Page 73 - NyghtVision Magazine Volume 5 #2

"By 1819,
The company had
128 male employees,
98 of whom were

'Negroes.'"

Where the Roanoke River flows
across this fall line, the river
drops about 85 feet over a nine-
mile stretch, creating a string of
granite-lined rapids, like those
near Weldon

photo, a view up the creek, photo #6 a view of the aqueduct, and photo #7
a view of the aqueduct and arch) So, the canal actually flowed above and
across the creek via the aqueduct. Workers sealed the stone with puddle
clay to keep the water from leaking between the stones.
Canal boats, known as bateaux, were 60-65 feet long and 6-8 feet wide.
They had a draft of 15-18 inches and could carry up to eight tons of cargo.
They could carry 80 barrels of flour or 10 hogsheads of tobacco. Bateaux
men guided the boats with log paddles and poles. They were also pulled
by ropes from the tow path when going upstream. (See #8 and #9. The
boat in #9 is located in the remaining lock at the museum.) Once cargo
reached the end of the canal in Weldon, workers either placed it in storage

Spring 2015 | 73