Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1896-01-07
PEN0BSCOT ICE
Is Now Reported to be in
a Horrible Condition.
Poorest Freeze For Many Years From
Bridge TO High Head.
No Clear Ice Made in the Cold Snap OF Sal
urday and Sunday.

bangor, Jan. 4. - One Of the QUESTION
which was discussed considerably, Mon
day, was the ice situation it was a good
subject for discussion us the freeze on the
Penobscoi is unlike anything TIE iccmen
have had for years The river has all
closed in from the Bangor and Brewer
toll bridge to Il distance below Orfington.
From the toll bridge to High Head the
ice IS in terrible shape All last week
the river was full OF anchor ice and when
it froze, Saturday night, no clear ice was
made
Hon. Henry Lord IN talking with a
Commercial reporter. Monday, said that
the situation was very bad one If the
anchor ice was all on the surface. ii would
not be- such u hard Job to plane it off but
now that the river bas closed over il is
probably running underneath and con
stantly catching and freezing.
The total capacity Of he houses on the
PrnnbSCQt river Ia about 400, 600 tons and
the ice men now have about l20 600 tons
on hand which was carried over from last
year. In some of the houses not a ton
was shipped last summer
The New York Ice Co, who's houses
are farthest down the river On the Brewer
side have not put up any ice since 1890,
the year Of the big harvest. but they
would probably cut some this winter il
the firms on the Hudson did nor get any
This company has houses with capacity
Of go, 900 tons
The Union Zee CO. has houses holding
so, 600 tons, ana they have about -. 600
tons on hand The Arctic lee Co. has a
number of tons on hand. Their capacities
Is about Ii, 600 tons. The Orrington Ice
Co. has one Of the best plants on the river
Their houses hold 80, 600 tons and they
nearly cleaned them out. last summer
The Sargents. mt south Brewer have
houses holding about %, 900 tons and they
have 5000 tons on hand The houses of
F. ". Aver 4, Co, f. Y l. X Stetson and
Il. II. & II. Rollins in Brewer hold 40 600
40, 900 and II 000 tons respectively. They
have some of last year ice on hand but
will probably fill up their houses this
winter, a. they have several contracts to
fill.
The Dirigo Ice Co. has about 30oo tons
on hand. Their houses hold 30 000 tons
The American Ice Co. did not ship any
ice last season. They put up $4,000 tons
and with the exception OF what wasted,
they have it all on hand The c. G.
Stems Co. has houses holding 80, 600 tons,
and they did not ship any, last season.
The katahdin lee Co, whose houses hold
30, 000 tons, have about 1900 tons on
hand
Down through the Hampden narrows
the freeze is quite good and the companies
VINO have fields there Will probably get
good harvest.
The river above the dam at the pump
ing station on State street is frozen Is
solid us rock The channel is filled and
piled up with great masses of ice and in
many places it is said that the lam OF
anchor ice extends clear to the bottom Of
the river.
The back water from this damming of
the flow has caused the water to remain
at its former high pitch, and the mill
men are fearful Of Il frcshct in the spring
the Pablo Works Cos. water power Is
wholly useless, and so are all the other
water plants along the river
On Saturday the work OF blasting out
channel through the Jam above the dam
was carried on steadily, but on Monday,
for as the Commercial could learn,
work was suspended, probably on ac-
count Of the low temperature.