Daily Kennebec journal., 1906-09-18
DIGGING Gravel
River Channel Being Deep
ened by Dredge.
What the Big Shovel Does and
How Il Does L.
Work 10 be Completed Next Spring..
Channel will Give II Feet at Low Water.

Augusta is the capital city of Maine
ana that it is situated at the head of
navigation on the Kennebec river Tn
a measure that is all true. but tho
navigation part of it WAS rather :,
stretch of the imagination than 4 f.ct
worth dwelling upon at much length
To be sure there arc no dams betwocn
here and the ocean, but there arc
shoals and they have always been a
serious menace to all attempts at navi-
sation, except by vessels of light draft.
Uncle sam is a pretty good fellow in
such cases, if the city that wants TO he
relieved can only attract his attention
This was done after considerabIe hard
work and now dredge is at work on
posite the postoffice. Another seasons
work will render Augusta easily ac-
ceSsible to vessels of 11-foot draft at
low water and with a five foot tide. to
vessels of greater draft az hign water.
This means great increase in the
business Of the city BIZ water and
ShOtlld start q boom that will be greatly
to the advantage of our business inter-
estS.
The work is let by contract to a Boston
bidders for government contracts Oh
this section of the Atlantic seaboard.
The dredge that is. at work here is
one of II owned and operated by the
Eastern Dredging CO. of Boston. TO
one who is unfamiliar with the opera
ton of the machine, a visit on board is
extremely interesting.
The man who stands in the house on
the house on the upper deck, can by the
use of the various levers gauge the
huge shovel to perform all sorts of
feats that would have been thought
impossible in the years gone by
One lever causes the chains to rattle
in the blocks and the scoop goes splash
ing down into the water Another lev
or hauls it back horizontally until the
point of the shovel is near the end OF
the dredge. Then comes a scooplng
motion that digs vp a bucketful of
gravel and brings it above water. An
other engine is called into play to swing
the crane to the right or left TO the
scow into which the material Is DelhS
dumped to be tswcd down river.
In good easy digging shovel con-
tains about two cubic yards Cl mu'i
every time if comes above the surface
Of the river. In the gravel and stones
that make the, Augusta shoal, such an
amount caanot he averaged.
On accoant of the hard digging in the
river. the shovel is provided with heavy
iron tech that look strong enough to
dig q nouthful out of solid ledge, bu'
as q matter cf fact, boulders are ofteH
fo,,ud that cannct i" moved. "A yer!
simple cxperient is rcsortcd to in Stici
r. ues. A hole big enough to contain the
! roNs ana vet be below the depth called
| f.r i'm the contract. is Scooped out along
side the rock and then tho big SHOVE
gives it q gentl" push over INTO 'hs
cavity and the job is done.
D. A. Vine Of New York IS IN" so'
ernment inspector who keeps tabs o'
tho work. sees that the dredging IS done
i'm the proper channel and takes MS
Isoundincs to make sure OF the propt'
ldcpth. A representative of the Jourea
vas aboard the drcdge when IL VIZ
changing its position for 4 new cut
| Four great sticks of timber. blGGe'
| through than "a mans body. stood pti
Iucndicrlar at the four corners OF ti'
Idredce when the reporter came aioiIS
| side and there was more CT less VI
mvetcrv concerning their use. lie wa
not long in doubt however, for WIN
veu "Iat GO the spuds' the Grca
sticks went krrchunk down INTO IN
mud and the dredgc was anchor'd'
| TN, inspcctor had his glasses l" ~
ewes during the operation. ne ""
.1iring" the dredg" with one OF 'i"'"
IIittIe white or red pieces of cioth tha
Ihave been Tapping in the breeze iron
Il tho bridge for some weeks. If the hoa
II wasn't in the desired position the Spud
we're all hauled out but one ar. ~, .,'
shovel lowered to the bottom Vi :"
II river. Then when the engine ~
ii swings the crane is started 'nt III
III goes with it, 1t acts as fuuu'i' ~
II that the ruddcr is stuck IN the n'''
II With insnector Vine, are asSiS'""
II inspec, ors. ]. Fl. Page of RandolPi'' '"
II T.. F.. Marshall of Portland -,
III C.ottinc the earth and rock from ~
III botton, of tie river is but one s,eP
/ the dredging There are two more ~
II essary before the stuff is our 81 49,
way. TIE first part is played ny VI
scou.e that are alongside the dreus
land receive the contents of the siloN'
| nach time that it GENES dripping ~
bo bottom. A sturdy little tug -"
those scrws to Mile rock where t''-
III are emitted right back into the ~
|Iagain. ,,oa ~
A practically new machine. cai'.' -
| re- handler then takes it and. s"ii'sni
| over TO the bank. dumps the sras'
high and dry. This re-hano'er
Il similar to the dredge in many Pai.,
ulars. vet it differs from it. for wn,
the motion of the dredge shower Is
scoop. that of this machine IS " ~ &c =
The shovel is like nothing SC ni 10
the skin Of an orange that mas
slit at right angles ana par'idhS
moved from the fruit.
The four points open away i'''.. -,
other and are dropped down 70 :.
bottom of the river. Then as tney o'.. -,
together. becoming n tight ooN' :.
whole affair is raised high in ar a.,
lswunr in over the bank. pun vi ~
er and the four POINTS open anu - :
the load. The only disadvantase
this second digging is that IL cann.
keep up with the material oious
down on the scows from the hrs' i'''