The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1890-10-04
A HEALTHY SWAMP

unique formation of its kind in the
world. Its location is on the boundary
line, lying partly in Virginia and partly
in Nortyh Carolina. 1t is hard to tell
where 1t begins or where it ends. 1t
may, however, be said to begin at
point about eight miles south of Nor
folk, Va, and extends in a general
southerly direction for a distance Of
nearly 40 miles. Its general width is
about IS miles. 1t therefore embraces
about 1000 square miles, or 64o,ooo
acres of territory.
The soil is of dark color and of
peaty nature, so much SO that when a
swamp gets unusually a:y the fires that
are started there burn for weeks in the
soil, burning out large holes in the
ground several feet in depth. 1t is
brought down IN the traditions of the
Indians that Lake Drummond, body
of water in the middle of the swamp,
covering about IS square miles of sur
face, was burned out, making a large
depression, into which the waters flowed
when the rains came again, and which
has been lake to this uay.
Most swamps are on low ground,
lower than the land adj ,ining. But
the Dismal Swamp occupies higher
ground than the adjacent lands tits 27
feet higher than mean tide in Norfolk
harbor, and considerable higher than
the land to the east, north or south OF
it. Only at the westward do we see
higher lane. Therefore the water is
held in this swamp as it is held in
sponge. Four or five good sized streams
and several smaller ones have their
headwaters In this swamp, and flow
away to the sea, to the south, east and
north. If large bitches w-re dug from
the outer limit of this swamp to the
lake at the centre, the waters of the
lake would run out like the waters OF a
mill-race, and the swamp would soon
be dra ined.
Strange as It may appear, there are
no unhealthful influences emanatiDg
from this swamp. Most swamps are
hotbeds OF disease breeding mosquitoes
and malaria. Not so with the Dismal
Swamp. Its waters are not Only pure
and sweet at all seasons of the year,
but have fine medicinal properties.
This swamp is covered with juniper,
therefore the water is strongly impreg-
mated with the juniper, which gives it
color just like that of cold tea or vine
gar, and which deals very kindly with
the kidneys.
This water is used largely for drink
ing purposes by those who can get it,
and Government vessels leaving Nor.
folk harbor for long ocean voyages fill
their tanks with this juniper water from
the Great Dismal Swamp because of
its purity, its medical properties and its
fine keeping properties. 1t is fact
that it keeps longer and better than any
other water that can be obtained by
our seagoing vessels. We doubt if
there are three cities in the Union sup
piled with better water for domestic
purposes than the water from this
swamp. 1t is fact we'll known to the
natives here, that if man is broken
down with overwork or almost any
chronic disease, he can take mis- rod
and gun and plunge into the 1ecesses
of this swamp-drink juniper water
sleep on juniper boughs-and breath e
the juniper air ; and come out in a few
weeks well man. The fact is, this
swamp breeds neither mosquitoes nor
malaria, and has no unhealthful infu-
ence on the surrounding country.
The Dismal Swamp canal traverses
this track nearly its entire length, north
and south. This canal is fed by the
waters of Lake Drummond. Three
railroads also cut across its northern
limits on their way to a deep sea ter
minus in Norfolk harbor. In addition
to these we have the "Jericho Canal"
and "Washington's Ditch"
In this connection 1 may mention
the fact that George Washington, with
his own real little hatchet, surveyed in
this swamp, and knew it better in his
day than any man has since. He sur
veyed and located the Dismal Swamp
canal, which was forty years in building
the entire work beng done with
spade and wheelbarrow. 1t is un-
doubtedly the oldest canal, with one
exception, in the United States. In
surveying it there was found section
of several miles in length, where the
ground was literally filled with sunken
timber in perfect state of preservation.
The process OF removing this timber
was so slow and expensive, with the
simple machinery of those days, that
the canal was banked up, so to speak,
and runs above the level of the sur
rounding country. The soil on the
margin of the swamp is very rich, in-
deed. Some of the finest crops of corn
and grass | ever saw were grown ON
such soil. Bears are still to be found
there, and steal the farmers pigs and
calves and eat his corn within Il miles
of Norfolk, just as they did 100 years
ago. The deer and fox also are found
here. 1t was last year, l believe that
a wild OK Was shot in the depths of this
swamp that had been living there wild
since the year 1861. Large areas of
the swamp are covered with reeds,
which make fine pasturage, both in
summer and during a greater par. of