Weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1858-1865, 1859-04-27

Granville meetings Will be 10und IN our paper To-Day
We trust the Convention will be a full one, and
that harmony and good feeling will prevail
AIbemarle and Chesapeake Canal.
We give below letter from correspondent con-
tanning an account of the recent visit to this work
by Gov. Ellis, together with description of the
work and views as to its great usefulness and
Importance to the commerce of the State. Indeed
the importance of this channel of communication
cannot be overstated 1t will furnish means of in
land navigation for over thousand miles, and
must bear away from the State large amount of
produce and return to it remuneratng prices in the
shape of money, merchandise and whatever is de-
srable for convenience comfort, and the mechanic
ats.
iov. Ellis has returned from his tour of inyesti-
cation much pleased with the work and its manage
mcnt, and strongly impressed with its usefulness
and importance. y
The Norfolk Herald of the a3rd says:
"The formal union of the waters of the Currituck
Sound with our own magnificent harbor has been
duly celebrated by tour of examination, &C., by
Governor Ellis of North Carolina, accompanied by
sIeSsrs. I. P. Burgwin, and J. F. Simmons editor
ofhe Patriot) The trip made on the steam pack
ct Calypso, belonging to Marshall Parks, Esq, PreSi-
dent Of the AIberlarlc and Chesapeake Canal Com
pany, who represented his company, together with
\. NJ Burt Esq, Secretary, John Lathrop, ESQ.,,
Chief Engineer, and n Courtwright, Esq. the head
of the firm of Cartwright, Barton and Company.
the contractors of the entire canal The party left
here on Tuesday morning last, and went through
the whole work, stopping at the different villages
landings &C., to receive the congratulations of the
delighted people.
It.
House yesterday morning, arrived here to dinner
the first time such feat was ever accomplished
In passing the u S. Ship Pennsylvania the Calypso
was rounded to for the Governor to visit the ship
They were very courteously received by Commodore
Chatard, and upon leaving the ship, thirteen guns
were fired in honor Of the distinguished guest. We
understand that Gov. F., was delighted with the
canal and is sanguine of its happy influences on the
good old North State.
Thus happily this work-which is destined to &C
compliSh grand results for North Carolina, and may
not hope for our own city also was inaugural
ed Success to it, its projectors, its intrepid praise
worthy contractors, and to those friends of the
lighened policy which aided its completion by le-
gislatve aid and who from first to last have been
its firm unhinching friends"
We invite attention to the communication of j.
F. S. which follows:
For the Standard.
ALBEMARLE AND CHESAPEAKE CANAL.
MEssRs EDITORS propose to give you as briefly
as can, to do the subject anything like justice an
account of recent trip from the Chesapeake Bay to
the Albemarle Sound ria and through the Abe
marie and Chesapeake Canal. have no doubt the
paper however feebly written, will prove interesting
a large number of your readers; for scarcely
in hundred Of them have any correct idea of the
real state of this great work. and it is emphatcay
great ''orh, and one too, of rery great Importance
%l,,o 4l,n,,f G,cfh L..
nary let me proceed
On Tuesday morning last, the 18th instant about
nine o'clock we went Oh board the neat little steam
er Calypso at Bains Wharf, Portsmouth, and in a
few minutes were Swimming the soft smooth
bosom of Elizabeth River in South-eastcry direc-
ton.
The party consisted of His Exceency Gov Ellis
Col. T. Peol Burgwyn and my humble self from
North Carolina and Capt Marshall Parks, President
of the Albemarle Chesapeake Canal Co., A. NJ
Burt ESQ.,, Treasurer, James Gordon ESQ.,, Direc-
tor, and John Lathrop, Chief Engineer very plea
SAINT party of gentlemen, who Gas well with those
who subsequently joined us) enlivened the time
throughout the entire trip with pleasant and inter-
esting conversation. At the Lock, sixteen mics
from Portsmouth, we were joined by DR.. Thomas V.
Webb, another Director.
1t is almost useless to speak of Elizabeth River.
1t is very pretty stream afording sufficient depth
Of water all the way to the Lock to admit the easy
passage of vessels Of eight to ten feet draught.
The Lock (Which is the only one on the whole
work. is massive structure of stone two hundred
and twenty feet long, and forty feet wide The walls
are seventeen feet high and eight feet thick 1t has
double sett of gates so as to take the advantage OF
high tide on the side, or Of higher water on the
other side when the tide is low in Elizabeth river
These gates are made of wood, but SO strongly
boed and banded with iron to be almost as strong
as iron ITSELF They are easily worked and may
as well here add that on return the tide being
up, found the upper gate closed and were detained
little over minute IN closing the lower, opening
The upper and thus getting through.
We tarred at the Lock half an hour or more to
examine it. and then passed on through, and about
couple Of hundred yards below arrived at Great
Bridge, noted in history as Revolutionary battle
ground. The Canal cuts directly through the old
British fertilization and runs within thirty or forty
yards of the central part of the battle field where
Fordyce the Commander of the British forces, fell.
HIS grave is near the spot.
From Elizabeth river at the Lock to the South end
VI the Canal where it enters North-Landing river,
the distance is nine miles; and if the people of the
entire State of North Carolina could assemble on the
banks OF the Canal and the vastness of the diff
Iutes that have been surmounted and the work that
mas been already accomplished through the entire
Instance, am sure they would be astonshed at the
'Hiculties and obstacles which had been encounter
Gu and by science, labor and perseverance success
iuiiy overcome on this work, and gratfed at the
.99lsummaton of what might have been once regard
,r as the utopan scheme of uniting the waters of
Al D Sound and Chesapeake Bay.
Inc Canal traverses an immense forest of gum and
ispress, and the bare labor of clearing must have
wen vsen immense and can only be fully appreciated by
cea. the forest itself in its original growth. The
onI1 left numerous large stumps which could
"'' 0e got rid of by blowing up The process Of