Annual report of the President and Directors of the Albemarle and Chesapeake Canal Company

              TWENTV-FiFTH A^'MUAL REPORT
PRESIDENT AND DIRECTORS
y[MAIIL[UII[SHECIINA
rOR THE
FISCAL YEAR ENDING SEPTEMBER 30, 1880.
KORFOLK, VA.:
PRINTED AT TH^^ t A^r MARK STEAM BOOK AND JOB OFFICE
It
THi:
L,
TOGETHER WITH THE
Mpk k Delaware Gasal d Delaware li Earitan Canal,
FORM THE GREAT INLAND NAVIGATION FROM
HEW TORK, PHILADELPHIA & BALTIMORE
BY CANALS AND INLAND NAVIOATION FOR STP]AM-BOATS,
SAILING VESSELS, RAFTS, &c , AVOIDING THE
DANGERS OF HATTERAS AND TIIK COAST OF NORTH
CAROLINA—SAVING TIME AND INSURANCE.
DIMENSIONS OF CANALS AND LOCKS.
Canals. Locks.
Albemaele and Chesapeake Canal,
Chesapeake and Delaware Canal,
Delaware and Rakitan Canal,
Miles.
*i4
14
43
345
Length,
feet.
220
220
220
110
Width,
feet.
40
24
24
18
Depth,
feet.
Erie, of New York, _ _ _ - -
*Anci thirty luilej* slack water.
C-^ Light-draft steamers bound to Charleston, Savannah, Florida and the West
Indies take this roiite.
Steam tug-boats leave Norfolk, towing sail vessels, barges, rafts, &c., to and from
Morth Carolina to Baltimore, Philadeljihia and New York.
Freight steamers leave Norfolk for the following places : Edeuton, Elizabeth
City. Hertford, Plymouth, Jamesville, Williamston, Hamilton, Hill's Fen-y, Pal-myra,
Scotland Neck, Halifax, Weldon, Columbia, Fairfield, Windsor, Winton,
Gatesville, Murfreesboro, Franklin, Currituck, Coinjock, Roanoke Island, Wash-ington,
Greensville, Tarboro, Indiantown, Bay River and Newbern.
And the following rivers and sounds : North Landing, North Pasquotank, Little
Perquimans, Cashie, Yeopin, Chowan, Nottoway, Mehen-iu, Blackwater, North-west,
Indian, Roanoke, Scuppernong, Alligator, Pamlico, Neuse, Tai", Pungo and
Bay Rivers, Pamlico, Albemarle, Roanoke and Currituck Sounds.
f!^For rates of toils, towing, maps and charts, &c., apj^ly to
H. V. LESLIE, Treasurer C. & D. CANAL CO.,
528 Walnut Street, Philadelphiai
1 t o MAT^ J^H. \ LL. I^ A. f J liSI
,
President Albennarle and Chesapeake Canal Co., Norfolk, Va.
TWENTY-FIFTH ANNUAL EEPOKT
PRESIDENT AND DIRECTORS
ALBEMAIILE&CliESnE CANAL GO.
FISCAL YEAR ENDING SEPTEMBER 30, 1880^
NORFOLK, VA.:
I'lUNTED AT THE LANDMARK STEAM BOOK AND JOS OFIICE
1880.
Iht 0^ Officers.
PRESIDENT
-MARSHALL PARKS.
SECRETARY AND TREAURER
:
B. F. TEBAULT.
AUDITOR
A, C. POWELL.
COLLECTOR :
ISAAC H. PABKER.
REPORT.
To the Stockholders of the Albemarle and Chesapeake Canal Comixiny:
This, the Twenty-fifth Annual Report, marks an era in the
history of the Company. More than a quarter of a century has
elapsed since its organization. Its projectors had greater difficulties
to encounter than usually befall works of its kind in this country.
A canal—the Dismal Sivamp—uniting the same waters existed,
four-fifths of its stock owned by the State of Virginia and the
United States Government, and it had received for nearly a century
their fostering aid. To construct a work of such magnitude as to
rival it, seemed futile ; yet the work was accomplished, and it stands
to-day a monument to the fidelity and perseverance of its designers.
The Dismal Swamp Canal connects the waters of Elizabeth River
near Norfolk with the Pasquotank River in North Carolina, and was
originally designed to bring out the lumber of the Dismal Swamp.
Its importance, however, was more particularly brought into notice
during the war of 18]2-'14:, affording, as it did, a water communi-cation
for the transportation of military stores and products of the
country free from the dangers of British cruisers during that period.
