The commonwealth. (Scotland Neck, N.C.) 1882-1884, 1883-08-30
State for thousand miles to the
Mississippi.

oIate 1Or q Thousand miles to the
Mississippi.
The Roanoke one o. the largest of
these riv ers. which rises little north
of the boundary Of this <tate. and
Wandars its northern borders, for tE!e
most part on this side of it. in a oen.
orally easterlr course. is navicable
to Weldon. nearly l00 miles from its
mouth. BY It system Of locks and
dams its navigable length was at one
time more than double. reaching to
DaAville, and many long stretches Of
it, both above and below that place
have always been boatah,e.
lar river is navigabi 10 'i'arboro
10 miles from the sound.
Neuse river is navigable to Colds
bOro. about 100 miles from the sound
and with difficulty to Smithfeld. some
thirty miles fur her
Cape Fear river is navigable to
Fay yetteville, 40 miles. and slack
water navigation was established
more than ice miles further a few
years ago, about one half Of which
has been recently reopene1. This
brings water transportation half way
from the Atlantic to the Blue RiGue.
and within 115 miles Of it, in u li-
rect course and by the completion
OF Il single missing link Of railroad
connection of fifty miles, the head of
navigation on this river will be COZ.
nected with the railroad system OF
Tennessee and Virginia, and with
the great Ohio valley and the North
west. These last three rivers rise in
the middle region Of the State and
have a southeast course. wholly within
its territory.
The Yadkin and Catawba rivers.
like the Roanoke take their rise in
the Blue Ridge and flow eastward,
(and q little north.) but only about
one half Of their course, then making
a right angle turn, they take Il direc-
tiCn nearly south. into tile territory
Of South Carolina. Both these rive: S
have many boatabie reaches Of CON.
siderable extent. and SOM sixty
years ago both were Improved SO as
20 conaect these navigable portions,
and were used ior some years as
comntccial Gi.-hNays almost to the
!! foot ui tile i.!ua Ridge.
Broad river. althou- it attains con
siderable volume by the confluence
y! nany large tributaries within the
borders Of the State. very quickly
crosses the border INTO South Caro-.
| lima.
There are inanE other rivers, some
Of the tributaries OF those already
described. which attain considerable
volume, some OF them, indeed, in the
;3stern portion, broad and navlgable
streams, the Ciin~an, for example
lavagab!e beyond our territory, ano
Pungo. and Alligator. ;tna New river
and No5he1st Cape Fear, and biach
=! river ana Wac, anaw. and Lumber
river, lLittl" Pee Dec,) and man,
Io,hers Of less Importance Beyond
he Blue Ridge the rivers all flow
northwest 70 the Mississippi, eXcep
New river. which leaves i lc State ii
a northeast course, reaching the Ii5
sissippi BY way o. tue Ohio.
The force develoDcd by the fall o
those streams from the lands ant
piatoaus to the sea. aggregate mor'
than three million horse bowers, cx
ceuding that OF all the steam engine
of Great Britain OF Of the Unite,
States.
The Roanoke, tor example. at
: point some fifty miles above ~ Weletol
d2yelopes L force Of three hnnire'
horse power per foot Of fall OF on
hundred feet from Castor to u eldo
aggregating some THOUSAND hors
powers
The YaIiIlin measures almoac t.tre
= hundreI horse powers per foot, an
and taking 'Aa- part o. ltS @oufa
| from " ii1> >bOr0 To thr State il.it, a
/ uregatas not less tli5in t|p hun',.'t
: AMI fifty thousand hors" powers
} equHl to ten million splnt;le8. I'll
a Cacawba (near IIlc!lo y glyn5 neari
4 two hundred anl fifty morse power
:, per foot, and ten thousand for
: single Call AZ Nountaia Island, twei'
e miles west Of Charlotte, on which
5 now operating = 1--WE Thousand spin
|. die factory, makins SHeotin-, ooaI
t burgs. plai,o etc, anii doing the wor
+ without the use Of a dam. >pr.n
q Shoals, sixteen miles southwest lrOl
Y Charlotte. gives :; clear fall over I'll
- dam of twenty-five feet. aLj cotl]
e easily be made thirty feet: wItilin
q mile OF il two cotton factories are
q successful operation. running Ga
5 and n light, ana between the7" mil
II and Spring Shoals are several IA
1. ral falls. averaging eight feet: the
d water powers will amount 10 the
spectacle aggregate Of somc hHnirI
three hundred and FIVE hundred nor
R powers easily the Catawha then q
nregates on this side OF the Sta
line at least one hundred and sevc
ty.five thousand horse powers. I
lo Cape Fear gives an aggregate ol Il
re wards Of one hundred and twGnt
ne FIVE thousand. twelve Thousand
er Smiiey's Falls, twenty five mil
a. above FayettSviile-;,bout forty /
! cent. more than is found IL Mas
tn chusetts, at Lowell or Lawren
an Beyond the Blue Ridge many of
es rivers Of equal volume and mu
more rapid descent, give much lars
!