The Portland daily press., 1896-06-05
The Boulevard Scheme.

To the Editor of the Press:
The scheme presented and illustrate
in your issue of the Both for what is
called the Improvement of Back Cove,
and which involves the sacrifice of that
body of water as q reservoir for the pres
ervation of Portland Harbor, should not
be allowed to pass without questioning
at least one Of the statements made in it's
behalf. The most surprising thing in
connection with this plan to impound
the water Of Back Cove, was the use
made OF Prof. Mitchells name.
Mr.. Jordan in his letter says: "The
scheme of tho dam at Tukey's bridge
was criticized by the harbor commission :
ers. which led the writer to submit his
scheme to Prof. Henry Mitchell, the
acknowledged authority on photography
the preservation of channels by tidal
scour, etc. -whosassured me that no de-
trlment would accrue that could not be
economically arranged and compensated
for' fhe reason why this statement is
SO surprising is because it contra diets
Prof Mitchell's whole record on this and
other tidal harbors with which he as
been connected. don't accuse Mr.. Jordan
OF wilfully misrepresenting Prof. Mitch
ell l have probably met Prof Mitchell
twenty times to Mr.. Jordan's once, and
have talked with him about every feature
of Portland harbor, and while l never
knew him to give an off-hand opinion on
any subject that he had not investigated,
he always used the language of gen.
tleman, and was never DISPOSED to
harshly criticize anybody's schemes. 1t
must be about twenty years since Mr..
Jordan submitted this plan and held this
remarkable interview with Mitchell, and
can he trust his n emory we'll enough to
feel sure that Mitchell told him that any
damage resulting from dam at Tukey's
bridge could be economically compensat-
ed for. II Mr.. Jordan had left out that
word economically" l would not be
writing this, for there is nothing else in
his communication that need brighten
anyone. If at that time Mr.. Jordan had
gone to Mitchell and asked him ii any
damage resulting from the dumping Of
all the ashes and excavations from cellars
into Portland Harbor could not be COM
psnsated for, MIR. Mitchell would have
said YES" for it could all be dredged
out. But l would not like to be the one
to represent him as saying that it could
be economically" done, and so give
the impression that it would be good
thing to do Prof. Mitchell has for some
years been broken in health, retired from
all active work. and unable to take part
in controversy. But for the good he
has done in his day, and especially for
his service on our harbor his reputation
should be vindicated.
g. A we'll established rule that he has
repeated over and over again in his re-
ports on harbors is this: Tidal harEors
depend upon interior reservoirs for the
preservation of their channels" Now
Portland is tidal harhor, and has two
interior reservoirs, Back Cove and Fore
River. When the commission composed
of Profs. Peirae, Mitchell and Whiting,
after thorough survey and a whole
summers observation on the currents of
the haIbor, laid down the lines in Fore
River limiting the future filings along
the shores of that reservoir, it was with
the understanding that the Harbor Com
missioners should exact compensation
for every cubic yard of tide water dis
placed. Does it seem reasonable that this
commission could have attached SO much
Importance to one reservoir and none to
the other? l Won't pretend to quote Just
the language used in any one of the
many interviews at that time, but the
tenor OF all was: look out for these res
ervoirs; don't give up anything; the
preservation of your harbor depends upon
this immense power that is working day
and night, year in and year out, to keep
open the channels of your harbor. Here
is what Prof. Peirce said to the Massa-
chusetts legislature: "In every case in
which there has been loss of reservoir
in Boston harbor it has been serious in
jury, and the injury is now going on. )"
And Mitchell said, q ths channels re
kept clear by the securing force of the
water which comes from the tidal reser-
voirs, and any diminution of power wi II
he followed by filling in Of material
! could furnish more quotations and
examples illustrating the wickedness
of the scheme proposed for Back Cove,
than you would print or anybody would
read. To make long story short, the
question is narrowed down to this, Shull
we swap Portland Harbor for drive
way?
G. II. FARLEY,
Harbor Commissioner.