Swamp Canal is a summit-level section extending between Deep Creek, Va., and South Mills, N. C., and is controlled by a lock at each of the terminals. The distance to the lighted bell buoy at the entrance to Alligator River on the south side of Albemarle Sound is the same as that by way of the Albemarle and Chesapeake Canal route. The project depth of 9 feet (2.7 m) is being maintained. The minimum horizontal clearance is 37 feet (11.3 m) in the lock at South Mills.

Navigation is practicable throughout the year in both of the abovementioned routes.

REGULATIONS

The following Regulations have been prescribed by the Secretary of War to govern the Use, Administration, and Navigation of the Intracoastal Waterway from Norfolk, Va., to Cape Fear River, N. C., and the waterway from Norfolk, Va., to the sounds of North Carolina, including the Dismal Swamp Canal.

1. Authority of canal or waterway officers.-The movement of all boats and floating things in the dredged cuts of the natural waterways, in the canal cuts, and in the locks shall be under the direction of the officers of the Corps of Engineers, U. S. Army, detailed in charge of these works, and their authorized assistants.

2. Commercial statistics.-Masters or clerks of boats shall furnish the lock keeper at the entrance lock, in writing, upon blanks furnished for the purpose, such statistics of passengers and cargo as may be required. Boats will not be allowed to proceed through the canal until these statistics shall have been furnished. Where vessels are proceeding through a portion only of the waterway and have not passed or do not expect to pass Great Bridge, Va., the masters or clerks of these vessels shall file similar commercial data with the keeper of the first United States bridge passed on the waterway.

3. Signals. (a) All boats desiring to use the locks shall signal for the same by two long and two short blasts of the whistle.

(b) Boats approaching other boats shall give the signals required by the Rules and Regulations for the Government of Vessels, adopted by the Board of Supervising Inspectors.

(c) The signals for boats desiring to pass bridges shall be those prescribed in the Rules and Regulations to Govern the Operation of the Drawbridges crossing all navigable waterways of the United States discharging their waters into the Atlantic Ocean south of and including Back River, Va., and the Gulf of Mexico, excepting the Mississippi River and its tributaries, approved by the Acting Secretary of War October 11, 1929.

(d) When the lock at Great Bridge, Va., is available for use, a green light will be displayed. When the lock is not available, a red light will be displayed. (e) The locks at Deep Creek, Va., and South Mills, N. C., use a combination semaphore and light in signaling. When the lock is available for use, a white light and semaphore will be displayed. When the lock is not available, a red light and semaphore will be displayed.

4. Right-of-way.-Rafts and tows must give to single vessels the side demanded by a proper signal and be managed in such a manner as not to obstruct or interfere with the passing of boats.

5. Precedence at locks.-Ordinarily the boats or tows arriving at the locks shall take precedence in order of their arrival; but in all cases boats and barges belonging to the United States, or employed upon public work, shall have the precedence over all others; passenger boats shall have precedence over freight boats; individal boats over tows, and vessels over rafts. Small craft will not be granted separate lockage when larger boats are awaiting lockage, and they will be required to lock through with other boats. Rafts shall have one lockage in their turn, except where there are two or more rafts together at a lock, in which case no part of a raft shall pass the lock until the whole of the raft or rafts preceding it shall have passed. In all cases the order of actual entry shall be determined by the lock keeper.

6. Size of vessels and rafts.-The lock chamber at Great Bridge, Va., is 75 feet wide and 600 feet long. The lock chambers at Deep Creek, Va., and South Mills, N. C., are 39 feet wide and 250 feet long. All vessels, rafts, or other craft attempting to use a lock must have such clearance inside these limits as to permit of free and safe operation during lockage. Rafts of larger dimensions than indicated above shall not attempt to enter the locks, and if it is necessary to reduce the size of a raft in order to pass it through a lock, such operations shall not be permitted to block up the entrance to a lock or the approaches thereto.

7. Entrance to locks. No boat or floating craft shall enter the locks from either direction without permission.

8. Draft.-No boat, barge, or vessel of any kind shall be allowed to enter the locks drawing more water than is shown by the gages to exist over the miter sills; and any boat making such attempt shall not delay other boats, by lightering cargo, but, if directed by the lock keeper shall withdraw so as to leave the entrance unobstructed.

9. Loss of turn.-Boats that fail to enter the locks with reasonable promptness, after being authorized to do so, shall lose their turn.