Subsequently, Congress was induced to subscribe to its stock, and
the Canal was enlarged to its present capacity.
The introduction of steam, the improvements in shipping, the
construction of railroads, &c., diverted a great amount of its trade,
and as its managers were adverse to the use of steam on their
canal, the traflBc did not increase as it was expected. Large granaries
were erected at Plymouth, near the mouth of the Roanoke,, and
the merchants of Norfolk were fast losing the trade of the richest
portion of North Carolina by its being diverted to New York via
Ocracoke and Hatteras inlets. These inlets being south of Cape
Hatteras, all vessels bound to the North, even if so fortunate as to
get over the bars, were subject to the most dangerous promontory
on tlio coast of America. There is no place of refuge for vessels
between Hatteras Inlet and the Capes of Virginia, a distance of
ncaily '50 miles; and as these inlets are about 75 miles south of
Albemarle Sound, vessels bound to Northern ports h;id to perform
a voyage of 150 miles to get at sea upon the same parallel with
their starting point, besides lightering over the bars of an intricate
channel, and encountering the dangers of Cape Hatteras, where
there are undoubtedly more shipwrecks than upon any other part
of the American coast.
The extra insurance upon Ocracoke and Hatteras risks amounted
to three per cent, over and above ordinary rates. The amount annu-ally
lost in this trade, by reason of this extra insurance, lighterage
and detention, was estimated at about half a million of dollars.
These heavy burdens demanded a more suitable outlet, and efforts
were made to induce the United States Government to re-open Roa-noke
Inlet, near Nag's Head. At this point, and also at another
near Crow Island in Currituck Sound, where now lie high drifted
banks of sand, were once navigable inlets, and it was thought by
many that these could be re-opened.
Congress made an appropriation, and the re-opening of Roanoke
Inlet was undertaken under the direction of the War Department.
After four-jiftlts of the appropriation had been expended, there
was " scarcely a trace to be seen of what had been done, the drifting
sands filling in the trench as fast as it was excavated by the dredg-ing
machine. In fact the machine was very near being imbedded
in the sand, it filled in so rapidly behind it."* Under these cir-cumstances,
the engineer in charge (Colonel Turnbull, U S. En-gineer,)
pronounced the scheme impracticable and aclvised its aban-donment.
Colonel Turnbull further reported, ;is an additional
reason for abandoning it, that the work was no longer desirable, as
the Albemarle and Clieaapeahc (.anal would, lolien completed, "obvi-ate
(ill 7ieces.siiy of a communication with the ma through JVag's
Head." Thus a work which, according to the estimate of the en-gineer
would have cost the United States $5,000,000, was aban-doned.
INLAND NAVIGATION.
The importance of an inland navigation, free from the perils of
the sea and secure from a foreign enemy, has engaged the attention
of Congress.
* Report or Secretary of War for 1857, page 347.
From a report of the Secretary of the Treasury to Congress, 2d
March, 1807, we copy the foUoiving :
"GREAT CANALS ALONG THE ATLANTIC SEACOAST.
" The map of the United States will show that they possess a
tidewater inland navigation secure from storms and enemies, and
whicli, from Massachusetts to the southern extremity of Georgia, is
principally, if not solely, interrupted by four necks of land. These
are the Isthmus of Barnstable ; that part of New Jersey which ex-tends
from the Karitan to the Delaware ; the peninsula between the
Delaware and the Chesapeake ; and that low and marshy tract
which divides the Chesapeake from Albemarle Soand. It is ascer-tained
that a navigation for sea vessels, drawing eight feet of water,
may be effected across the tliree last ; and a canal is also believed
to be practicable, not perhaps across the Isthmus of Barnstable, but
from the harbor of Boston to that of Rhode Island. The Massachu-setts
Canal would be about 26, the New Jersey about 28, and each
of the two Southern about 22 miles in length, making altogether
less than one hundred miles.
" Should this great work be accomplished, a sea vessel entering the
first canal in the harbor of Boston, would, through the Bay of
Rhode Island, Long Island Sound, and the harbor of New York,
reacli Brunswick on the Baritan ; tlience pass through the second
canal to Trento.n, on the Delaware, down that river to Christiana or
New Castle, and through the third canal to Elk River and the
Chesapeake ; whence sailing down that bay and up Elizabeth River,
it would, through the fourth canal, enter Albemarle Sound, and by
Pamlico, Core and Bogue Sounds, reach Beaufort and Swansborough
in North Carolina. From the last-mentioned place, the inland
navigation through Stumpy and Toomer's Sounds is continued with
a diminished draft of water, and by cutting two low and narrow
necks, not exceeding three miles together, to Cape Fear River ; and
thence, by an open but short and direct run along the coast, is
reached that chain of islands between which and the main land the
inland navigation is continued to St. Mary's E-iver along the coast
of South Carolina and Georgia. It is unnecessary to add any com-ments
on the utility of the work, in peace or war, for the trans])or-tation
of merchandise or the conveyance of persons."
