The weekly true Democrat. (Tallahassee, Fla.) 1905-1912, 1906-06-15
Y. P. Keller, @. E., In the Field
For Disston Co.. Testi1ies
C0NCERNlWG DRAINAGE
WITH MINUTE DESCRIPTIONS OF
AL THAT REGION, DETAILS OF
REQUIRED OPERATIONS AND
ESTIMATEs OF THEIR COST.

In the injunction case Of the South
OEn States Land and Timber Company
versus the Board OF Drainage Com
pnisaiOneFs and the tax collectors OF
the counties embraced in the drainage
district a large number Of aftidavits
was flled on behalf Of the complain
ants for the purpose of informing the
Court ~ to the conditions existing 10
the district, among which was the
ALLOWING:
Copy
State Of Florida,
County OF DuVaL
Before the undersigned personally
came v. p. KELLER, to me we'll
known, who upon oath, says: That
he Is a resident OF West Virginia, re-
aiding at CADon Iron Works. and that
his age Is sixty years; that he Is q
civil engineer and mechanical engt.
neer by profession, and is a graduate
Of the Nautical School at LAtitz, Penn
sylvania; that he has had varied ex-
Derience In mining, railroad and
drainage work, and the building Of
machinery and buildings; that he
lived at Kissimmee, Osceola County,
Florida. from 1882 to 1896, and that
during that period he was employed
49,, he
and Okeechobee Land Company as as.
distant engineer under the late Col.
James n. KreameT, chief engineer Of
said Company; that this Company
was engaged In extensive drainage
operations in Southern Florida under
Internal Improvement Fund. the field
Of its operations extending from the
beadvAters Of the Kissimmee River
down to Lake Okeechobee, the Ever.
glsdes and the CalOosahatchie River
q distance OF about one hundred and
AGty-siX miles, and embracing a wide
extent Of territory; that only a por.
ton Of this drainage system was com.
pleted, and the Company's plans for
the drainage OF the Everglades was
never finished
That he Is familiar with the part Of
the drainage district that is North OF
Township 80 on the East side of the
Everglades, and North Of Township
IS on the West; that the drainage
district embraces practically every.
thing South OF Township 32 and East
Of Range 81, and is about 10 miles
in length and 80 miles in width in It's
widest part; that Of this territory
Lake Okeschobee occupies twelve hun.
dred square miles, and the Everglades
about three million acres; that Lake
Okeechobee Is the principal recepta
Gle OF all the water In the watershed
which IL principally fed by the Kis
Aimmee River and Fisheating Greek
together with some smaller streams
coming into the North end Of Okee
chobee, viz. Taylor's Creek, Henry
Greek. Mosquito Creek and Cypress
Creek; that Lake OK. ,chobee has
tWenty-one natural outlets and three
artificial ones. and the combined
crOaS-secriOn OF the twenty-One out
lets IL equivalent to about 1000 square
feet. and they. together with the three
artificial outlets, discharge about 5000
cubic feet per second. normal rate OF
discharge; that the natural watershed
Of Lake OkOechObss embraces an area
Of about 1900 square miIea. of which |
0.0O0 are above the drainage district
n the Kissimmee basin. LOO within
the drainage district In the Kissmmet
bAAin. 800 In the Ftsheating Greek
basin, and S2S on the East and North
border Of Lake OkeechObee; that
everything hast of Fort Drum ridge
in 81. Lucie County finds its way. part
of II into the 81, Johns River. and
The remainder into the Atlantic
Ocean; that Fort Drum ridge diVidet
the watera Of the Kisslmmee basin
Ghd the okeechObes basin from the
Watara az tina upDeF a. IohuI