Bogged Down: The Dismal Swamp Canal

摘要

The dismal swamp(also known as the Great Dismal Swamp), a dense marshland that straddles the border between southeastern Virginia and northeastern North Carolina, is significant in a variety of ways.It has been perceived as a paradise for wildlife; an abundant source of lumber; an insufferable and noxious bog infested with poisonous snakes, flies, and mosquitoes; a place inhabited by ghosts; and a haven for those attempting to escape the horrors of slavery. For civil engineers, the swamp is the setting of one of the most important canals in the profession's history.