The Burlington weekly hawk-eye., 1865-01-14
The Dutch Gap Canal.-.OrtGlnal
Designs and Results.

a correspondent OF tIlo EOilaOelpEIa ~
q.arer, with Buffers army, writing on the
lst inst, gives an account Of the blasting
of the balkhead, which took Place on that
day, and also furnishing some interesting
particulars respecting the vicinity, design,
and result of the work. He says:
About twelve miles below Richmond, N
a direct line, and some halt mile below
Cox's Landing. the James river makes a
bend to the southwest, and after circuit
OF over six miles, returns 70 within two
hundred yaros of the same place. The
tongue of land inclosed within this loop Of
the river is known as Farrar's Island, &
palpable misnomer, as it is evidently not
an island, but peninsula, the neck Of
which is bold, high ridge, towering many
feet above the surface Of the water. Il is
the neck which bears the name o. Dutch
bend ia the stream, the Gap is on the
north, or, more accurately, norih-eas:
side.
With referenceto oar military Lines, 1t
may be described AZ being at the extreme
front. The line of works established by
General Butler on the Bermuda Hundred
side seats its right fank on the exterior
side OF the curve above mentioned, ana
thence down 10 point directly opposite
the Gap, the river bank, which for that
distance forms our front, is Lined a, inter
walls with batteries. At the Gap We cross
to the left bank and stand on the narrow
neck of the peninsula. Below, the river is
ours, with both it's banks, but crossing the
neck and proceeding upwards, we find the
right bank occupied by the enemys pick.
cts, while the Hewlett House batteries and
line of strong earthworks extending up
towards Fort Darling, are in sight. The
| left bank is ours up to For. Brady, dis
| tapce of about two miles, and here begins
our line Of orks on the 'uorth side"
which, however diverges from the river.
and extends towards and beyond the New
Marke, road.
By cutting through, six miles OF nayiga-
ton would be saved to our gunboats.
The distance across the lsthmus meas
uring from the water line above and below,
was $50 feet. The depth from the sar.a e
Of the ground, along the Eighes: portion,
was SO feet to the water level; and besides
cutting away this, the canal mus, oe made
deep enough to give - feet Of water 8. high
tide. Its width was 20 be &C yar is. The
chanre. OF the river ran close 20 the banh
on both sides OF the lsthnlus, thus render-
ing it unnecessary 70 dig far ONT MO :he
water. Work was commenced on The ioth
! OF August under Brig. Gen. Ludlow with
Major +. :. Niche as Chief Engineer, and
| was prosecuted under the interruption and
annoyance Of the enemy's tire.
| A. frs. the spada and pick and tne " nee /
| barrow were the main instruments en-
ployed, but as soon as the cGt was sunk
deep enough 10 admi. OF i, railroad was
run u,. t 10 facilitate the rern OF the
dir. A steam dredge was also brought
| into reduisition at the lower end OF me ca-
| ma. 10 work below the sur are OF tho water.
pushing further upward az fast as 'he dig
gers attained tie REQUIRED depth. until !.
rea ched abou. .he middle CT the canal. AT
this point barrier Of earth was left for q
dam, and below the dam the dredge was
/ lef, to finish the WORK, while between the
dam and the bulkhead at The upper end
the required fifteen fee. below he water
level had 70 be dag out by hand, steam
pump being set 10 keep ! clear Or. OF the
/ water.
The requisite depth being at length OBJ
tained the dam IN the middle was removed
by the dredge, after being frs; shattered by
a ulast OF powder. The finishing touches
were put to this part Of the work week
ago, and since that time il has been poss--
Bile for any of our gunboats 20 ran clear up
70 the bulkhead, which was all that re-
mained to be removed. To eject its remo-
val il was to be blasted with gunpowder.
AS preliminary TO this, il was desirable
to diminish as far as possible the mass OF
earth to be blown ont, and 8 large diagonal
slice sloping inward was taken OF tho top
Of tho bulkhead. 1t was also detached from
the solid ground on either side Of Il, by
cutting narrow fssures down 20 the level
Of the water.
The mine was sank to the depth OF twer-
~ feet below the bottom Of the canal, be-
| ing kept dry during the process OF i.a evac-
uation ana after its completion by means
of two hand and an air pump. From the
main shaft diverged FIVE galleries, one OF
which was placed several feet forward, un-
| der the bed of the river. IN these galleries
were placed an aggregate OF SIX tons OF
gunpowder. Fuses were prepared, and by
the frs: day OF the new year everything
was in readiness for blowing away the bar
rier, and allowing the waters Of the James
10 TOW freely through the new channel dug
| for them.
| In the afternoon Genera Butler, with
most OF the officers Of his staff, rode down
| TO the Gap, TO witness the eliminating ac!
Of the great enterprise Of which he was the
author, and in which be has .aken SO deep
an interest. There was some delay in ar
ranging the fuse. bu. as tho New Y ear 9
| sun began 20 redden in the west, and some
| what less than an hour before is setting,
the explosion occurred. !: was attended
with but sligh; report, and although dust
was thrown 10 the height Of one hundred
feet, the concussion was barely sutfi cient 30
crack the ice on q mud paddle near the
edge Of the cYeyice.
| Not having been tried hy Ire sotual pas
sage Of vessels through it, It would per
haps be little premature % assert now
that the canal is positively 8 success, butt,
is SO regarded by those who have the best
opportunities OF knowing. II actual ex-
pertinent shall prove this to be tho case, i.
may Justly be pronounced grea. work.
The digging ha, been very hard and tedi-
on. throughout. First below the surface
soil was q layer of hard yellow clay, so-ne
twenty feet thick; then five feet ST gravel,
packed almost to the solidity and hardness
Of solid rock; then three fee. more Of clay,
similar to the first. bu, little darker in
color, succeeded by another thin layer Of
gravel. Below these, and extending as far
down as we had occasion 70 dig, was thick
bed of clay, dark in color, and nearly as
hard and cohesive as sand stone rock.
The natural inquiry of the public mind
now will be as 10 the effect OF the compile
ton Of the canal. Wehi however emil
nently successful It may prove, il Of course
will not enable us TO steam straight up to
Richmond with our monitors. Twenty
rebel cannon bear directly on its upper end
and the river above is barred with obstruc
tions, and its channel tbick!y sown with
torpedoes. incidentally, these obstructions
have done us one service in preventing the
rebel gunboats from coming down below
1 r.