The Newberry herald and news. (Newberry, S.C.) 1884-1903, 1886-12-22
THE COLUMBIA CANAL.
The sites, The Costs and Suggestions
for UtillzinS What Has Been Done.

The Canal, rs originally construct
cd for the purpose Of flat boat navi-
CATION, extended from Bull Sluico to
a point near Old CRANKY, a distance
of nearly five miles. The prosent
work, enlarging and deepening tho
old Canal for tho purpose of fur
nishing largo volume of water for
manufacturing purposes, commences
at the foot Of Gervais street and has
been extended through Cemetery
Hill, q distance of about one and
one-third miles This work has bccn
partially completed, and but for the
freshet in May last would havo boon
entirely completed, leaving tho Canal
yet to be completed to Bull Sluice.
distance of about one and two
thirds miles from tho present tor
minus, near Cemotory Hill. When
completed to Bull Sluico there must
be built stone dam across tho Broad
River ovor seventeen hundred feet
long and the necessary appurtenan-
COS thoreto, to regulate the quantity
of water to bo forced into the Canal.
This work is estimated to cost sixty
eight thousand dollars, which is an
exceedingly low estimate for dam
of that length. When this is all
completed to this point-tho Canal
and dam and its appurtonances-thc
Canal will be completed little
more than half of it's original length.
In other words, to get the benefit Of
it it must be carried on from Gcrvais
street to tho old terminus at point
near CRANKY, a distance Of two
miles.
Tho topography Of tho country
from Cemctery Hill to tho Broad
River Bridge, which is near Bull
Sluice, viewed from Cemetery Hill,
is low and fiat, entirely unsuitel on
either side of tho Canal for mill sites,
as is subject to overflow in high
water, and, in addition, it presents
no sitos for factory dwellings,. The
fall above and just below the Broad
River Bridge is only ten fcct, which
would require too much water to
propel n given amount of machinery.
A twenty foot fall would only re-
quire only one-half of the amount
required on ten foot fall The fall
at Cemetory Hill is sixteen feet, and
it increases gradually from this point
to about twenty -nino feet below the
Penitentiary. No good mill sites
could be seen from Cemetery Hill to
Gorvais street, but just above the
Penitentiary site was pointed out
that could be utilized i fifteen Mou-
sand dollars in money o,,d lubor qca&
expended to builI e tunncl amber the
Canal to carry the ,Uater uSetl boch into
the riVer.
At Gervais street begins, in our
Judgment, tho mill sites, and from
this point to the terminus of tho old
Canal both sites for mills and sllta-
bic ground for the erection of tho
operatives houses can be obtained
Tho first two sites below Gcrvais
street bolong to-Grccn and
Green; the next, tract Of ono hun
dred and twenty five acres on each
side Of the Canal, belongs to Colonel
5. A. Pearce. Just below this is four
hundred acres of land belonging to
--Green, and below this tract is Il
body of land containing seventy two
acres, belonging to tho State of South
Carolina
Under a second resolution Of your
honorable bodies, tho Committed was
also authorized to inquire and report
upon what terms the City Of Colum-
bia would take the Canal and COM
plete it. After comforting with Hon.
John Il. RI ett, Mayor, and his
laying the matter before the City
Council, they declined to take it, on
tho ground that the city is largely
indebted and is precludod by the
Constitution Of this State from con-
tracting, any larger debt.
., The cost of the Canal to tho State,
up to this 1st November, 1886, as
nearly as could be ascortaincd, is as
follows Money appropriated and
expended, forty. eight thousand eight
hundred and three 17-100 dollars;
cost of feeding, guarding and cloth
ing the convicts SO employed has been
hinety-two thousand five hundred
and fifty three 1O-1O0 dollars {;
and to this should be added the value
, OF the labor SO employed, which,
when calculated at six dollars per
month for each convict SO employed,
amounts to sixty thousand six hun
.dred dollars, amounting in tho ag-
gregate to two hundred and one thou
sand nine hundred and fifty six 81
400 dollars rs amount Of money and
! the value and cost of the labor so
employed.
In conclusion we. would suggest