The New York herald., 1865-01-05
The Troops Engaged and, fhs
Labor Consumed.
Interesting Geological Reve-
lati0nS.
INCIDENTS OF THE WORK.
The Finishing Touches and the Exple-
sion OF the Bulkhead. 4


-D0Ao1A19DC0Y .xR1, WORK,
&C., Sc, &C.
THK DUTCH GAP CANAL.
-~~~-~~~-~<-~~---~-~
~8s. WilltAm H. Merriam's Dsspatch.
,.NT TRoEr OF RcHxosD, Jan. l-Evsning.
AWAITING TIE sxPI0sioH.
MAnnsasy labors Of the sappen and nonen con.
ssUded; the appliances Of military engineering re-
ooveaHrom the vast chasm the rails which thou
ands Of tons Of vrginas sacred soil have been trans
psrtsd the historic excavation hss proceeded,
asved the tents Of the working details have been
tSuck and the dredge and steam Nails silent and
ostonless Such quiet q the contsnding armies have
aoa known since they down the sdesf their guns
sests upOnhe To the eye the indications Of strife
ore to, sbe. seen only In the Monitors they Hoat
liasily upon the placid river, the heavy guns
upon the opposite Shore not yet trained I 10
their deadly duty. To the right and TO the left
across rver.and hill and rayne stretching for miles
sway, vast army in all the panopy Of sests quietly
It's TO the rear just beyond the reach OF the
sharpshootsr n1s the bank Of the James upon his
ihsrse and sarSpunded by brilliant and gallant sta
.nts the commanding General awaiting the contamination
IN part Of his hope him, upon this particular
.scene all these labors engineers and soldiers possess
extraordinary significance The conceptions OF genius
she indomtabe energy that scorns opposition all wait
Rpon the magnificent illustrations Of the hour. Below
s the Heetshipswhich crowded with adventurous and
Assoic life hardly to be less than animate
- they hithsr and hher In the hot and epressi
- excitement Of what may prove impending battle.
apuRAL BurlsRs rzasr NrnArAroS OF TUE NECESSITY
or THE PRxssSr WORE
4Oms time before the war General Butler attended In
1achmand the Inauguration Of q monument TO the mo
snorysf the immortal Washington. The AFFAIR ono
q ssass magnincence, and during . speech upon the
Seaason General Butler drt intmated the necessity Of
aAs very work which, during the past few months he
- engaged much Of bis energy and attention. It
atsis supposed then that the work would be conducted
enid sushan ordeal Of has characterized the labor
Apon The sntsrprse We give complete history Of the
canal oms very incepson down 70 she day Of The e.
u&osy o, rus purm oAr raoyScr
S n.s the Ss s ai1 TsS
fnsssr q hs Dspsrnsn, O virginia ana North Care
UnA directiag him 70 report 10 Major General Butler
xsxing Il the headquarters Bermuda Hundred on
svshos Of ths iOth he reported % Colonel % John W
- sasles 70 be parformsd closing by asking him II he
ssIvs He was then told 70 hold himself in readinesS
o 70 up The river she mkt day With General Butler
ecnte vpalsd canal Immediately mooted, and Il was
oosciu "a that the ground should be examined the
q one, % saons in the Greyhound, within The next
s..nar's var hours being fixed upon. On this trip,
- N, inch, 1euisnani General Grant and Major
General B. Unard Chief Engineer Of the Armies Of the
Cnsc ~ - s character Of the material 70 be removed
3 fr wd be discovered from the ou.croPpnss on
sAe surface be was introduced 70 General Grant and
0Sn.rsi nern nd 70 whom be communicated bis views
= 70 The feast oy Of The work - well = 70 the nature
hav an sssanI. BY kr Winch and The closed
% board the Or aou,A nc, Genera sa sus, =, e once
S 80 ~ ~. 49, sst compleou Mr. WINCH al the close
~ she intsrview , remarking 70 the General that
- Ssd here.oro y had difncuig In getting tools
from - The Quart wmAster's Department In prose
ssas q. ass csn1s rsg'as Ja q. asn s
IssI ~ " Wirnh ~ Z another interview with General
asIsr ana Hs,oS Mich H al which the plans were agreed
% TN. sc,nd hs already bean broken and tho
80 of con smenced the 9th, Mr. Winch
oha,ss "a ~ rssdsn enslneer OF Dutch Gap. Upon
II. a. ~. t..L all minor operations were laid
.sae ana the work of eac waiting the canal commenced
= shs nsus xay by means wagons carts, scspers and
pasughs wovrra p.prrs
- ..n,a,h - smsrs, IN % nrst shell came from tho
1owleu nouss o,s yy,h A. ~ York Volunteers killing
az morynsg Crinnen and taking the arm from
x.s.. w,n asvarsxnnt uiDg Adjuant Of the One
nss "a s,yv ninth an wounding severely DR..
