Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1910-02-25
Rei01e International Com
mission at Calais
Regarding St. John RIVer--'
Information About Lakes.
Log Driving on the St. Croix...Hext
Meeting to Be at Bangor.

Calais. Me-, Feb. 24.-Acquiring in
,ormation about the lakes near the
headwaters of the st. John and Pc
robscot rivers occupied the entire
forenoon today at the second days
session of the st. John river interna
t,onal commission. The only witness
uas Prof. II. L. Boardman of the Uni
verstv of Maine, who has made maps
ann a thorough study Of that section
Of Maine.
Prof. i5oardman gave the areas of
Chamberlain lake, Round pond, Sec
ond. Grand, Telos, Webster and ALLIE
cash lakes Individually, also the COM
blned area, as 30.69 square miles. He
gave the difference in areas at both
10 and 20-foot heads. He had found
the natural watershed between Web
ster and Telos lakes but did not sur
yey it. BY using Telos canal he stat
ed that an average area of 45.47 square
miles can be made tributary to the
Penobscot river The indications were
that this canal is artificial.
4 Prof. Boardman thought it possible
10 create watershed with a depth Of
G 90 feet by means of dykes, but ques-
toned whether or not the plan would
be practicable. The level could be
raised so that the basin would be fill
ed at least once a year and this sup
.xply would be available for use on the
St John river provided the Telos canal
4 were not used.
J Practically nearly all of the flow
from Chamberlain lake goes into Web
ster lake, he said, but believed it was
possible to make it flow either way
by the operation of gate son existing
Z dams. From the evidence of Prof
BoardmaR it seemed to appear that
under natural conditions the greater
portion of the flow from the water un-
der discussion would be towards the
st. John river.
In the afternoon testimony relative
to the methods used in driving logs on
the St. Croix river and the amount of
water conserved in that region was
given by Irving r. Todd. manager Of
the Eastern Pulpwood Co, of Calais
Up to a few years ago, Manager Todd
I told the commission, all the logs on
the ST. Croix river were handled by
4 the st. Croix Log Driving Co, a NUT
ual association of mill owners, who
controlled nearly all the timber lands
used Recently a contract for doing
this work was made with the st. Croix
Paper Co, which sorts the logs at
I. Woodland, sends them down to the
Barring boom and thence by raft to
Midtown, where the saw mills are.
so The estimated annual cut of logs on
the St Croix waters Manager Todd
Z set at $4,000, 900, of which about 30
100000 are owned by the st. Croix
Paper Co.
Water, he said, is conserved in Grand
Spedence and other lakes by means OF
dams and in ordinary seasons little
trouble is experienced in driving oper-
atoms William A. Murche of the
James Murche Sons Co. of Calais, cor
roborated the testimony given by Mr..
Todd and added that the cost of driv-
ing on the st. CroiX river is about SO
cents per thousand. After hearing
Prof H. l.. Boardman of Orono in ac-
tive session the committee adjourned
The commission will sit next in Ban
Cor, about two weeks hence. Engin-
GERS will be called to estimate the
probable cost of surveys to determine
"hat volume of water may be con-
served on the St. John river for the
iumbermen.