Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1889-03-05
IN THE DISMAL SWAMP.
The Gloomiest and Most Weird Spot in
the United States.

From Richmond Letter.
Next to the Everglades in Florida the Dismal
Swamp Of Virginia is probably the gloomiest
| place in the United States. There is nothing
attractive or fascinating in the dense swamp
unless one is lover of weird scenery and I'M
canny animals and reptiles wsIlowing around
IN the mud and water Of their native lagoons
Yet in the middle of this dense wilderness is
situated Lake Drummond, as fine sheet Of
| clear water as ever hoated boat, and one is
well repaid in roughing it through the swamp
10 see It. The lake is now reached by propell-
ing fiat-bottom boat up a canal, a journey
that is full of life and interest to those who en-
| Joy forest living,
Half a century ago this Dismal Swamp canal
was one of the most important artificial water
ways IN the United States. In these days of
rapid railroad transportation, however, and
owing to the competition of the Albemarle and
chesapeake canal, which parallels it, it has
dropped somewhat out of sight. 1t is one of
the oldest canals in the United States, and its
management is probably the oldest incorpora-
ted company of its kind George Washington
was prominently connected with it, and he
found it a very available means of obtaining
| supplies when he was contending with Corn
wallis at Yorktown.
The building OF the canal was begun in a re-
markable way. Nearly two centuries ago the
large landowners of Virginia began to pene-
trate the dark and gloomy wilds of the Dismal
swamp IN search of juniper and cypress shin
giles. The greatest difficulty with which they
had to contend was the soggy condition of the
soil, in which the wheels of their carts sank to
the hubs The farther they penetrated the
swamp the greater became this difficulty, and
at last they resorted to the expedient of Dig
ging a narrow and ill-shapen ditch, Just deep
enough to float hat-bottom boat Down this
canal the timber was Heated to Deep creek, a
tributary of the Elizabeth river and thence to
the market at Norfolk. Year by year the tim
Der was cut away along the banks of the ditch.
and each year. as the demand for juniper and
cypress shingles becpme greater. it was ex-
tended farther into the almost impene trable
wiids of the forest The work was done alto
gether by slaves, with shovels and pick-axes
The use OF steam shovels was unknown and UNI
thought OF. The towering cypress trees were
also felled and split into shingles by slaves,
who were given tasks each day by their over
seers, and for all shingles they made over the
required amount they were paid extra
One day the overseers, while visiting the
workers in the forest, were surprised to hear
/ several voices singing way off in the swamp.
An investigation was made and it was discov-
cred that North Carolina landowners. like
those I!os OF Virginia, had experienced the same
difficulties of hauling lumber in the soggv and
treacherous swamp. and they had sent their
slaves into the wids to dig ditch to aid them
IN the transportation of shingles and lumber
FOR years these two forces worked independ-
emily of each other. and each. strange to saw
was digging unawares toward the other The
two sections of the canal were Joined and the
point of connection is marked by an angle
The two states finally became interested in
the work. and the waters of Lake Drummond
were brought into requisition for feeding the
canal. This lake is situated in the center of
the swamp. and the depression in which the
placid water sparkles was made by fire CEN
turies, perhaps thousands of years ago. The
whole swamp. III fact, represents in a modern
age the conforming epoch of millions of years
back in the geological history of our globe, and
during an exceedingly dry season-so dry ill.,
deed, that the DOGGY soil parched and
transformed INTO an lnfiammable clay IA fash
OF lightning became the origin of a big fire.
Towering trees were feiled. the scrubby under
brush was laid low. and then the flames ate
their way, foot by foot. into the infammable
soil, and hollow circle was formed in the
ground. When the rains came this depression
became a basin for the innumerable streams
which trickled through the forest, and was soon
transformed into large lake.
The almost trackless swamp through which
the canal penetrates is still valuable on account
of its cypress and juniper, the latter article be-
coming year by year more scarce and exceed
ingly valuable. At one time q single share of
the Dismal Swamp Land company was worth as
much as S32 900. The tract originally taken up
and surveyed embraces co. 900 square acres
About half many additional square acres are
now embraced in the forest The cypress is
also coming into great demand for ship-build-
ing purposes. and the annual export of the
timber TO Germany is large. Bears wander
unmolested i'll the trackless depths of the forest,
and the deadly rattlesnake basks in the sun
without fear or molestation. Birds of brilliant
plumage fly from limb to limb of the huge and
high cypress and sing their carols from day to
day, unseen by man except along the course of
the canaI