Vaudeville, Assistant Surgeon, % az n.a .s,ss
snc M sa.nnf a sor nesrv two days Then the swamp
batteries opened with coehonsts d az ,hree
s D. h.,,ss,y ~ soehorns situated south Of the
canal about one hundred yards, g 1Anv S"'nAs '"e
FROM tha, time on there but hsno variation ~ the
melting up 70 September Is, ls6 Nnen ,he enemy
spened with eight inch mortars w sheieu u most
"nous nss S ,bev would she IKE Wy and again ba.
,oderaiely 20 We could well nigh tel aoout the TIME
shot was coming before hearing tne re ~ - % uE nh ~
-rnsh m sepember our casualties NFsIo very n1ucu
greatrr than other time curing Tue - " 49,, -
.ork because the material was 80 yer, ;naa 'aa' .ne
shs would not penetrate causing the exp -oh 70 ase
place on the surface Daring tot paruo,s . sha,I
esrapes we're realty miraculous for eNhtpo snen
"a tr ,a uafdat of a
summed aud lying upon the ground Mhas roSI ,t en
10 be- terribe casually would result IN seAty Isutn
ali the supposed dead rising up after ihe aus. & aa @
bad passed. away proceeding 70 reneNM =. 49, sal,i
saak with e ual emotions of fun ard ya'o'ism
rus Tnoors EyrLoyED % TVS wohks
Tho roloz,i,tg comprises Nst ~ the feglineph en-
o,oved on the work from nrst 10 las:he One Hundred
and sixty ninth New York Volupeefk Aoivhe Aon1o
Alden, comman,uugi one Hundred and aix,senih New
ynrS yol.ntcc~a Fourth, sixth, Tenth Thirty sixth,
rhrtyeighth and One hnndIeaih un''ea nh''7 oo"feu
troops ,.,... =, -, 49,
einco The coume, lccmcnt 0l the construction the
abors of these troops on the Work rave eraR9a me
hunarcd and twenty ma a day for period covering ten
snrs escb dav worrying eighteen days ~ August tnen
ty Ave days In September and twenty ss nags " otooer
~ ] ''o easis,cd ~ nns hundred aud thirty
aay working eleven and 4 ba,f hours each Day
DIMENSIONS OF INF uASAL
The entire lenrh N tho Dutc Gap canal y hye nun.
sred and twenty-five cet the v aest MIuth y tue pol
excavation beng hundred a .wenty i.s
greatest depth of that width Is fort wave feet Ihe widh
the cana Al tho 0p Z svty fae an at the bottom forty
feet AZ bgh water NC eaua i sixto en- iees uesp has
been accomplished by means oi uermes
TBE GEoLooicAL FEATUREF
The geological features ~ the work haze proved ex.
pcmely interesting 10 all intelligent military men IN
boil armies and scarcely fail of absorbing the ~.
forest Of scientific throughout The country frt OF
ali 10 may be remarked thai the strata cuItousy
vnrious The first stratum v an ndurated clay, being
nothing more less than tho ordinary yellow Virginia
lsacredQ soil Tbs = between Twelve ana a'.een y, Ieet
eow sand from two to four feet dcep. ~ which we're