The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1910-09-13
HARD FOR
DISMAL SWAMP
Lake Drummond Route
For the Canal
IN INLAND WATERWAY

aIhemarIe and Chesapeake Canal,
Which was Recommended Preyi-
Advocates. While the Dismal
swamp Advocates Wearing Badges.
a Fight for Life" Urge it Upon
IN. Intra-Coastal Board of Engi-
necrs.
(SDecial to News and Observer.)
Norfolk. Va, Sept. Sit was a big
delegation that came from Eastern
North Carolina to present the rival
claims of the Dismal Swamp route and
the AIbemarle and Chesapeake canal
route. Fully three hundred and fifty
North CarOlinians from Elizabeth
CIV. South Mills, and Pasquotank and
Camden counties came to fight for the
Dismal swamp canal as a link in the
Inland Waterway, urging that the
Lake Drummond route be used in The
chain from Beaufort to Cape Cod, the
arguments being presented to the
Inua-COaStal Waterways Board, com
posed of United states Army engi-
nears authorized by Congress to select
a route, the report to be made to the
Secretary of War. Representatives of
the AIbemarIe and Chesapeake canal
were also heard.
In the final analysis of the case the
DiSmd Swamp route advocates point
ed out their view that the selection Of
the AIbemarle and Chesapeake canal
as a link in the inland waterways
chain meant the cOnfiScation and
Abandonment of the Dismal Swamp
canal, that South Mills, commercially,
would be destroyed; that Elizabeth
Cfty's splendid development would be
checked by reason of its being de-
priTed OF its present water traffic ia
CiliUes: that productive farms in the
Dismal Swamp and the busy lumber
mills would be impaired, if not closed
up, by choking up the channels of
communication. 1t was urged that if
the canal is bought and ~deeDened thai
Dismal Swamp can be reclaimed and
thousands of acres of fertile land be
made available to produce immense
crops, it being also pointed out that
seventy per cent of canal traffic now
select The Dismal Swamp route.
In favor Of the Dismal Swamp canal
route the speakers were Messrs. M.
K. king, president of the Lake Drum
mOnd Canal Company; Walter B.
Brooks, chairman of the executive
committee Of the canal company, Bal
tmOre; ". Ira Halstead, Of South
Mills, n. c.; President E. r. Lamb, Of
tn Elizabeth City Chamber of Com
merce, former Mayor J. B. Leigh, Of
Elizabeth City; Reb Stewart, of Ports
mouth city, and an authority on Dis
NAL Swamp conditions; L. w. c. Over
man, representing Progressive Harbor
NO. ?, American Association Of Mas
ter Mates and Pilots, Norfolk; Frank
Lindsay, owner of valuable far
land in the swamp and J. j. Woodley,
OF Washington. N. G.
The Albemarle and Chesapeake
route arguments were presented by
Messrs. D.. S. Burwell, of the Abe
marie and Chesapeake Canal Com
pany, and Mr.. Tate, Of Currituck
county; Harvey NJ. Dickson, vice-pres-
Ident Of the Atlantic Deeper Water
ways Association, represented the as
SocIatTon, saying that body wishes to
iedNe the matter of routes entirely
win Congress and the Government
Engineers and will take no part in To-
Cai hghts over routes that these
Hshts might endanger the whole pro
!ect, that Congress would not buy two
routes through one section and that
ou'h q course would make it cost as
much as the Panama Canal.
y Fight For Life read the badges
"oIh py the Dismal Swamp advocates
""o the delegates emphasized this
Sg"Ilhent. Arguments were present
- 20 show this to be the better route
- most popular route. Mr.. M. K
Hhihg IN his remarks showed that the
DIsLnal Swamp Lake route had the
I9ieFence in traffic, that from March
- August 81 while 1878 craft wen
1(9I me Currituck route 2,S72 Graf
tL.rc'ed the Lake D~runnond route
i4t' the business was increasing rap
Gls' mat this canal performed it's mis-.
h. peIore there were railroads anC
""s continued to do so for 80 years.
C ffooks, of the Lake DrummonC
tb" 80" executive committee, said tina
-" S%haI as it stood would be turned
' 'oF $l,750,000. The recommends.