Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1897-11-04

their cry and the ends both seek will
have been gained.
HARBoRs or REFUGE
lEarbors, generally speaking, are gate
ways OF commerce and traffic, hut few
have been and others are beng CON
structed for refuge; hayeus OF emer-
eency for the tempest tossed mariner IN
hi extremity. The latter may seem to
those unarqualnted Witha sea;arluE ne
10 be Of less importance than the former,
but TO the sailor IN NEED OF It's -heTtcsiuE
arms, the harbor OF refuge i mace and
entered with Joy uu.p-sksh3e. - he
there finds relief and rescue from tie
jaws OF death
The maritime nations o. Europt under
stand the need OF hHrboEs OF refuge better
than We do, aud have provided such nj
great expense Tor the protection and
safety OF their hardy mariners At an
enormous expense France constructed the
harhor at Cherbourg, solely to provide
safe shelter for her ships on the Eng .i-h
channel, which has also become "a great
naval station. No harbor existed there
before, but now one OF the largest, safest
and most commodious, open to the fleets
OF the world, Is at Cherbourg
England built a breakwater at Ply
mouth, on the opposite side OF the chan
mel, where no good harbor existed, and as
consequence the lapse of years saw Ply
mouth grow from an insignificant fishing
village to city OF loo, 900 population, and
its harbor to be OF great benefit to Eng
lands maritime commerce and naval
station OF great Importance.
Americans have an interest in Plymouth
that they are prone to forget, for from ii
sailed the fleet which under Prov idence
destroyed the Spanish Armada and made
1t possible for our country to be settled
by our Anglo-Saxon ancestors instead OF
Latin race; and from it sailed the
"Maytiower', with her list OF passengers
for the settlement OF New England, at
Plymouth Mass.
AT Portland, on the English channel,
IN recent years a harbor OF refuge has
been constructed at great expense by the
British government, solely for the safety
OF ships sailing up or down that often
tempestuous channel. There no town Of
Importance exists to-day, nor is there
likelihood that there viii be in the
future.
Eng has built breakwaters and
harbors Of refuge at Dover, Holy Head
and elseN here on her coasts, and has ex-
pended vast sums in improving her har-
Dor approaches and Channels, a work that
goes on from year TO year. Her stupen-
dous dock system at Liverpool, London
and other ports, excavated out Of solid
ground, for the accommodation OF her
ships, is the wonder and admiration OF
the maritime world.
am not an Anglo maniac, to extol
everything English without regard to
merit, for ! am an American and all that
word implies, but / am ready to give
England credit for being the foremost
nation OF the world to-day in the know
ledge OF what is best for her great mari
time interests and i'll her readiness to
comply with their demands We can
learn lesson from her which would be OF
immense value TO us in these matters, if
we heed it BY wise action.
Ex-United States Senator Blanchard, of
Louisiana, formerly and for number of
years member OF the committee on riv-
ers and harbors in the national House o.
representatives., published an article il
the North american Reriew for March,
1894, from which quote as follows:
"To facilitate commerce by all appro-
pirate public works in removing obstruc-
tions to navigation in the lakes, interior
rivers and deep water ports on the Allan
tic, Gulf and Pacific coasts, means
cheaper food and supplies generally to
every inha bitaHt Of he United States.
1T is probable that 10 distribution OF
the public money has conferred more
common and lasting benefits upon the
people and upon the industries Of the
country at large than that for The support
and development Of our internal and sea-