Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1905-09-27

New geographically. A city re-created.
A city beautiful This would be accom-
plished by the building OF the big power
dams about which Ellsworth has talked so
long.
A dream, you say? No; this is no
dream, not SO far as it describes what
would actually result from the building OF
the dams. 1t is the simple story told by
extremely matter-of-fact blue-prints,
showing what would actually happen to
the map of Ellsworth when the big dams
are built and Union river transformed for
miles into lake.
The proposition has within the past
week presented itself to the city in very
materiaIistic form. in the shape of petit
tions from the Bar Harbor & Union
River Power Co. for changes in bridges
and highways which viii be made neces-
sary by the raising and widening of Union
river.
THE AMERICAN learns from those con-
nected with the power company, that
nothing apparent remains in the way of
the immediate contamination OF the inn
mense project if the city government acts
fsvorably on the petition. On the other
hand the sentiment of the members of the
city government seems favorable. And
there you are.
For weeks, months, years-ever since
Henry NJ. Hall, jr., wrote so inter
estingly in THE AMERICAN of the
possibilities of development of Union
river Ellsworth has been talking
dam. The Investigations of Mr.. Hall,
summarized into report which was sub
mitted to Mr.. Burbank, OF New York, one
OF the foremost hydraulic engineers of
this country, was the embryo of the pres
ent big project. Fostered by 1. l. Hal
man, cherished and worked out to its
present detail by ]. A. Leonard, who came
here three years ago from New York, and
who recognized at once, with the eye of
merits of the situation, the project has
grown to its present large proportions.
But while the people of Ellsworth have
been talking dam SO long, and in general
way have thought what the success OF the
project would mean in the industrial de-
yelopment OF the city, few have been
sufficiently acquainted with the plan in its
change which the building of the dams
would make in the appearance of Els
worth.
THE AMERICAN is able this week,
through the courtesy of Mr.. Leonard,
chief engineer of the power company, to
give detailed description OF the plans,
and the changes which will be made in
the map Of Ellsworth.
CITY BEAUTIFUL.
Before going into details, picture briefly
to yourself Ellsworth as it will be when
the dams are built. Ellsworth to-day is
beautiful, but Ellsworth as the dams
would make it, would be more beautiful.
In place of the present river, with ex-
posed bed where dams have gone out, with
the ruins of mills telling sadly of the days
when saws were singing all along the river,
In place of these there would be beau;i-
full lake. This lake would extend a mile
and a half up river from the present lover
dam, with a width varying from one-quar-
ter to three-quarters of mile at its widest
point, and with depth Of from twenty to
sixty feet. On the west side the shore of
this lake would be bluff and wooded, and
on the east side, rolling green fields would
stretch back from the waters edge.
There would be no mills, no factories,
no objectionable features ON this lake, for
these things would be relegated to sites
further up the river, and near the railroad
It would be a beautiful sheet of water,
right in the heart of Ellsworth, delight
to the eye, and place for summer and
winter sports.
Above this lake, above the upper dam
which would be built, would be another
and much larger sheet of water. Flowing
back TO the nineteen-miIe mark, so-called,
in Mariayille, just above Jordan's bridge,
the upper dam would widen the river into
lake in many places from three TO four
miles wide and fourteen miles long.
BUILDING PLANS.
The project contemplates the building
of two dams-one power dam, at the
site of the present lower dam, the other,
power and storage dam, almost at the
site of the present Infant street bridge.
Ii is proposed to build the upper of
these dams first, work to begin as soon as
possible after the signing OF the papers,
and dam to be completed within one year.
1t is the present hope OF the projectors to
see work on this dam under way by the
first of January next.
The plans also provide for the building