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

. GAVthHgs WAAuOuA uhNAhB AhNN bH
hand, I should Judge the cost Of this
canal would approximate S2,500,00O.OO.
An ocean canal from Lake Qkee-
chobee, near the Rita River, 10 the
Shark River on the Southwest coast,
would be about 100 miles III length.
On this route there Is a fall In the
first 70 miles OF ~ feet, leaving only
q fall Of 8 feet for the remaining as
miles, with the probability Of most Of
that rs miles being a rock cut. In
my opinion, this route Is the natural
route for the canal, but II should not
be cut for more than One.thiTd Of the
distance from Lake OkcechObee. But
the canal as a whole Is entirely i'm.
practicable, an the expense would be
absolutely out Of proportion tn It's
value.
The enlargement Of the upper Ca.
loOsahatchie from Fort Thompson 20
Alya, distance Of about 70 miles, has
been talked Of, with a view To giving
that channel the same capacity az
the artificial canals leading into II
from Lake OkccchObee In my OpIn.
hon, any further opening Of this chan.
mel would be InadVisable, AZ II would
result In the inundatiOn u the entire
valley Of that river, and cause q Rreal
deal Of damage To- property.
II should not be- forgotten that in
any drainage system, whether local or
general, provision must be made for
the maintenance Of the canals, and
this would require an annual eXpcndl.
tnre according tO the season and the
character Of the soil.
AS to the effect Of any drainage
scheme on the lands Of the drainage
district surrounding Lake OkeechObec|
on the North, East and West; no sys.
tenn that was confined TO tho lake and
Everglades would have the slightest
effect beyond the near ncighbOrhOOd
OF tho lake, and possibly the strips
OF marsh bordering the Kissimmcc and
CalOOsahatchIo Rivers and FIsheating
Creek
The surface water will remain on
these fiat pine wood lands and pral.
Ties and ponds. swamps and slOughs,
until there are artificial drains made
10 carry II away whore there are no
natural ones. and no amount Of drain.
ing below that will have any effect
unless the draining IL done locally In
that particular spot. This would re-
quire perfect network Of surface
bitches and drains that would have TO
be- carried through the entire limits Of
the Drainage district
This statement applies equally to
that part Of Leo County embraced
within the Drainage district
Neither would any system ~ ocean
canals have any effect on the Kis.
slmmoe River. AZ that river soon gets
above tho level Of Lake Okcochobec,
and M a0on az II gets above that
level nothing below that affects II
Mt all.
There In no reason In fixing an ar.
bltrary line where the drainage lines
are now run. II IN either state
proposition, or II In Drainage Dis
triCt proposition affecting only the
lands that arc drained. II II In a
State proposition. then the whole
State should be Included In the drain.
age district, n II II not n state nj.
fair, then II should be- confined strictly
to tho reclaimed area
The lands within the Drainage Dis.
trict outside Of the Everglades are Of
a varied character. and comprise sev.
eral classes. pine woods. high and
low. hamm0cka, cypress Hwamps. bays.
prHiTios high aud low, and marshes
That part Of Lee County inside the
Drainage District II composed chiefly
OF fiat pine woods, lnterspcrsed with
prRiTles and some marsh, and many
bodies Vt cypress. Including the Big
Cypress, North ~ the CAlOOaahatchio
River consists MOSTLY ~ prairie, with
bodies Of Hat woods pine timber scat
tered throughout, and cabbage wOOds
On the West ~ Lake lstuk POga the
country In very high and sCruhby, OK
tending South AiX townships inside
the district. East uf that IL rather
low, with lots Of hays till you come -
the KiHslmmec prairie extending 10
tho river, In OsCUua County Within
the district the land ~ nearly all ptnl
RE. Then you reach the high Ridge
Of pine timber known Hs the Fort