The independent. [volume] (Elizabeth City, N.C.) 1908-1936, 1922-12-08
A BOOST FOR TRAFFIC ]
TN EASTERN CAROLINA
But the Work Is Only Half Done and Thoss
Interested in Our Waterways Cannot
Rest on Their Oars

that the work on the Inlanq
waterway would be conplGstfiR6s IA
within a short time W
the Alligator River cutW;ts
soon be finished, have stillYsl
some thinking to do. Bet H!
this big dredging project cal
be completed, thus opening I'D,
a waterway for thousands q
fertile acres in Hyde, TyrrelE
and Beaufort Counties. ther4
are more than 100000 cubid
yards of earth to be removed
ard Congress will have to prol
vide several millions Of doll
lars to finance the work |
The route of the inland waterway
uniting every nayigable river an1
sound in North Carolina stretchel
from Norfolk to Beaufort and u
nearly 140 miles long. Only about
half this work which was originally
estimated as costing S5,000,000 hat
been completed, and before the rel
mainder can be finished, it is belieyet
that the total cost will run to eigbt
million dollars. And North Carolint
will have to wait on Congress to apI
propriate money a little at the hmd
to carry on the work.
Sixty-six and two-thirds miles ~
this work has been finished, accord
ing TO information given a reporte I
for this newspaper at the Engineer
Office at Norfolk Tuesday. And noyh
the big dredgc Currituck is working
on the Alligator River land cut whic
starts in at Gum Neck Greek and
continues for % miles southwest
course to Wilkerson Greek on thi
Pungo River.
In Alligator River there are 3,O0O,I
600 cubic yards of sand to be rel
moved. from the bottom in order a
widen the chanucl to $50 feet anY
deepen it to II feet. There are 10iy
100000 cubic yards of. earth to ba
removed in the land cut which goea
thru Hyde and Beaufort, skirtini,
Fairfield and Mattamuskeet Lake
crossing the New Holland, Higginsl
port and Mount Vernon Railroad
which has recently been built ID
! Hyde.
The present appropriation of $40 \
600 on which the work is being caIt
ried on, will not carry the dredgl
more than two miles in this land cuf
leaving 20 miles to be completed
North Carolina people who are inter-
ested in the development of the wail
erways of the state cannot afford Il
rest on their oars il their efforts wiI
interest Congress in keeping up thI
appropriations, so that the work vii
not have to be suspended so often.l
Tho canal will pass four miles froi|
Fairfield, and there a bridge win b
built where the canal crosses thI
Fairfield Canal and Turnpike Roaf
a bridge will be built also at Ieecll
vile, near Bclhaven in Beaufor
County. ~
In Pungo River million dollar
worth of dredging will be needed d
make the channel the required dept
The inland waterway when ; couI
pleted will facilitate the nayigatiol
of vessels and barges of light dra
all the way from Boston to Florid
by route sheltered from the storm
of the Atlantic. Thus the Norfolk |;
Beaufort plan is only section of th
entire project. 1t is probably III
most important from the point
view of shippers not only in Mort
Carolina, but in Virginia and othe
states as well. Norfolk and the coos
tai towns in North Carolina will dt
rive immense benefit by reason e
the advantages afforded by tha boa;
which will ply on this waterway c,
cry month. The increase in trail
will be in a great measure, due
larget vessels which will forsake IL
hazardous route around Cape Hattie
as f,r the more sheltered waters
the inland sounds and canals.
An idea of the extent of our pre:
ent inland commerce can be gaind
from the October report of shippin
at Great Bridge, Va. oil the Alb,
marie 4 Chesapeake canal where ri
records on this lap of the waterwa
is. kept. This does not include Il
great amount Of traffic that serv,
Elizabeth City and other towns b.
low Great Bridge, and, which ney,
: passes thru the canal. In one mont
however, 6I7 vessels went past Gre;
Bridge, carrying $4,000 tons
freight and 300 passengers. AZ Coz
Creek bridge near Beaufort, 81 We
sells were registered past, carrying
total of 4,500 tons.
Farmers in Eastern North Car
lima and dealers in all kinds of me
chandisc will utilize the route f,
shipments bound north. A great pa
;, OF these shipments will be re-routc
= from Norfolk, and that city will d
rive many advantages from the ira
tic. Naturally, Norfolk dealers "
!, sell Il great deal OF stuff TO caste
f