The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1879-08-12
RIVERS AND HARBORS.
Gen. Thom's Annual Report of the I'M
proven ents Made Last Year


The following with regard to the work of
improvement in rivers and harbors in Maine,
is taken from General Thom's annual report
of operations for the fiscal year ending June
so, 1879:
st, Croix river above the ledge. This river
forms part of the international boundary be-
tween Maine and New Brunswick. In the act
making an appropriation for the improvement
of this river was provlSo that New Bruins
wick should pay one-half for its improvement.
In 1877 the Dominion of Canada appropriated
$50, 900 for the improvement of the river, but,
in consideration of the fact that the restric-
ton to its navigation had been caused by de-
post of waste from the saw mills above, and
that no law is in force to prevent the contin-
uance of this practice, the department OF pub
lie works of the Dominion of Canada declined
to authorize the expenditure of the appropria-
ton until satisfied that this practice would be
permanently discontinued. For these reasons no
work was done except survey. By the act OF
March 3, 1879, an appropriation OF $1O,OOO was
made to improve Lubec channel, and for the
purpose of this improvement the uneXpended
balances of the appropriations made for the
st. Croix river. amounting in all to $4,000
were made available. No estimate is made
for the next fiscal year.
With regard to Lubec channel, the report
saws the project for this improvement consists
in widening and deepening the main channel
by dredging through the several bars lying be-
tween the head of the narro~s and deep water
below the western bar beacon, a distance of
two and half miles, so as to have width of
not less than two hundred feet at mean low
water, or twenty-nine feet at high water. The
estimated cost is $47 900, which includes dredg-
ing and the removal of Jordans rock. With
the appropriation of $4,000 by the act of
March, 1879, and that which is made available
from the st. Croix river improvement, this
amount is sufficient to complete the work.
The work ON the improvement of the Penob-
scot river is reported as having progressed
well. The project for the improvement OF
this river consists, first in widening its channel
through the several shoals and bars at Bangor
and below for distance of three and half
miles, so as to have width of not less than
two hundred feet, and depth OF not less than
eleven feet at low water, or twenty-five feet at
high water, on the lowest stages, giving about
fourteen feet of water at low water in its
ordinary stages; second, to break up and re-
move all the sunken lodges or boulders in the
harbor of Bangor down to the level OF the first
bed of the river, including Independence rock,
Gulliver's rock, and other rocks and lodges.
The appropriation made for this work since
1870, and including 1879, amounted to $685.
of which amount $16,500 is charged to the
Improvement at or near BucksDort narrows,
leaving $1S1 800 applicable to the improvement
of the river at or near Bangor. The unex-
pended balance of these appropriations will be
sufficient to complete all the works projected.
During the fiscal year ending June 30, 1879, the
was 1sIaas 1874 cubic yards This was from the main
channel and a depth of II feet at low tide and
% feet at high tide was obtained. Eighty-one
and four-tenths cubic yards of sunken ledge
were removed from the bed of the river, north
of and near the main channel The only
work that now remains to be done to complete
the improvement consists in the removal OF
sunken lodges, for which the amount of appro-
priated by the act of March last will be sutfi-
cient All the work will be completed the
present season.