The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1897-07-15
To Danish East Winds,
F. s. Hammond, Native of Maine and Now Bos.
ton Lumber Salesman, Wants One Hundred
Million Dollars to Dam the Straits of Belle Isle
and Change the Climate of New England There


ton Lumber Salesman. Wants One Hundred
Million Dollars to Dam the Straits of Belle Isle
and Change the Climate of New England There
by.
F. S. Hammond, the Boston man who
would change the climate of New England
by banishing the east winds that chill it's
atmosphere in the vicinity of the coast, is
80 years old, and looks 10 years younger
He was found by Globe reporter ne
day recently in his office in the Mas on
building, and was asked to give an ac-
count of how he happened to think up the
scheme of damming the straits of Belle
Isle for the purpose of diverting tie cold
northern current from the shores OF Nova
Scotia and New England.
1t seems that Mr. Hammond is much
given to travelling, and that in the course
of jaunts around the coast of the gulf of
st. Lawrence in summer he got to think
ing of the causes of the cold climate there,
and of the vast opportunities for the de-
velopment of that great northern country
were the summers warmer and the win
tiers less forbidding.
Mr.. Hammond's father is an engineer.
for many years was connected with the
I coast survey, and with him the matter of
diverting the Arctic current from the
straits of Belle Isle was talked over after
it first developed in the fertile brain of
young Mr.. Hammond.
| SO far as the elder Mr.. Hammond could
see, there was no engineering obstacle to
| be overcome in damming the straits of
| Belle Isle in their narrOwest part, where it
is but three miles from shore to shore, and
the water is not more than 300 feet deep
at the most.
AT this point the Arctic current comes
through these straits in steady volume at
the rate of three miles an hour, the year
round, and so cold is the water that the
whole climate of the gulf of st. Lawrence
is affected by it, just as the climate of re-
gions touched by the warm gulf stream is
made milder by its influence.
When Mr. Hammond once got to think
ing about his plan for the big dam, he saw
illimitable possibilities in it, There
was chance in the first place to run a
railroad over the dam and across the is
land of Newfoundland to st. Johns
With such road in operation from
Quebec and line of steamers from St.
Johns to England Mr.. Hammond believes
there would be opened up transatlantic
route that would reduce the running time
to Europe to less than four days, as the
distance is but 1000 miles at this point
from one side of the Atlantic to the other.
But this is only a side issue compared
with the possibilities in changing the eli
mate of Nova Scotia and New England,
and making the gulf of st. Lawrence navi-
gable for the greater part of the year, if
not for the whole year.
The coast above Anticosti island for
many hundred miles is virgin country, rich
IN timber and minerals, and it can never
be made to turn profit to man so long as
the ice king holds sway there
As to building the dam, there need be
no great difficulties encountered, accord
ing to Mr.. Hammond. He finds that
there are eternal hills of granite ON both
shores where the dam would be construct
ed, and this would only have to be quartz
ed and hauled out on the ice in winter and
| thrown overheard.
Thus the great work could be carried on
at minimum of expense, and the whole
three miles of dam could be built in few
months, probably in one winter, says Mr..
Hammond with a sufficient gang of men
at work
MI Hammond is organizing company
now in Boston to carry on this work 1t
is to have capital of 500, 900, 600 The
officers as named by MI. Hammond will
be as follows: George H. Mitchell, an in
surance man, pres. L. j. Hammond, an
uncle OF the promoter, who is IN the lum-
Der business, lstv vice pres. &c. II. Dillaway,
banker, End vice pres. Chas. Mitchell,
sec. +. s. Hammond, treas. T. h. Ham
mond, father of T. S. Hammond en-
gineer The company is to be known as
the Belle Isle Aqueduct, Construction
and Trans Atlantic Company.
Young Mr.. Hammond is an entertaining
talker, and he has great faith in his plan.
He says he has made a study of ocean
currents, and that he is sure there is no
''out'' about his ideas on the Belle Isle
current.
BY occupation Mr. Hammond is lum-
Der salesman, representing western firm
in Boston, but by inclination he is a pro-
moter. He always bad love for big pro-
jects, and an equally strong one for study
ing the earth's wonders. He is at home
on the water, having made many trips
with his father on the latter's sloop Yacht
West Wind, and he loves to think of the
great works that lie ready for develop
mert along the coast of this country. Mr..
Hammond was born at Winter Harbor,
Me. He is married. and lives in Russell
Park; Melrose. Industrial Journal