The Indianapolis journal., 1889-03-03
THE DISMAL. SWAMP.
The GIoomiest and Most Weird Spot I'm the
United States.

The GIoomiest and Most Weird Spot I'm the
United States.
Lake Drummond Letter In New York World.
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 uncanny animals and
reptiles wallowing around In the mud and
water of their native lagoons. Yet in the
middle of this dense wilderness is situated
Lake Drummond, as fine q sheet of clear
water as ever floated boat. and one is well
repaid in roughing 1T through the swamp to
see IT. The lake is now reached by propell-
ing a flat-bottom boat up canal, journey
that is full of life and interest to those who
enjoy forest living.
Half century ago this Dismal Swamp
canal was one of the most important arti-
fetal waterways in the United States. In
these days of rapid railroad transportation,
however, and owing ct to the competltlohh hsh OF
parallels it, it has dropped somewhat out of
sight. 1t Is one of the oldest canals In the
United States, and its management is prob.
ably the oldest Incorporated company OF
its kind. George Washington was promi-
nently connected with it, and he found il
very available means of obtaining supplies
when he was contending with CORVALLIS
at Yorktown.
The building of the canal was begun in
ago the large landowners of Virginia be-
gan to penetrate the dark and gloomy wilds
of the Dismal Swampin search of juniper
and cypress shingles. The greatest diff
Guilty 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 further they penetrated the swamp the
greater became this difficulty, and at last
narrow and ill-shapen ditch, just deep
enough to float a tiat-bottom boat. Down
this canal the timber was fiOated to Deep
creek, tributary OF the Elizabeth river,
and thence to the market at Norfolk. Year
by year the timber was cut away along the
banks of the ditch. and each year, as the
demand for juniper and cypress shingles
became greater, it was extended further in
to the almost impenetrable wilds of the for
est. The work was done altogether by
use of steam shovels was unknown and un-
thought Of The towering cypress-trees
were also felled add split into shingles by
slaves, who were given tasks each
ali shingles they. made over the re-
quired amount they were paid extra.
One day the overseers, while visiting the
workers in the forest, were surprised to
hear several voices singing away Off in the
swamp. An INVESTIGATION was. made, and
it was discovered that North Carolina
landowners, like those of Virginia, had ex-
perienced the same difficulty of hauling
lumber in the soggy and treacherous
swamp and they had sent their slaves into
the wilds 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
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 Drum
rIr& int
feeding the canal. This lake is situated in
the center of the swamp, and the depres-
sion in which the placid water sparkles was
made by q fire centuries, perhaps thousands
represents in q modern age the coal-foming
epOchs of millions Of years back in the geo.
logical history of the globe, and during
an exceedingly dry season-so dry,
indeed. that the boggy, soil
an infammable clay-a flash of lightning
became the origin of big fire. Towering
trees were felled, the scrubby underbrush
was laid low. and then the flames ate their
way, foot by foot, into the infiammable
ground. When the rains came this depres-
sion became basin for the innumerable
streams which trickled through the forest,
and was soon transformed into lake.
The almost tracklesS swamp through
which the canal penetrates is still valuable
on account of its cypress and juniper, the
latter article becoming, year by year, more
and more scarce and exceedingly valuable.
At one time single share of the Dismal
Swamp Land Company was worth as much
as $4,000 The tract originally taken up
and surveyed embraces 60 600 square acres.
About half as many additional square acres
are now embraced in the forest. The cy-
press is also coming into great demand for
ship-building purposes, and the annual ex-
port of the timber to Germany is large.
Bears wander unmolested in the trackless
depths of the forest, and the deadly rattle
snake basks in the sun without fear of mo-
lestation. Birds of brilliant plumage fly
from limb to limb of the huge and high
cypress and sing their carols from dark to
dark, unseen by man, excepting along the
| course of the canal