10. Protection of lock gates.-No boats will be permitted to enter or leave the locks until the lock gates are fully in the gate recesses, and the lock keeper has ordered the boat to start.

11. Mooring in locks.-Vessels when in the locks shall be securely moored by bow and spring lines to the snubbing posts provided for that purpose, and the lines shall not be let go until signal is given for the vessel to leave.

12. Handling gates.-No one not employed by the United States for the purpose will be allowed to move any gate or valve belonging to the canal.

13. Projections from vessels.-No vessel carrying a deck load which overhangs or projects over the side of the said vessel will be permitted to enter or pass through any of the narrow parts of the waterway.

The sides of all craft attempting to enter the locks must be free from projections of any kind that might injure the walls, gates, or other parts of the locks. All vessels entering the locks must be provided with and must use suitable fenders.

14. Stopping in waterway.-Whenever it becomes necessary for a boat, barge, raft, or other floating craft to stop in any of the land cuts or other narrow parts of the waterway, it shall be securely fastened to one bank and as close to the bank as possible; this shall be done only at such a place and under such conditions as will not obstruct or prevent the passage of other vessel or crafts.

When thus tied up, all boats or barges must be moored by not less than two lines each, and rafts at such close intervals as may be necessary to insure their not being drawn away from the bank by winds, currents, or the suction of passing vessels. All towlines shall be drawn up short so that the different vessels shall be as close together as possible. No boat or sections of a raft shall be thus tied up abreast of another.

Lights shall be displayed in accordance with the provisions of the Federal Pilot Rules.

No vessel, even if fastened to the bank as just prescribed, shall be left without a sufficient crew to care for it properly.

Such stoppages shall be only for such period as may be necessary and no vessel or craft will be allowed to use any portion of the waterway as a permanent or semipermanent mooring place without permission from the officer in charge.

At no point in any of the land cuts, except at a regular established landing or wharf, will any boat or barge be permitted to be loaded or unloaded without written permission secured in advance from the officer in charge of the waterway.

Masters and pilots in charge of vessels or tows will be held to a strict accountability that the approaches to the locks are not at any time obstructed by barges or rafts awaiting lockage or that have passed through the locks.

In the wider parts of the waterway, vessels may anchor only when necessary and then only in such places and in such manner as will cause the least obstruction to the passage of other vessels or craft.

The building and assembling of a raft in the waterway will be permitted only upon special authority obtained from the officer in charge and under such conditions as he may prescribe.

15. Speed. No vessel more than 100 feet in length and no vessel having a tow shall proceed through any of the land cuts at a greater speed than 10 miles per hour. Vessels 100 feet or less in length shall not exceed a speed of 10 miles per hour in any of the canal cuts of the waterway.

Upon approaching and passing through drawbridges all boats shall slacken speed to 2 miles per hour, or even less if that be necessary to pass through the bridge without colliding with it or its fenders.

In the narrow parts of the waterway, all vessels upon approaching other vessels or craft proceeding in the opposite direction or tied to the bank shall slacken speed to not exceeding 3 miles per hour so as to allow them to pass in safety and without collision.

16. Handling of tows.-Tows must be arranged or grouped for passage through the locks before entering. While thus engaged in preparing for passage they must leave room for boats to enter or leave the locks. All boats engaged in towing through the canal, vessels not equipped with a rudder, whether light or laden, shall use two towlines and shorten them to the greatest extent possible, so as to have full control of their tows, and thereby avoid accident while meeting or otherwise passing other craft. Boats that are towing vessels provided with rudders need use but one towline, but the line between the towboat and the first vessel or barge of the tow, or between subsequent barges or vessels must not exceed 100 feet in length.

17. Rafts.-Rafts will be permitted to navigate the waterway only if assembled according to one of the methods hereinafter prescribed.

(a) Sack or bag and dog rafts. The passage of "bag" or "sack" rafts, "dog" rafts or of loose logs into and through any portion of the waterway is prohibited.

(b) Logs or piles.-Where the word "logs," occurs in these regulations it is to be understood to refer to all timber twenty-five (25) feet and less in length whatever the purpose for which it may be intended.

All timber longer than twenty-five (25) feet in length will be considered as "piles", whatever the purpose for which it may be intended.

(c) Assembling rafts.-Rafts shall be made up in sections not exceeding twenty-five (25) feet in width. The logs or piles in each section shall be so placed that their lengths will be in the direction of towing, and all the logs or piles (other than boom logs or piles) in a section shall be approximately of the same length.

