Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1876-02-17
Sullivan Bridge.
BUCKsPoRT

going through drd'c IN said bridge"
Mr.. Editor:-In an article supposed TO be
editorial by the position it occupied In the
American last week on Sullivan Bridge" the
above healing was all the imaginable objection
to the project of Dir. Stmson to put bridge
across tide waters above sullivan Falls" In
the first place, object decidedly 10 the body
of water over which il is proposed TO construct
this bridge being called sullivan River" IL
/, not in my opinion nany sense such body
of water as the word now defines or applies TO.
1t Is really narrow passage-way between two
salt water bays, where on the flood tide the
water from Frenchmcns Bay rushcs through
with great velocity to fill large salt water
bay above; then, on the ebb tide il PUSHES with
almost equal velocity to find it, level in French
mans Bay below; il may be called by good au
thortics sullivan River; but thai term, in INV
mind. would mislcad 4 person unacquainted
with the facts, ~ to the waters. the navigation
Of which il was proposed to ObStruct by
building bridge. So much for the fraud
on the public with which this matter
start. out for 1t is very different thing
whether the State assumes to give chartered
rights. and control water, she has right TO
control. assumes 10 control water over
which she has no jurisdiction whatever. Now
going through a draw" | think it would b.
well, diicGys, for person who proposes to in
siruct The public, that he should know some-
thing Of the facts bearing on the question up
on which he proposes to give Instruction.
What are they in his case' First. there arr in
the vicinity OF two hundred and tfty vessels
passing through sullivan Falls, each way,
every season, engaged in carrying to market
the lumber, wood, bark. ping, spars. railroad
ties granite, sc, shipped from the town of
Franklin. and points in sullivan and Hancock,
above the contemplated bridge of said >tmson.
These ~ vessels are obliged To have what i
called n leading, or fair wind, TO make the pas
sage of said falls going out; such wind is be-
tween the points ;. W. aud y. y. r.. going
round to the Westward, aud the passage can
only be made at high water slack, in the day
time; no such thing Is ever attempted pass
ing them at any other time of tide, or in the
night. The point. at which Stimson proposes
10 build bridge, II some ihrcc-fourth> OF a
mile above The falls between the falls and hi.
point. Their" l. not oHe fpot Of safe anchorage
for vessels. Now. a, to the slight incouyrui-
rnCc Of pas-inA through draw IN said bridge"
q vessels coming np through the falls. \ YES
81 now coming into sullivan. bound to Frank
lin, or any point in Hancock or sullivan above
said fall~, has, in case the tide j. running out
when she gets there, merely TO wait til the
tide commences TO run up through the fall:
then they can go right along about their bust
nrs., nothing 10 hinder or bother them. oflrn
making the pa>>ag" up through the falls.
against a head wind, or what, in sra-.oiug
phrase j. called beating through" and haS-
ing -uch 4 strong fair tide. have no trouble in
working up to our bay the same tide. How
would It b. with bridge draw TO pass; In
case Of a strong and fair wind, il would b. with
the utmost risk vessel could come through
At all. and pass draw bridge. Why: Be
cause, in the absence Of any safe anchorage
between the falls and the bridge, to come 10
there with strong fair wind. and a seven
knot current, nine times out Of ten your an
Choir would fail 10 bring Your vessel up, and
she would be forced into the bridge or draw
picrs. damaginGone or both. perhaps seriously
slight Inconvenience OF passing a draw
Not 80 very slight, Mr. Editor. were il Your
property ut risk. There are many other in
convcniences that vessels would be subject 10 !
in coming up through said falls, often deten-
ton Of twenty-four hours, quite an item in
these times Of low freights but the obstacles |
placed IN the way Of navigation, by u bridge Al |
the point Stimson proposes 10 put one, are 50 |
much Increased, in passing out over said falls. !
that leave the inleard passage, and hasten TO /
consider the Outlcdrd passage, The anchorage /
has been referred 10, between the falls and the !
contemplated bridge; above the bridge the an
chOTage IL equally unsafe, being all the way a |
hard rocky or ledgy bottom from the fall, 10 /
onc-thlrd Of "A mile above the point Il is pro !
posed 70 place a bridge; that all vessels, |
bound out over the falls, are obliged TO anchor |
ocne-halt mile above the said bridge in order to !
have safe anchorage. | have previously stated /
that for the passage outward, fair wind and /
high water stockade in the falls is necessary in |
erery cdse. Should Stimson build his contem- |
plated bridge, every cargo of lumber, wood, |
bark. plling, railroad ties. granite, &c. shipped
III these 80 vessels, would be subjected to a de-
tentlon OF at least twenty-four hours, under the
most favorable circumstances. Why; Be
cause draw in bridge with such a current
could only be passed at high water sack-an-
other point comes in here the tide is running
OFT IT the falls before it is done running Up at
the brldge-hnite things like vessels can only |
be- IN one place at the same time. there is
but one thing 10 do get through the bridge one
day, and wait till the next day 10 90 over the |
ias; no safe anchorage to trust your vessel to.
the wind liable 10 shin 10 the Eastward mean
while storm arise your vessel living between
man, invention 70 destroy you on one side.
and Gods on the other, and IL you escape de,-
tructon you are lucky. the wind liable 10 hold
for days, III a point where it is impossible to
make The passage OF the falls, all the time in
danger, when had il not been for the obstruc-
uon of the bridge, you could have passed the |
iaIls The same day YOU passca the bridge, as il
requires the same wind to stem the current
and get down 10 the bridge. that il does 10 pass
the falls. Il know friend Wiswel stated be
lore the Committee on Commerce, that he had
frequently known vessels TO go over the falls |
AFTER the tide has e6bed foot ia the falls, that
had It's effect on committee that knew moth |
ing about the facts, but think Capt Moses |
Moon Capt. J. NJ. Blaisdell or any other man
that knew anything about the passage OF those |
slider II rather reckless use of an attorneys
privilege, to say the least.) The above facts
not those stated by Mr.. Wiswell-sre rather |
singular commentary ON the sentence-'.ex- |
cept the slight Inconvenience of going through |
a draw in said bridge" Frequently there are |
from SIX 10 twelve vessels, and sometimes even |
more, waiting for a wind 50 As to get over the |
falls; you understand that frequently in the |
course OF the day there will be wind that a |
vessel could get over the falls with, but the |
wind don't happen TO blow at the particular |
time that the tide serves right; this is particu-
larry SO in dog days, so called, when the wind !
perhaps will be 5. w. in the afternoon, but |
high water slack in the falls occurred in the
forenoon; all these things help to complicate,
and make worse the distractions nature has
placed in our way, and argue, with great force,
against allowing man TO step in and increase
our dlt1cutles. These six TO twelve vessels
when there Is chance that they could get
through falls have got TO lose it in getting
through the bridge; then there they are be-
tween the falls and the bridge, liable TO all the
dangers and difficulties of the position; no safe
anchorage, and it is hard telling what would
become of them, should gale of wind arise
ana blow In conjunction with seven or eight
knot current. These statements are facts, and
with bridge, the dangers and difficulties re-
ferred TO would not be of very rare occur
renee. The half has not been said that might
be SAID against the proposition to bridge tide
waters above Sullivan Falls. This much will
say in conclusion: You can hunt the legisla-
ton Of this State all through, and in no place.
except IN this one spot, can YOU find where "A
similar outrage has been committed on whole