Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-07-20
IN. G.. CANAL LINKS INTERIOR
WITH ATLANTIC PORT
WiImington-Norfolk Project, 29l Miles
Long, Begun in 1907, Has Cost
u. S. $l2.675,OOO.

| a waterway. 10 feet deep at mean low
| water, between Neuse River and Beau
| fort Inlet, N c.. at an estimated cost
of $3.50, 900. This section was completed
| in 1911 and the depth has since been
| increased to IL feet at mean low water.
In 1911 Congress authorized the ex-
| tension of the section between Norfolk
| and Neuse River This was completed
| last year at a cost of nearly $4,000, 900,
| providing a waterway IL feet deep and
| 90 feet wide from Norfolk, Va, to Beau
! fort, N. c.. q distance of 1877 miles.
| In 1927 Congress authorized the ex-
! tension of the 12-foot waterway from
| Beaufort Inlet to Cape Fear River, N.
| c., 80 miles in distance, at an estimated
! cost of $500, 900. Work on this extern
sion was started in March, 1929, and Ia
being pushed rapidly toward completion.
| The work is well ahead of schedule and
| the project, which was originally esti-
mated as requiring five yeare, is ex-
pected to be finished within three-year
| period at cost considerably below the
| original estimate.
The fresh waters of Cape Fear River
at point Is miles below Wilmington,
| N. c., and the salt waters of Myrtle
Sound were joined on March last,
when the land cut was completed The
cut is located just north of Fort T;shsS,
the last stronghold of the Confederacy.
| The difference in elevation at high
water in the river and the sound is
about two and half feet, which has
resulted in strong current through
the land cut. Engineers now fear It
may be necessary to construct tidal
lock in this cut because the velocity Of
the current may undermine Whining
ton-Fort Fisher highway bridge cross
ing the canal. This tidal lock would
cost about $500 000 but money for IL
already has been provided by the Fed
eral Government in the existing project.
Wilmington Cotton Port.
Wilmington, North Cardinals chief
seaport, Is one of the largest cotton
exporting ports in the world. The city
has a population Of 80, 49, according to
the 1880 census figures, and its banking
resources exceed $26,0o0,0oo It has
sailings of foreign and coastwise yes
sells, drawing 26 feet of water. and when
the 3O-foot channel in Cape Fear River
from Wilmington to the ocean, author
lied by Congress on June IS, is COM
pleted, larger ships will use the port.
Wilmington has six railway lines In
addition to improved waterways and
paved highways radiating therefrom.
The two rivers, Cape Fear and North
east, which join at Wilmington, have
recently been spanned by two draw
bridges. The port has protected har-
Dor, with ample anchorage basins,
wharves and shipping terminals. The
headquarters of the Atlantic Coast Line
Railroad Co. are located there.
Low Freight Rates Predicted.
There are several large wholesale
houses in wilmington with established
connections distributed over q wide ter
ritory, and 1t has been estimated that
a saving of from 200 to 500 per cent
in freight transportation charges viii be
effected by the inland waterway system
to the commercial interests of Whining
ton, with a corresponding saving 70
practically every port along the route.
Wilmington is also the distribution point
for the larger oil and gasoline COM
panieS, which bring million-gallon car.
goes there for distribution by rail to
Interior and Western Carolina points.
The waterway between Norfolk and
wilmington will touch such popular
North Carolina resorts as Beaufort.
Morehead City, Wrightsville Beach and
Caroline Beach, and 1t is expected that
the yachting traffic will be unusually
heavy in the canal during the Spring
and Summer months.
i The ruins of Fort Fisher, located just
few miles below the Cape Fear River
land cut, attracts thousands OF tourists
throughout the year. Fort Fisher, Is
history records, withstood q terrtnc
bombardment by the Federal heet that
began on Christmas eve, 1864, the firing
lasting through Christmas day and into
the night.
Confederate Wreck Visible.
Several hundred yards offshore at
wrirhtsvflle Beach the wreck of the
Fanny and Jenny, a Confederate block
ade runner, can be seen awaSh ct low
tide. The ship ran aground IN September,
1865, en- route from Nassau, BRUSH
port, to Wilmington. The late DR..
James Sprunt of Wilmington, cotton
exporter, pflilanthropist and author OF
!, "The Chronicles of the Lower Cape
Fear" shortly before his death offered
Capt. Jesse Price of Wrightsville Beach,
S25, 900 If he would salvage gold sword
and scabbard from the wreck. This
sword Dr. Sprunt told Capt. Price, was
! being sent by the British government to
Gen. Robert E. Lee.
Nearby. Money Island, where "Black
Beard" is reported to have buried his
treasures, and Topsail Inlet, also rem
devious of pirate bands, including the
romantic figure Mary Read, are also 10"
Gated on the inland waterway. Twenty
six wrecks, mostly blockade runners, are
shown on a map Of the Wilmington
coastal section, prepared by Capt. Robt.
N. Sweet of Wilmington. On Cape Fear
River, several miles below Wilmington,
is located the historic Dram Tree"
Mariners were in the habit of taking
their first and last dram on voyages IN
passing this tree, for good luck.
Historic Buildings Standing.
In Wilmington at one intersection,
Third and Market streets, are located
the following places of interest: The
present home of Miss Rowe Virgins,
whose Colonial house was used by Corn.
wallis as headquarters for his star dur
ing the Revolution; st. Jamess Episco-
pal Church, the edifice used by Cornwall
lis as a stable for his horses, and during
the War Between the States as a hos
pital; the church graveyard with the
grave of Cornelius Harnett, Revolution
airy patriot, and the site Of the Confed-
crate headquarters, where also Calhoun
was entertained in 1919.
At the mouth of Cape Fear River Is
located Palmetto (Bald Head or Smiths)
Island, a semi-tropical island, the
shores of which are Tapped by the Gulf
Stream. which makes a detour shore
ward on account of Frying Pan Shoals,
the latter jutting directly seward from
the island Palmetto Island Is the far.
thermost northern point where palmetto
trees and other tropical growth abound.
Two lighthouses and q United States
Coast Guard station are located on the
island.