Daily Kennebec journal., 1901-11-23
MORE POWER.
Greater Supply from Raising
Dam at Moosehead Outlet.
Kennebec River Manufacturers Would
be Much Benefited.
30 Says Gentleman Who Is an Authority on
the Subject.

one of the best Informed of the many
meE who are Interested in numbering
| in the Moosehead region and interest
| ed in the maintenance of fur:Ser de
VelOpment of the water power of the
| Kenncbec river looks forward to much
| In the way of an improvement of the
| water power of the river in the next
| 10 years. The gentleman is. recog
nized authority in the matter ana his
Views upon the question are of value
| lie recently stated that the work of
surveying. making drawings and csti-
| mates regarding the amount Of land
| which will be overfiowed by the raising
| of the dam at the outlet of Moosehead
| lake. has been going on for the past
| three years and that during all this
period an experienced engineer has had
| the matter in charge and that when his
| work is completed. there will be pre-
| Sented in detail something which will
| be absolutely reliable with reference 10
the damage which will result. the
| acreage that will be flowed, the in
| crease in the volume of water in the
| lake, and what that volume will mean
to the various industries up and down
the kennebec depending upon the wa
| ter power for the power to operate their
plants. Each year this power is be
coming more and more priced Its
| value can hardly be estimated now ana
with the increase in the number Of
| plants, and the increase in the size of
many its value become more and more
| apparent.
| Those who are unfamiliar with the
| facts in the case are wont to regard
! the matter of the raising of the dam to
| a higher point. incorrectly. When they
| think OF the matter they imagine that
/ it is desired 10 increase the head about
| four or five feet and that low water
| after the increase means high water
i now.
| This position is all wrong. Few peo-
| pie are aware Of the area OF Moose
head lake and few people really can Of
| fer a fair or reasonable estimate Cf
what the raising OF the dam at the out
let IL inches would mean to The numcr-
| Gus water privileges scattered up and
| down the Kennebec river.
In speaking of the matter the gen
| tleman stated that il was not consid-
| ereu for 4 minute, that the dam would
be raised more than J. inches. and tina;
| this increase would make a phcnomeu-
| al change in the value of the water
| powers along the river. In his "sti-
nation the actual damage ra"r 2 ~
| such raise would not b, great, and
nowhere near as large as most propl.
| now imagine. This height of water
| would not be maintained but three or
| four weeks. and the flowed land. coI-
| cred with growth would not suffer very
badly from the effects. Land could h.
| flowed a number of weeks in spring
| without killing the trees.
| In raising III" water 10 this extra
| height the property owners in Greer
willie village would be but little affected.
| lie believed that an embankment could
be constructed along the shore at that
| point which would obviatc the diff
| cuties that might otherwise result He
| expected that the owners Of the dam
| ut the outlet OF the Lake would IL"
| Obliged to pay quite literally il the
| change is effected. II. believed that
every water privilege along the whole
| river would be glad to stand reason
able assessment to meet that expense.
| BY the change proposed he believed
| there would be very few seasons when
| rise would not be sufficient 10 give to
| th, water privilege the volume which
at times IS now lacked. He had no
! doubt, whatever. but that within 10
| years, at most, the change would be
| effected.
Speaking of the length of the shore
| linz. of Moosehead lake. he said that n.
| G. Shaw of Bath. whose name has long
| been connected with the lumber inter
| ests about Moosehead lake. fully be-
| iieved the shore line Of the lake is 900
| miles long. These figures may be some
| what surprising but when one takes
| into consideration the various "oNcs
| and intentions which are found about
! the lake. Mr.. Shaw's estimate may not
| prove far out Of the way.
| The Penobscot river when compared
| with the kennebec suffers from the
! comparison. II is in way the equal
| of the KennebeC. The large water she'd
drained by Moose river through its
| length of so miles and that drained by
| Roach river, besides the many smaller
streams which empty into the lake on
| its sides in the 10 miles from the foot
| Of the lake TO the head, make of II one
| of the greatest reservoirs 20 be found
| in New England and this reservoir
| properly manipulated will easily give
the manufacturers along the kennebec
an abundant supply Of water at an
seasons Of the year.