Daily Kennebec journal., 1914-02-16
PLAN OPENING OF
OLDTIME CANAL
AT BATH, maine

| Bath, Me, Feb. 15.-There is an IN
I teresting proposition before some
power boat clubs in this section, in
cluding the Kennebec Yacht Club of
this city, the New Meadows Boat Club
/ and the Portland Power Boat Associa-
/ tion. 10 have the old New Meadows
canal re-opened and dug to sufficient
/ depth 70 accommodate motor boats.
As yet it has been confined entirely
to talk, but the subject has awaken
cd considerable inquiry as to just
what conditions exist and as 10 wheth-
er or not it would be feasible to do
this thing and what it would cost.
! This idea was brought about few
weeks ago when the yachting organlz-
ations asked that the bridge at Cur
net be raised and the opening widen
ed, so that there would be an inside
route from Portland to the New Mead
ows river
With this plan in mind came the sug-
gestion that the old canal which once
connected the New Meadows with the
Kennebec might be made available Tor
use and thus Portland and the cities OF
the Kennebec valley would have an IN
side route all of the way.
There are in this city comparatively
few people who know that the old canal
ever existed or where it is located, but
now that everything is frozen and the
walking is good there is an excellent op-
tIn
over the route of this canal.
It is entered by stepping upon the ice
of the New Meadows river Just above
Muddy bridge and heading north. After
perhaps a quarter mile through march
the opening of the canal appears. look-
ing like a long strip of ribbon passing
between banks lined with evergreen
trees.
Following through this pathway Of ev-
ergreen is found what is left of the old
canal. It was apparently about 50 feet
wide and high mounds of earth along ITS
sides show what became of the earth
that was taken out at the time it was
constructed After passing for several
feet through this sort of territory. is
point where it passes through broad
field, apparently a sort of big drain.
Later it again opens into the woods
and for nearly half mile it winds along
until it again enters a marsh land and
from there runs directly into cove
known as Buffers cove There is but one
place on the entire line of the canal where
blasting was required and that was at
point still known as "The Falls
Apparently it would not be a very big
lob to clear the old canal of ohstruc-
tions and some people living in the Vi
cinity say that during high runs of tides
even now the waters of one river flow
into the other.
Built in Colonial Times.
The canal was built about the year
1892, under charter granted by the.
Great and General Court of Massachu
setts to Isaac Snow, Nathaniel LARA
bee, Benjamin Dunning, John Peter
son, Philip Higgins. Benjamin Ham,
| Nathaniel Sprague, John Dunlap and
! Samuel Gross.
| The following rates of toll were pre-
seribed by the act: For every boat of
| one ton burden the sum of nine pence,
and the same rate for larger or small
| er boats, not exceeding six shillings
for any boat. For every thousand feet
of boards in RATS. four pepce half
penny, and the same rate for all kinds
| of lumber.
It seems that there were many mills
on the lower New Meadows river, and
there were many who were anxious to
get lumber from the Kennebee to
those mills, and the canal was built.
1t is generally believed that the canal
was not deep enough to be a complete
success and that later it was aband-
oned for commercial purposes, al
though it is said that the Indians used
it for canoes at a later period when
| they were going from the upper Ken
nebec to Portland.
Even now an occasional canoeist in
! the summer months tries a trip
through the old canal, and when the
tides are right finds but few places
where it is necessary to carry"