Wilmington daily commercial., 1872-06-05
The st. Georre. nInr.h Comnnu,.

SUCCESSFUL EXPER1MENT-DRAINAGE OF SWAMP
LAND BY STEAM PuMps-2O0O ACRES RECLAIMED.
Much Of the best land in the State Of Delaware
has been useless, for agricultural purposes, by
being submerged or overilowed, at high tides,
by the waters Of the Delaware.
Various expedsnts have been resorted to from
time to time, to reclaim this overiowed land but
only with partial success
BY the aid Of suce gates. ditching and en-
bankments part OF these lands have been made
valuable for grazing purposes, while the larger
portion has only been productive Of a luxunant
growth Of sour swamp grass, rarely fit for any
thing but to be used for stable bedding and ma
nures, and a considerable portion being rendered
entirely useless by being continually under wa
ter
OF the submerged land along the line Of the
Delaware River, none il richer or more produc-
tive than that in the neighborhood Of Delaware
City The butter from the large diaries Of these
| low-lands has always been an important feature
and commanded the highest prices in the Balti-
more market to which the Delaware and Chesa-
psake and Delaware Ship Canal afforded direct
and cheap means Of transit
| At the Eastern terminus Of this canal for the
distance Of between two and threelmiles south Of
| Delaware City, is tract Of several Thousand
acres of low lands,an that part capable Of being
| cultivated If probably as rich and productive as
any in the United States.
To reclaim the submerged part OF these low
lands has been the subject of many years anxious
| inquiry, and in order to effect this the owners
OF the lanu, apont eleven or twelve in numbers a
great many years ago had themselves incOrpor-
ated into Mutual Company, called the q" st
Georges Marsh Company"
This Company inaugurated system Of erect
ing sluice gates, and embanking which resulted
| il the reclamation OF a considerable portion for
grazing purposes. but did not protect il from the
innovations OF high tides which. at times, kept
the land for several days. and, often for weeks
under water, and rendering it practically use
| less.
The question Of steam pumps for the drainage
Of marsh and Oyerlowed lands, having been
long discussed in agricultural circles, began to
claim the attention OF the ST. Georges Marsh
Company. and at the last session Of the Lepisla-
ture, through the influence of William Beck and
Others the charter Of the Company was 70
J amended as to allow the initiatory steps to be
tsLen for the purchase Of a steam pump for the
draining Of the marsh.
| This scheme was vigorously opposed nv a ma.
jority Of the stockholders Of the Company unti
the removal Of Arthur Colburn to the old Rev
bold farm, which he owned. Mr.. G. had mo-
= been long in the neighborhood before he bougll
two other farms and thereby, with other stock
holders favorable to the new project obtained
control OF majority Of shares in tn,
Company. Arrangements were immedatel,
made with Hilles Jones, Of this city. for
steam engine OF eighty horse power. and will
Barton II. jerks of Philadelphia, President OF
tile Hydrostasc and Hydraulic Co. Of Pennsyl
ylnia, for one of Shaw's Compound Propeller
Pumps, weighing eleven tons.
pump which is the largest used in this country
we're placed in position a few days ago and s.
far completed that trial was made on Thurs
day, May 30th. in the presence of a very larg
number Of persons who had assembled to Sc
the test.
The company furnishing the pump. had onl
guaranteed the lifting and discharging Of 25. 90
gallons per minute, but to the surprise of a
assembled, and even to both the contractin
parties this huge pump, with 36-inch nozll
actually discharged, at the lowest calculation
10000 gallons and a majority OF those preser
were OF the opinion that, il correctly estimated
$4,000 gallons per minute would not have bee
too high an estimate.
After this trial, all doubts of the success
N this important movement were set at rest, an
these who had heretofore opposed the movemeI
are enthusiastic in its support and the Compan
have already gone to cleaning out the drains an
throwing up embankments, preparatory to cult
yating this unreclaimed land, which has heretC
fore been useless.
The pump, which is placed four feet belo
high water mark has demonstrated that it
not only capable OF throwing out the immens
volume Of water before mentioned but Of doin
so against the heaviest tides, and is at the sam
time capable of throwing out all mud and othe
refuse matter, without injury to the pump.
The Company, within period Of five year
have spent $4,000 in work upon these land
and now the additional outlay OF Sll ,0O0 mor
for pump and engine will be cheerfully born
with the prospect Of achieving success at las
and rendering fit for agriculture purpose 20C
acres Of the best land in the State OF Delaware
further test Of this pump was made on Sa
urday, IN the presence OF a large concourse
people, when it demonstrated its adaptability
ia the purposes for which it was intended, an
showed that it was capable of performing a
and more than was claimed for it at the formC
trial.