Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1907-02-20
WORK ON THE DAM.
ACTUAL OPERATIONS BEGAN
LAST FRIDAY.
CHANGE IT WILL MAKE IN MAP OF
ELLswoRTH--wORE WILL BE
PUSHED FROM NOW ON.

II any doubt remained in the minds Of
the skeptical that the long -mooted dam
would be built, it was swept away last
Friday morning, when crew Of men
was put at work tearing down the old
Boston Reduction Co. mill on the west
side of the river lat the lower dam, to
make way for the new dam Rapid pro-
gress has been made, and to-day the mill
is down to the first floor.
Another crew will be set at work at
once to build a coffer-dam on the west
side of the river, to allow the construc-
tion OF the foundation for power house.
Here the actual work of construction will
begin. Heavy steam drills and machin-'
cry now on the way here will soon be in
operation, and work Of taking rock from
the near by ledge will begin.
The term 'sbig" has always been used in
speaking of the proposed dam, but it is
doubtful if many in Ellsworth really
appreciate the significance Of the dimeu-
sions of the dam which have already been
printed in THE AMERICAN. In talking of
the dam the people OF Ellsworth have
a sssixty-foot DAM.
A sixty-foot dam! That means that
from the bed of the river to the crown of
the dam or to the point where the water
flows over will be sixty feet, or, in other
words, that the dam will hold back sixty
feet Of water. But the dam abutments
will rise above that eleven feet further, SO
that the height of the dam from bed Of
the river to its highest point will be
seventy one feet. Looked at from below.
the dam will rise into the air several feet
higher than the first national bank build
ing.
But there comparisons with any struct-
ure in Ellsworth stop. The dam will be
about 700 feet long-a little more than an
eighth of mile. 1t wilI.bei100 feet through
at the base, tapering to six or eight feet at
the top.
Aside from the industrial possibilities
which the building of this dam open up
for Ellsworth, feature of importance is
the change in the map of the city which
will be made. In place of the present river,
with exposed 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
/ will be beautiful lake. This lake will
extend mile and a half up river from
the present lower dam, with width vary
! ing from one-quarter to three-quarters OF
mile at its widest point, and with a
depth of from twenty to sixty feet. On
the west side the shore of this lake will be
bluff and wooded, and on the east side,
rolling green fields will stretch back from
the waters edge.
The company some time ago gave
| assurance that there would be no mills
no factories, no Objectionable features on
this lake, for these things would be
relegated to sites farther up the river, and
near the railroad. 1t will be beautiful
sheet of water, right in the heart of Els
worth, delight to the eye, and place
for summer and winter sports, and open
up many attractive home and cottage
sites.
On the west side the flowage will be
slight, owing to the sharp rise of the
river bank, until the mill of the Els
worth Lumber Co. is reached. This mill
and the dam will be flowed out, together
with the mill buildings. At the Doyle
bridge the road west of the river will be
flowed for about 400 feet from the present
line, or up to the Fernald house. Above
the Doyle bridge the river will be widened
but slightly on the west, up to the present
electric light works and dam, above which
point and up to the upper dam, the river
will be unchanged.
On the east side of the river, from the
lower dam, the =ater will reach up on
Second street as far as Royal street, flow
ing out the Frost and Harrington places
From this point north the new line of the
/ river or lake will be about $50 to 500 feet
/ back from the present line, until the shore
road is crossed about 400 feet south O.
H. Jordan's house. From this point NORTH
to the Parker Grindle place, the shore roa(
will be under water, which will flow ou
the Hubbard, Carroll, Bomear ant
Lullam places. At the small brook jus
below the electric light station, the waite
will flow back some distance.
From now on work on the dam will b
pushed. AS large a crew as can be util
lied will be put on, and as far as possibl
preference will be given to home labor
The Ambursen Hydraulic CONSTRUCTION
Co., which has the building contract,
represented here by E. w. Sayles, super
| visinp engineer. and H. w. CroweIl. mas
ter mechanic. j. A. Leonard is the engi
neer for the Bar Harbor & Union Rive
Power Co., and it is on his plans the dar
is being built.