The St. Lucie County tribune. (Fort Pierce, St. Lucie County, Fla.) 1905-1920, 1910-06-24
THE DRAINAGE
rOFfVERGLADES
Contract is Given Baltimore Firm
Al Price of Two Million Dollars
SUCCESS NOW CERTAIN
oae Hundred and Eighty-Seven Miles of
Canals Provided--Must be Completed
Within Three Years

Calling for the digging of one humid
red and eighty.four miles of canals the
eomOletion of which will practically re.
sujt in the reclamation of the greater
mart of the Everglades contract vii
Re signed between the trustees of the
Internal Improvement Fund and the
| First Clark Construction Company OF
baltimore within the next fifteen days.
After long session in the offices OF
the board of trustees at Tallahassee,
Thursday the contract was finally
awarded to this company late in the
. afternoon.
The company was represented by
both Messrs. Furst and Clark and they
gave to the trustees a certified check
for $50, 900 as a guarantee that they
would begin work within fifty days and
complete it within three years, accord
ing to terms of the contract.
The trustees met at 10 O'Clock in the
"long room" at the executive Offices
and five bids were received. These
were opened and the remainder of the
day broken only by a recess at noon,
was occupied in the consideration of the
bids and the hearing of the representa-
tives of the various bidders. Many in
terested people were present and the
Office was crowded.
The contract as agreed upon will call
for the excavation of four canals. total
Ing one hundred and eighty-four miles
| in length. The bid is twenty and two
tenths cents per cubic yard on rock and
eight and fOur-tenths cents on all other
material 1t averages about eleven
cents a cubic yard for the entire con-
tract and the whole approximates fully
TWO million dollars.
The company agrees to take the four
State dredges at the trustees valua-
ton of one hundred and fOrty-five thous-
and dollars. The contract is to be sign
ed within fifteen days, work is to COM
mence Immediately thereafter and to
be completed within three years time,
and this means that within that time
the watery wastes of the 'Glades will
be transformed into thousands of farms,
smiling in the green of bountiful crops.
Thousands have already been sold sub
lect to the drainage and they will be
developed as soon as the work progresses
up each canal.
Five canals were provided for in the
original specifications but in estimating
the cost under. the bid accepted it was
decided TO omit the LocktOhatchee canal
which it was proposed to construct from
the northeast corner of Lake OkeechO-
bee across to the sOuthprong of the st.
Lucie river at Stuart.
No greater work was ever attempt
60 IN the entire south and the contract
IN It's entirety is one of the greatest
reclamation feats ever begun. In
few words the letting of the contract
means that nearly the entire Everglades
section of Florida will be drained and
ready for the pillow within three years
time. Much of it will be under cult
vation long before then.
The work has progressed fairly well
under the States direction but the new
move is placing it upon more OF busl~
ness foundation which will bring the
task to "a much earlier conclusion than
would otherwise have been the case.
The trustees will be able to give the
york better supervision when it is un-
oer contract as the contractor will be
Rully responsible for the proper hand
!lng Of the work and he will be under
neavy bond.
The contractor will purchase the
Plates big dredges, the "Okeechobee,
re Miami" the Everglades" and
fhe "Caloosahatchee." These will be
osed on the work and it is probable
Enat much other equipment will soon be
paced in commission to work with them
the contractors will make every effort
. complete the canals we'll under the
nEee " ars' limit. ..
Inc letting Of the contract is one Oh
ne greatest possible moments to the
P!4te of Florida. 1t marks the begin
lhg OF new era in the State for with
three years the wild lands near Lake
Oxeechobee will be converted INTO
sS'th producing farms. ,,o
,ihe drainage district is about l4o
n!les long and so miles wide and lies to
III south and southeast Of Lake Okee-
n9ee. The great lake 0verfiows tne
Everglades in rainy seasons ana II Is
VI he purpose of lowering the waters
y IN lake, controlling its flood waters
lna q aiming the lands through when
ae gals pass that they are TO ne con-
vtue ID. Incidentally the state pc
fveAohat they may be made use OF Tor
vnTsrtation purposes to no small ex-
Z Eter.
&fcanals are to vary in width from
Hti seventy feet and in depth from
Herb twelve feet. The side slopes
N be at such a degree as may De
Nhaary for maintaining the required
| III and depth. In some parts OF tne
hes the banks will be quite solid anu
Int NAV he almost perpendicular,