Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1888-02-17
The Kennebec River Improvement.

EAtfoF OF the heHHsOec |ONTRiE
Knowing the interest that nearly all citi-
zens of the hennebec valley feel in proposed
improvements 10 be made by the War De
partment on this river, take the liberty of
communicating, through your paper, some of
the principal features OF letter from the
Secretary of War TO Congress, Jan. 26th,
1883, with the accompanying report of Major
Jared A. Smith, Corps of Engineers giving
results of surveys made during the summer
of 1851 and being simply preliminary sur
vey, the department desiring 10 have some
definite and official information as to the
commerce of the river the location and ma
ture of the distractions, and AN approximate
cost of removing the same.
The survey was commenced at Augusta
July 9Th, and completed at Bath, Aug. 18th,
but, owing TO the lack of available funds
it was impossible to make continuous de-
tailed survey of the river between tie points
named, Ca channel length of y miles how
ever, close examinations were made at all
points where navigation was known to be OBJ
structed
The Engineer reports that at Lovejoy's
narrows, East of Swan Islsnd, where the
larger class of ice ladened vessels are fres
quently towed onto the hedges and damaged,
1t will be necessary TO remove 600 cubic
yards of ledge rock at cost of $3.50 per
yard; the channel would then be 40 feet
wide and Is feet deep at mean low water.
Half mile above Swan Island there is a
rock in the channel on which several vessel,
have been injured it is not shown on the
Coast Survey map, although it has but . fit of
water over it presumably low water.)
In mid-channel IA miles below Gardiner
is reef known Sreens ledge over which
the chart shows but fl of water.
Several other points below Gardiner are
spoken of the most important among them
being Coxsackie shoal, defended at its head
by ledge known as Beef Rock. The removal
OF this ledge would be very expensive and is
not recommended by the engineer, bnt instead
she says good channel could be maintained
by dixie or long wing dam on the East shore,
concentrating the water on the jetty princi-
pie. There are miles and miles of these wing
dams on the Hudson river from Troy.
% or 80 miles down the river The pilot of
one of those large Hudson river day boats
told the writer that without these devices it
would he impossible to navigate that river in
that section, except during the high water
seasons. These dams are built low. about
one foot above usual high water: when there
Is a freshet they are no obstruction to the
spread of the river.
On this ledge the engineer advises that
beacon light be erected to be known as Beef
Rock Beacon; the cost of all the improve
ments at this point is placed at Sl05 .520.
Between Gardiner and Augusta there are
five shoals, now having six and one half feet
of water at low water that should be deepened
to eight feet with uniform width of 100
feet.
The survey calls for the removal of 81 900
cubic yards from what is known as Cages
shoal Opposite steam mill property in
this city, 10000 yards from Brtt's shoal,
I .00o yards from Hallowell and Shepard's
Point. Is 600 yards from Iimkley's shoal,
$4,000 yards from Browns Island shoal, s.
900 yards from Gardiner and Steamboat
shoals.
Maj Smith also advises the removal of two
of the stone piers of the former bridge at
llallowell at a cost of $500.
The cost of making the Improvements on
the entire length of channel surveyed, would
be increased owing to the scarcity of suitable
dumping grounds. These must always be
near the shore, where the material will not
be washed back into the channel, so that the
distance of towing is often great and delay
is caused by the necessity of waiting for high
water.
Maj. Smith calls attention to the fact that
the amount of navigation on the river is very
large. and the commerce of a kind which
makes the rate of freghts matter of interest
to a large section of country. especially along
our Atlantic coast.
With a good channel, steamboats, would
run direct from Augusta to Boston, and with
such a channel as is proposed there would be
saved to the citizens of this city alone. at
least $4,000 year, being on the inward
bound articles of coal, Southern pine lumber,
cotton, lime and general merchandise, and
on outward shipments of lumber, ice, granite,
hay and large quantities of other farm
products and manufactured articles.
Before any appropriation can be made it
will be necessary to make another and com
plete survey, in order that estimates may be
prepared, and it is recommended that the
sum of $1,000 be appropriated for that pur-
pose. IRA II. RANDALL.