The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1894-04-22

III uck' ana OF carrying his food and blank
cts on his back, finds there paradise.
Inc primary ob ect of the Suwannee
canal Company has been to reach the
nearest timber, and TO open water way
70 the 81. Mary's river by which il can
be Heated out. To this end the canal was
commenced at what is known as Camp
Cornena, and was simultaneously CON
structed towards the west and towards
the east. This waterway has been emf
oY the largest dredse boat now engaged
on interior work In the United States, to
distance of five miles and a half from
the eastern margin of the swamp, and
Lnlllions OF feet of superb cypress are now
READY TO be brought out so soon as the
work IS completed to the river. This
( canal In the swamp is forty-tive feet
VIDE ana OF minimum depth of six feet.
Inc dredge is supplied with fuel and the
ufedge crew with provisions by a steam
Jug, s9Venty-one feet long by sixteen feet
neam. The largest expenditure made bv
the company has been in working through
q ridge Immediately ad AGENT to the
swamp, about a mile and three-fourtbs
IN width, and having an average eleva-
ZION ABOVE the water of the swamp of
ABOUT thirty-hve feet. The cut through the
/ deepest portion of this ridge is forty feet
In depth; hence, at the top, the
canal IS from seyenty-fve to 100
| 1eet In width. The method pur-
| sued by MIR. James X. Hall, the chief
engineer OF the company, to get through
/ Lhls formidable obstacle. was to cut
down with mules, scraperS, and other
railroad equipment to depth of about
twenty feet. He then located at what is
known as the Gate-pit, right on the mar
gln OF the swamp, two twelve-inch CEN
trltugaI pumps, one ten-inch, with which
ne Threw into the canal about 10000 gal
Ions of water minute. Whilst this
water was rushing down the channel,
by the use OF hosting engines
ne pulled up and down the
bed of the stream pine logs
OF about 10 feet in length, perforated by
steel spikes. These logs, CARRYING thou
sands OF pounds of steel in them, had the
appearance of huge porcupines. Thus
saving and filing the bed of the stream,
the debris was carried out at the eastern
end OF the cut, and there diverted into
lowlands, from which the water gradually
made its way to the river But not
gram Oh sand was carried int the St
Mary's, because this water was turned
into creeks and branches which
flowed many miles before entering
the river, through dense underground,
etc, by which the water was
purified. The work was conducted in
TINS manner until an average depth of
from twenty-five to thirty-fve feet was
obtained. The hydraulic system was
then stopped and three engines placed
near the summit of the ridge, each
armed with steel bucket, which was
hauled by wire cable up the bottom of
the canal until it filed, and thence ele-
waited to a galloway, whence it was
pulled on trolley over to the dump.
This work is now going on, and
the deep cut is nearly. com
pleted. Mr.. Hall estimates that the
waters of the Okefeenol1ee will be flowing
into the. St. Mary's river, by gravitation
alone, about May l. From the eastern
end of this cut to the river is a distance
of about four miles. The canal has been
cut through to within about three-fourths
of mile of the river, and it will take
approximately three months work to open
the ditch a. it now stands to a sufficient
width to float timber.
From Camp Cornelia to Folkston, the
nearest point on the Savannah. Florida
and Western Railroad, is distance Of
about eleven miles. The company will
probably, at an early date, construct
railroad to the track of the Savannah,
Florida and Western. The contractors
who made the first cut through the ridge,
Brooks Brothers & Co., have never left
Charlton county. They have already
constructed a railroad from Traders Hill,
the county seat, in the direction of the
southeastern margin of the swamp, in
order TO reach pine timber. This road
passes within two miles ofCamp Cornelia.
They are now delivering pine logs and
crossties into the St. Mary's river at
Traders Hill. The canal company will
probably also construct a railroad to some
point on the SatiIla river to supply the de-
mand for logs of the mills on that stream.
From the time of the commencement of
work in September, 1891, to the present
moment, not day has been lost. The
company does not owe dollar in the
world except to the stockholders thereof,
who submitted to voluntary assessment
for Development purposes. This fund is
not yet exhausted.
whilst the venture has been regarded
by many as an expensive dream, yet l
have not had a question but what it would
result in large benefit to all the people of
this state and of handsome profit to those
who have risked money in attacking what
was a swamp and wilderness. l do not
believe Georgia has ever had within its
limits an enterprise of greater Importance.
Already nearly 800, 600 acres of land have
been made subject to county and state
taxation, and as the work progresses
greater will be the income therefrom.
1.-The benefits to how 10 that section of
Georgia. now regarded as the poorest sec
ton of the state, are simply incalcula Bile
Already comfortable cottages are going
up in the neighborhood of Camp Cornelia.
The business at F'olkston has been
largely increased and the company has
kept steadily employed, never less than
fifty hands, and for a long period of time,
some $50. These men have moved their
wives and children to the vicinity of their
work, and during the three summers
spent there, there has never been a case
of fever, or of malarial sickness of any
kind.
About three weeks since, accompa-
MED by Mr.. D. c. Bacon, for years identi-
fed with the lumber interests of Georgia,
] went from the eastern margin of the
swamp, in a boat, over to the western
side, and after passing through Billys
lake, emerged into the Suwannee river,
which tows into the gulf. We were in
canoes, two men in the boat, and in fight
ing our way through the central
cypress bay of the swamp, TO
which reference has already been
made. we had most interesting time.
Sometimes we carried the boat and
sometimes the boat carried us. We
camped for two days and nights on
Billy's Island. Mr.. Bacon declares that
the long-leif pine timber on Black Jack
Island will cut 1900 feet to the acre, and
that so far as the cypress is con-
cerne6, he has never seen It's
equal anywhere. Before many years
elapse Charlton county will be-