The independent. [volume] (Elizabeth City, N.C.) 1908-1936, 1923-08-17
OYSTER BED IN
DISMAL SWAMP
Recent Discovery Said by
Scientist to Have Been
There $4,000 Years


People i'll upper PaSquotank
County have Tor several DAYS
been specializing over the dis
coverv of a vast oyster bed
some three to five feet thick
and five feet or more under
ground on project number lSS
OF the State Highway System.
This bed of oyster shells is about
~ miles from Elizabeth City. on the
western edge Of the great Dismal
Swamp. aud was unearthcd by big
highway dr"dg"S that are cutting Il
drainage canal the bank nj whi"h
is Ia furnish a roadhrd for th" high
Way from this city To- tiatc>v:Ilr.
IL is matter of much curiosity
10 many how such Il vast bed of
oysters could have happened To be
in the edge of the Dismal Swamp
80 or ~ miles from the ScT. The
shells of the oysters are much larger
than hose of our Mort. Carolina
oysters of today and range up to ten
inches in length. The oysters are
closed. as they died thousands of
years ago. and the InSidcs Of them
filled with mud. just rs the oysters
tLat de today become filled with
mud.
Engineers digging the biz highway
canal have discovered the oyster bed
in many places. II is estimated that
il covers many acres. The canal Is
not .traight. and consequently doesn't
strike the shells for any considerable
distance. However it may he that the
bed lies in the shape of Il haIf-m""u.
as is the sh,pe of many oyster beds
at this age.
Prof. Collier CGbh of the Un;-
vcrSity of NprtG Carolina. tells this
newspaper that the :I"g" oysters in
the western edge Of tn" Dismal
Swamp indicate slight changes in
level and temperature in the sea
there during the last glacial epoch.
The time is estimated by Dr. Cobb
as approximately $1,000 years ago.
At that time much Of our coast land
was part of thr sea and imm"nS" de-
p6Sits Of earth, and ice or whatever
covered the universe had not moved
down To tho sea. AZ som" time IN
that far distant age. an immense vol
umn of matter broke loose from the
upper country and covered tn" ocean
bed for miles out from shore. re
claiming millions of acres Of land
from the sea and formju. an area
now among the most fertile IN ia"
world and the dwelling place of thou
sands of people.
This is the most notable tind IN
point of size. of this nature that
has been uncovered in this region.
Fragments of similar formations hav"
been found all alon. the Atlantic sea-
board by engineers boring for deep
wells. and in mining Experiments.
\ few years ago sharks teeth were
found several hundred feet below tn"
surface while b9rings were being
made for water supply for Ellz-
abeth City.
These warm water fo,ms range
as far north as Boston. says Dr.
Cobb. In ST l collected smaller
shells near South Mills. and i'll 30
I found them at Boston.
The story of the find on the Gates
vile Highway was first brought to
town by IIersey =. Williams candy
manufacturer of this city who chanr-
ad on the scene while making his
rounds OIL tne trdd' III '""'
and brought back Il packas" "t the
shells for souvenirs. Mr.. Williams
recalls that shells similar in appear
snce we're found when a well was
being dug in the neighborhood Il few
years before.
The question has been brought up
as to the feasibility of mining TINS
immense bed of shells TO obtain mari
for agricultural purposes. Some pco-
pie express the belief that the scheme
is entirely practicable; they say the
suppIy would furnish the needs oi
\ortb Carolina farmers for many
years to come. Another Made IN
Carolinas' stunt.