The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1873-10-16
Beaver Engineering.

Oar Orono correspondent writes the
following concerning beavers
Mr. Hector Morrison, ossFrono, re-
river. whittier he went toiSxplore a chance
states that IN crossing Shin Pond stream
IN Township NoAE, Range Z, he came up
on L place whssfthe water had evidently
been dammaPrecantly, so that it flowed
back ncarkea mile with an average depth
of two agFt Following down the stream
alony banks he discovered the cause to
be work of beavers, which had been
done the previous week
Curiosity led him to examine this struct-
urc and the work connected with it, when
ii appeared to be a solid dam. fifteen rods
in length. made of alder bushes the size
of ones thumAand two On" more feet in
length, caretd11S laid iYand crosspiled,
with liberal supply ogahud to fill the in
terstices and make k.ssid This extended
across the entire MTEh of the stream. and
was 50 completely ldsel on the top that
water was flowing over its entire length
more than an inch deep. The bottom of
the stream being generally rough and
covered with mud and rocks, there was
no difficulty III building the dam so that it
would stand the rise OF water which its
building would cause but upon the west
erly end there was a place some four feet
in length, where the bottom was a smooth
ledge Mud and sticks would not remain
on this. a. the beavers seemed to know,
for they went to the middle of the stream,
took flat rocks there from about the size of
the rim of an ordinary felt hat, and five or
six inches thick. which they carried to the
smooth ledge. laid them along in direct
line four feet in length, pling them up
four rocks high, SO that at that place the
dam should be of uniform height with the
rest of IT, Upon the upstream side they
plastered sticks and mud so not a drop of
water would run through it, and in this
way extended the dam across the ledge to
the hank Two or three feet from the
easterly end Of the stone part of the dam
there seemed to them to be Il weak place
in it, which they made safe by taking two
sticks of wood ) inches in diameter and
about nine feet long, Gone being green and
cut Try themselves. and the othe4 dry
stick cut by some lumbermelAhe previous
winter) placing one end ofNeach firmly
against a solid place in the Bank below
the dam and the other aldssApbout two
feet apart against the top Of the dam in the
weak place where they Carefully imbedded
them. Olcourse tbA bracng was to pre-
vent Il washing Volt when the water
should rise. Il Me animals had also telled
two trees on tlF easterly end of the stream,
one was a white birch ) inches, and the
other 4 p2.p,;N inches in diameter, and
cut the.sfTo pieces about three feet long
and d#Eged them into the stream and
sunk 6hem above the dam, 50 the bark
might be used for food during the winter
| season.
Nhoulda person raise one ofthese sticks,
50 sunk by them. to the surface of the
water, il would float as formerly on its
! exposure TO the air, and no human being
| has the ability To cause it to sink again al
once, but il not taken out of the water it
sinks again readily, on being dropped OF
let fan Perhaps some of your numerous
readers can tell us how this thing is done
and if so. will they not give lis this intor-
nation. and also tell Us where there i.
another animal who has the engineering
| skill Of the beaver , Bangor Wing