The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1911-02-28
MUCH PROGRESS.
MADE IN CANAL.
WORK IN STATE.
ACHIEVEMENTS IN EVERGLADES
SECTION PROVE MARvELs OF
ENGINEERING WoRLp-cREAT
WORK OF RRowARp.

and Of science, says the Philadelphia
Public Ledger. 1t IL unquestionably to
take rank with any reclamation work
ever done In the United States, at least
east of the Mississippi river
Thirty years ago capital was inter-
ested in the dredging OF the region Of
the Dismal Swamp In southeastern Vir
ginia. This capital made use Of the
plan first expounded by John c. CAL
noun. when. secretary Of war In the
cabinet Of President Monroe. Mr.. CAL
houn urged, as the first step in the
construction of the interior coast wa
terway from Massachusetts, Bay to
Florida, the building of canal from
Norfolk to Portsmouth. Va, through
the Dismal Swamp to Albermarle
Sound of the North Carolina coast.
Wanted to Drain Swamp.
That canal was subsequently built,
although not for the purpose set forth
by Mr.. Calhoun. It was designed to
drain the Dismal Swamp region, but it
was capable Of floating a vessel of
small draught from Norfolk to the
North Carolina coast. The project,
however. subsequently Jagged, although
some day there will no doubt be COM
plete reclamation of these swamp
lands in southeastern Virginia.
Fifteen years ago northern capital
was tempted to make some investment
in the swamp lands of southeastern
Georgia for the double purpose Of re-
claiming these lands to agriculture and
of cutting and marketing the valua-
BILE timber which grows in these
swamps. However, not much progress
do in, Of h
plan, though ultimately Georgia is GER
of swamp land.
Louisiana's Attempt.
Louisiana has undertaken to subdue
the vast reaches Of swamp land in
that state and has adopted a very
comprehensive engineering plan look
ing to this end. The men Of science
say that when this task is completed
these lands will be capable Of growing
three crops year of vegetables, will
greatly etxend the sugar growing area
of Louisiana and will make of that
state one Of the most prosperous, agri-
culturally, in the union.
But, after all, the greatest work Of
reclamation east of the Mississippi riv-
er now in progress. part of it under
the authority Of the federal govern
ment and a part of it sponsored by
private capital, will, when accomplish
ed, completely tame the hitherto mac
cessible Everglades Of southern Flor
Ida Recently there came to this city
a report that two new and powerful
dredges had been set up in the Caloo-
sahatchee river. These compare ia
vorably with the great dredge which
has been In operation there for year
or two and which is the largest dredge
in the world, with two exceptions.
These great dredges, operated under
the supervision Of the federal govern
ment engineers, will ultimately convert
the Caloosahatchee river into a navi-
gable stream from the Gulf of Mexico
up as far as Lake Okeechobee, where
it has its source.
The engineers of the federal gov
eminent speak with enthusiasm Of
this work. They have been able to CO.
operate with the state of Florida, and
they predict that within four or five
years large steamboats, will be able to
navigate the Caloosahatchee river to
Lake Okeechobee, then. crossing the
lake, they will pass out through some
one Of the new canals leading there
from through the Everglade country to
the Atlantic ocean. The government
engineers say that when the Panama
canal is completed the Florida route
will become one Of the country's great
waterways, for 1t will be utilized by
vessels, at least coastwise, both to and
from the Panama canal, because 1t will
save some 300 miles of navigation
around the somewhat dangerous keys
OF southern Florida.
II. w. Wiley Investigated.
DIR. Fl. w. Wiley, the chief chemist
Of the department of agriculture, who
was asked by the secretary of agricul-
ture to visit southern Florida and to
make report thereon, was almost as
greatly interested In the scientific
work now in progress as he was in
the particular features Of the work
Of interest to the agriculture depart
ment. He reported to Secretary Will
son that so far as he knew nowhere
in the world Is there such a body Of
land containing such remarkable pos
sibilities of development as that which
constitutes the Everglades bordering
on the southern shore OF Lake Okee-
chobee. To use his own words. DR..
WlIey reported In8I THIS lduu dIIOEOS
promise Of development which reaches
beyond the limits Of prophecy" But
the people Of the north. generally. ex-
cept the few who have been brought
into personal touch with the work OF
engineering and OF reclamation now
in progress in this section, have no
conception of the magnitude of the
work nor of the peculiar engineering
features which the development Of it
makes necessary.
Five Canals Projected.
For instance, there are now project
ed Ave canals, all to run from the At
lantfc ocean to Lake Okeechobee. The
most northerly Of these canals will
connect Palm Beach with the lake.
Paralieling that and about twenty
miles distant therefrom, q second ca
nal has been planned, with its Atlantic
terminal at Deiray. OF the three 9TH
er canals planned. and upon which
much engineering computation and
survey have been made, the lower one
will havo ff1 aoonn foxU1ina1 poor MI