lands South Of this canal, but
would also ruin them. A canal along
this route rs feet wide aud IL feet
deep would cost approximately
81, 4OO,OOO.OO.
A canal from CLANCY Bay to st.
Lucie River would be possible but
not practicable. IL would certainly
be mischievOus in its conception. be.
cause of the useless cost. To begin
with. and the absolute absence OF ne
cessity for its existence and II would
not accomplish what Is Ostensibly
being attempted, that Is, TO make the
Everglades productive, and | hold that
this is the thing that should be aimed
at. II the Everglades are To be made
then such drainage will not
accomplish what II IL Ostensibly being
TO do. The cost OF this
canal would be very heavy, and 1t
would be the most expensive Of any
OF the routes that are under discus
sion. This route was surveyed by the
~ to-