The Democrat. (Scotland Neck, Halifax Co., N.C.) 1884-1896, 1893-03-09

the control OF the Chs2res River
The most important one OF the above
10 the dam, which is to contain s.
OOO,O 900 cubic yards o! filling.
! Those 10 position to ksow, and
well-lnformed men generally, place
the probable cost OF compilation 81
not less than $l25, 100000 and the
time at not less than seven years.
| Leaving Coloo, q couple OF days
sail put us at Greytowns, Nlcaraeos,
1.-The eastern terminus Of the Nlcara>
qua Canal. The advantages claimed
for this canal over its its rival al
Panama are, 6rst, the greater sase OF
construction; aecon, its more north
ern position; and and third, toe eli
mate and prevailing winds a:e more
favorable. TIE menchanical details
are simpler aud its position makes
a material saving in distance between.
| New York and San Francisco.
A great deal has been said about
the harbor Of 0revtown bslrg Det ter
than that Of Colon or Panama. On
visiting these places one fa,ls to fjnd
it true. 1t is true, however, tina.
Greytown has had fine large har>
Dor, but the sea has built Q ridge Of
sand which incioses the harbor, thus
forming a large lagoon. A pier or
break-water has been tnilt, ronnine
out normal to the coast.
and to the westward cham
nel or entrance to the lagoon ha.
been dred2ed. The breakwster i,
now about one thousand feet lons
and is composed Of creosoted piles.
This, however, is only framework.
temporary on account Of the destruc-
tive +eredo, and is to he flied In With
| natural and artificial rock, part ot
which is already in place. To the
eastward Of tue pier the shore line
tas made out about seven hundred
feet. The channel to the westward
does not get as much securing out IS
was hoped for. The h7eakwater will
probably have to be continually ex.
tended, and constant dredging vii
be necessary to keep the entrance to
the harbor IN passable shape.
Work was commenced on the Mic.
aragua route about five pears ago,
and the pro2res has been good.
Necessary buildings have been built
10 tue rost economical style, stores
Tor meterial established, machine
shops started, dredges, tow boats,
and barges bought and put to work,
and short line Of railroud constrac.
ted.
On hand car We took a run over
the railroad, which 10 now nine miles
long. One is struck With woDdeF
while looking at this piece Of work,
and caunot help admitting the pluck
and perseverance, OF the builders.
The road runs parallel and close t"
the canal line. 1t runs through
swamp land, and when they started
to build it, there was nothing but s
dense forest of trees and under.
growth, the ground being covered t"
depth Of four or Eve feet with stag
nant water. saturated with decayed>
vegetation. Men stood in this wa
ter up. to their shoulders and lshos
rlously chopped and felled the trees.
Many Of these trees we're o. wood a
bard and unimprasslonahle as iron
A strip of swamp land was c'eareh
to a width of about eighty feet and
for a distance of six miles. The trees
we're trimmed and then formed into
a cribwork a'>ng the line Of tue rond
and oG this cribwork stringers. tee,
and rails were laid. Sand from the
dredges was dumped on this, packing
down through and around the timber,
thus forming an embankment.
Where the embankment sank
down into the ns.e OF toe swamp,
more timber and sand was ADDED.
Thus was made the road bel that
many engineers sali was impossible
of construction. The cost was forty |
per cent. less per mile than the orig |
ioal estimate. Tals TOAD ia to be
used in transmitting material, tools,
etc, to different points
along the line Of the canal. |
The two large dredges, the city of
Paris and the city OF New York,
have stated on the Toek of dredging !
and have cot since January, 1891, >
cbanuel 1900 feet long, $50 feet
tide, aui 20 feet deep. The track
Of the canal has been cleared Of trees
.na rrdorhrnsh far eleven miles |