Pineville, a historic refuge
Part 10: Santee Canal, a simple design

By Warner M. Montgomery
Warner@TheColumbiaStar.com

This photo from the Old Santee Canal State Park at Monck's Corner depicts what a barge on the Santee Canal may have looked like between 1800 and 1840.

In his 1875 History of The Santee Canal , F.A. Porcher was very critical of Col. John Christian Senf, the engineer of the project, "With all his abilities, Col. Senf had infirmities of temper, which made him an unsafe director in this pioneer of industrial enterprise in the State."

Porcher criticized Senf for ignoring Mouzon's map and its canal routes and, instead, choosing a more expensive, less efficient route. He said Senf was vain and couldn't suffer a rival. Senf was also blamed for cutting a deal with Ralph Izard to construct the canal on his property, create a town, and name it for him. The scheme failed. Another failed scheme, this one with Maj. Samuel Porcher, called for Senf to use construction workers to beautify Porcher's property in exchange for personal gifts.

Senf conducted his own survey and set about finalizing the design and organizing the construction of the first canal in the U.S. - 22 miles through the ridge separating the Cooper and Santee Rivers. Critical to its success would be an adequate source of water at the summit level, without which it would be impossible to raise and lower the boats through the canal.

This panorama at the Old Santee Canal State Park at Monck's Corner depicts what a lock on the Santee Canal may have looked like in 1800.

The design called for two sections: the northern section from the Santee River to the summit and the southern section from the summit to the Cooper River. Water level would rise 34 feet in the northern section and drop 69 feet in the southern section, a difference between the two rivers of 35 feet.

Senf planned for the canal to be 35 feet wide at the surface, 20 feet wide at the bottom, and five- and- a- half- feet deep to hold four feet of water. The two double and eight single locks would be served by eight aqueducts or reservoirs.

The canal boats were to be 50 feet long, nine feet wide, and capable of carrying 22 tons of freight. A 10- foot wide path on either side would allow beasts of burden to pull the canal boats.

Before the first shovel was hoisted, problems arose. Property for the canal was not purchased outright for it was considered an advantage for the landowner to have the right- of- way on his land. However, Senf soon found out that public service came second to property rights.

Plantation owners saw it as a nuisance and a possible escape route for their slaves. Maj. Samuel Porcher, who owned the land designated for the first Santee lock at White Oak Bluff was one of only two landowners who gave their land freely. The rest had to be granted "compensation for damaged property."

Senf's next challenge was initiating a labor scheme with his 55,000 pound sterling budget. He ignored the generally accepted concept of dividing the 22 miles into sections let out to contractors whose work he would assign and approve before paying. Instead, the vain Senf assumed the role of general contractor and supervisor of all labor. This slowed the work considerably and, in the end, quadrupled the cost.

Between 1793, when work began, and 1800, when the canal was completed, the price of labor and the value of the pinelands spiked in the marketplace because of the growth of King Cotton. And, to make things worse, the Santee's spring floods inundated the swamplands complicating the work schedule and spreading snakes and mosquitoes among the workers.

(Next week: Santee Canal, lock by lock)