The Camden journal. [volume] (Camden, S.C.) 1866-1891, 1878-02-12
The w. c. & A. r. Il. and The
FreshetS in the Wateree River.

Mn. EnIroE The unusual number
of frcshets anG long continued high wa
ter in tho river, during the last SIX
weeks, have given rise to IN impression
that the er:bani;mcnt in the swamp
by the Wilmington and Colambia Rail
road Company has hal some agency in
The matter. | have been repeatedly
asked what [ thought about it, and
have always given my opinion in The neg
alive. \ little more reflection has sat
isGcl me that it is not possible .tor any
oJst,wciions which he RriirOdd rcferTed
to cen construct il. he swomp, and
which mW not dcstroy their o~n rorks,
can have any visible effect on the wafer
in the swamp 'cithn fc" or more miles
Of the river bridge near Camden. In
deed, l doubt very much if such effect
would be visible above Gamers Ferry,
opposite Stateburg. A few facts in my
possession, | thinH, will satisfy any dis
interested person.
High water at the Camden Railroad
Bridge is 105 feet. and at the Camden
Bridge about 15S feet above tide; or
the fall of high water from the Camden
Bridge to the Railroad Bridge is about
ffty-thrcc (53) feet. High water at
the Railroad is twenty (20) feet above
low water. whereas it is tbOut thirty
three (33) feet at the Camden Bridge.
Low water at the former il, therefore,
tl,irty.cight (38) feet below the latter
The general direction OF the river and
swamp between the two points is prac-
tically straight, and the distance about
thirty 800 miles. At Camden, the
swamp Is something over two (2) miles
wide, and still narrower above. Within
five {5) Mills below the Bridge, it is
fully five (5) miles, and at Gamers
Ferry, abort twenty (20) miles below,
if NY recollection serves ne right, about
two (2} miles. Below that point, it
wdens again, and at the Camden Rail
road it is three and three quarters (34)
miles, and one and three quarters GD
miles below the Railroad is reduced to
one and lhrce-quarters (ll) miles. The
Wilmington Railroad crosses the river
between Garncr's Ferry and the Cam
den Railroad, probably about half way.
I do not know the width of The swamp
at this point, nor the length Of tile en-
bankmrnt in the swamp. have heard
the former estimated at four miles, and
the latter at ore and 4 half miles. If
these are correct, (and they are proba-
bly extreme } the openin- left for the
river is greater than at Garncrs Fe ry,
and mere than half as wide again as it
is below. Before the construction of
the Wilmington and Columbia Raii-
rord, high water took ircm Two to three
days from the Camden Bridge TO The
Camdcn Railroad.
TIE average fall of high water be-
tween the points named is about one
foot and threc.quarters per mile, but II
is well known that water passing through
a narrow channel into 4 wider ore falls
much more rapidly at first than after it
reaches the wide space anl as the nat
ural Instructions in the swamp retard
the progress Of the water, it is easy to
see that the fall of high water from
Camden to Gamers Ferry is more than
the average between the extreme points,
and for the same reasons. high water
has fallen at the Wilmington and Co.
lumbia Railroad m)rc than the average
between Carriers Ferry and the Cam
den Railroad. The average fall given
above, wonld make high water at the
w. & {. II. r. about eight feet
aLoyc that at The Camden Railroad.
| do not believe it is h.lf as much. |
doubt if it is over two iact. Four feet
at the Wa G. Il. Il. would make ii
about 10 feet below the the Camden
bridge. Under all the circumstances
it is difficult % believe tina. Il foot oI
two Of difference in the height Of high
water at the ". x &. Il. Il. will pro
ducc any effect within ton miles oI
Camden. That contracting the river
way will have the effect Of backing tic
water up long distance, is not To DC
doubted. bat is | am not IN possession
Of the ilc,s of the case, an an not in
tcrcs,ed below the poin, ] have named
abavc, il is unnecessary 10 rursu" tie
subject any furher. NJ.
yN.o., rr:IIo.- E,,,,,,.