Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1908-02-12
BOARD OF TRADE.
Petition For Dredging Union River
In Cirettlafion

Petition For Dredging Union River
In Circulation.
The regular meeting of the board of
trade was held Monday evening, with a
small attendance. In the absence o. the
president, the meeting was called to or
der by Secretary o. w. Tapley, and w. II.
Titus was chosen president pro tenn.
B. T. Sowle, for the committee to which
was referred the shoe factory proposition,
reported how the matter now stood. The
committee is now awaiting definite pro-
position from the directors of the shoe
company, which will be considered by the
| subcommittee and the executive COM
mittee Of the board OF trade, and il de-
cided feasible, an attempt will be made
to raise the necessary fund by subscrip-
| ton.
| Mr.. Sowle also presented the petition to
the government for the dredging OF Union
river. The petition was endorsed by the
board OF trade, and its officers instructed
to sign it, and the committee was in
structed to circulate the petition for sig
natures, and forward it to Congressman
Burleigh, with a.letter requesting that an
engineer be sent here to look over the sit
uation. The petition is as follows:
To the National House Committee on Rirer
and Harbor Improvements; Washington, d. @.
The undersigned, citizens of Ellsworth,
Hancock county, and State OF Maine, respect
fully represent that Union river, at said Ellis
worth, is very much in need Of improvement ut.
The government has already expended large
sums of money in improving said river, but
the plans as projected by the government
have not been completed: that the money
already expended is practically wasted unless
the work contemplated is finished; that a
recently constructed concsete dam at the
head of tide waters Of said river has overcome
the objection the government. has heretofore
made against completing said work. This
concrete dam has q height OF seventy zone feet
and extends entirely across Union river at
head OF tide water, and completely sub
merges the extensive sawdust beds now re-
mainiag in said river, all OF said sawdust
beds being above said dam, and being
deeply submerged by said dam, that the
annual spring freshets cannot disturb them
in the future. This dam has been constructed
at an expense, approximately, OF one-half
million dollars. At present the shipping of
Ellsworth is very much hampered by two
shoals, one near the head water OF said navi-
gable river, and the other bar at the head of
Union River bay. The government has
already, by its engineers, made plans where
by this bar may be removed. The other
obstruction near head-water is principally
composed OF loose material that can be
dredged easily.
The undersigned believe the completion e..
the work of dredging Union river is war
ranted from the amount of shipping that
would be accommodated, and ask that an
appropriation be made for the same, and As
in duty bound will ever pray.
The president was authorized to appoint
delegates to the semi-annual meeting of
the State board of trade.
A letter from a manufacturer of concrete
building blocks asking if there was anyone
in Ellsworth interested in establishing
such business here, was referred to the
committee on manufacturing industries
The meeting then adjourned.