Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1905-09-29
Friday, September 29, 1905
Government Work on the kennehec.

charge OF lIle government NDFk III
Maine. This letter will be pleasant
reading to the people Of the k.nnebcc
rcctIy Or indirectly, in The navigation
OF tha river. Col. Black states briefly
and clearly the difficulties to be en-
cOuntnrcd in deepening the channel.
and explains that thc delay in cxp"nd-
Ing thc appropriation Of 1902 has been
in overcoming these difficulties. All
details. however, have been finally set
tied. ana work viii be begun this fan.
Ii is fortunate. indeed, that 4 project
this section Of the State is TO be car
Iicd ont under the general supervision
If 50 able and experienced an en-
ginrr" officer as Col. Black. Not
only has hc a most creditable record
Of service III the army. but mas
nlsJ demonstrated his ability to %
equally rs effective work amid The
VASTLY different conditions ar.t "nvilon-
Ircnte If civil life. He was graduated
from West Point in the class Of 1877.
and ,r.s commissioned through ali the
grad. s to Iajor Of til" Corps Of Engi-
nc.rs. L. (. A. He was appointed
Lieutenant Colonel and chief engineer
Of I'. s. Volunteers, May q, 1898.
IL. w1s honoraLIy discharged from tn
volunteer service, Jun" II. 1899. ana
zra. rar a long time engaged on works
Of river and harbnr Improvement.
Later n" was assistant Instructor III
rracticII military engineering ut West
Point. aAI instructor in Civil Engi-
Ii,cril.r "a the United States Engineer
school. .t " Ill-t's Point, New York.
il 1857 IL was assistant in charge
Of No.E5 of fortiflcatiOn, in the office
cf TIL. Chi,f Of Engineers at Washing
ton. IL. was one Of the Commission
1879. ard was chief engineer in the
campaign in Porto Rico in 1898. From
Jan. ;. 1899, 10 April 80, 1900. he was
chief Engineer OF the Department of
Havana 81 the staff Of General Lud-
low. and WIS chief engineer of the Dl-
vision of cuba from Jan 1900 to April.
1901. an the staff Of General Leonard
wood. Not only has Colonel Black
lad u distinguished career, but he has
.rif a,Y1
einccring topics. Under his direction
il is entirely safe to say that the work
Of improving the conditions of naviga-
ton on the Kennebec and the expendi-
turc e TIL" appropriation of $4,000
secured by Congressman Burlcigh i'll
] 9O2 will he done intclligently. econonl-
ically ana thoroughly. The following
is the full text of Col. Blacks letter to
Congressman Rurlcigh
WAR DEPARTMENT,
United States Engineer Office.
Portland. Me. September -, 1905.
lily dear Mr.. Burleigh:
Tho recent award of a contract 10 The
Eastern Dredging Go. for "a" work on
the Krnu"brc River between Gardiner
ANA Augusta gives promise of m early
start on this long delayed improve
mcut and Of It's completion III a rca-
spnahl. period As YOU know, the riv-
.r ana harbor act uf June IL. 1902. au-
thOriZci tn" expenditure IF SSl,000.00
al th< portion uf the river. Of which
$40 10000 we're then appropriated.
I-nd"r this authority it is expected t.
Augusta 10 feet wide ana 10 feet deep
81 mean high water
The conditions under which work Of
dredging must BE carried on in this
portion Of the kenncbec River are COM
Hex.
Thu working season is comparatively
short. being from April Il 10 Novr!n-
Ier -.
The total volume of material To he
1cmuv.d is 21J.000 cubic yards.
The river bed is generally of COM
pact materials which require power
ful drcdge for their removal.
The dredcei materials must he
handled through shoal water and SO
placed rs not 10 be brought back into
tie channel by freshets and ice.
Tho covcs along the river banks
where the dredGed materials could be
placed with safety are needed for the
storage Of logs during the working
season. Since The lumber industry is
the leading commercial interest of the
upper Kennebec, it needs must be con-
sidcrcd i'll planning for work. The
CovrS must not be so filled as to unfit
them for use i'll log storage. and the
liver channel must not be closed to
the Passage of RATS.
The difficulty of arranging to meet
these conditions has caused the delay
i'll til, work. During the past season.
by your efforts. with the assistance of
MesSrs. EradStrert and Cornish of the
kcunChcc Log Driving Company, i.
has been possible To plan for thu, work
50 as Ia secure good results for all
Protected sites have been selected
where the dreiged materials will be
used to build out the banks to above
the high water level. preserving the
shoal coves for the storage of logs and
at the same time increasing the prop
Crty of the riparian owners.
The work will be begun this fall and
is to be completed in - working