The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-07-04
IN THE DISMAL SWAMP.
THERE rs Nc HEALTHIER SPOT IN
THE WORLD, S4Ts n SCIENTIST.


hut They Won't Bite-Mosauitocs and Fiies,
but Then the Scenery IL a spectncioi
From the Washington Post.
'"Thc public Mt largo hrs n very erroneous idea
Of tho Dismal swamp" said Prof. William Pal.
mer, chief taxidcrmist of the Smithsonian Insti.
tuition. who has just returned from n trim
through the swamp.
''"Tho idea seems to be that the swamp is a
low, marshy waste, with nm unhealthy, revuss
breeding atmospheric place ono enters an
the poril Of his life, both from the foul air and
from the sting Of snakes. In point of fdct there
is not n healthier place in The world than the
Dismal Swamp. There arc 10 unhealthy or
| even unpleasant odors. Swaps, az generally
known, are wastes poorly drained and rem.
! dered unhealthy by the rotten vegetation which
is deposited In the dnmp dcpressions. In the
Dismal Swamp tho drainage is perfect. The
soil Ia sandy and tho water pcrColates through
tho sand, making tho most approved system Of
drainage. Tho water In the bitches them
| selves Is not unpleasant to the taste. 1t is dark
in color and rather thick, much Of tho consis-
| tency OF coffee, yet we drank the water during
our entire stay. and suffered no Ill effects. In
fact, we grew to like II, and i for one found 10
much moro palatabie than our Potomac wator.
''There is very little land; one might almost
say there is no land at all. The soil, as I have
said, IL Of sand, and from this grOws a vegeta-
ton Of considerable size and Of great density.
This sand is O few inches below the surface Of
the water. and the woody vegetation, growing
and falling during generations. has gradually
formed a layer Of wood and leaves which rises
a few inches above the water in some %portions.
In the dry season this built-up layer is Of suf1-
cient stability to permit it being used in the
great lumber industries.
Lake Druminond itself is nothivy moro than
q depression In the swamp. 1t is oblong in
! shape, being about three and a half miles long
by three miles wide. and in no place is 1t deeper
than thirteen feet. The lake is invaluable for
Connect n Elizabeth City. With PortsmoSSth.
swamp will never be drained; it would be Of
little use If it was. Some efforts were made to
ceeded in lowering the water in places ten miles
from the boundaries of the lake. The soil thus
Ing cultivated to some extent, It is not sufficient
ly valuable to render such a scheme fnan-
1.-The great commercial value Of the swamp
is its inexhaustible: supply OF timber. The re-
gion Is e cove eaI 70 s such al, an extent with Nth a :, Thick iSs
brightest days. The trees are Of enormous
size, and we found some son, cypress stumPs which
stumps had been cut off years and years ago.
one can only imagine what the size must have
water. bitches have been dug which traverse
the swamp in all directions, and by, these
n lake. Dr rune m nnmdef and from fanSP there lt through ieERS a so
outlet to Albemarle Sound. The lumber indus
a hundred years ago some OF the same bitches
which are now in use to-day were dug. George
Washington controlled heavy interests in tho
lumber industry, and when he died he left a2O.-
900 worth OF stock. In the several companies.
His wonderful engineering ability was e1er-
cised here for many years, and one OF the prin.
cipal waterways in use to-day was commenced
and finished under his supervision and from
These waterways, are extremely MARROW,
and their great age is evident from the great
rpass nf mnsk nyarhanginU the artificial hanks
On this moss and among the branches on the
snakes, with which the region is infested Tho
snakes are not poisonous and are harmless. Still
few persons care to see snakes all the time. The
from a boz a snake about six feet long and OF
snake se'f immediateiy 81 coiIed itself tightly around
Mr.. Palmer,s arms, and the bright sun brought
Hinged with White, The darker scales were
beautiful in the iridescent rainbow coloring
head easily. showed it to be a harmless snake.
s.. Although Coalin the snakes Nal ps sTe sve GiSsR srs to n be
pests. No snake, is a pest and, a person should
never kin a snake wantonly. They are Of in.
they wage aga against mice and vefinin. Every
barn in the country has a blacksnake. and every
finr% Eold T for ssi s good 'f It does le IS d M1 p Il he ~ sear.
The pests Of the swamp region are the MOSQUE
arc bad enough. but they can be borne; The
flies, however, are murderous in their intent.
They go forth in swarms, and woe betide the
person or animal on whom they settle. Too
small to be kept out by netting, they penetrate
relief is by jumping into the water.
ITO return to our original subject" said Mr..
Palmer, in conclusion. ''the sight which was
viewed by the first man who entered the Dismal
! Swamp by way of Lake umm must have
been one of the most beautiful which nature has
shown to man. As is evident from the stumps
to be found circling the lake, the entire lake was
lined with @ forest OF enormous and beautiful
expresses, eight, ten. and fourteen feet in diame-
ter. The branches intermingled In an impene-
trable mass, and, covered with tropical moss
and foliage, the scene in all its silent grandeur
was the most stnpendous spectacle OF Gods
nature ! can possibly imagine