The Portland daily press., 1898-04-18
GUNS FOR GREAT DIAMOND
U. ). Engineers Working With
Feverish Haste.
ANXIOUS TO COMPLETE PROTEC.
TT0N TO HUsSEY'S SOUND.

Some of the Guns Purchased Abroad VIII
BE Placed Here-Three Shifts of Men
Working on OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES Re
gins on Kennebec River Works This
Week.
The United States engineers here are
manifesting feverish anxiety to com
plete tho Notifications at Great Diamond
island. Until month ago the work at
Great Diamond island, where nine guns
are to be mounted to protect the entrance
to the harbor by the way of Hussey's
sound and adjacent channels, was pro-
oeeding leisurely. Suddenly the engineer
officers began to urge on the contractors
who have the work in hand to still great
er exertions and fully 275 men were put
to work where half of this number was
before considered sufficient. Then came
the advertisement for bids to erect a
strong wharf at Great Diamond. This
was some two weeks ago or more. Those
who sent in bids for this work were in
formed that the men who had the neces-
sary spiling on hand and were prepared
to do the work with the greatest speed
were the ones who would receive the
contract
w. f. Bennett of Portland was awarded
the contract. He started at once to do
the work and was informed that the
wharf must be built very strong, but
very quickly. After weeks work the
engineer officers came to the conclusion
that the heaviest kind of spiling would
be required for this wharf and as Mr..
Bennett was unable to furnish such heavy
timber as the government wanted. pnt
in place without a few days delay the
engineer officers took the matter in hand
and for one or two days the work was
suspended. Major Hoxie left Portland
on Saturday and went up on the Port
land & Rochester railroad, accompanied
by Mr.. Bennett. Many miles up the line
these gentlemen found the heavy timber
they were looking for for the spiling OF
the wharf A special freight train Yves
obtained by Major Hoxie, the necessary
spiling was loaded in haste, brought
into Portland and taken to Great Dia-
mond island o week ago last night, and
week ago today, Mr.. Benefits crew,
doubled in size, was pounding down
heavy spiling to complete the wharf. A
few days more and this wharf will be
completed.
The wharf is being built where. the old
Association wharf stood, and will be
used to land the heavy guns and carriages
upon when they arrive here. These
guns have been purchased. abroad by the
government agents and are expected to
arrive here from Europe any time now.
AS soon as they reach New York the
nine guns which have been assigned to
Great Diamond island will be loaded on
freight cars and brought here by special
trains. They will then be taken to Great
Diamond island on scows.
Three large donkey engines are now
being set up at Great Diamond island,
one for the steam. drills, one for hosting
purposes and the other to haul the cars
over the tram way which has been build
ing from the wharf to the places where
the three batteries are to be located.
This week the contractors who are ex-
CaNGbluS ICI Uuo improvements eso uAos6
batteries will increase their crews to
three times the present number and the
work Of excavating and drilling the
lodges will go on night and day until
tits completed.
Great Diamond island meantime is a
most inaccessible place. All boats are
prevented from landing and strangers
of the island are not allowed to approach
nearer than half mile the places where
the work is going on with SO much
haste Never before in it's history has
Great Diamond seen SO much life and
hustle as is to be seen there now. And
even with all of this rushing it will be
| weeks yet before the batteries at Great
Diamond will be in such state as to he
relied upon to protect the lower bay. j
Work will begin this week on the tenn
porary Notifications which are to be
erected at the mouth Of the Kennebec
river. 1t is currently reported that the
government will build wharf near the
mouth Of the river, erect tram way
from the wharf to the site of the pro.
posed battery, and throw up masonry
fertilization covered by sand, and mount
five or six guns at this. point to afford
protection to the mouth of the river.