The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1872-12-09
raF CANAL ACROSS TIE NECK.

the 29Lh OF October last, Inc mayor ieoo"
communication from himself, setting forth, 10
part, the advantages OF q canal acrrss Charles
ton Neck. from the Ashley River to the Coop
er; stating that q large portion ofthe desired
route had been gratultously rendered the city
by Mr.. John d. Dsvereux, aHd asking Council
20 authorize the making Of the necessary
surveys. The request was
granted by Council, and that tact, togetner
with the text of the communication, was puo-
Ished In The NEWS of october The SoIh. q
News has also subsequently noticed the be-
ginning of the survey. That portion OF the
work Is now about complete, and a map OF the
suryeyed route can be seen at the ONCE OF th,
CITY engineer. The canal will be about one
mile and q half long, with & uniform breadth
of water surface of seventy-fVe feet, and q
low water depth Of ten feet, increasing
at high tide to h[teen or seven
teen feet. The Ashley River termi-
nus L, located In the mouth Of " large creek q
short distance north OF Roses Farm or
Lownd-s's Grove. From that point the line
rms in a norlheastsrly direction for q little
over tnree-aths of a mile, when it makes a
sl,phr dehsotion to the north, crossing Meet
,ne ,treet a few hundred feet north Of the
We'll known Paine or Cool Blow farm, and
passing about afty feet north Of the Magazine
walls terminates In the bold creek which,
flowing In from Cooper River, washes the
northeast front Of that property. The ronte
far abaut half q mile from Ashley River
extends through q low marsh tract, taking
In many elbows OF the winding creek, whose
month marks the terminus on that side, thus
utilizing the natural advantages Of the loca-
tlou, and affurdiug comparatively easy exca-
walton. One-atth Of a mile further carries II
over tho high land and into another marshy
bottom, through which 1t extends the remain.
der OF its length.
The first half mile of the route from Ashley
River has already, as above stated, been
gratuItously given to the city by Mr.. John d.
Deyereux, A little more than three-fourths
of q mile further remains to be secured, the
recent purchase of the magazine property by
the city having secured q suitable outlet to
Oooper River without cost. It Ia sincerely TO
be hoped that the citizens owning the prop
erty through which the unaclulred three
fourths of q mile passes will have the public
spirit 10 follow Mr.. Devereux's example, az
the enhanced value of property In that violin
fty resulting from the opening OF the canal
will far more than compensate them for the
of the narrow strip Of land required for
the work. The advantages to be gained by
the opening of the canal are manifold to the
property holders on the neck. The gain from 8
sanitary and agricultural point Of view will be
simply i%ncalculable. The healthiness OF any
locality depends, In great measure, upon the IA
cIlltIes 1t possesses for getting rid OF lis surplus
water; In other words, upon the perfection oil
it's system of drainage. II is q well.known
fact that many Of the farms on the neck, from
their Inland position, possessing no outlet to
either river, are very imperfectly drained, and
are, In consequence, quite unhealthy during
The summer. The effects Of drainage upon
cultivation need not be told to farmers. One
the most important objects Of the canal is
furnish facilities for properly draining
these inland farms, rendering them more val
liable for the purposes Of cultivation, and
nsbItahh for white persons during the whole
year. A vast quantity Of vegetables and
other productions of the farm will also find
It's way to the shipping through the canal, at
q reduced cost for transportation. To the
and timber trade, the advan-
will also be very considerable. The
vsst expanse of marsh land which lies ada
,ent to the Ashley River mouth Of the canal
afford q safe harbor Tor the timber and
lumber approaching the city from the west, |
while the canal itself will furnish safe and
,asy aocess for the same material to the ship
ping Ia Cooper Rlver. Another advantage |
nay result to the commercial Interests of
Charleston In the facility It will AFFORD the
South Carolina and Northeastern Railroad
Companies for transferring merchandise to
and from their depots and the chipping by
means Of lighters. This, 1t isc claimed, by OBJ
the necessity for draying, will mate
rally reduce the cost of transportation, and
add largely to the volume Of freight which
dows through this port.
It is calculated that the cost OF cutting the
canal will be fully counterbalanced by the sale
the sand aud earth It will furnish for the
purposes Of building and of filing up the low
throughout the city. The City Govern.
ment for public purposes alone annually uses
vast quantity Of sand, for which 1t pays at
The rate Of ffty cents per cart load, whereas
he canal will furnish lr at a cost Of twenty
I've cento per load. The low lots In various
of the city have long been regarded
Is less healthy than those IN higher ground,
.ud would have been filed up long ago II a
'~uficIent supply Of cheap material could have
,een at any time o~btained-so thai II the ca.
1al could be rendered useful for NO other pur-
pose than furnishing the earth necessary to
iii up these lots, its opening would still bs a
great benefit. 1t ia $50 proposed 10 make q
tow-psth on either bank Of the canal,
will be planted with shade trees, 80 as
% make splendid drives extending from one
liver to the other.
The subject of opening the canal will be
be brought up for the consideration of Coun-
III at Ito nrst meeting in January, when 1t Is
anticipated that action will be taken looking
the immediate commencement Of the
work.
HOTEL ARRIHALS-.DECEHBER z
AND 8.
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