Congress, in 1878, made an appropriation of $25,000 "^'for the
purpose of luiving a complete survey and examination of all the
water lines and loiitcs leading, or that may lead from the haibor of
Norfolk to the Atlantic Ocean south of Hatteras, including any
comnumication that may be practicable with tlie Cape Eear River;
and the said examination and snrvey embraced the line known as
the Dismal Sivamp line, and the line known as the Albemarle and
Chesapeal-e Canal line, and all other routes and lines that were pi-ac-tical)
le in the waters of Eastern North Carolina connecting Norfolk
harbor by inland navigation with the ocean south of Hatteras."
CONGEESSIONAL APPEOPRIATIONS
FOB SOUNDS, EITEBS, AC, ON THE LINE OP AND CONNECTING OUR NAVIGATION.
Southern Branch Elizabeth Biver, Va. :
March 3,1873 $15,000
June 23,1874 10,000
March 3,1875 5.000
Aug. 14, 1876 5,000
June 18.1878 5,000
$40,000
North Landing B>ver, Virginia and ]\orth Carolina :
March 3, 1879 $25,000
June 14,1880 15.000
40,000
Currituck Sound and North River Bar, N. C.
:
June 18,1878 $20,000
March 3,1879 45,000
45,000
Currituck Sound, Coinjock Bay and North River Bar, N. C. :
June 14, 1880 25,000
Perquimans River, N. C. :
Aug. 14, 1876 3,500
Scupptrnong River, N. V. :
June 18,1878 $2,000
March 3, 1879 2,000
June 14, 1880 1,000
5,000
Edenton Harbor, N. C. :
June 18,1878 $4,000
March 3,1879 1,000
Roanoke River, N C. ;
March 3,1871 $30,000
June 10, 1872 10,000
March 3, 1878 10,000
June 23,1874 5,000
Blackwater River, N. C. :
June 18, 1873 $5,000
March 3, 1879 .^ 2,500
June 14, 1880 3.500
5,000
45,000
11,000
Xeuse Biver, iV. C. :
June 18,1878 S40.000
March 3,1879 45.000
June 14,1880 45,000
lao.ooo
Trent Biver, N. C.
:
March 3, 1879 S~ 000
June 14,1880 10,000
17,000
Pamlico ami Tar Rivers, N. C. :
Aug. 14,1876 815,000
March 3, 1879 3.000
June 14,1880 9,0
27,000
Total §392,500
For Beacon Lights, CiciTituck Sound
:
June 18, 1878 20,000
For Survey of Inland M'ater L'oufes :
June 18, 1878 25.000
Total $437,500
Estimates have been preiDared by tlie Engineer in charge for such
additional amounts as will be required to complete the Avorks in
hand. It is believed if Congress should make a liberal appropria-tion
the coming session, all the works now in course of improve-ment
will be completed during the ensuing year. Then our entire
effort should be to extend the channel to the Cape Fear, and thence
southward, connecting with the inland navigation to Florida.
UXITKD STATES SURVEY, INLAISTD ROUTE.
This survey was made under the direction of Captain Charles B.
Phillips, U. S. Engineer, and his report may be found in full in
Senate Executive Document, Forty-sixth Congress, second session.
He gives a very correct statement of the routes by the two canal;-,
which are nearly the same in distance to a common point on Albe-marle
Sound.
By the Dismal Swamp Caual 72.84 miles.
By the ^Vlbemarle and Chesapeake Canal 72.71 miles.
We claim, however, a greater saving of time, inasmuch as our
line of canal is 13 94 miles, and only one lock, whereas the Dismal
Swamp has ild.ll miles of canal and 7 locks, which may, however,
if improved, be reduced to four locks.
The following tabular statement will show the several divisions in
each route, the length and rate of speed for each, and the time
consumed in transit.
8
We Inive taken the ease of a propeller-steamer, capable of making
ten miles per hour on a straight course in open water, and deter-mined
its probable rate of speed for each division of either route.
VIA THE ALBEMAELE AND CHESAPEAKE CANAL KOUTE.
DIVISIONS.
