The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1878-09-04

The length of the dam is eighty rods The
wings are built of crib-work of logs, filled to
tne top with stone, and made water-tighs by a
heavy soplng bank of gravel above. Io the
center Is 200 feet of framework built of the
largest square pine timber bolted and braced
In every direction with heavy iron. This Frame
work is kept in place by long buttresses of thu.
ber extending dowd stream, and filled with
stone In this timber section are twenty gates,
each six feet and eight inches wide, and a
clear waterway of 40 feet, with a wide sloping
plank apren, over which the logs shoot to the
river below. Seven of the gates went out 10
I he freshet of 1858. The head of the water is
thirteen feet, and the surface of the lake was
raised nine feet. The dam was built in 1855 by
David Pingree Of Salem, Mass, a native of
Maine, for the purpose of floating the logs in
the streams above and for holding the water
until it was wanted to drive the logs below.
fhe engineer of the work was Col. Wyman OF
Fairfield. The cost of the dam was 100000.
The dam haxing stood twenty-five years, the
wood OF the cribwork became weakened by de-
cay, which made it necessary to strengthen Ii
with stone on the lower side. To do this large
and small boulders are hauled with oxen along
the wide wheel road on top of the dam, and
rolled off below in sufficient numbers to make
a close sloping mass.
The great business at the dam, for which IL
was built, is in the spring. The logs which
hsve been cut on the streams and ponds above
are gathered into the lake, and then into RATS,
to which is fastened the 'headworks," strong
platform OF square timbor, on which Is build
ing to shelter the men and capstan. A kedge
anchor with hawser or warp, some half a
mile long, is carried down the lake by two or
three boats, until the whole length of the line
has been paid out, when the anchor is thrown
overheard. The hawser is taken round the
capstan. The bars are manned, and with
cheering song, the raft is warped down to the
anchor, which is got up and again carried
ahead, In this way the RATS are warped to
the dam. When there is strong head wind
the entire for of 125 men are compelled to
wait for chang8-sometimeS for ten or twelve
days. When all the logs have arrived at the
dam the "husht )ards" are removed from the
waterway and the logs in RATS. or siugle, enter
the boiling current and pass over the apron to
river below. Lastly the headworks and bat
teaSx follow in the same track. The waste
gates are now hosted, releasing wat3r enough
to drive the logs to the next lake, where the
same process is repeated. While the logs are
passing the dam it is busy place. Hundreds
of visitors are attracted by the novelty of the
scene, and to witness the deeds Of daring of
the hardy rivermen, The hrst year tue logs
are driven to the Wilton boom in about 65
days-there they remain until the next season,
when they reach Lewiston in about the same
space of time. The three dams, two below the
great one, with the right to control the water,
were sold about year ago by the Pingree heirs
and E. S. Coe, the owners, to the Franklin
Company and the city of Lewiston for $780,
600.
The road to the next lake below, "Molle-
chunkemunk," is along the top of the dam and
through the woods for quarter OF mile,
where there is another steamboat landing.
These steamer routes, with intervening carries,
are the same to the outlet of Umbagog lake,
some 60 miles from Rangeley. We are now
% miles from our hotel and must turn our
faces thitherward. On our way up l called at
Mr.. Pages cottage at the foot of the lake, to
see Hiram P. Hewey, OF Dallas Plantation,
whom / learned had helped to build the great
dam. To him am indebted for dates and
facts. At the end of our interview he volun-
officer in the war of the rebellion, who is some
what publicly known and who has his home In
Portland. He said, "Do you know Neal Dow?
