The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1899-12-11
Presumpseot Co. Claims They Acted
Within Their Rights.
Action Denounced as
Outrage
BY Representatives Of Portland
Electric Co.

At half past ten o'clock Saturday
night. the electric lights Of the Portland
Electric Light company which had been
burning steadily and brilliantly on Nun
JOY hill and Ut the West End Of the city,
suddenly went out. The lights In the
center Of the city continued TO burn until
about twelve O'Clock when thsy went out.
After that hour there was not light OF
the Portland Electric Light company
burning in Portland. excepting those In
candesosnts In the houses and stores.
The cause for this was said BY Manager
George W. Brown to be the shutting Of
the gates at the foot of sebago Lake by
the Pressmpscot Power company. these
gates were shut down shortly before six
O'Clock. There was enough water In the
dam OF the Portland Electric Light COM
pany to run all the lights In the city In
good shnpe until 10 30 o'clock when 1t was
noticed that the water began to give out.
The men ut the power house knew at
once what had happened and were forced
to shut of all the lights in Portland
with the exception Of those In the oentsr
Of the city. At twelve o'clock the water
continued to fall and the power &dimin-
ished until there was mot water enough
to run the arc circuits and only the incsn-
descents were burning.
The Presumpscot Water Power com
pany which controls the flow OF water
from the lake claims the right to shut
down their gates there whenever they
chose to do 50. The Ssbsgo Power COM
many of which the Portland Electric
Light company leases Its power, contends
that thu Presumpsoot Power company
has not this right to stop the natural flow
Of the water In the Presumpscot river.
As was stated some time ago In the
PRESS, this shutting OF the gates on Sat
urday night has been threatened bdt un-
| til last night all the gates were not shut.
Manager Brown Of the Portland Electric
Light company, says that a week ago the
Presumpscot company shut down all but
one OF Its gates but enough water was
flowing through the fume OF the Port
land Electric Light oompsnys' dam 10
provide them with the necessary power
| to run the lights they had burning On
Saturday night, however, all the gates 1t
the foot of the lake were olosed, accord
ing to Mr.. Brown, and In this way the
company was deprived Of the power to
run Its dynamos.
The PRE- IS talked with Manager Brown
over the telephone at two o'elock this
morning about the matter. He said that
at ten o'clock there was only three feet
| of water In the bottom OF their flume and
this niece ssitated the shutting OF of the
lights In Portland which had been run
ming smoothly and we'll up to that time
The Portland Electric Light company ID
building big dam a. Its plant which Is
to be fourteen feet higher than the pre-
sent structure ana will give them a big
reserve of water to operate their
plant. At present the dam is only four
feet higher than the old structure and
they did not have reserve force enough to
run their plant after half past ten o'clock.
When asked what he intended to dc
about IL MIR. Brown said:
81 do not think had better answer
that question. You may rest assured that
something will be done about IL. The
Presump scot Power company has no right
to close Its gates in this way"
at will mean a legal fight will 1t notf"
"Well IL looks something like It,
| said MIR. Brown
The Presumpscot Power company was
organized some where about 1878 and ao-
quired "a charter from the legislature Civ
| ing 1t the right to maintain dam at the
foot of Setayo lake TO regulate this dow OF
water. The company obtained its title
| to the dam at the foot Of the lake from
the old Oxford and Cumberland Canal
company which ceased to have need of a
dam at this point In 1870. The
Presumpscot Power company enlarged
the old dam and has since operated 1t.
| The WGrrens of westbrook who own q
large part of the big paper mills there
were the principal stock holders In this
Presumpscot Power company though
other persons wers interested in 1t.
This shutting of of the water from
the Presumpscot and the crippling of Mr..
Browns company Is only likely to occur
on Saturday and Sunday nights when
the DO Wer is not needed in the Westbrook
mills. Whether 1t Is to be shut of on
those days the courts will probably have
chance to determine as the Sebago
Power Company, from whom the Port
land Electric Light company leases Its
power will probably carry the matter to
the courts. With these big interests at
logger heads a legal fight Of more than
ordinary interest Is promised. 1t will be
controversy which the people OF Port
land will watch with more than ordinary
interest because 1t means Sd much 10 the
new electric light company.
Hon. Charles r. Libby, attorney for
the Sebago Power company Of whom the
Portland Electric Light company leases
It's power. was sesn by representation Of