The Hope pioneer. [volume] (Hope, N.D.) 1882-1964, 1917-01-18
Tremendous Difficulties Faced in
Making Road Through Big
Cypress Swamp.
PART OF THE Dixie HIGHWAY
Less Than Twenty-Five Inhabitants o.
MiIIion-DolIar Stretch Known az
the Tamiami Trail-opens Up
Paradise for Motorists
and Hunters.

A
that great and daring projects of con,
struction when completed cannot tell
the story of difficulties met and over.
come, instead of presenting the smooth
finished appearance too often taken as
a matter of course by the casual OBJ
server, without a thought as to how II
was brought about. This is going to
be the case of the Tamiami trail, q
greater part Of which is over the Dixie
highway, nov being constructed
through the Everglades of Florida. The
road will extend from Tampa on the
west coast to Miami on the east, and
when completed in 1918 will represent
a total outlay in excess Of one million
dollars. Approximately $75O,OOO has
been appropriated and work is under
way, so that it's ultimate completion is
absolutely assured.
Large bridge projects have been pro.
vided for at the crossing of the Mana.
tee river ut Bradentown and across
Charlotte harbor at Punta Gorda. OF
the total mileage Of 276.9, the stretch
from Punta Gorda to Miami, repre-
senting a mileage of 1889, has been in.
corporated as a part Of the Dixie high.
way. This is the most difficult part
Of the construction, as a greater part
Of it is through the Everglades.
Tremendous Difficulties Ahead.
With the exception of the compile.
ton of the bridges at Bradentown and
Punta Gorda, a well-graded road, with
a large part Of the mileage surfaced,
will be provided from Tampa to Marco
early in 1917. Some additional funds
are. needed to surface the road in Lee
county. The highway from Marco to
Miami, a distance of 50 miles, will
probably require the greater part Of
the year to complete, on account of the
tremendous difficulties to be overcome
In building through Big Cypress
swamp. An interesting fact connected
with the construction of this extreme
Southern cross-state highway is that
on the entire distance from Marco to
Miami there + less than 25 inhabi-
tants, and these are mostly Seminole
Indians. Leading out Of Miami the
Tamiami trail will extend for "a miles
west without a curve or an angle.
The contractors are now Obliterating
traces Of the story of months spent in
battling against terrific odds in the
muck and water of the Everglades as
they go, by sowing grass seed along
the embankment of the highway. Prop
erty owners are dotting the roadside
with palms and other tropical trees
and foliage, so that by the time tour
lists can travel this great highway
across the state, only canals, small
lakes and rich fertile fields will be in
the foreground, where once existed an
%Impenetrable jungle with water, muck
and mud underneath.
Bigness Of the Task.
Some idea of the "bigness'' Of the
task Of building a road through the
Everglades may be obtained from q
graphic account Of his struggles on Big
Bend, furnished by Capt. X. B. Har-
vey, who has the contract for SIS miles
Of the trail from Fort Myers to Mar
co. There are no rules in the book
says Captain Harvey, "to fit the propo-
sition offered by Big Bend. 1t was q
case Of It's up to you, fight it OUT It
was scrub mangrove and grass muck.
Think of the leaves on the trees shak.
ing and trembling, and the whole mass
Of muck and mud for hundreds of feet
In each direction quivering and shak.
ing like a mass Of jelly with each vi.
bration Of the dredge engine. Then
think of putting a 40,0O0-pound engine
across. Well, I put it over, but came
out wild, frantic and gray-headed. II
takes every nerve one has and can
borrow, with muck and mud under
meath ~ feet deep, and CHANGING the
slightest mistake or error Of judgment
would make q buried and tangled
wreck Of 10000 pounds Of steel and
machinery. Try it, and see what sleep
less nights are"
In answer to the question Of how hi
he did it, Captain Harvey said that hi