The Portland daily press., 1884-12-22
MAINE HARBORs.
Col. e. @. BIunt's Report 90 she War De
Partment.

Col. @. e. Blunt OF the United States En-
gnser Corps reports to the War Department
as follows on the improvement of Maine har-
bors;
PORTLAND HARBoR.
Up.to the 1st of july 1888, there was availa-
bic for the imDrovement OF Portland harbor
the sum OF $40 06943S, which was applied to
the partial removal of the "middle ground" Ia
the lower part of the harbor to depth Of 21
feet at mean lov water (or about 80 feet at
mean high water) under a contract made with
Moore & Wright of Portland at 13a cents
per cubic yard. Under this contract dredging
was continued until the 10th of August 1888.
completing the contract, under which 239, ,4lOl
cubic yards in all vera dredged The total
expenditures in this harbor from 1886 to June
30, 1884, have been S406, ,091 AZ. With the APP
proprl@tton OF $4,000 made July 5, 1884, the
dredging OF the middle ground" up TO the
commissioners line will be flushed, thus COM
pletlng the existing project for this harbor.
KENNEBUNK RIVER.
In the improvement of Kennebunk river,
the project originally adopted consisted in the
erection OF two grauite piers at its mouth, to
afford a permanent entrance to the river, and
OF a wharf short distance above, for the Sc
cnrlty OF vessels when detained by tides and
storms. In 1870 and 1871 these piers were ex-
tended and repaired, and the wharf was also
repaired. This project was modified In 1876,
the object being to afford channel OF naVi-
gable width from the mouth OF the river up 10
hsnneounkport, distance OF about Que mile,
and OF not less than four feet Ia depth at
mean low water,or IL feet at mean high water
In 1855 the government wharf" was repaired
@1y day labor and purchase Of materials in open
mast: The face OF the wharf, $40 feet in
length, wss shesthed with thrse-inch - :
the piles secT-sd, several holes filled wISu
gravel, &c, and nurnber of ring-bolts and
staples attached to the Gaping. The amount
expanded from 1870 to June 80, 1884, is S20,-
663I6 The small balance OF funds remain
ing,-S336. lis applicable to similar minor re-
pairs which may be required
LUBEc CHANNEL.
Lubec chanuel forms the eastern boundary
OF the state between the town of Lubec aud
Campobello island. For over two miles /. e.,
from below the Western Bar beacon to the
bead of Lubec Narrows it was distracted by
bars having five feet at mean low water, or
% feet at mean high water, the mean rise
and fall of the tide being II feet, whilst at ex-
treme low water at spring Gides there was but
one foot OF water over their shOalest parts. The
condition of the channel, therefore, was such
that at and near mean low water, vessels were
unable to navigate IL, and were forced to take
clreultouS route l6 miles longer, from West
Q1oddy Head to the eastward of Campobello
island through British waters, In order to reach
Lubec, E stDort, Calais, Pembroke and other
ports IN Maine, on the Saint Croix and Penn
broke rivers Similar difficulties also occurred
to vessels coming down from Calais and other
places on the river Saint Croix. With view
to the improvement of this chBnnel, so as to
make it navigable in all stages Of the tide, it
was surveyed in 1878 with great care and no
ledges were encountered or any other material
difficult to be excavated by dredging. The
original project for its improvement consisted
in exeavatng it for width OF 200 feet, to 3
depth of IL feet at mean low water OF spring
tides. In the last annual report this channel
was reported completed.
A lettV upon Gun Rock. a ledge DrOiectinO
into Llbec Narrows, at the northeast point OF
the town OF Lubec, was begun In May, 1884,
and at the close of the fiscal gee. 125 feet Of At
had Daen complated. Its total length will be
259 feet. Its object is to stop the rapid tidal
current which sweeps across this ledge to the
great Inconvenience OF passing vessels. 1t was
represented last year by parties interested, that
a still wider and deeper channel is desirable.
A perfectly straight one is impractcable, but
Increased width, especially at the bends, would
add much to the facility OF navigation in the
strong tidal currents of the locality. TO at
tain this object. the channel through the shoal
should be 275 feet wide, with al additional
width of 25 feet at the bends above the West
ern Bar Beacon and Cranberry Point. A de-
sire for a mean low water depth greater than
IL feet was also made known. Propellers
drawing fully that have occasion to pass
through, and a depth of 10 feet at mean low
water is what is wanted. To make this addi-
tional improvement will require $50, 900, which
could be advantageousiy ex pended during the
working season OF 1885, and early in 1886, and
the appropriation OF that amount is recon-
mended.