The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1882-04-20
THE COLUMBIA CANAL.
The Work Actually Commenced Under
Favorable Omens.
Columbia Register l2th Instant,

In accordance with the suggestions
thrown out by the Register yesterday
morning arrangements were made by the
authorities of the canal and city aud tho
Board of Trade TO give some eclat to the
OCCASION. BY IL O'Clock about one hun.
dred persons, including Mayor Rhett and
members of the City Council, Vice Pres.
ident McCreery and members of the
Board of Trade and a number f psomi.
nent citizens and ladies, had assem 5led
on the bank of the canal IA rear OF the
Penitentiary to witness the initial steps
in the -wished.for development of
our great water power.
Mayor Rhett called the company to
order and in few felcitous remarks in
which he spoke of the bonored custom
of our fathers in invoking the Divine
blessing on all important works upon
which they entered, he introduced the
venerable Chaplain of the Penitentialy.
Kew. VIM. Martin, who offered PRAYER
In terms singularly appropriate to the
occasion.
The Canal Engineer, Major Lee, then
announced that as an appropriate signal
OF the commencement Of the work three
rock blasts had been prepared and would
be discharged. The crowd hurriedly
sought shelter from exposure to the frag-
ments of rock projected from the blast
and in few moments Major Lee, accom-
panied by his little daughter Miss Mel
Lee, crossed to the East bank of the
canal, and, receiving from the hand of q
convict bar of iron heated at one end.
she with steady nerve applied it to the
iuse, and retiring to the cover of huge
boulder near at hand awaited the explo.
sion.
Three blasts followed in rapid success
sion, the air above them WAS filled with
flying fragments which quickly fell in q
shower to the ground, and the first work
on the canal was successfully accom-.
bneE blasted lay in fragments varying
I from an ounce to several tons, the larger
pieces ready to take their places in the
new work, the smaller fragments being
rapidly appropriated by the crowd as
mementocs of the enterprise now begun.
Mayor Rhett then handing spade to
Colonel F. w. McMaster requested him.
as the representative Of the citizens of
Columbia, to throw the first spadeful of
earth, which he proceeded to do, without.
however, making a very large hole in the
proposed work. Fifty convicts with
picks, shOvels and wheelbarrows then
entered vigorously on the work of trans.
ferring the earth from the East to the
West bank of the canal.
The assembled company, after watch
ing the operation long enough to assure
themselves that the whole thing was not
O dream but hard fact, slowly retired
from the scene.
Passing through the Penitentiary yard
the male part Of the assembly fingered
for while at the Superintendents Office.
where thai polite and attentive officer
and the Board Of Trade had spread q
lunch table to refresh the exhausted
energies Of those who had engaged in the
hard work of opening q canal. Here a
few moments were spent in general in
terchauge OF pleasant sentiment and
good wishes for the new enterprise. Mr..
McCreery presided with his usual bon
homme, and the Mayor, the Superinten.
dent, the Engineer and the press were
toasted.
Mr. McCreery stated that the press
had rendered invaluable aid in the work.
and MIR. Pope Of the Register remarked
that they could be counted on to press
the matter to completion. The hope was
also expressed that 80 long as the canal
project was afloat the Board Of Trade
would always be aboard.
The crowd then slowly dispersed and
came into town TO spread the news that
the first work on the canal was an &C.
complished fact.
From Major Lee we learned that the
work will be carried ON at tho point
where commenced until the full width
| of $50 feet is opened. This will require
the blasting aud removal of large BODY
of rock. which will furnish ample mate
rial for building up the river bank of
the canal at this point.