The Republican journal., 1905-02-23
THE STORY OF THE ICE.

| 1t is short story, locally. With the mer-
curry at or little above zero and the ice in
the bay covered with snow each day has
added to the strength of the blockade and
the prospect OF release seems indefinitely
postponed. For nearly week teams, some
carrying heavy merchandise, have travelled
between Belfast and lslesboro. Below we
give some notes from our exchanges:
Joseph Wallace, Fred and Arthur SAWYER
of Castine walked from the back cove to
Belfast, Sunday, Feb 18th, on the ice. They
returned Monday, and got on board the
steam lighter Reliance that was trying to
break the ice off the Perkins Point and
came in her in the afternoon.
William Beckett Of Islesboro drove over
to Belfast on the ice Feb. 14th and reported
it very thick. He bored about so holes be-
tween Islesboro and Belfast and the thin
est ice he found was eight inches in thick
ness. 1t measured from that to Is inches.
Beckett was accompanied by two other per-
sons.
The Portland steam lighter Reliance was
reported as arriving at Stockton Feb. 18th,
out that was an error. She was within one
mile of her destination Feb. 14th, when she
was obliged to haul off and 60 to Camden for
repairs to her bowpiates. She had then made
channel from Castine nearly to Cape Jel-
lisOn, through ice from to 10 inches thick,
At Camden the Reliance was coaled and
her breaker put into first class condition,
and Thursday morning she returned to her
difficult task of releasing Stockton Springs
harbor from the ice embargo which binds
its waters, and taking her cargo of hard
pine to the place where it is to be used for
Gaping for the wharves which contractor
Spellman is to build there In short time
after attacking the ice Thursday the big
steel lighter had advanced more than half a
mile toward the mouth of the harbor, and
she rammed and jammed until she reached
| the Cape, the first arrival at the new port
Friday the Reliance went back to Castne
to get part of her deck load left there when
she first began to break the ice The ice in
Stockton harbor is from five inches to a
foot in thickness, there being not more than
five inches where the snow lies deep while
where the snow has blown off the ice it is
much thicker.
Frank W. Carlton of Winterport was
hauling an upright engine across the river
from Bucksport Center station to Winter
port Thursday morning, Feb 10th, and
when about two-thirds of the way across
the ice gave way letting the boiler, sled and
pair of horses attached to it through the
ice. Mr.. Carlton escaped on the solid ice
but the rest of the outfit was lost The boil
er was to be taken to Wnterport to be used
by the contractors for the Northern Maine
Seaport railroad when work on that road is
begun.
Last Thursday the mail carrier walked
, most of the way across the ice from Bucks
port to Prospect Ferry
No attempt has been made to raise the
blockade of the river made by the ice jam
at Fort Point which is growing stronger.
North Haven thoroughfare is still frozen
solid. Feb. 10th town clerk A. j. Ames of
North Haven was obliged to travel dis
tance of 10 miles in order to get the steamer
for Rockland at Vinalhaven. The ice, how
ever, is hardly strong enough for teams, but
is perfectly safe for foot paSSpnperS