70 FLORIDA: ITS CLIMATE, SOIL, PRODUCTIONS, 



us plenty of water; thence into the Kissimmee River down to Okeechobee, where we 

 hope to join the Cedar Key dredge, and carry both to the southeast sic e of Okeecho- 

 bee. The Cedar Key dredge has a cutting capacity of 22 feet wide and 10 feet depth. 



The Tohopokaliga dredge will have a cutting capacity of 25 feet and over, and 10 

 *eet depth. Both dredges have stern wheels and are self-propelliug. At the south- 

 east side of Okeechobee there is an open slough from 4 to 6 miles in length, and evi- 

 dently at one time an open river, heading in the lake and emptying into the Atlantic 

 at Miami, New Hillsborough, or some other river now carrying the surplus waters of 

 the Everglades, reaching their head, into the ocean. 



Further investigation may cause us to utilize this open slough as one of the points 

 to commence our cutting, which will first be by a cut 4 feet deep and the width of the 

 full capacity of our dredge. The other dredge will commence near by, and will con- 

 verge to a point, say 4 miles from the lake, where* they w r ill meet, and to which point 

 other cuts will be made if found necessary, concentrating the water and flows, and the 

 force thus concentrated will possibly cut its own channel from that point southeast to 

 the ocean. It will at least go somewhere on the down grade, and be gotten rid of in 

 a direction where no damage will be done to any one. As to the extent of the open- 

 ings to be made, I don't think it is within the power of engineering science to deter- 

 mine by a survey and calculation. We can calculate the surface level of Okeechobee 

 to the depth of one foot to contain 31,363,200,000 cubic feet of water, and the lowering 

 of the lake one foot reduces its contents fully one-fifth of its entire capacity and from 

 its shallowness will expose or reclaim possibly over one mile of its entire border; hence 

 the cubic feet of water by the next reduction of one foot will be very materially less- 

 ened, and so on by every foot of reduction. A reduction of one foot solves the prob- 

 lem. We have measured the inflow at the mouth of the Kissimmee, when the waters 

 were within its natural banks, but during a flood, its spread is for miles east and west 

 over a saw-grass marsh, and impracticable to measure with any certainty for several 

 reasons, the principal of which is the irregularity of the flow at points through the saw 

 grass, where greater or less obstructions exist. For this reason, no actual calcula- 

 tion can be made of what cuts in area are required, but we are reduced to and forced 

 to accept the general positive requirement of making "the outflow greater than the 

 inflow to prevent overflow." The reduction of the lake one, two, or three feet will 

 form a reservoir that will prevent an overflow during an unusual rainfall, even if the 

 outflow should not be fully equal to an unusual rainfall and inflow, and will prevent 

 an overflow. 



One important and encouraging point in success of the enterprise is the fact that 

 we meet with no rock, hard pan, or clay obstruction, and the cutting through the mud 

 formation by the force of water concentrated must be very great, and it is reasonable 

 to suppose will cut and deepen its own channel. Tests by the sounding rod have been 

 made from the Caloosahatchee up to and through Hickpochee, and thence to Okee- 

 chobee, and on the Atlantic side from Lake Worth, for a distance sufficient to know 

 that no rock or hard pan exist to a depth that will reach the bottom level of Okee- 

 chobee. Of this there can be no question. You ask will the lowering of Okeechobee 

 effect the whole of the drainage desired ? By no means ; the work is then only begun. 

 The straightening of the channel of the Kissimmee must follow, and a series of drain- 

 age operations at other points, which space will,not allow me to illustrate. 



THE INDIAN RIVER AND LAKE WORTH REGION. 



This interesting and attractive portion of the State is now engaging 

 a large share of public attention, in consequence of the certainty that it 

 will shortly be blessed with the advantages of cheap and rapid facilities 

 for transportation. The eastern shore of this river is washed by that 

 remarkable ocean current, the Gulf Stream, giving it at all seasons a 



