Daily Kennebec journal., 1901-11-09
CAPITAL CHAT.
History Of Kcnnebec River river I'M
provements Since 1927.
Ship Subsidy BiII--Gcn. merram's
Coming Retirement
N ,inc lnyentors. The Condition Of the NatIona'
Banks in the State.

Gently made public which viii cNea-
,uaIly he transmitted to congress. y"
money is asked at present, because
July | last after an expenditure 90
only S5456 during the preceding hScai
wear there remained AN untNpendtC
balance for the Improvement Of IN
river amounting: 10 s2I. .63i.65. The com
nerce OF the kCnnebec appears to ne
falling off. as it amounted to l,263li
tons in 1892 and last year atI"r ii grad
,,ai decrease was 1920 tons last year.
In 1898. however. the commerce on tht
river amounted TO l.21l sos. Gen. Gil
Icspie's complete statement regarding
the Improvement of the river fulluWS:
Before the improvements We're COM
mcnced the main channel Of the river
between the foot of Swan Island and
Gardiner was obstructed by shoals ncdi
Beef Rock. with only ten feet Of water
at mean low tide: by dangerous sunken
lcdges in Loveioy NarroNs; by a shoai
below South Gardiner with only eight
feet on it at mean low tide. and by a
ledge at \ehumlieg Island. Inc steam.
beat channel To the west Of Swan
island tat Hltchs Rock WAS obstruct-
"a by ? shoal over which there was
nyi between Gardiner and Augusta. a
distance Of g.. miles. WAS ohstruct"d
by shoals which gave u uavigahlc
depth II only ~. feet Of water in luW
summer tid"
Appropriations were made At Nari-
Gus times between my ANA lN52 for i'm
proving the river. ana a project was
adopted in 1866 for removing rocks anC
Strengthening ana deepening the upper
pant Of the river.
In 1853 the project was amended So
~ I" give Il wider channel. ana in mi
the project was extended. 1t was again
extended in lN72 to include the removal
~ lcdg"s in Lovejoy Narrovs. This
4r"j"ct was modified in l>15. and a.
modified was completed in 49,.
In 1881 a Project was adopted ful
the improvement of the channel west
OF swan Island ana near the north END
al ii, Hnc was completed IN l>>5.
Tn, riser and harbor act q. 1855
provided for new survey of the river
from Bath to Augusta. This survey
was made in 1887. and project sub
mitted for 4 further improvement of
the river.
In August. 1892, thu project was r.
Vised and a general project for th'
Improvement adopted. as follows: For
Il channel depth of IS feet up as far as
Sands Island II feet thence 10 Hinck-
ley Skoai, and 10 feet thence to Au-
-usta a steamboat channel 9 feet deep
west Of swan Island and the removal
Of old bridge piers at HalloWell. all the
above depths being referred to mean
low tide. The estimated cost OF this
revised project which was approved
August Is. 1892, was $3ss.3oo.
The total expenditures tor the river
up to June 20. l9fo amounted to $4I2,
"6019, With which the work under the
existing project rad been completed.
with exception OF the repair OF Beef
Rock jettv and possibly some dredging
at that locality.
The GledSed channel. especially be
tween Gardiner and Augusta. has been
found to fill more or less rapidly prob
ably with material brought down dur
ing heavy spring freshets. The part'
of the Improvement consisting of TIL
removal Of ledge are. Of course, perma-
nent. Vessels drawing II to II feet
can get up rs GAY as Gardiner at high
tide but only II y. !. feet can be ear
ried to Augusta.
Brig. Gen. Henry {. Mrrriam t. :. A.
in command Of tn" Department Of thu
Colorado. Il native "i lioult"n, Me. and
graduate Of Colby University. has been
here for several days. Within few
weeks h" will Z" on the retired list and
he had had pr"mis" from tn" late lr'Sl-
dent Mckinley that h. should l." APP
pointed MAJOR general before the time
for his retirement The shooting Of thr
President. however. intrrfcrcd with thoS"
arrangements and Gen. Merriam has het'l
a hay hA nD,lp
with President Roosevelt. He has had
two or three audiences with the President
at tn" White House but thus far TIL
matter has not been arranged.
There has been Il '-rc;t deal of talk
here of late about the ship subsidy bill.
in which the Stat" Of Maine is naturally
much interested. Tie burden Of III" tan;
Of late is for granting the bulk If th''
subsidy to freight ships on basis "f
tonnage instead Of on i basis Of speed
The Western members Of Congress who
come here. generally are in sympathy
with that idea. ono of tn" chief movers
for such subsidy bill is Representative
T. {. Stevens Of ST. Paul. native of
R"ckland and GRADUATE Of B"wdoiu. in
the last Congress member Of the House
committ." on merchant marine and fish
cries. Although it is not .ct crauy known
IN" Tact is that Mr.. Stevens and three
others of the merchant. marine and fish
'ri.S c"mmittc" drew bill for snip sub
SldltS towards tn" close of Congress last
snrlns: 1t viii be known the Minor
hill, after Representative Minor. Of Wis
cnnsln. and will II" introduced az xocn az
Congress opens.
IT IS not expected that Washington will
quicken witn Congressional arrivals till
after Thanksgiving. The Maine men
usually come in the Saturday following
me eating of their Tnanksgivin. turkey
ana the same is generally tr,l. of most
ot the statesmen throughout th.. rest .,f
New England and the Middle West
lr"nab!N Hit " business will I, transacted
~ '"nGr"ss till after the. new wear he
g.ls.
~. 'I.n ~ j.. p,ihcir nf HYDE Park
Mass. has assigned to the American Min
iil1 'iA' Ntl.I extraction tomnauv of
l'crtidhd. Me. and Boston. Mass his
patent for separating valuable metal Is
from metal bearing material ANA Gar,in. r
e. Hawkins of Boston. has assigned to
"" Boston Electric Heating and Power
'"lhnanN Of 'tland ana Boston, his
rights IN a patent elt ctric fan. Frank II
stafford of Irovidcucc. X. L. has as
signed I" the Stafford and Russell Manu-
lactUrinS Company OF Saco. Me his
rights I" patent finger ring.
MI and Mrs. Fred T.. Pcrcival OF Lai ,c
Ju"er PcrclNal l;ouney and S T. PhiIli,,,
81 ioril;tEd. wcr" recently registered 4, I
III" New Willard. "
NJ. Il. Desmond "f Portland has been
promoted as letter carrier from a salar,
of $500 to $3.50
ne abstract OF the condition of the
llNaaI N.ea,a