The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1907-05-05
SURVEY Of THE
EVERGLADES
Shows Elevation of Twenty
One Feet For Lake
Okechobee.
INTERESTING EXPERIENCES OF
PARTY OF GOVERNMENT EN-
GINERs WHO MADE THE SUR.
VEY.

The survey of the Everglades re-
Gently completed by U. S. Sur.
veyor and Engineer John T Stewart,
and his assistants will prove, of much
value in the consideration OF the
question of the drainage ofstde Ever
glades, for Engineer Stewart has not
only established the level of Lake
OkeechObee DO be about the same as
that shown by former surveys, II feet
above tide water at Fort. Myers, bue
has secured levels iTla the heart of thes
Everglades, says the Fort Myers
Press
His Corps of surveyors started di-
rectiy across the Everglades from
Bill Browns store about Two months
ago. In the party were ,Messrs. Law
renee Breet, of Lawrence, Kas.; Paul
Funderhide, Cando, n. D.; z. W.
Chadwick, of Chester, Pa; and with
these surveyors went J. R. Mcleod
and r. l. Allen of this place, and S.
A. Anderson, of Miami
Elevation Above Sea.
Mr.. Stewart gives the levels of va,
rious points as follows: At Immo-
kalee So feet above, ,dowStide at Fort
Myers. making this, undoubtedly ths
highest point in the county on the
mainland. Lake TTaEfopd was found
TO be twenty feet high and Rock Lake
twenty-one feet
At Browns store, onsthe, west edge
of the Everglades, the level was found
to be fifteen feet. above tide water.
The men had no difficulty in getting
through the 'GladeS until they reached
the saw grass in the center of the
'Glades. This is generally supposed
to be a sand ridge by the alligator
hunters, but the engineers say il is
I L. L
is d stretch of ten males in width,
| running south from Lake OkeechObee,
and this is now perfectly dry, and the
men had TO dig for water in crossing
| it.. They had to abandon Their boats
and make the balance of the trip to
| the east coast on foot, picking their
way through the Iagoons on the east
side
| The level of the 'GfadeS,on the east
| side was found TO be IL feet above
tide water. The men struck the east
| coast railway at POmpano, foot sore
| and out of provisions.
Muck undertake With Rock.
The muck was found TO be from
| five TO six feet in depth, underlaid
with rock The work Of dragging
the boats over the dry places was
found more difficult than making the
! survey Mr.. Stewart has secured
| fine collection of kodak views for the
| government, showing Browns and
| WilkinsOn's stores in the Everglades,
/ Indian graves. etc. He discovered One
| Seminole in his canoe in the Ever.
| glades and got him to stop for has
! photograph. The Seminole would not
consent until he was allowed 10
change his old blue shirt for a new
one of brighter hue, then he brushed
| his hair, shouldered his gun, looked
| pleasant and said he was ready,
| which all goes to show that the Semi
mole bucks have learned some of the
vain attributes of their paleface broth
eFs.
Mr.. Stewart has been ordered to
drop the work in the Everglades for
| this season and to report to headquar-
| ters Ii was understood that sur
vey was to be made from the 'G1ades
| to Shark river, and IT is to be regret
! ted that this survey could not have
been made at this time, for the dry
season will continue for some time
| yet, most likely. and the unprecedent-
| ed drought would have afforded good
opportunity To survey the country be-
! tween the 'Glades and coast and
/ those who have been over this country
| believe these lands Will be much more
valuable If drained than the Ever
! glades. as there are large tracts of
| rich soil that only need to have the
| water carried off TO make them val
liable for trucking and other pur-
|