L went out in Company e, Capt. Qaimby, Of
the 18th regiment, under him. L am not OF
his party nor never was, but when Col. Dow
left the regiment it lost its best friend. He
always personally looked after our health and
comfort, and his presence was restraint on
the officers and men"
Sunday found us still at Rangeey. Upon
any one who is susceptible of an impression of
dependence upon and accountability to, power
superior to human, this feeling will settle
when the Sabbath overtakes HIM far from
home, among strangers, and face to face with
the mountains in their muiesty and the dark
solitude of the forest. With this sense the
psalmist said, 81 was glad when they said unto
me let us go into the house of the Lord"
There is no stated Sunday service at Range
ley except a Sunday school. j. A. Burke, Esq.
is the merchant, Postmaster and magistrate Of
the village. He owns the Rangeey Lake
House, ,and much other real estate In the town.
His large influence is always in the right di-
rection. He has fine building adjoining the
hotel for his own large business. the second
story of which is a pleasant public hall. In
this room on the Sabbath in summer, some
clergyman who may be tarrying here is usually
invited by him to officiate. We found at the
hotel Bishop Jaggar OF southern Ohio and his
family, his father, retired New York broker,
and his daughter. w. s. Pitkin and wife of
New Haven, Profess or Crosby of Yale college
and his sister, with some of his students, Rev.
Edward Abbott of Cambridge, Mass. editor
of the Literary World, and his family, Edward
P. Brown, Esq, of Boston somewhat noted for
his able defence of Piper the belfry murderer,
whom he believed to be innocent until he was
astounded by his confession of his guilt In the
midst of his trial-and others. With the mia
listers named, who have been here during the
season there has been no break in q regu-
lar Sunday service. On Sunday, August 11tb,
in the morning, the Rev. Mr.. Abbott preached,
and in the afternoon, Rev. DR.. Noble officiated.
The audience was composed OF be towns
people and those boarding at the hotel. The
singing was very fine and the whole service
was impressive. All these clergymen are
"fshers'', as were several of the first disciples,
and the lawyer Is a veteran sportsman. Per-
haps it would be well to mention for the infor-
nation of those like myself, whose special love
of the trout is when he is ready to be ate, (the
anglers know it already that at this season tho
trout have gone to the deep waters or the lakes,
on account of the high temperature of the sur
face. They will rise early in September. when
they can be caught in abundance, of the weight
of from eight pounds to much lower figure.
Trout can now be caught in any reasonable
numbers, and of good size in all the waters of
the deep forest here. Professor Agasiz certi-
fled that the spotted trout of these lakes, SON Q
of which have been caught OF the weight OF ten
pounds, are of the sans species as the common
brook trout of New Eagland. Their form.
their spots and their flavor Sre the same.
We bad been led to believe hat the flies and
mosquitoes would be very troubIesome in the
lake region at any time before Sep. amber. L
arrived at Rangeley Aug. 7th, but only IN none one
locality did see either of these pests while
there, and that was q few of the lattes on .
still evening on the shore of the lake. AT
Rsngeley lake the public house keepers do not
bleed visitors so numerically as at some sum-
mer resorts. Their prices for board, horses,
guides and boats are reasonable. People of the
cities-even families, can live here for the sum-
mer cheaper than they can at home.
The heat here is never oppressive. A lady
from Cincinnati, who has been at the Lake
house since the middle Of June, has kept ther-
mometrical record-noting the highest figure
reached each day. was kindly favored with
an examination of that record, and particularly
noticed the first week of July, which was the
hottest week of the season throughont New
England. In many cities and towns the mer-
curry reached 100 degrees and more. In my
own thermometer, ten miles from Portland, in
the shade of northern piazza, where it has
hung twenty years, on the Sd of July the mer-
curry for few minutes marked 1oo degrees, but
Immediately receeded. At Rangeley for the
seven days commencing July 2nd, the highest
figure for each day was severally Sc S7-S5-77-71.
so 83; and this was at from to 5 o'clock, d. m.
Mr.; Hinkley. of the Rangelsy Lake House,
does his best to make his boarders comfortably
and succeeds. Mrs. Hinckley ably supple
ments her husbands efforts-her presence
would adorn any house, public or private.
There are other hotels in each village at which
we have stopped on our way, and here, with
good reputation-I only name those which we
have proved.
STATE NEWS.