Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1913-12-31
York County Is
Booming Water
Power Development

Biddeford, Me-, Dec. 3o,-Not only
is the Saco Water Power Co. planning
for big power development on the
| Saco river, but 1t appears from sto-
ries emanating from Parsonsfeld that
others are also considering such de-
velopment The latest of these is re-
| garding the building of big power
plants either at Highland Rips on the
Saco or at Aliens Falls en- the Little
Ossipee or possibly at both points.
! The plans of the Saco Water Power
| Co. as stated in the Journal call for
20 foot dam at Union Falls. When
this is completed taken in connection
with the two projected above and the
| big plants already installed at Bonny
Eagle and West Buxton, it will mean
an added prosperity for Biddeford and
Saco and the towns lying contiguous
to the Saco.
Regarding the plans for more power
at Aliens Falls and Highland Rips 1t
may be stated that j. Merrill Lord
| of Parsonsfield. one of the promoters
of the Baldwin and Hiram Light &
Power Co., authorized under a char
| ter from the Legislature of 1909, Is
| taking options on and purchasing out
right, strips of land on both sides OF
! the rivers involved with a view to
providing against damages from flow
age should dam be erected at either
point.
! Options have been secured within
| the last few days in these two val
leys and terms agreed on for actual
sales, these. options extending until
the first OF next July. The storage
basin required for either location
would result in inundating valuable
! intervales in the four towns mention
ed. Dams of large proportions would
necessitate elevating or relocating
| highways. Some timberland is ad-
jacent to the rivers hut thea best growth
has been cut off in the past few years.
| Mr.. Lord states that preliminary
surveys are being made by Sawyer
and Moulton of Portland and investi-
CATION as well to determine if large
expenditures would be warranted for
developing light and power currents
to be marketed in Hiram and Bald
win, in which no electric lines are
operated at present. His associates
are +. w. Bosworth and A. F. Berry
of Hiram, and L. E. Kendall of Linn
erick. DIR. Charles E. Wilson, late OF
Hiram, was another who applied for
a charter for a company-With these
capitalists. Capital was fixed at $685.
| 600 although 1t is realized that this
sum will be insufficient for more than
a beginning.
Smooth water is found on the Saco
back as far as Highland Rips since
the dam at Steep Falls was raised
few years ago There is considerable
fall in the river above the rips all the
way up the valley until the pictur-
esque Hiram Falls are reached. The
dam in Highland Rips would not hold
in reserve back far enough to make
still water much above the confluence
Of the Saco and Little Ossipee.
1t is probable that the dam would
check the water so that the road in
Baldwin, known as Fore street, might
be endangered and this would neces-
state relocation hack parellel to the
Mountain Division Railroad tracks.
Aliens Falls is half mile above
the confluence of the Saco and Ossi-
pee, on the latter river and is tur-
bulent stretch of foam crested water,
plunging over a rocky bed Tor sever
al hundred yards. High banks wall
the stream in on both sides and en-
| gineers have given the opinion that
this affords an excellent site for a
dam although they have not been con-
fident that sufficient basin surface
could be acquired up the river to store
| surplus water except at too great
cost.
| A small dam was constructed there
many years ago, when the town was
| first settled. A grist mill was operat-
| ed and a saw mill later. for the ac-
commodation of the pioneers. Tradi-
ton has it that the Indian tribes that
journeyed to and from the White
! Mountains in ancient days, forded the
river here in freshet season and walk
| ed dry shod over the great boulders
| that are sunken in the river bed in
the dry times. There was small
| settlement around the old mill but
nothing remains now to indicate at
| tempts were made to harness the riv-
er and use its power.
| c. ID. Small undertook to build a
dam and the falls 20 years ago and
| started a canal parallel with the river
through which he planned stream to
turn a small wheel for mill. He did
not complete the establishment of the
plant. In the meantime there has
been no attempt made to develop the
power There is more water in the
Saco as the combined rivers flow over
| Highland Rips but a larger storage
basin can be had above Hiram Falls,
as broad intervaes extend back from
the river on the Hiram side and to
| a considerable extent on the Cornish
~