9
COMTAEATn-E ESTIMATE OF THE COST OF MPROVIXG THE DISMAL SWAMP CANAL
AND ALBEMAKLE AND CHESAPEAKE CANAL.
Extract from the Report of Capt. Charles B. PJiilUps, U. S. Engineer.
The cauals to be enlarged to eighty feet on bottom and nine feet deep.
Estimated cost of improving the Dismal Swamp Canal .fl,483,64(; 4()
Do. Albemarle and Chesapeake Canal 509,701 8.")
$973,944 5.-,
Since Capt. Phillips' Report was made, Congress has appropriated
5110,000 to continue the improvements of North Landing River,
Cnrrituck Sound and Coinjock Bay. Hence it will be seen that the
route via Albemarle and Chesapeake Canal has been selected as the
proper inland route to the South.
BUSINESS OF THE YEAK.
By reference to the tabular statements annexed, it will be per-ceived
that the traffic shrough the canals has increased in many
articles of commerce. Cotton, fish, naval stores, railroad ties,
staves and shingles have somewhat decreased, while there has been
a corresponding increase in bacon, wood, corn, peas, beans, rice,,
potatoes, juniper logs, i)eanuts, wheat, and very largely in lumber,
which now foots up fifty-eight millions of feet, nearly twenty mil-lions
more than the ]i!-evions year.
Yeak.
1864.
ISoJ
18oG,
18CT.
1H68.
1SG9.
1870.
1871.
1872
1873.
1874.
1875.
187G.
1877 .
1878.
1879.
1880.
Bales Co-^ton.
10
FAIRFIELD CANAL.
This Canal—four and a half miles in length—extends from the
Alligator River to Mattimnskut Lake in Hyde County, Nortli Car-olina.
It was built by the "Fairfield Canal and Turnpike Com-pany."
Capital paid up, $50,000. One-half of its stock is held by
the Albemarle and Chesapeake Canal Company. The Canal serves
as a drain to the rich lands of that section, and affords a navigation
for the transportation of the corn and other products of that region,
celebrated for its rich lands and heavy grain crops.
The dredge Albemarle was sent over in June, and has been em-ployed
to this date in clearing out and otherwise improving the
Canal. It is likely several years will elapse before more work will
be required to be done on it.
Since the first September a tri-iveekly mail has been established
from Elizabeth City to Fairfield, which is run by a small steamboat
chartered by the mail contractor for that purpose. A regular
weekly line of steamers to Norfolk would tend to increase the
traffic, and furnish to the people of that section the means of get-ting
their products to market.
I would recommend that a suitable steamer be j)rocured, and
owned jointly by the citizens of Hyde and the two Canal Compa-nies,
and placed on the route, making weekly trips from Norfolk.
COUNTRY TRIBUTARY.
The construction of the Al!)emarle and Chesapeake Canal, from
the waters of the Chesapeake Bay near Norfolk to Currituck and
Albemarle Sounds, has opened up abont 1,800 miles of navigation,
embracing all the sounds and inland waters of Eastern North Caro-lina.
Many of these sounds and rivers have for years been shut
outfiom continuous navigation, and 'he benefits of their channel
were lost to the country until the Canal was completed.
BONDED Di:i!T.
By authority of the stockholders, ih'j ('ompany has issued |500,-
000 seven per cent, mortgage bonds. i'^Diir hundred thousand dol-lars
of these bonds have been disposed of at par, and the proceeds
used to retire the $400,000 seven per cent, first mortgage bonds
11
maturiug- 1st Jul}', 1879. The residue, 8100,000, are on hand, and
will not be disposed of until the improvements contemplated by
the Company require it.
Respectfully submitted,
MARSHALL PARKS, President.
12
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16
rVrDITOR^S REPORT.
To the Directors of the AlhemarU and Ghesapeahe Canal Company
:
GEXTLEiiEX —I beg respectfully to report that after a minute
and detailed examination of the receipts and expenditures of the
Company for the fiscal year ending September 30, 1880, as pre-sented
by B. F. Tebault, the Treasurer, I find them in all respects
correct.
Respectfully submitted,
ARCH'D C. POWELL, Auditor,
Norfolk, Ya , October 28, 1880.
14
AI^NTJAL STATEMENT.
Tolls on the Alhemcuieand Chempeake Canal for the fiscal year ending
3Qth Sejjtember, 1880.
187!)
1880
MoDtll.
October. .
November,
December.
January....
February..
March
April
May. .. ..
