Charlevoix county herald., 1917-02-02
Tremendous Difficulties Faced In
Making Road Through Big .;
Cypress Swamp.
PART OF THE dixie HIGHWAY
Less Than Twenty-Five Inhabitants on
Million Dollar Stretch Known a.
the TamIaml Trail-opens Up
Paradise for Motorists
and Hunters.

Miami, Fla.-It Is to be regretted
that great and daring projects Of con-
struction when completed cannot tell
the story Of difficulties net and over
come, instead Of presenting the smooth
finished appearance too often taken as
a matter Of course by the casual OBJ.
serves, without thought as to how II
was brought about. This is going to
be the case of the Tamiami trail,
Aater part of which Is over the Dixie
highway, now 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 1913 will represent
a total outlay In excess Of one million
dollars. Approximately $750,00O has
been appropriated and work Is under
way, so that Its ultimate completion is
absolutely assured.
Large bridge projects have been pro-
vided for at the crossing Of the Mana
tee river at Bradentown and across
Charlotte harbor at Punta Gorda. OF
the total mileage Of 276.9, the stretch
from punta Gorda TO Miami, repre-
senting mileage of 1889, has been In
corporated as part Of the Dixie high
way. This is the most difficult part
Of the construction, as a greater part
Of 1t Is through the Everglades.
Tremendous Difficulties Ahead.
With the exception Of the compile
ton Of the bridges at Bradentown and
Punta Gorda, well-graded road, with
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, distance of SO miles, will
probably require the greater part Of
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 are less than Is inhabi-
tants,. and these are mostly Seminole
m IS. Leading out of Miami the
TaM. ami trail will extend for "a miles
west without curve or an angle.
The contractors are now celebrating
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
mpenetrable jungle with water, muck
and mud underneath.
Blqness Of the Task.
Some idea of the "bigness" Of the
task Of building a road through the
Everglades may be obtained from a
graphic account of his struggles on Big
Bend, furnished by Capt. X. b. Har-
vey, who has the contract for So miles
Of the trail from Fort Myers to Mar
co. There are no rules In the book"
says Captain Harvey, Ito fit the propo-
sition offered by Big Bend. 1t was a
case of It's up to you, fight 1t out 1t
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-
ln9 like a mass Of jelly with each VI
Jon Of the dredge engine. Then
TX Of putting a 40,OO0-pound engine
across Well, put II over. but came
out wild, frantic and gray-headed. 1t
takes every nerve one has and can
borrow, with muck and mud under
meath II feet deep, and CHANGING the