Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1856-09-12
THE WILMINGTON JOURNAL.
The Flood on the Cape Fear and Deep RiVer'--Ine
Navigation Company and its Works.

The EEIood on the Cane Fear and Deep River'--The
Navigation Company and its Works.
letter from Col. Murchison, President OF the
Cane Fear and Deep River Navigation Company
informs James Cassidy. Esq, one of the Winning
ton directors of that Company, that the lower Slope
of the dam of Silver Run has been carried away ny
the late or present food and also quantity oL 'iii.
Der intended for the slope of the dam at heu hO0H'
This is the amount Of the damage SO lar
thonUh the fnH amount cannot be known uhul lhe
falling of the waters.
We are tired of abiding to this WORK. because
unfortunately things keep on go much IN their OLD
track that we have long ceased to look Tor any thng
fro 4 INIT DELAY and disaster. Can not drop OF
rain fall or few feet of rise take place in the water
conrses, but we must have some portion of these
works drifting down TO Wilmington? We never ex-
nerience rise in the river but this is the case and
the worst of it is that the defect is in the works
themselves, in their insecurity and bad construction
about the plans can say nothing In fact 1t may
be as well to say nothing about the affair or any part
of it, still we cannot help thinking that things ought
not to be So if they and cannot be otherwise
the attempt had better be abandoned at once as
failure AS things go and have gone 1t as fall-
ure Now, in regard to this Silver Run Dam,--l'
was finished, the banks did not give way, nothing
unusual struck against it, but the whole difficulty
was that few feet more water than usual passed over
it. and it hoated off. Does any one suppose that a
navigation can be secured or kept up in that way OF
that all the money in the world will do any good
when after long years and nnumeabIe reports 1t Is
impossible to point to anything and say,-Ihls IL
done-this will stand. And the difficulty appears to
4, he
them--they give way-not the banks.
Now look at the works at LockvIlle. The contract
for the lock- ETC., at that point Is taken by MessrS
Kirksev & Co. to be finished in December Inc SUI
perntendent at that point says 1t would require al
least eighty hands to finish it by the stipulated time
vet there are not more than average OF thirty en-
poyed there by the contractors, and there arc neheI
masons, materials nor tools, and apparently no pros
meet of these being supplied stipulation IN their
contract gives TO the President the right TO put suh'
Gent force on to complete the work at the contract
time. in case the contractors fail 10 do SO. NO sort
of action has been taken by the President up to the
latest dates and things creep along and the funds
Of the company o0ze out from day to day, anu from
month to month, and from year TO year. VI Messrs'
KiTksev & Co. we know nothing but the name, and
merely alluIe to the matter as specimen OF the
dawdlng procrastination which has reduced the
company to a typhoid condition. The private stock
holders and the State could bear with increased ex-
pense-they could come up to the scratch to do what
might remain to be done, if they could feel that any
thing had been done-if they could put their finger
upon any thing and say This will stand"
Perhaps it may be thought that we are carplng
and unreasonable. But are We? Ought not some
thing to be done and seen into? Is not every body
tired Who really looks forward to any completion
at any time or any solidy in any thing? First Il
is one thing goes The next flood it is something
else, but always something. Now, we do not charge
upon this person that but we must insist tina
the public ought fully to know how things are Th
Legislature may and, we suppose will, be asked 10
assistance Can it be expected without some bette
showing in the past, better guarantees for the III
ture than have been vouchsafed to the public l
can not, and it ought not proper regard for tn
interests of The State requires that proper under
standing should first be arrived at, and things be pu
upon some assured basis.