Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1911-12-06
Story Of Cobbosseecontee
C anal and R. R. Projects,
Would Have Mingled Waters Of
Two Great Rivers.
Investigating Committee Will Re.
sumo Its Sessions, Next tuesday.
STATE HOUSE CALENDAR.
Regular Meeting of Governor and
Council, Thursday, Dec. IA, at 10
A. M,

a. NJ.
1t will be recalled that a few months
ago the somewhat sensational diseov-
cry was made. after an examination of
the photographic copy of the Livermore
quadrangle. surveyed last year, and
which had just been received at that
time at the office of the State Water
Storage Commission that it was posi-
bic. by the construction of cut one
and one-half miles long and so feet
deep in the extreme southeastern cor
ner in the town of Wayne, TO divert
the waters of the Androscoggin river
into the kennebee.
The perusal of old records in the
State House library show that this
proposition of minging the waters of
the Androscoggin with those of the
kennebeC, is, after all no new scheme
AID was at one time part of dream
OF commercial supremacy INDUCED III
10y the city of Gardiner, which at the
time of the first discussion of the plan
was but four years of municipal age,
having been set off in 1903 from the
town of Pittston.
Chapter % of the Acts and Resolves
OF 1907 of the Massachusetts Legisla
ture Incorporates r. H. Gardiner and
others, for the purpose Of opening and
maintaining a canal with locks or in
ciined planes from Androscoggin pond
10 Wilson'S pond thence by Wilson
stream to South pond, thence by Ar
nold's Mills to Winthrop or Cobbossee-
centee Great pond and thence, through
Litchfieid. to the navigable waters of
mo fFnhhnSSppCnnfaa
on or by said river to the kennebec.
The ineorporators named, all of them
men prominent in the early history Of
Gardiner and vicinity. were Robert II.
Gardiner. Joseph Bradstreet, Simon
Bradstreet. Nathan Bridges. Ebenezer
Byran. Seth Gay. Rufus Gay. stephen
JeWett, Samuel Jewett. Peter Grant,
James Parker John Stone. sMeletiah
Lawrence. Joshua Lord, Iehabod Went
wcrth. William ID. Warner, James
Bridge. Jacob Smith. David Foster.
Hashai Thomas Joseph Sampson. Job
Fuller. Moses Wing. John Brooks.
Thomas Stinchfeld, Roger Stinehtield.
Samuel Livermore, Benjamin Alden,
Daniel Lothrop. Jr. Joseph Chandler.
Simon Dearborn. Jr., Abraham Morrell.
Joseph p. Chandler. Mathew Hayward
and William Richards.
The act provided protection for the
mills on Wilston stream and gave the
owner of the lower mills on Gobbossee-
ccntee river the right to regulate water
passing in and out the branch of the
canal, which was to be made between
Ccbbosseecontee Great pond and Cob
bosseecontee river. This act was
passed by the Massachusetts Great and
General court June %, 1907 and was to
become void If the canal was not built
within 10 years.
A study of the map of the Livermere
quadrangle mentioned above shows
that Androscoggin lake is connected
with Androscoggin river by Dead riv-
er. which flows in both directions. The
drainage. ordinarily, is from Andres
coggln lake through Dead river to An
droscoggin river. The flow is reversed
in case of high water in the Andros-
coegin and the water of the river then
finds its way into Androscoggin lake.
The elevation Of Androscoggin lake
ant, practically. that of Androscoggin
river, at the mouth of Dead river. is
2G9 feet above the sea level. Wilson
pend empties through Wilson stream
into Lake anu tlitlttt "
Lake Cobbosseecontee into the Ken
nebec by the way of Gobbosseecoutee.
The divide between Androscoggin lake
and Wilson pond is about 1925 feet and
it has been estimated that cut
through this divide, one and one half
miles long and with maximum depth
OF 90 feet. would be sufficient to throw
the waters of Androscoggin lake into
Wilson pond The fall through the cut
or the difference between the two lakes
is ~ feet
The big industries at Lewiston
Falls had not developed when this
measure was passed, and so no one
there had any fear of being left high
and dry by the project, but it was UNI
derstood that there was mill own
er at Brunswick, who made strenuous
objections to any such diversion OF
the waters of the Androscoggin on the
ground that it would ruin his bust
ness. Gardiner land owners in the vi
ciEity of CobboSSeecontee stream al
so valued their property very mshiy
ami some of them, it is said, dld what
they could to oppose the project How
ever, the canal was not built within the
10-year period allowed by the act and
some of the early promoters are SAID
to have abandoned the Gardiner pro-
ject and been Instrumental in the