The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1911-12-09

speed OF power boats will have TO be
limited 10 miles per hour in passing
| up and down the canals, as the wash
| from faSt-moving boats washes down
the banks and sucks rocks Of great size
into the canals.
We notice on the South New River
Canal whore tn" water mark was about
feet above the level Of the land.
caused Icy tho great overflow from Lake
Okeechobee during the last rainy season
This shows cOnclusively that the GIades
cannot be drained to prevent overflow I'M
| Ill the lake is lowered and converted into
a reservoir.
Your committee saw ditching machines
that would move right along over the
Glades and cut a mill, of a ditch n day
about feet wide at the top and 81 feet
deep. and 3 feet wide at the bottom
This machine could be operated. so We
were informed. by one person The dirt
dug was placed in 4 row about 8 feet
from the canal, and could be easily level
cd down and made into a driveway.
Your committee is OF the opinion that
tn" drainage operation will ultimately be
a great success and is one Of the great
est undertakings of the age, and will
convert the Everglades-once a watery
waste-iEtO one Of the garden spots of
the world. We believe. however. before
u has reached perfection that individuals
will have to spend for farm bitches and
lateral canals a sum approXimating g
per acre. When completed the farmer
need not fear cold. drOughts, nor floods,
and has the consciousness of knowing
that he is filling as rich soil as is to
be found within the bounds of the South.
There seems to be great doubt exist
ing in the minds OF many people through
out the state as to whether or not the
lake can he lowered and the Everglades
drained nv means Of canals This is
purely a matter of mathematics. That
portion of the State from which the
waters run to Lake OkeeChObee is well
defined and known. The average rainfall
upon this territory is also known, as is
also the rainfall upon the Glades It is
also known what per cent of the water
is taken up by evaporation and what per
cent goes into the ground. 1t is also
known how many gallons of water per
second pass through each OF the canals
at a given point The canals are so
constructed as TO receive from the lake
the excessive rainfall that pours into the
lake over and above its capacity to hold
the same when once lowered to 6 feet be-
low its banks, which lowering will take
place in the dry srasOn-whIch season
lasts about eight months-and as the
canals pass through the Glades toward
the sea and Gulf they are constantly
Nidened and deepened, and even divided
so as to carry off the extra water fur
nished by the Glades themselves. There
Is absolutely no occasion to doubt the
praCticability of the drainage operations.
OF course, a canal will not drain a por-
ton of the Everglades to 10 miles away,
as the lands are fat unless there be
lateral canals dug.
atoms and recommend that the same be
pushed with all vigor. and are in hopes
that no obstacle will intervene to stop
or delay the completion of the canals
now contracted for and any others that
may he found necessary to reclaim at
least the more fertile parts of the Glades.
We would further recommend. in case
II is found that the canals now under
and embraced in the plan
Of drainage are not sufficient to control
the level of Lake Okeechobee, that a
canal of proper dimensions be cut from
some point on the east shore Of the lake
north OF Pelican Bay, in a southeast and
easterly direction, along the most feasible
route, if found most advisable by the
engineer in chief to Lake, Worth in the
of West Palm Beach, such
ranal being. in our opinion. the most d.
rect and nearest route to the ocean.
Respectfully submitted.
]. A. WILLIAMS,
Chairman of Senate Committee.
c. T. CULPEPPER.
GEO. w. WARD,
Chairman of House Committee.
SAMUEL. A. ROBINSON.
JAS. z. CADE.
The joint committee of the Florida |
legislature for the year 1911 on the |
drainage Of the Everglades.