Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1874-05-21
NATURAL REsERTOIRS OF MAINE.


water. The small stream was inadequate
without such resource to afford power in
the season of drouth. The construction Of
the reservoir was expensive, though the
cost was less than it should have been for
safety, as its destruction has proved. If to
the cost of the structure be now added the
destruction of property and life caused by
its bursting we find that it was very ex-
pensive concern. A million ofdollars and
one hundred and fifty lives swept away IN
single hour is the record against it. 10
say nothing of the loss OF life, far the sad
dest part of all, an amount of property
was destroyed on this little stream suffi-
cient to establish large manufacturing
business in favorable location.
1t is said that the owners are going to
work Immediately to repair damages and
rebuild. They promise and hope perhaps
stronger and better and safe walls to the
reservoir, SO that it cannot break and
again play havoc with the lives and prop
erty below it on the stream. Perhaps they
may succeed in accomplishing their pur-
pose, as we most sincerely desire they
may if they undertake to rebuild, but why
do they spend their money in such work,
costing what it must to make it as secure
as they can, while there are far better OPP
portunities for their factories and the nee
essary water power, to be obtained at far
less expense and the absolute certainty of
safety from such catastrophcs as that they
have recently experienced? Let them
build their reservoir as strong as they
may there will always be doubt about
its security. Located at point where a
break threatens all the valley below, it
will always be regarded with fear and
trembling, as the old one seems to have
been, by the people exposed in case of a
rupture.
In the State of Maine there are thou
sands of water powers unimproved, large
streams that never fail in the drouth of
summer or winter, fed by reservoirs made
by the hand Of the Creator. the walls of
which will never burst. The lake system
of our State is one of the most important
features in its geography, doing on a lar
ger, grander and safe scale what feeble
artificial reservoirs are intended to do
where they are built. There are 1868
lakes entirely within the State boundaries.
covering 2200 square miles OF the total
surface, all of which are reservoirs for the
rivers that flow across the State, now be-
ginning to turn with their waters the
wheels Of large and prosperous factories,
There are but three or four districts on
the GLOBE" says Walter Wells in his val
liable report upon the water power of the
State, mot more extensive than Maine and
equally habitable in other respects, upon
which an equal number of receptacles for
impounding rainfall of not inferior ca
pacity and surface is to be found" "In
fact" says the same authority, ''the Ken
nebec river has more lakes connected with
it than the gigantic Orinoco, and the Pc
nobscot than the Amazon, or than all the
rivers of Africa, as far as known Add
ing the surface of the rivers to that of the
lakes, which is 900 square miles, and we
have grand total of 800 square miles of
inland water, amounting in its annual flow
to the ocean to 1,229, POO 100000 cubic
feet. capable if employed of doing the
work Of 81, 0OO, 900 men, laboring without
intermission from years end to years
end.
While such reservoirs as the lakes of
Maine are provided for the storage of wa
ter to be used for manufacturing pur-
poses. how unwise and short-sghted seem
the efforts TO construct such weak imita-
tons as that which has desolated the
towns in Hampshire county. Look at the
fine reservoir which the town of Dexter
has in this State, supplying the small
stream on which the village is located
with several hundred horse power the
season through, while the village lies in
safety and prosperity below it. Look at
Camden, with the huge reservoir of Me-
gunticook lake to drive its factories, as
safe from overflow as from the topping
over of the solid granite mountain in its
rear. So with the Sabattus stream, and
SO with scores of others now employed,
and hundreds of others waiting to be oc-
cupied. These reservoirs will never
burst, never fail to feed the streams that
flow from them, never destroy in an
hour the accumulations of years. Who
ever secures, holds and utilities the privi-
leges which they afford for manufacturing
purposes has that which is exhaustless in
power and wealth. He who builds upon
these builds upon that which is sure. Ar
tificial reservoirs though they stand are
expensive, but these great reservoirs of
nature will need no repairs. 1t is pre-
sumed that men put their money into man
ufacturing for profit, and it is for them to
consider whether Natures reservoirs, as
found in the State of Maine, are not the