The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1892-02-04
,e Improvement of Belfast Harbor.

IS IRE SURVEY AND RECOMMENDATIONS OF TIL
e U. S. ENGINEERS.
B. everybody recognizes the necessity TO
T. redging and improving Belfast harbor, bu
Fl III public is not fully informed as to the re
3 lamentations of the U. S. Engineer de
II raItment. When it is understood that thu
Z work done last season in single locality
Z n the benefit of an individual industry, is
& nv part of the work contemplated, there
4 must naturally be less dissatisfaction. IN
n 81 date of Portland, Jan. g. 1889, Col. J. A
+ smith reported to the Chief of Engineers:
L The city and harbor of Belfast are so wei
Z tuown that description seems supert1uous
Belfast is port OF entry, located upon the
L 9rtheastern part of Penobscot Bay. A large
4 lrea of the surrounding country is depend
+ mt upon Belfast as a receiving and shipping
Z port.
1 referring to an earlier report, he says that
4 examination made Dec. -. 1855 brought
! 4 some points which had not before been
/ aimed and continues:
The commercial statistics of Belfast Har-
1 n which We're included in my last annual
purt are sufficient to show the general i'm
1 rtdnce of the place, and to Justify state
I mt that the harhor is worthy of improve
-nt by the njted States.
The agent Of the Boston line of steamers
rmed me that the steamers had great
enltv in landing al low water, and he
Hted out several faces where the depth
water is apparently less than formerly.
the agent of the New York steamers gave
II. utally the same Information, and
HGh il did not in all respects conform to
I ii | had been told on a former occasion.
was convinced than some further i'm
.tlncntS are necessary in the interest of
I CATION and commerce.
| le concludes by Recommending that a
1 az of the harbor he made sufficiently in
| all to indicate all the requirements, the
vev to include examinations of the char
/ Of the bottom. His recommendations
/ ( approved and in Sept 1889, Mr.. A. c.
/ tn, [. s. assistant engineer, made a com
! te photographic survey of Belfast harbor.
/ submitting his report to the Chief of En-
I aeers Col. Smith said:
/ The material at the bottom of the harboris
I nerally soft, and in no place where inn
/ pVements are proposed is it too hard to be
| moved by dredging.
/ = comparison of maps made at different
| Jes indicates that no perceptible filling oc-
| MS III the harbor, 50 that greater depths
| occurred by dreding Will be retained for a
/ Nc time, If not permanently.
/ lit is proposed to dredge the central chan
! n to depth of Is feet at mean low water
/ tlredge an area on the west side TO a depth
| 3 feet. and an area on the east side to a
/ pth of feet
4 The mean rise of tides above mean low
/ lter is O. feet The depth in the channel
| nigh water, would therefore he 247 feet,
nile in the other area the high-water depth
! mid he 22.7 feet and III feet respectively.
hese depths will greatly increase the facil-
/ ts for business at Belfast and believe
/ uV will he sufficient.
| PORT OF A. c. BOTH. ASSISTANT ENGINEER.
| following is the report of the engineer who
4de the survey:
| Ihf survey was commenced Sept. IS and
| NIpleted Sept. y. 1889 \ number of the
| dngulatOn points of a former survey of
| harhor, made by me in 1879, having since
4 GA Ohhberated, il was necessary to estab-
>I some new points.
| Two old stations. viz MI (Patterson's
into and ID (near Mc(iilverv'S >hip-yar,D
.ich We're marked by drill holes in rock
I rt used rs starting points, and number
Jew points We're established ON both sides
1 the harhor Some small additions to
tdrNtS ON the west side, and a new wharf
| lce-houses butt on the east Side. near
! mouth of Go"se River, have been elubod-
II this survey
"A
"o0 (Same scale as map Of survey Of 1879
herewith submitted. The reference for
ldlngS shown oN this map is mean low
er same as for survey of 1870. and the
1 n rise and fail Of tides is - feet
/ comparison of the su!indingS shown on
map With those formerly made clearly
4 "icateS that n" per%el''hie changes of the
/ tom oI me laIi.,r have tau nl,.,. III.
| lathS over the area in front ana below the
| ~tuu and Bangor steamer W hart. -,f,,,.I.
1 ged 10 T. feet at mean low water, ~,.l
u he upper end of said wharf to Lame
! Hillt 10 10 feet at mean low water, have not
| Hauged materially. The shoal ground which
( Naears outside or eaStery of the improved
/ a,s Was not dredged at thai time, it being
/ suIned. owing to the very soft character
1 he material forming these shoals. that
a,t would wash away or level down. This,
/ uVtvrr. has not been the case, and the
/ findings of the TWO surveys on these shoals
ne ii Il practical sense identical. From the
4 that during an interval of fourteen years
material changes have taken place IN
l last Harbur, the conclusion can safely be
lWn that Improvements here made and
I elected MAY he considered permanent.
4 The Improvements which are recommends
1 are believed to fully subserve the needs
4 navigation carried on in Belfast Harbor,
ud are. as follows, viz:
4 u Dredging the main channel marked
I leading from deep water to the upper
I glror to depth of Il feet at mean low wa
l Ter and least width of DO feet, the average
l ength being about 900 feet.
y Dredging the area marked "B to a
! i"rth of feet at mean low water: area aver
| Jr- 800 feet in width and 800 feet in length.
81 Dredging area marked &C. to "A depth
4 u feet at mean low water; this area aver
1 ij,s 700 feet in width and $50 feet in length
| OWING to the general increase in tonnage
I and draught of coasting vessels, the depths
l water now available are insufficient, and
| -rtat Inconvenience and frequent delays
I ne caused thereby, especially to the lassen-
GER steamers which run on time.
The steamers of the following lines make
andingS here at various hours Bangor and
4 Boston Steamship Line, Bangor and Rock
1 and Steamboat Line, Belfast and Castne
| Steamboat Line, Bangor and Mt. Desert
| Steamboat Line, Bangor and New York
| Steamship Line.
l This last steamer plies between Bangor
L and New York carrying freight and passen-
Il gers. 1t is large iron propeller, making
1 hr landings at Lewis Wharf, i'll the upper
4 trt of the harbor. As by far the create"
4 It of all the large vessels entering one ilai-
A y also load or discharge AT tle WilalNes IN
4 H>,art of the llarbor "A channel Win ample
4 csSit
\ lare and growing ice industry IS car,
fied on n the east side of the harbor. and
many Nesels are loaded here annually In
ftaSeu lalitieS for the movements OF YES
>eiS at TIN place seem to be very much
/ needed.
10 facllltdl the movements of the steam,
riS the area liirked ''C'' should be dredged
throughout To he proposed depth OF Is fee'