All sections of rafts composed of logs shall be assembled either according to Plan A or Plan B, which plans are described below and are illustrated on the drawing entitled "Methods of Assembling Rafts for Transportation through Inland Waterways", which drawing is to be considered as a part of these rules and regulations.

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All sections of rafts composed of piles shall be assembled either according to Plan A or Plan C, which plans are described below and are illustrated on the drawing entitled Methods of Assembling Rafts for Transportation through Inland Waterways", which drawing is to be considered as a part of these rules and regulations.

Where the use of chains is prescribed in the following rules for assembling rafts, wire rope may be substituted therefor, provided the wire rope so used is of sufficient strength to resist the stresses brought upon it in towing the raft. Under no circumstances shall a wire rope of smaller diameter than one-half inch be used.

(d) Plan A.-Sections assembled according to this method shall be composed entirely of logs or piles of approximately the same length, and arranged with the ends of the logs or piles approximating to a straight line perpendicular to the lengths of the logs or piles. Boom logs or piles are not required.

The logs or piles in a section shall be fastened together by two chains, one chain near the front end of the logs or piles and the other near the rear end of the logs or piles.

In sections composed of logs the chains shall be placed between 2 and 3 feet from the ends of the logs, and in sections composed of piles, between 3 and 5 feet from the ends of the piles.

Each chain shall pass completely around each log or pile, not an outside log or pile, and shall pass from one log or pile to both adjacent logs or piles on top of the raft. Each chain shall pass once and a half times around each outside log or pile, the end of the chain passing under the outside log or pile and the next adjacent log or pile and coming up between the second and third

logs or piles, and being there securely fastened to the other part of the chain that passes over the space between the second and third logs or piles.

Each chain shall be fastened to each log or pile by not less than one dog, the dog being constructed like a staple and being driven into the top of the log or pile and in such manner that each end of the staple will pass through a separate part of the chain.

The sections shall be placed one behind another with as small intervals as are practicable and shall be coupled to each other with two couplings, one coupling being on each outside log or pile.

Each coupling shall consist of a chain passing through a hole bored not less than 2 feet from the rear end of the outside log or pile of a section and extending to and through a similar hole bored not less than 2 feet from the forward end of the corresponding outside log or pile of the section immediately astern. The ends of the coupling shall be brought together and be secured to each other by a suitable shackle, clevis, dog, link, lashing, or knot. Or, if preferred, a coupling may consist of a chain making one or more turns and one or more hitches at a point not less than 2 feet from the rear end of an outside log or pile and secured thereto against slipping by two or more dogs, and extending to the forward end of the corresponding outside log or pile of the section immediately astern to which it shall be fastened at a point not less than 2 feet from its forward end by one or more turns and hitches and secured against slipping by two or more dogs.

(e) Plan B.-Sections assembled according to this method shall consist of three strong bouyant boom piles and two tiers of logs, all of which shall be self-buoyant. All logs in a tier shall be of approximately the same length. The length of each boom pile shall be at least equal to the combined lengths of the two tiers of logs in the section.

Each section of two tiers shall be enclosed by two boom piles so placed as to form the sides of the section and a similar boom pile shall be placed in the middle of the section parallel to the outside boom piles. The logs in each tier shall be placed parallel with the boom piles and shall be so arranged that the ends of the logs will approximate to a straight line perpendicular to the length of the boom piles.

About 2 feet from the front end of each tier of logs the sections shall be held together by a chain passing across the top of the raft and fastened to both outside boom piles by making a complete turn around each, and being fastened to each, either by two staple dogs or by two ring dogs. One of these dogs shall be driven near the end of the chain and the other in the part of the chain where it passes over the outside boom pile. Each of these chains shall be securely fastened to the middle boom pile and to each of the logs over which it passes, by a staple dog or a ring dog.

In addition to the chains mentioned the sections shall be held together by lifting poles placed transversely across the sections, two lifting poles being placed at or near the middle of the length of each tier of logs. Each of the lifting poles shall extend from one of the outside boom piles to and across the middle boom pile and shall be securely fastened to each of the boom piles or logs, which it crosses by a suitable ring dog. The lifting poles shall be of ample strength to support the logs in the tiers and to resist the strains of towing. The sections shall be placed one behind another with as small intervals as are practicable, and each section shall be coupled to the section next in front of it by two couplings, one coupling being on each outside boom pile. The couplings shall be similar to those described for use with plan A.

