Ellsworth American., 1877-05-24
The Androscoggin Lakes.


harpers Magazine Tor June the ioiiowin~
extracts are made:
We call Maine the .sPine.tree State.
Lake State" would be an equally appro.
prIate and distinctive appellation. He,
forests are gradually falling before the al
yapcjng str,.ke of the lumbermau. hut her
lakes can never be lost out of her noun.
tain. guarded territorjty, nor can their
charms ever be lessened by the touch OF
settlement and civilization. There are
more than fifteen hundred of them laid
down upon the better mans in use: hun.
dreds more are too small to be enumerated
in a general survey: while many others lie
hidden in regions that have not vet been
explored. The author of Water-power OF
Maine says In that work: There are but
three or four districts on the globe, not
more extensive than Maine aud equally
habitable In other respects, upon which an
equal number OF receptacles for impoupd
ing rainfall of not inferior capacity and
service Is to be found. The kenuebec
River has more lakes connected within
than the gigantic Orlnoco. and the Penob.
scot than the Oregon. or than all the riy-
.rs in Africa. so far as IL known"
But the Kennebec and the Pepobscot are
only two OF half a dozen ,mportant river.
In Maine, each Of which Is connected with
an extensive lake system of It's own These
two rivers drain the central portions of the
state the kennebec being the outlet of III,
great Moosehead Lake, whose varied az
fractions have already received du. motto,
IN the pages of this magazine. Far to tho
eastward on the confines of New Bruns
wick. the st. Croix river and the Schoodit
Lakes; 10 the north of these the II. John
and the Eagle Lakes; to the west again
following along the Canada border. the
Alleguash and the lakes of upper Piscata.
quis county; and finally, well around o,
the New Hampshire line the Androscog.
! gin and it, lakes These are only six on
OF some fifteen systems which are recop
uized by the yeographers.
The Androscosgin Lakes, as commonly
reckoned. are six in number. though tn,
character OF the connecting waters il suct
/ In two instances that the number Is some.
times reduced to four. Thus CupsuptI,
and Mooslucmaguntic are jolned by SO
broad a strait as really TO form one bod,
+ oI water. through the coniguration of the
/ shores justities the division which has beer
/ adopted in the nomenclature. The same
/ is true of Mollychunksmunk aud Welok
7 enuebacook. which are sometimes Spoken
I OF together as the Richardson Lake ol
1 Lakes. Rangely Lake at the upper (north
] east extremity OF the chain, and l'mba
/ Cog, at the lower southwest extremity
| have each more distinct individualit,
| being separated from the others by yer,
! pslpable streams All, however. consti
/ tute one series and the waters ol the An
/ drOscoggin River. as they leave Umbapo.
/ by its western shore, gather part of tneil
/ volume from a small pond when lies ava,
I To the east of Ringely. A dozen or NOR,
I such smaller ponds are buried In the for
/ ests aud among the mountain, that sur
/ round these lakes. aud contribute thei
/ quotas 70 the mighty current poured there
/ from through the ALdro,cog i'm Valley Il
{ the ocean. The six lakes have An aygre
I gate surface OF seventy seven square miles
Z They drain IA tributary area Of nine hmm
dred square miles. By aid OF dams erected
| at connecting points their storage Is in
I creased To very nearly "a, 900 900 900 cubi,
! feet, aud their outflow is but from SO 10 4s
/ hours in reaching the CITY of Lewiston. II
( whose many manufactures they furnish al
/ ample and exhaustless power. This func
/ ton, taken in connection with the extended
timber lands which envelop them on ever,
side. gives the chain great importanc. in /
4 commercial point of view. and the busy
numbering lite, OF which In winter they
/ form the centre might very properly en-.
gross our attention 10 the exclusion of 9th
! er aspects
But it is with those lakes as a resort o
the sportsman and tourist that we are noY
chiefly concerned As such. they are com.
ing iuto Wide and deserved notice. Thi,
northwestern corner Of Maine is a lesser
-AufohuacAs' NO part OF the world,
/