Daily Kennebec journal., 1895-10-01
RIVER MUD
Will be Dumped Within Boom Limits
On the East Side.
The Government Settles the Business for The
Present.

l.
made arrangements to have its mud
dumped within the logboom which ex
tends along the eastern bank, Just thi,
side of Hallowell
few weeks ago Hon Seth l.. Mill
zen went to Washington in behalf of tb,
kennebec lumber interests to uravenr
damage being done the boom by filline
in. The first part of last week the wa,
department sent for Engineer W. F. Rob
lnsoD, who has charge OF the dredging tc
sec II some arrangements could not be
made which would not interfere with the
logging business A compromise has re-
suited and the dumpings for the balance
OF the season, estimated to be about 20, 000
cubic yards, will be distributed within
the boom along its northern portion
chiefly. This will not 1t is claimed by
the government, be sufficient to do any
harm.
Mr.. Robinson said to journal reporter
in answer to inquiries concerning his call
to Washington. The object OF my trip
was to endeayor to effect some means by
which the dump'ngs might not have to be
carried so great distance as has been
necessary. A dumping place should be
provided within two miles, according to
the contract. We have had to tow the
scows, in some instances, from three to
five miles and this has seriously inter
fcrred with the progress Of our work.
Arrangements have been effected on the
order cf compromise, and for the present
we will dump the drcdgings within the
boom limits.
The members of the Log Driving Com
pany fail to be convinced that they will
not suffer inconvenience from this ar
rangemcnt They claim that they have
trouble enough with the clements with
out their booms being filled In with gov
ernment mud. The next thing on the
programme they say. will be a freshet
next spring which will carry their logs
out to sea, and be done with them.
1t still remains question, however
whether the quantity of mud, which will
be dumped within the boom, will be
sufficient to do much harm.
The work of dredging Is most intert St
ing. The scow Quebec is Mt present
working about midway between Augusta
and Hallowell, short distance beyond
Britts gully The channel on which they
are now working will be, when completed,
100 feet wide and 10 feet deep, at mean
low water. Allowing a rise and fall of
the tide of four feet which is the average,
channel will be obtained which ut high
water will be navigablc to schooners of
700 and 500 tons, where heretofore 1t has
been possible to admit only vessels which
were about 800 tons, and under. The
improved facilities will materially reduce,
it is said, the cost of coal shipments and
of many other kinds Of merchandise
which are brought TO this city by water.
The dredging Is done with the current,
where it is possible, so that all dirt and
other refuse stirred up by the dredger will
not float back into the channel eAcavated.
The dredging scow is equipped with
boilers which run three double engines.
The largest of these furnishes power for
the dredging bucket, which by pully
arrangements amounts to 700 horse power :;
one of the others swings the ann of the
dredger viii lc the third raises the anchors
OF "spuds'' as they are called These
spuds are huge wooden beams, set at the
four corners of the dredge and pointed at
the bottom ends These are lifted by the
engine and let fall to the bed of the river
where they literally pin the dredge to
stationary position. permitting great pre-
olsion in dredging,
The bucket is suspended on an arm
which works perpendicularly, and for
ward and back, on the main arm which
swings horizontally in this way the man
in charge is enabled to place his digger
wherever he wishes within reach, by
means of levers, wheels, breaks and every
conceivable kind of director. A chain
and pully on the end of the main arm
supplies the dredging power, pulling for
ward, the dredge itself describing an arc
with the junction of the two arms its
centre When the driver SEES that the
dredge is going too deep and has more
than 1t can attend TO- by easing up on his
brake the perpendicular arm is allowed
to slide up and give the necessary relief.
The dredgc bucket holds about three
tons of mud When flied it is swung TO
one side and opened into scow. The
scows are divided into compartments
which pen at the bottom.
The swing of the arm covers about 20
feet, so that in digging the present chan
mel of 100 feet width, four trips are nee
essary. The channels are dug as straight
as possible from point to point, ranges on
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