The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1884-02-05
RIvERs AND HARBORs.
Some Noteworthy New England Schemes
A Wonderful Dam Across the Piscafn-
OUa.


washington Correspondence of the Boston Ad.
yertiser.
Among the river and harbor estimates sub
mittsd by Secretary Lincoln. to Congress are
three new ones for works in New England.
They include digging out larger hal Dor at
Bangor, new breakwater at the mouth of the
Saco river, and a wonderful dam across the
Piscataqua above Portsmouth. The latter is
unique enough to deserve first mention. Ths
Piscatsqua is narrow stream, crooked and
with violent currents. Dover is on a branch
called the Cocheco, a few miles above Ports
mouth. Great Bay, covering twelve square
miles OF shallow water, opens into the Piscata-
qua between Dover aud Portsmouth, while in
to the farther end of Great Bay empties the
Lamprey and Exeter rivers, on which are the
commercial towns of Newmarket and Exeter.
On each of these channels the government has
spent some money, making the navigation
safer for coal schooners to Dover, and for
smaller craft to Newmarket and Exeter. But
this seems not TO be satisfactory, so that the
two latter towns, instead Of five feet of water
at their wharves, want eleven. Great Bay has
too rocky bottom to make dredging p-actica-
BILE, and so the engineers have hit upon an
other plan. 1t should be stated that New
market and Exeter have total population Of
6766 to BIZ benefited. Below the outlet of
Great Bay the Piscstaq1s is 1,4S0 feet wide,
varying in depth from 8 to AZ feet. Across
here Col. Blunt proposes to build a great dam,
and thereby back up all the streams above to
be seven feet deeper than now. Towards the
northern side of the stream is little islet
called Franks Fort Island. BY razing this it
will give foundation for lock 200 feet long,
and an feet vida yuif
which the commerce of the Cochecho and
Lamprey could find its way to the sea. This is
iu brief, the project. Col. Blunt says, "No in
stance Is known to me OF a construction for
the same object in any locality similar to this
Concerning the importance OF the place he
adds: Il have failed to obtain either facts or
wel.-grounded information on this head. 1t in
thought by many that the dam would be a
good thing, but even this opinion is not uni.
yersal. IL has been suggested that 1t deprives
Port smouth Of some business as distributing
centre for coal. Also, that although the
troublesome currents in Portsmouth harbor
would doubtless be entirely stopped, the free
dom from ice, now one of its greatest ad van
iages, would, on the other hand, become seri-
ously affected" Yet General fhom reported
that "the work Isl public necessity" Colonel
Blunt adds that the work will offer difficulties
of execution owing to the great depth of the
water, and cannot be well estimated for in adj
vance. He estimates the cost OF the dam at
$402, ,164; lock, S1l3,641, and other items
enough to bring the entire expense up to S709,.
COO. He adds that as the work will probably
be dragged along by irregular appropriations
the actual cost would exceed this amount by at
least 100000. Dover, Exeter and Newmarket
are very anxious for the work to be commenc-
ed, but it is hardly necessary to say that Con-
gress will be tardy in adopting for tidewater
navigation tne policy of dammiDg up navi-
gable rivers.
At the mouth of the Saco river, Maine, there
has been ever since 1873 q breakwater about
42OO feet iotg. Since then the ohannsl has
shoaled by drifting sands to about three feet Of
water at low tide. In order TO make it navi-
gable the engineer proposes to extend the pres
ent breakwater half its present length, and
build one on the other side OF the channel
some 5000 feet long. These would prevent ac-
cumulations of sands, and, acting as jettiss,
make tie river keen. its own channel clean.
This will require $255, 800. For the Bangor i'm
proYement $4,000 is sked for.