The Portland daily press., 1897-12-03
FOR A NAVAL DRY DOCK.
Portland Board Of Trade Making
Persistent Effort.
RESOLUTIONS ADOPTED AND A
COMMITTEE CHOSEN.

Complaint at the Slow Progress Made Inv
the Dredges in Portland Harhcr-rho
Petition for NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.
Boothby's Remarks.
Ought the government to establish 81
naval dry dock here? Is the work of
dredging Portland harbor proceeding as
rapidly as it ought? These were the two
chief questions under debate at lengthy
and important meeting Of the Portland
Board of Trade, yesterday forenoon.
| 1t was the last regular monthly meet
ing of the year, and before the transao-
ton of any business President F. E.
Boothby made a brief address, in which
he referred to the material growth of
Portland during the year 1897 and pointed
out some lines along which further
growth and development may be looked
for in the near future. The increase in
Its number of residences and substantial
business blocks, and the increase of bust
ness were especially alluded to.
| These improvements did not come
without a considerable effort, he added,
and the Portland Board of Trade is en-
titled to no small amount of credit for its
part i'll the matter. In the Jefferson
Theatre, the Union Station and the
Grand Trunk elevator, the city of Port
land can boast of three as good buildings
OF their kind as can be found in the
United States. The Maine Eye and Ear
lnf1rmary also has the distinction Of be-
ing one Of the very best equipped insti-
buttons of it's kind in the country.
President Boothby expressed regrs
that the Waldo Hotel, Ocean House and
Cape Cottage, which have been burned
within the last few years, have not been
rebuilt. The Ottawa at Cushing's Is
land has also been handicapped by the
uncertainty as to whether the govern
ment Is to appropriate its site for its own
use There is need of large hotel at
some Of Portland's numerous summer
resorts. He believed, too, that there is a
demand for another large and modern
hotel in the city. He suggested that the
Falmouth Hotel might be modernized to
ill the requirement.
|
priation Of $3.50, 600 for the dredging of
Portland Harbor, and wondered if some
thing could not be done to make use of
the deposit which the dredges are reno.
wing from the harbor bottom and dump.
| ing outside. He had heard the opinion
expressed that in course of time the tides
and currents will bring back this refuse
matter to again repose in the harbor to
bother vessels OF deep draught. He had
also heard the suggestion that if the de-
posit from the dredges could ne dumped
on the fats off Fish Point, it would give
Portland q chance to reclaim more shore,
and might be a good start toward site
for a naval dry dock.
| Referring to the need of dry dock, he
quoted from Secretary Longs recent re-
port, in which was presented an argu-
ment in favor of the establishment of at
least one naval dry dock at some point
along the New England coast. Why
shouldn't Portland be the chosen place?
President Boothby declared that no place
on the Atlantic coast is better fitted for
such a purpose than is Portland harbor.
| Mr.. Charles S. Fobes said it would be
only natural for the secretary of the navy
to exert his influence toward the selection
of Boston as a naval station. Whether
the bringing to his attention Of the
natural advantages of his native state for
such an establishment will avail anything
remains to be seen. 1t is surely worth the
effort. The whole Maine delegation in
Congress ought to be kindly disposed to-
ward this project. If Bangor finds
troop of cavalry stationed within it's
borders, as has lately been urged, the
| citizens OF this end Of the state will be
| glad to lend whatever influence they may
| be able to exert toward that end. When
| the present work on Portland fcrtifca-
tions is completed this city will be well
defended, and will be all the more
| adapted to the maintenance of a dock
where war ships may come in for repairs
and overhauling.
Mr. Fobes took occasion to add that the
dredging of Portland harbor does not
seem to be progressing as rapidly as had
been expected.
Ex-Mayor James P. Baxter being called
on for remarks on the subject, replied
that he sometimes thought Portland
people had altogether too goodly an hertz
age. We are too apt to rely on the city's
natural advantages. Nothing worth
having comes " .o1t effort 1t troubled
him to see Wa of thu deposit that the
dredges have been excavating from the
harbor. 1t ought to be utilized. At the
time the question of deepening the harbor
was under consideration tho government
engineers agreed that it would be wicked
to waste the material. Mr.. Baxter's
opinion was that the city Of Portland
| should acquire possession of the shore at
Fish Point, and arrange for the dumping
Of this refuse from the dredges. This
could be done by driving parallel lines
of piles between the shore and Pomeroy's
rock and filing in with stones TIE
deposit could thus be temporarily held
till the future opens up way for ubiIiz.