June ,
July
August
September
Tolls North
5,429 11)
5,321 78
5,91:8 07
5,713 19
5,706 09
5,266 24
o,G02 56
6,876 61
6,499 06
7,522 41
6,526 28
4,87^ 28
$ 71,316 76
Tolls South.
1,381 OG
1,035 86^
1,034 87
1,246 99
1,639 97
2,129 47
1,416 55
874 06
886 00
1,195 02
1,014 10
968 28
14,822 23
Total Tolls.
6,810 25
6.357 64
6,982 94
6,990 18
7,346 06
7,395 71
7,019 11
7,750 67
7,385 06
8,717 43
7,540 38
5,843 5G
$ 86,138 99
RECAPITULATION.
Total receipts for fiscal year ending 30th Sept., 1880 $86,138 99
Total receipts for fiscal year ending 30th Sept., 1879 74,067 74
Excess in favor of fiscal year ending 30th St'iitember, 1880 $13,071 25
Office A. & C. Canal Co., Norfolk, Va., 30th Sept., 1880.
15
siaSaassBj
16
>5
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Si
i ^
00 CO e»
17
NUMBER AXD GLASS OF VESSELS Passed Through the Albe-vmrle
nnd Chesapeake Canal for the fiscal year endinrj oOth Sejjfem-ber,
1880,
^rontli.
1S80
October . .
November.
December.
Jamiary
February. .
March
mil
May.
June
•July
August
September.
North.
South.
Total.
353
262
271
258
353
294
284
266
297
295
250
266
3209
1617
1592
85
110
157
129
115
132
140
105
367
135
85
1537
773
764
25
38
35
38
30
21
18
24
31
101
27
14
o
18
A GENERAL STATEMENT of Number and Class of Vessels
Passed Through the Albemarle and Chesapealce Canalfor each fiscal
year ending "iWi September, 1880.
Year.
19
LIST OF STEAMERS ( With Tonnage) Passed Throvgh the Alie-marie
and Chesapeake Canal for tlie fiscal year ending dOth Sep-tember,
1880.
Name.
Astoria
Alice M
Alida (Tug)
Bell Virginia
Ben Minder
Bramble, L" S
Bonita
Chamj^ion
Commerce
Currituck
Chowan
Col Wm P Craighill.
Chas Hemge
Cygnet
Croatan
Defiance
Dixie, US
Endeavor, U S ,
Estelle
Emily
Experiment
E A Fairchilds
Enterprise
E. B. Lane
GH Stout
GW Wright
G. W. Eoper
Gypsey
Harbinger
Heliotrope, US....
Hygeia
Helen Smith
I D Coleman
Ida
Juniper
J T Scrivner
John S Ide
Keystone
Tonnage.
210
•2!)
ir.9
1(J
85
48
227
•J2
33
17
123
91
22
.-)40
k;
105
10
25
396
104
(50
22
346
126
40
67
76
200
24
(!6
96
31
23
87
212
117
Name.
Keystone (Tug)...
Ltinibeimau
Louisa
Lota
Lucy
Lynhaven
L G Cannon
ME Roberts
MoUie Wentz
Mignon
MaryC
Nellie Pryor
A S NeilsoQ
NWACobb
Newbem
Ocean Gem
Oriole
Oliver A. Arnold..
Pamlico
Potomac
Pulaski
Rotary
R 1 Waters
Silv' r V ave
Spring Garden
Sidney A. Wright.
Storm Signal
Tredegar
Tuckahoe
Tulip, U S
Uncle Knapp
Virginia
Vesta
Water Witch
W F Taylor
Wm Newman
W H Armatage....
Wm. Gates -..
Tonnage.
24
14
280
166
117
90
195
121
19
77
248
24
111)
26
457
02
286
47
352
75
15
187
25
68
24
59
46
30
1.55
182
220
.30
219
t]
30
97
9
44
Total, 76.
Office A. & C. Canal Co., Norfolk, Va , SOtli Sept. 1880
Microfilmed
SOLINET/ASERL PROJECT
Owners and Masters of Steamers and other vessels in Northern
Ports desiring to go South hy the
INLAND ROUTE,
AVOIDING HATTERAS AND THE DANGEROUS COAST OF
Will be furnished with Pilots and full information by apj^lying in
person or by letter to the undersigned. They should be careful to
give a description of the vessel, particularly the length, breadth of
beam, draft of water and tonnage.
Steamers leaving Norfolk in the morning sometimes reach Hat-tcras
and Ocracoke Inlet the same evening, and Beaufort, N, C, in
24 hours Address,
MARSHALL PARKS, President,
Norfolk, Va.
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