Semi-weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1853-18??, 1857-05-16

The ALBEMARLE AND CHESAPEAKE CANAL
Through the poiteness of the President and Drec-
tors of the Company, we had opportunity on
Thursday of going the Virginia portion of that
important work, the Albenarlc and Chesapeake
Canal. Our first point Of observation was its north
ern terminus at Great Bridge, where magnificent
lock is being constructed which is to form the single
gateway between the waters of two sister States.
This lock is be forty feet wide eight feet deep,
and of the unprecedented length Of two hundred and
twenty feet.
The excavation for the lock is completed, and the
engineer Mr.. John Lathrop, is preparing the Golfer
dam preliminary to the work of laying the masonry
A large portion of the granite is upon the ground
dressed ready for USE and every thing 5etokens ac-
tive operations at this end.
Not far from the lock reached the scene of &C.
ton of one of the giant excavators whose shackled
strength has been applied to the formidable task Of
tearing their ponderous way through such fastness
of nature cypress swamp About half mile
Of canal has been opened by the sheer power Ct ma
chnery, through such opposing barriers of stumps
and Stawart trunks have caused one after another
of these toing monsters to reco from the task bro
ken and exhausted. But the order is still, son, on ;"
and new machines have been constructed of greater
strength and stamina than have before been used;
and they have proved adequate to the duty assigned
to them.
The whole length of the cut from Great Bridge to
North River VIII be eight and half miles, and six
eXcavatOrs engaged in their rugged work at four
different points the line. Nearly two miles of ca
nal have been cut at the North River end, and it is
expected that in the course of twelve months there
will be an open water way entirely to Curruck
Sound. The length of the cut in North Carolina from
the Of Currituck to the waters of the Abe.
marie Sound (hy far the easier porton) will be about
five miles and half more, making the whole length
of canals to be opened only fourteen miles.
These canals to be seventy-tiv feet wide at the
surface, fifty feet wide at the bottom, and and
a half feet deep. which will afford navigation for
steamboats, Of large class and sea-going vessels.
The bars of the streams with which they will connect
to be drcdgcd to corresponding Depth thus af-
fordng the freest possible inland navigation between
the ports of North Carolina and Virginia.
Though the length Of these canals will be short,
such is the almost mpcrvious nature of the region
which they will penetrate that the total cost of the
work will probably not fall short of million dollars.
That the needful sum for its construction be OBJ
tanned without the sghtcs: difficulty in the State Of
North Carolina and the region around, is Of the
strongest evidences Of the important light in which
the enterprise is regarded by those who interest
cd in it
Suffice it to say, that the work is in able and COM
pe.ent hands, and that it will be pushed vigorously
forward to successful completion.-No
visit the scene Of operations without bidding God
speed to the ndomitabc enterprise there manifested
We subjoin q list of the managers of the Com-
pany:
President, Marshall Parks; Directors. James Cor
don, Thos. V. Webb, j. Cary Weston 4. N. Burt,
JAS c. Johnson T. l.. Skinner, Benz. F. Simmons,
Nath'l Roberts. Edmond Skinner.
... Southern Argus