The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1866-06-30
Fresh Water Basin for Iron-clads.
UNFAvoRABLE REPORT ON THE PORTLAND
SITE.

Especial dispatch to the Boston Advertiser.l
WASHINGTON, June 2S.
The Secretary of the Navy to-day sent to
Congress the report of the board recently ap-
pointed t. examine the halbor of Portland,
with view to its adaptability as site for a
fresh water basin for iror-clads. The boar
consisted of Brigadier-G General B. S. Alexan-
der of the army and Captain Melancthon
Smith and Chief Engineer j. w. King of the
navy. The report is document of some
length. 1t begins by some reference to the
general necessities of an iron-clad basin, and
then states in detail the magnificent plans of
the Presumpscot Land and Water Company.
After describing the works it has begun and
projected at Portland, the report continues
and concludes as follows:
The site pointed out to us by the city au-
thorities for their basin is on the flats and
close to the works of the company's intended
basin and docks, and for which two plans were
presented. One of these embraces not only
magnificent basin with a water area of 1922
acres, but also represents within its interior
40 stone dry docks, each 400 feet long by 100
wide, with back entrance $50 feet by go feet.
The other plan simply represents basin to
contain water area of 10 acres, and one stone
dock 400 feet long and 120 feet wide, with a
back entrance 400 feet by go feet. To adopt
either plan, or any other that may be prepar-
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great sea wall or breakwater, of nearly one
mile in length, and at least 25 feet high from
low water mark; drain and excavate the
whole of its surface, a large portion OF which
is represented to be rock; make Golfer dams,
and construct main entrance gate and lock
to be about $50 feet long. The supply of wa
ter is to be received from Presump4cot River,
the immediate source of which river is Sebago
Lake, a body of water II miles distant, and
represented to cover an area Of lit square
miles.
We are satisfied that the supply of pure
fresh water would at all times be abundant,
and that the atmosphere is remarkably healthy
and in this consists the only advantage of the
site that we were able to ascertain. Its disad-
vantages are apparent. The designs projected
by the Land and Water Company for their
works, as well as for the construction of an
iron-clad basin at the place named, are practi-
cable, and no extraordinary engineering skill
would be required to carry them into execu-
ton; but the enormou, expenditure of money
that would be made, and the great length of
time that would necessarily be consumed in
the construction, is sufficient in itself to pre-
clude the undertaking. We have made no de-
tailed estimate OF the cost and time, but we
are satisfied that a proper fresh water basin
for the reception of iroLclad vessels could not
be constructed in Portland Harbor in less than
seven years, and would cost several millions of
dollars, and the result then would be simply
the possession ofa fresh water basin to be sup
piled with water from company. 1t would
be frozen over with ice at least IS inches thick
for five months in the year; it would also be
within reach from the sea of rife projectiles
in use at the present day, and would be re-
moved from any navy yard where established
facilities exist tor repairing, equipping and
fitting out vessels, when required in an emer-
gency. The creation, therefore, of such ba-
sin at Portland would involve also either the
creation of navy yard, or the necessity of
towing the vessels by sea to navy yard when
suddenly ordered to be equipped for service
In the former case, yard and station would
beestablished in a locality far removed from
the great source OF supplies required for naval
purposes at the present day, and in the latter
case, expense, risk and delay would be incur
red in removing the vessels. The board, there
tore, consider it proper to express the hope
that some other place may be found, not far
from navy yard, where an abundance of
fresh water can be commanded without re-
sorting to such expensive structures, and the
position of which shall not only be within
speedy reach of our great coal fields, numer-
7sls iron mills, steel works, and various naval
supplies required, but also so far removed from
sea as to secure it from the possibility of being
reached by hostile shell.