Wilmington journal., 1874-07-17

bSIteFS 10 nc connected by Canals
-The Great Advantages of the Pro
| posed Enterprise-A Company To
be Formed for Carrying out the
plan-KesOlu.iOn OF The Cham be 4
of Commerce. &C, &c.
AT a meeting of the Chamber of
Commerce, held recently, the feasi-
bility of a plan for connecting the
Cape Fear, by canal, with the eastern
counties OF the State, which had been
already canvassed on the streets, was
thoroughly considered. Plans and
estimates were submitted by Mai. w.
l.. Young, who has made thorough
exploration of the entire route, and the
Chamber, as will be seen by the reso-
luton adopted by them, which we
publish below, have already warmly
endorsed the enterprise. The plan is
to raise q Company who shall them
selves subscribe a certain proportion
of stock and will build five miles of
the canal, with the understanding that
the city shall subscribe to q certain
extent in the stock and that, when the
five miles of canal are completed, the
city will issue bonds for the amount Of
this subscription taking, as security, q
first mortgage on tho works aud pro-
perty of the Company.
The construction of this canal is
without doubt one OF tho most impor-
tant measures ever brought before the
people of Wilmington. 1t is proposed
to construct it by utilizing the North
East River to Bannerman's Bridge
and further utilizing some portion of
Holly Shelter Greek, and thence by
canal of 162 miles length to the South
west branch of New River, thence
using 81 miles of this river, thence
from the Northeast arm Of this river
by n canal of miles to White Oak
River, thence either by Black Swamp
or Hunters Creek and by canal of 7
miles to the navigable waters of Slo-
combs Greek, and thence by this
stream miles to the Neuse River,
thus requiring the construction of
only 29l miles of canal to place Will
mington, by steamboat navigation, in
direct communication with the navi-
gable water system of Eastern North
Carolina, viz: Pamlico and Alhemarle
Sounds, Neuse, PamlicO and Roanoke
Rivers. This canal being constructed
would reduce the distance between
Newbern and Wilmington to 1O4
miles and Washington to 164 miles,
and the distance to the latter place
could be further reduced to 40 miles
by the cutting of only miles more of
canal, whereas, now, those towns and
Eastern North Carolina are Only reach
ed by long and dangerous sea voy-
age.
The dangers of Cape Hatteras and
the swashes in the Sounds would be
avoided, and all the coast trade would
be through this canal the difference
IN freight and marine insurance upon
corn alone would justify the construc-
tion of this canal.
The rich corn and cotton producing
counties of Eastern North Carolina
would be placed 800 miles nearer Viii
mington than Norfolk and the market
of this city would be bountifully sup
piled from this region of plenty. It
would open up an inexhaustible sup
ply OF fish and oysters, and Whining
ton would become the shipper of these
upon the Western and Southern rail
roads as Portsmouth and Baltimore
now are.
The construction of this canal be-
comes a necessity when we take into
the fact that in the i'm
provement of the harbor, New Inlet
has to be closed, which will make it
ia:f ossible for the small corn vessels |
from the eastern counties to enter this |
port, as they would have to contend |
with winds from two different |
quarters to enable them to round Fry |
ing Pan Shoals, SO that they could en-
ter at the Western bar. This would |
have the effect of driving the corn |
trade of the eastern counties to Charles |
ton and Savannah, unless some system |
OF inland navigation is prepared, but !
this scheme being carried ont prop |
erly, Wilmington would be able to sup |
ply Eastern n. G. corn upon al the |
rail roads diverging from the city at |
rates less than if purchased from
Northern cities. By using between |
Neuse, Tar and Roanoke rivers, the |
navigable streams, it would require |
only few miles more canaling to |
unite Newbern, Washington and Ply |
mouth, and all the great corn and cot
ton sections of Eastern North Carroll |
ma, with q direct line of water commit |
which would have the effect |
to concentrate the trade and commerce |
Of North Carolina within her own |
borders and build up her own sea po1t |
towns; whereas now nearl y all the |
trade Of North Carolina goes to build |
up and give aid and prosperity to cit |
les without the State.
a responsible company will take the |
contract for the construction Of this |
canal for So, 900 per mile. This places |
TIE enterprise IN tangible form, al |
though the estimate is deemed large |
one, as it is believed that the work |
can be done for less
The following is the resolution |
by the Chamber of Commerce |
to above :
WHEREAS, Tt has been represented |
to this Chamber of Commerce that n |
survey has shown the |
practicabllity Gf opening an inland |
communication from The waters OF !
Cape Fear River to New River thence |
to Neuse River, thereby making trib- !
lltary to this city the great grain sec
ton of the State and opening Il route |
to Norfolk and points beyond, all of !
which will greatly increase the busi
ness of Wilmington,
BE it rcsolced, That it is the opinion
Of this Chamber that the City of Viii |
mington should extend such aid as
may be in It's power to further the !
COih liIbioIi VI otiitt III isiiitt SoIH
cation after the feasibility of same has |
been fully demonstrated and they
recommend that the city aid in MAX
ing full survey of the route in order
that the work may be properly placed
before the public.
Educational A.socI1iion.
This body closed it's laboGs in Raj
eigh on Friday, after very harmon
ious and interesting session of three
days.
From the Raleigh Ncws we CLEAN
these extracts from the proceedings:
The following gentlemen were APP
pointed delegates to the National As
sociation to meet in Detroit, Michi-
gan, in August next: Prof. McIver,
Rev. A. +. Redd, DIR. Craven, Rev.
H. B. Blake, G. w. Jewett and Rev.
J. 3. Boone.
The following officers were elected
for the ensuing year:
President-Hon. w. II. Battle.
Vice Presidents-Gov. Tod. r.