Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1912-09-23
NEW LAKE IN MAINE
Will Be 18 Miles Long and Five Wide,
Flooded.

| head lake runs in to make its north
| west bay and which is known locally
| as Northwest Carry, being Il carrying
point for canoes between Moosehead
| and the Penobscot waters big opera
! tons are under way that give striking
| Illustration of the magnitude of the
| pulp and paper industry in the State
of Maine writes Wilfred A. Hennessy
/ of Bangor in the Boston Transcript
/ Also this work is demonstration of
| the Importance of conservation meth
DDS in present-day Maine numbering
| and log driving in contrast to the law
| ish disregard for waste of resources
which typified the old-time methods.
| Moosehead has two northern extremi-
| ties-Northwest and Northeast Car
! ries. Both are about 40 miles from
the foot of the lake at Greenville.
| Seboomook has long been known to
sportsmen as the gateway to prime
| fishing and bunting region. Since the
Great Northern Paper Company chose
| it for one of its chief bases for lum-
hering it has doomed large in impor-
| lance and it is destined, apparently.
| to much. greater distinction than it
ever could have attained as sports
mems pleasure place.
Seboomook is in the heart of the
| forest section that is now the chief
centre of operations by the paper
company. Three miles from School,
| nook in the West Branch of the PEN
ohscot. Here are the Sebeomook
Falls. Below the dam which has done
| service for water storage for years are
| the picturesque rapids. Above the
H. i.
stretch which runs up the West
Branch for Is miles to Pittston Farm.
An army of several hundred engi-
neers and expert woodsmen is now
working on one of the biggest pro-
jects to be carried out in recent years.
The Seeboomook dam is to be raised
ten feet, which will mean that the
area of deadwater, Is miles long and
varying from one to five miles in
width, will be made q great lake.
What were formerly the shores of the
West Branch and the numerous is
lands which have long been land
marks, have been cleared of their
growth. Not a stick has been wasted.
The trees have been cut and piled on
what will be the borders of the new
| basin when the dam is completed and
| these will he driven down the West
Branch 20 Millinocket for use in the
paper company's mill in that town.
This lake, which will be formed by
the water that will be held back by
the new dam, will play an important
part in the numbering operations of
the future. The tremendous storage
of nearly four billion cubic feet will
insure constant supply of water for
log driving and there will be no hang
| ing up of logs for want of proper
pitch.
The Great Northern controls prac-
tically all the forest from Seboemook,
west to the Canada line and east and
north to Millinoeket. Its numbering OPP
| erations are now extending towards
st. John river waters and it is
planned to land this timber at School,
| nook falls and send it down the West
Branch, which will mean economy in
ell directions.
The prodigality which is character
| istio in present day Maine numbering
| is evidenced in this big undertaking.
| When it was determined to undertake
| the building of the vast lake which is
yet to appear on the Maine map there
was much preliminary work to be
done. The nearest rail connection
| is at lockwood, opposite kineo, 2e
miles down Moosehead, while Green
VILE, another railroad terminus, is
still farther, half again that distance
| The construction of the dam meant tile
transport of a great quantity OF ma
| terial and supplies and the primitive
road from Seboomook to the fails
three miles through the woods. wasT u
hard passage for tote-te3ms
| The word was given that new
road must be built from Seboomook,
| the Moosehead lake port. to the falls.
| Immediately the order was sent forth
| and engineers, woodsmen, artisans,
| teamsters and cooks descended on the
strip between Mooseheld and the
| Penobscot's west branch. Wangans
were thrown up, tents erected, and
temporary shelters for the horses
were devised. There was no more
| confusion than when an invading ar
my enters a territory for rnanoeuVres.
| A couple of wangans were located on
| the route of the new road. ana thlrd
| on the shore just beside the Dam.
| Then men, horses and traction en-
| gines set to work. Late in June the
| operations began and today there is
| one of the finest stretches of road to
| be found in Maine. Timber has been
! cut down, great lodges blasted ana
| small woods streams have been filled
| in. Over the wide thoroughfare. built
upon rock foundation, the traction en-
| CINE trains and heavy construction
| wagons travel back and forth. With
| out the road, the cost of which eX-
| ceeded $40 OO0 the building of the dam
| would have been impossible. New
| supplies are sent from Seboomook as
| expeditiously as over city streets
! While the road was being construct
ed the crews were busy clearing away
the timber from the territory which
| will soon be submerged. one island, a
mile long, which will soon be under
ten feet of water, was so heavily tim
bered that it was a favorite retreat
for game. That veteran Seboomook
pioneer, M. P. Goliath, rs years ole,
| whose father settled up here on
| Moosehead, points out the island as