Fisherman & farmer. [volume] (Edenton, N.C.) 1887-19??, 1897-02-26

The New York ItWeS OF Sun
day prints under a Baltimor
date line of February 20 a colum,
article upon Dismal Swamp ca
nal improvements. Followin!
is the text, with proper credi
given:
Capitalists of this city ar
engaged in all enterprise which
it is expected will have marked
effect upon transportation be
tween the North and the South
The scheme conternplates a gen
eral enlargement of the Dislna
Swamp Canal, and the restora
ton of that ancient waterway te
something like its former i'm
portance as means of bringing
freight from the Carolina river:
to Norfolk or into Chesapeake
Bay.
"The modern canal is no long.
er a contracted and shallow chan
mel flanked by a towpath, on
which draught animals pull
boats of light draught and limits
ed tonnage. On the contrary, it
is broad and deep, and of suf6
cient capacity to float heavy
barges towed by steam tugs, or
to accommodate river steamers
carrying both passengers and
freight. To all intents and pur>
poses the canal is an artificial
river, differing from the natural
water course chiefly in being
provided with locks to control
currents and maintain the prop
er level. Consequently, i'll the
rehabilitation of the Dismal
Swamp Canal. the towpath will
vanish, the width and depth will
be greatly increased, and pass
sage for all shipping drawing
less than ten feet of water will
be provided between Chesapeake
Bay and Albemarle Sound.
"The first steps in this enter
prise were taken about three
years ago, when the property
was acquired ,under foreclosure
proceedings. About the same
time the Lake Drummond Canal
and Water Company, taking its
name from the big lake in the
of the Dismal Swamp,
was organized to promote the
enterprise. A syndicate, formed
in 1895 by Alexander Brown &
Sons, of Baltimore, bankers,
composed of capitalists of Balti-
more, Philadelphia and Norfolk,
took up 81 100000 i'll construc>
ton and equipment bonds to
provide funds for the improve
ment. BY the terms of the cor
poration charter, the company
is empowered not only to con-
struct and maintain a ship canal,
but to use or sell the water of
Lake DrummOnd and the tribu-
tary creeks for any purpose.
PLANNED BY WASHINGTON.
"The Dismal Swamp Canal is
one of the oldest artificial water
ways in the United States Was
planned by George Washington,
and was chartered by the Legis-
lature of Virginia and North
Carolina in l787-IIo years ago
The charter powers Of the origi-
nal company are such as no Leg
islature would now grant, the
franchise and privileges being
perpetual and irrevocable. Ten
years was allowed for The con-
struction, but the time was twice
extended, in 1910 and 1916. The
need of All inland route of con-
nunication was seriously felt by |
the United States Government
during the blockade of the South
ern ports in 1914, and Congress
S25o,ooo for the
completion of the canal.
"It was opened for traffic in
1924, and almost Immediately be-
came paying institution. From
1S4o to the breaking out of the
civil war it was the principal in
land route for transportation be>
tween the North and the South.
In 1856 it paid dividend of 8
per cent. on a capitalization of
But at the beginning
of the war transportation ceased,
and after the capture of Roanoke
Island in 1862 Gen. Henry A. |
Wise, who made his escape
through the Dismal Swamp ca
nal, demolished three of its locks
to head off pursuit. 1t was then
seized by the government, par
tally repaired, and used for trans
port purposes. In 1865 the prop
erty was returned to its owners in