Weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1858-1865, 1859-01-26
Capt. Wilkes Report.

On Thursday Gov Ellis transmitted to the two
houses of the General Assembly the Report made
by Capt Wilkes to the Secretary of the Navy, upon
the character and resources of the region of country
in the neighborhood of Deep River in this State
The Report was ordered to be printed, twenty cop
les for each member. Gov Ellis in his message
communicating the Report, says
at will be observed that this report furnishes re-
liable information touching the mineral resources of
the section of country examined by the Commission,
and such as will prove useful in the consideration of
two propositions now before your honorable body
the-one afording State aid to private Company to
enable them to complete Railroad now in course of
construction from the town of Fayetteville to the
Coalfields upon Deep River, and the other devising
the means for completing the navigation works up
on that river, in which the State has heretofore
barked trust shall be pardoned for avail
ing myself Of this opportunity to make particular
reference to subjects already engaging the attention
Of your honorable body; but stern sense of public
duty, arising from conviction Of the paramount
Importance to the State of the two enterprises re-
ferred to, impels me to recommend them both ear
nestly to your favorable consideration, as they will
both prove useful in their respective spheres"
We are gratifed that the Governor has thus re-
commended both these enterprises to the favorable
consideration of the Legislature. He has performed
his duty in this respect he will doubtless per-
form it hereafter on other measures and on other
occasions, with bodness and directness worthy Of
commendation, and worthy at the same time of his
/, ;obr n roc& &I,o C{oko
We make the following extaacts from Capt
Wilkes Report:
''It is thought by those of very great experience
in the manufacture Of iron, that there is no locality
on the Eastern side of the Aleghanies where bet
ter article of iron be produced than in the Deep
River District and at less cost.
Its proximity to market gives 1t great advantages
for becoming large manufacturing district, which
must be the case, from the weight and bulk of the
coal and iron and its cost in transportation besides
it will prove far more economical and profitable to
manufacture articles on the spot. ~
There are few places to be found in our country
where there is such concentration of materials and
which can be mined with so little toll and expense
an abundance of the best fuel consisting of charcoal
and the mineral Goals. .i-'
the Deep River Country, its coal, and ron and tim
the Senate" relative to the expediency of establish
ing at some point in the State, machine and work
shops for the construction of engines boilers &c.
The contents of this report fully establish the fact
that there is abundance of the materials for
the manufacture of irono the very best descriptions
for in the construction of engines and boilers for
naval vessels; that with the exception of the lar
gest of timber, there is also an abundance of
that material for use in the construction Of the i'm
plements of wood employed on board naval vessels,
and that there is doubt that all these materials
be obtained at less cost and of superior quality
than elsewhere in the Eastern section of the United
States. This could be accomplished either by the
Government erecting furnaces for the reduction Of
the ores or by encouragement offered for the best
kind of ore, &c, &C., for that purpose -
There can be no doubt of the expedency of hay
ing the indestructible materials used in our steam
navy of the very best kind constantly on hand, to
meet the wants of the steam service; and can see
no difficulty in the Government establishing ma
chine and work shops for the construction CT all the
parts of the engines and plates fer boilers as well
workshops for the making Of implements required Of
wood for the naval service. = = We believe
that portion Of North Carolina offer SO many
advantages for the manufacture Of iron as the Deep
River District Besides an abundance of raw ma
teria there is both water and steam power at com.
mand. The climate is salubrious, and the country
healthy all kinds of provisions are abundant and
cheap The agricultural products consist of wheat
corn rye and oats Vegetables and fruits are TO- bs
had in their season in plenty, and Of fine kinds =
The great advantage it offers to the miner and manu-,
hcturer of iron will insure large population of those
engaged in these pursuits. It IS also desirable for
the agriculturalist; finer crops are seldom seen
than those which fell under our observation ON the
bottom lands bordering the rivers and creeks, and
they seldom fail.
The temperature neither partakes Of the extremes
Of winter or summer, and those who hare passed
many years there enjoyed excellent health. Al
! though constantly exposed dnring the months oi
August and September, in the hottest weather, ]
felt little inconyenience and no debility fom the e.
fects Of heat aiterI reached Distriet The navi-