The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-09-08

few short lateral bitches would be requir-
| ed
We found the canal in the same condi-
ton as the old Casey and old DeRenne ca
nails. and the swamp In places wet and
Doggy. 1t does not appear that any coun-
ty work had been done on this drainage
for a long time.
HARMON SWAMP WATERSHED.
This drainage area covers about three
and a half square miles lying little to
the southwest of the city and from about
two and a half to nearly five miles beyond
the corporate limits. In it's widest part it
extends on both sides of the White Bluff
road from the south end of the Waters
road on the east to the Middle Ground road
on the west 1t contains some splendid
truck farms within itsslimits and, were
its canal more Systematically constructed
and the necessary laterals dug, the whole
OF 1t would soon be brought under culti-
walton as all of its parts would then be
easily accessible from the White Bluff,
Stevenson's, and parts of Montgomery
cross and Buckhalter roads.
We found the canal about six miles out
on the road nearly clean, and this fact
forcibly impressed itself upon the commit
tee, as it was the only one we had seen
i'm all of our trips that Appropriated any
way near this condition or showed that
any work had been done upon 1t in recent
times. There are but two or
three laterals dug by the county to
this canal We regret we cannot speak
in such favorable terms OF the condition
of these. They need cleaning out, and q
number Of others are necessary and should
be dug
Where two of the small tributary
swamps are crossed by the Montgomery
Cross road, between the Waters and White
=. 10 l.. anraa Iaaf.
recently laid 20 carry the water under the
road We found both lines broken and the
water flowing under and around the pipe
as well as through II. In our opinion these
conduits are entirely too small for the
purpose intended, and the first heavy rain
is liable to complete their destruction
BUCKHALTER.
This watershed Is the most remote from
the city of any we visited. It's area is
about two-thirds the size of Musgrove, to
the southwest of which it is located II
discharges its waters into the Little Ogee-
chez river through a small creek running
down through the plantations of Cher
bourg and Rockingham, about six and
half miles southwest from the cor
porate limits. From the Buckhalter
road which crosses the swamp
about two miles above the outlet, we
observed that the right of way for the
canal had been cleared above and below
and about one hundred and fifty yards
north of the road force Of some fifty
or sixty conVicts were digging a section
Of the canal.
We went down through the swamp to
where the dredge had been at work, some
half a mile or more above the proper out
let AS the tide. which had just turned
ebb, still covered the swamp, we could
not get very close TO the work that had
been done.
At this point nothing was being done on
the canal but we saw one or two con-
victs and some men at work rebuilding
the dredge, 1t appeared that much has
yet TO be done to get the dredge in work.
ing condition.
We were informed that some lis con-
victs are at the Buckhalter camp. and
suppose the remainder OF the force there
which we did not see was employed in
clearing the right of way.
ROADS.
Water is the greatest enemy to a road
and thorough drainage is an indispensa-
bic requisite In its construction and main
tenance. Particularly is Il true in this
county, where the annual rainfall is so
great, the precipitation at times so large
and the country so fiat that even with
the best constructed drains the water is
slow in reaching the channels and streams
which carry Il off. 1t may be accepted as
an axiom that without good drainage no
good road can be built and maintained ex-
cept at great cost and constant attention
We regret to say that. from our obser-
Yatien of the road work, drainage seems