The Pascagoula democrat-star. (Pascagoula, Miss.) 1878-1920, 1889-05-17
IN THE DINNAL NMaHP.
The GIOOmlest and Vest Weird spot In
the United states.
Richmond Letter.

Richmond Letter.
Next 10 the Everglades IN Flori-
da, The Dismal Swamp of Virginia
Is probably the gloomiest place in
The United States. There Is moth
Ing attractive or fascinating in
HE dense awamp, unless one is
a lover of weird scenery and un,
canny animals and reptiles, wal
lowing around in the mud and
water of their native lagpons. Yet
IN the middle of this dense wilder
ness Is situated lake Drummond.
as line a sheet of clear water as
ever floated a boat. and one is we'll
repaid IN roughIng it through the
swamp 10 see it.. The lake is now
reached by propelling a flat-bot-
tom boat up a canal, a journey
that is full of life and interest to
those who enjoy forest living.
Hall a century ago The Dismal
Swamp canal was one of the most
important artificial WATERWAYS in
The United States. In these DAYS
of rapid railroad Transportation,
however, and owing TO the compe
ttlon Of The Albemarle and Ches-
apeake canal-which parallels it
It has dropped somewhat out of
sight. II is one of the Oldest ca
nails IN The United States, aud its
management is probably The Oldest
incorporated company of its kind.
George Washington was promi.
nently connected with it, and he
found 1t a very available means of
obtaining supplies When he was
contending with CORVALLIS at
Yorktown.
The building of the canal was
begun in a remarkable way. Near
~ Two centuries ago The large land
owners Of Virginia began to pene.
trate the dark and gloomy wilds of
The Dismal Swamp in search Of
jumper and cypress shingles. The
greatest difficulty with which they
lad to contend was The soggy con
lliIon Of the soil, in which the
wheels Of their carts sank to the
lubS. The farther they penetrated
he swamp the greater became the
ilflcnlty, and at last they resorted
0 the eApedient of digging a mar.
and i'll Shapen ditch, Just deep ,
nough 10 float a Hat-bottom boat. ,
Down this canal the timber was !
-oaled TO Deep creek, a tributary ,
I the Elizabeth river, and thence !
0 :he market at Norfolk. Year :
Y year The timber was cut away :
loug the banks Of The ditch, and
ach year, as the demand for iuni- :
er and cypress shingles became :
reater, 1t was extended farther in l.
, The almost imPcnelrable wilds h
the forest. i
The work was done altogether q
Y slaves, with shovels and pick ii
Ies. The use of steam shovels 81
as unknown and unthought of. n
lowering cypress trees were h
felled and split into shingles b
slaves, who were given tasks k
lch day by their overseers, and
7 all shingles they made over the
quired amount they were paid
..
One day The O~verseerS, while Wis.
hg the workers in the forest, a
re surprised TO hear several h,
'lceS singing away off in The n
amp. An investigation was -,
lde and it was discovered that II
1rth Carolina land owners. like th
ose OF Virginia, had experienced "a
G same difficulties of hauling h,
mber IN the SOggy and treacher- ",
$ swamp, and they had sent their ",
into the wilds to dig a ditch ~,
aid them in the transportation dc
shingles and lumber. For wears ~
csc Two forces worked indepen. 70
ntly OF each other, and each, CIV
.ange to say, was digging una so
res towards the other. The two he
of tie canal were Joined dr
d The point OF connection is mn
'rked by an angle. oil
The two States finally became ce
crested in the work, and the wa tn.
5 of Lake Drumncnd were
'ughtinto requisition for feeding VIC
canal. This lake is situated in for
centre Of The swamp, and The wi
preston in which The placid wa ev,
sparkles was made by a fire wo
perhaps thousands of me
IRIS ago. The whole swamp, in str
t, represents In a modern age ine
conforming epoch of millions in
back in The geological his sor
Y OF our globe, and during an he
'eedlngly dry season-so dry, in yo.
d, That The bosgy soil was parch- be-
and transformed into an infiam- ing
BILE clay-a flash of lightning poo
anne the origin OF The fire. Tow. yOI
lg trees were felled, the scrubby Ye
ierbrush was laid low, aud then aft,
flames ate their way, foot by dai
+, INTO the inflammabIe soil, and stri
ollow circle was formed in The anC
When The rains came this unC
.reSslon became a basin for The got
unerabIe streams which trick
through the forest. and was
D transformed into a large lake.
he almost trackless swamp 4"
ugh which the canal penetrates Gus
Ill valuable on account IFS cy- pre-
and jumper, the latter article mes
oming year by year more scarce Inn
exceedingly valuable. At one doe
e a single share of the Dis per-
Swami Land Cnmnanv uas sea.