Fort Pierce news., 1910-06-24
ORAlNAGE CONTRACT GIVEN OUT
Ono Hundred and Eighty -four
Miles of Canal to be Dredged.

calling for the digging of one hun
ared and eighty-fonr miles of canals
'ho completion OF which will practically
saoult in the reclamation OF the greater
rsr,of the Evergladesa contract will be
s'aned between the trustees OF the
Irternal Improvement Fund and the
Fnrst Clark Construction Company OF
baltimore within the next fifteen days
,nora long session in the Office Of
.ho hoard of trustees at the capitol
q rho 18th the contract was finally
oworded to this company late in the
aAornoon. The news of the letting of
,he contract is of the most vital impor-
,ance to Florida.
The trustees met at 10 o'clock in
the "long room" at the executive offices
"a FIVE bids were received. These
we're opened and the remainder OF the
.day broken only by a recess at noon'
,,as occupied in the consideration OF
.he bids and the hearing of the repre-
.sentatiyes of the various bidders Many
interested people were present and the
office was crowded.
The contract as agreed upon will call
for the excavation OF four canals,
totalling one hundred and eighty-four
miles in length, The is twenty and
two.tenths cents per cubic yard on rock
and eight and four-tenths cents on all
other material. 1t averages about
aleven cents cubic yard for the entire
contract and the whole approximates
fully ytwo million dollars. The company
asrees TO take the four State dredges
A. the trustees valuation of one hun
.ared and forty-fve thousand dollars
The contractis to be signedin odays
work is to commence Immediately
thereafter and to be finished within
three years.
Five canals were provided for in the
original specifications but in estimat'
inc The cost under the bid accepted
II was decided to omit the Locktoba'-
chez canal which it was proposed to
construct from the northeast corner oil
Lake Okeechooee across to the south
of the ST. Lucie river at Stuart.
No greater work was ever attempted
in the entire south and the contract IN
its entirety is one Of the greatest recla'
nation feats ever begun. In few worus
the letting of the contract means that
nearly the entire Everglades section OF
Florida will be drained and ready for
the plow within three years time
Much of it will be under cultivation long
before then.
The work has progressed fairly well
under the States direction but the new
move is placing it upon more OF a
business foundation which will bring
the task to a much earlier conclusion
than would otherwise have been the
ease. The trustees will be able to give
the work better supervision when 1t Is
under contract as the contractor Will
be fully responsible for the proper
handling Of the work and he will be un'
der heavy bond.
The contractor will purchase the
States big dredges, the "Okeechobee"
the "Miami," the Everglades" and
the 'Caloosahatchee. f" These VIII oe
used on the work and it is probable
that much other equipment viii soon
be placed in commission to work WIN
them as the contractors will make ev.
cry effort to complete the canals well
Under the three years limit.
The letting OF the contract is one OF
the greatest possible moment to the
State of Florida. 1t marks the begin
ming Of a new era in the State, Tor
within three years the wild land near
lake Okeechcbee will be converted into
wealth producing farms. st, Augustine
Record.
Mt q xxt-.A. q GrahanT