(f) Plan C.-Sections assembled according to this method shall consist of piles of approximately the same length and so placed that their front ends shall be in a line approximately perpendicular to the lengths of the piles. The piles shall be placed alternately butt forward and point forward.

About 5 feet from its forward end, each section shall be securely fastened together by a chain passing over all the intermediate piles and at least once around the outside piles. Each loose end of this chain shall be securely fastened to the part passing over the raft, and the chain shall be securely fastened to each outside pile by not less than two staple dogs or ring dogs. Where this chain passes over the interior piles it shall be securely fastened to each by a staple or ring dog.

In addition to the chain mentioned, each section shall be held together by a lifting pole and chain placed transversely across the section near the middle

of its length. This lifting pole shall be of ample strength to support the piles in the section and to resist the strains of towing. Its diameter shall not be less than the average diameter of the piles in the section, and its length shall be sufficient to reach completely across the section.

The chain used in connection with the lifting pole shall be securely fastened thereto near each end of the lifting pole by one or more turns or hitches or by staples or ring dogs. This chain shall be woven into the section by running it from the end of the lifting pole under the outside pile of the section, thence up and over the lifting pole, thence down and under the next pile, thence up and over the lifting pole, and so on across the section, passing down and under each pile and up and over the lifting pole at each interval between adjacent piles.

The sections shall be placed one behind another with as small intervals as are practicable, and each section shall be coupled to the section next in front of it by two couplings, one coupling being on each outside pile. The couplings shall be similar to those described for use with plan A.

(g) Dogs and chains. All dogs and chains used in assembling rafts shall be in good condition and shall be of ample size and strength to accomplish their purposes.

(h) Towing rafts.-When rafts are towed through the land cuts and other narrow parts of the waterway, the rafts shall not be more than one section wide. When towing through the wider parts of the waterway, the rafts may be made up two sections abreast, but the two columns of sections shall be fastened together at the front end and at the rear end and at intervals of not exceeding 50 feet by additional chains so fastened as to prevent the columns from separating from each other.

Should it at any time be noted that any staple, dog, chain, or lifting pole has become loosened, it shall be the duty of the master of the towboat, or other person in charge of the raft, to stop the towboat as soon as practicable and to repair the damage; and in order that any loosening of the raft may be quickly ascertained the master of the towboat, or other person in charge of the raft, shall thoroughly inspect it, or cause it to be inspected, at frequent intervals.

All rafts shall carry sufficient men to enable them to be managed properly and to keep them from being an obstruction to other craft navigating the waterway.

(i) Inspection of rafts.-On approaching the locks at Great Bridge, Va., Deep Creek, Va., or South Mills, N. C., the towboat and tow shall be stopped in order that the raft may be inspected and the logs be counted by an agent of the officer in charge of the waterway. Masters of boats towing rafts, or persons in charge of same, will be required to give every facility for the inspection of the rafts and for the counting of the logs and shall at this time report such commercial data as is required by paragraph 2 of these rules and regulations. As one method of facilitating the inspection of rafts and the counting of logs, each master of the towboat, or person in charge of a raft, shall prepare in advance a statement giving in detail the total number of logs or piles in the raft and the number in each section.

If at any inspection, it is found that the raft is assembled otherwise than is prescribed in these rules and regulations, the rafts will not be allowed to proceed further through the waterway and shall immediately be removed from the waterway or be so placed that it will not interfere with the navigation of other craft until all irregularities shall have been corrected.

When rafts are to be made up and towed in the portions of the waterway between South Mills, N. C., and Albemarle Sound, N. C., and that portion of the inland waterway between Great Bridge, Va., and the crossing of the New Holland, Higginsport & Mt. Vernon Railroad, the owners of the logs will notify the United States Engineer Office at Norfolk, Va.; or, if between the crossing of the New Holland, Higginsport & Mt. Vernon Railroad and Cape Fear River, N. C., the United States Engineer Office at Wilmington, N. C., should be notified at least seven (7) days before it is expected to move the rafts, giving the names of owners and location of rafts. Such inspection of the rafts will be made as may be deemed necessary. Any raft in tow will be stopped if necessary for making the required inspection.

(j) Lost logs. Should any log be lost from a section or any section be lost from a raft, the fact must be promptly reported by the master of the towboat. who shall state as definitely as possible the exact point at which the loss occurred.