Bisbee daily review., 1912-03-14

 glades is by no means new nor is me present the first attempt Florida once Was Spanish territory. Evidence stin exists pointing 10 an attempt made by the SaauIards To reclaim the e.ades. Li,,ie. however. was accone llished. Another attempt was made in 1881. The present WOIk began in 1900
 To answer the question whether the lands can be reclaimed it is necessary to know why they are wet. The expls- nation is simple Lake Okeechobce covers about a halt million acres. lt receives the drainage ef region about seven and a half times as large lying to the north and northwest. is principal tributary is the Kissimmes River
 Like California, Florida has its rainy season. During this period tLe precipi- tatiou upon the lake and the inflow from the region To the north fill it. With no natural outlet. once full and the waters continuing 10 pour in the lake O,erlloWs.
 along the shore a rim of coraline limestone resembling the edge of s saucer When the water encounters this rim it Is checked and backed . into the country over which it has flowed. In the course of ages ths water has cut its way through the rock rim in number of places. the Miami River. the New River, Snake Creek and several others. but these natural outlets are insufficient 10 emit all the water before the next an nual overflow occurs. In consequence the great area lyinP between the Al lantIC coast and Lake OkeeChObee has for the most part been more or less nnder water in the memory Of man.
 The reclamation plan suggests t. self With this task the engineers have grappled. Their proposal is to lower the lake level about four feet, leaving lt still about sixteen feet above the sea, and in this way create great storage reservoir. mali a million acres in area and four feet deep This reser vOir. it has been computed. would catch and hold the surplus water pouring into the lake in the rainy season and with properly devised gates let them out gradually through the canals as desired, and 10 prevent future oyerflows.
 This Okeechobee ater is expected to render enormous service 10 the Everglades region. For one thing. il will keep tho canals well filled that they may be utilized fo transportation purposes. In the second place, this water on entering the canals. is b Ee drawn away by laterals and small CT ditches to the adjoining fields, thus providing irrigation for the crops.
 The idea or reclamation never has been forgotten. Hardly had Florida been admitted 10 the Union than it's legislature Gin IS54) instructed its senators and representatives 10 i'm press upon Congress the prOi riety and policy of appointing engineers 10 eN- anime and survey the region
 In lS4t Senator James D. Westcntt Jr. of Florida requested Secretary ct the Treasur r.. J. Walker to appoint a competent person 10 lnves tigate he EVerglades and report upon the posst Bility or their reclamation. The result was the appointment Of Buckingham Smith, who, in the following year made his report
 In the same year Florida requested Congress 10 grant 10 the state the Everglades land "On condition tha, the state will drain them and applg the proceeds of the sale thereof, after defraying the expense of draining, to purposes Of education