National opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1865-1874, 1869-10-15
The Great Dismal S,camp.

!
lures, coiled up snakes, and numer-
Gus other specimens of animated
nature were made to show them
selves amid the thick foliage of
that gloomy spot. After arriving
at years of manhood it was our
fortune to visit this swamp and rode
across the northern part of it upon
a locomotive, on the Norfolk and
Roanoke Railroad. l,ut we saw no
Uiancs, no vultureJ, nor snakes. If
they had been there the whistle of
the locomotive had driven them
away. But the swamp was there, a
wide spread wilderness of marshy
land, covered so thickly with trees,
shrubs, cane, flags, rushcs and tall
grass, interviewer in all directions
with vines of different kinds, that
neither man or beast of large size,
could easily enter or pass through it.
But "a gap has been made, and the
railroad from Welden to Norfolk,
passes through it. AS the train
reached the west side of the swamp,
it stopped, and the passengers, who
wished, had the privilege of going
to small creek that ran from the
Swamp, aud drink of the water,
which it was claimed, possessed me-
dicinal properties. The water was
of a wine color, and had taste of
cedar or balsam. Its color doubt
less originated from the docOmpOs-
ing vegetation in the swamp, ,and its
taste was probably affected by the
same cause.
AS we were riding through the
swamp we saw considerable
pond of water. and were told by the
engineer that the year before, dur.
! ing Il day time, the water OF the
) swamp became nearly dried up, and
. a fire started and burned for weeks,
!, leaving hole, which, on the return
. of a wet season, was filed with
e water and formed the pond.
1t is a fact, though it may not be
= generally known, that the great
t Dismal Swamp is an immense peat
bed. When it gets on fire it is hard
4 to extingulsh.
e From the Norfolk Journal we Learn
that fire is now raging in the
: Swamp and doing much damage tt
!, some of the farms that have beer
o established on that peat foundation
- 1t says:
Almost every year there is fir
y in this swamp. When one break
ont it increases until put out 10y rain
O AS there has been SO long continued
t droutli this year, the conilagratlol
:. has extended almost bcYond prcce
# dent. 1t has burnt about slNtrcl
If miles, almost without interruption
in line flom the Northwest to tin
4 Southeast. 1t is still progressing il
If its work of devaSttion, and we tea
!. that it is destined to do much NOR
\. harm before it is arrested by rains
fl We learn that several fine farm
:. have been burnt cut, and wher
Is there were formerly the richest field
Is there are seen now acres npon acre
10 of pits of ashes, some of which al
Ig fifteen feet deep.
III The drOuth has been so sever
ne that the swamp is in many place
dry down to the subsoil, whic
IS varies in depth below the SUI fac
j., from four TO fifteen feet. All abo>
70 it is Vegetable matter i'll n greater {
ne less depree of decomposition, whic
IN has accumulated and become itse
the bed of innumcrabc swan
plants until the whole is matte
together 10y their roots pcrmratin
:, the entire mass. When tins IS e.
~ tircly dry, it catches like dry tindo
lic and burns from the surface downt
IS the ground beneath, requiring
tn great deal of water to put it on
OF If small shower falls, enough
ai' wet the surface to the depth OF on
'fS three or four inches, the fire is n
la stopped, for. it burns away undc
td meath. When this is the case, Il
NJ soil is mderburnt often to II gre
up distance, and people walking I
l. what they think iirm ground, SON
III times sink down many feet into q
ire ashes below. If they should still
NJ hot, woe he to the unlucky wigh
icy his growth is stopped forever.
ps Persons unacqualnted with I
'ut features of this country EXPIRE
ar surprise mt the existence of La
'ut Drummond so fnr above, tide wat
ng at the summit level of the swan
- This is easily accounted FOR, ,howev,
'N- ,,l,.n an. rnilnrt how that wht
es. swamp was formed. Ii is raised
oi many feet above the original soil
'ss' the acculnulatiOns of vegetable M
- ter for ages upon ages, until sol
49, parts of the Dismal Swamp {
aV much higher than any of the 5,
ter rounding country. Hundreds
icli wears ago the middle OF this gr,
'ch swamp caught fire, and the bun
the district is now Lake DrumnoI
AN, This is shown 10y the fact that
ore through the lake are found charI
lnt stump-. and its whole appearance,
ana that of other smaller lakes that Ia
me been formed in the swamp will
mas the memory Of men now living.
Inu' There is no doubt that at ,
ran time the waters flowed freely fr
tie southern branch of the Eli
,,ds beth river to the sound in No
aa. Carolina, and that Princess Al
Iii County aud u part of Norfolk Co
w" 49, ty conposcd an island. The H.
,nh seems to have gradually risen Sc,
,,l. nj feet, reaching from the Cir