The independent-reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1909-1955, 1915-02-04
WORK ON WEST BRANCH WILL
INCREASE WATER STORAGE

conditions will permit the Great Nor
thern Paper Co. will begin the cree
ton of the dam at the head of the
famous Ripogenus gorge On the West
branch of the Penobseot river to in
crease the water storage on that
branch of the river which Is above
the company's two large paper mills
at Millinocket and East Millinocket
Preparations have been going on In
that section for this job for several
years and In order to make feasible
the transportation of materials for
the construction of the dam, which
will be about so feet high. several
hundred feet long and of concrete
construction, the company has been
building a road from Lily Bay on
Moosehead lake to the head of the
gorge by the way of the Great Farm
and Chesuncook lake. The road is
turnpiked and surfaced In a way that
would excite envy In many Maine
towns.
Over this road the company will
transport the thousands of bags OF
cement which will be used in the
dam and the other materials needed
They will come by rail to lockwood
on the west shore of the lake. be fer
ried across to Lily Bay and there
loaded on the trucks and sent on to
the operation.
We are informed by S. w. Philbrick
of this town that the Goburn Steam
heat Co. will build a scow about 20
feet by 80 feet to be used in handling
these supplies.
Six automobile trucks of the heavy
type have been purchased by the
company for the transportation work
and will be delivered to the company
in the spring
With the old horse-drawn tote
teams and the rough, rugged roads OF
the woods the cost of transportation
alone would have made this mighty
project unfeasible, but with plans
well laid in advance and months OF
preparation the Great Northern will
be ready to send little army OF
laborers to the site of the big dam
early in the spring to rush the work
to its completion.
With the completion of the road
the company cleared II acres of land
at the head of the gorge. and sites
have been selected for the large
storehouse, blacksmith shop, engi-
neers' quarters, machine shop, and
quarters for the army of construc-
ton.
Chief in charge of all the work it
is understood that the company has
selected Hardy S. Ferguson of New
York city, former chief engineer of
the Great Northern Paper Co., and
consulting engineer of the interna-
tional commission pertaining to the
river st. John. 1t was under his di-
rection that the company developed
the tremendous water storage on the
West Branch and plans for the pres
ent project have been made by him.
Ripogenus gorge, which has long
been famous to those who have
penetrated the Maine wilderness as
one of its principal scenic attractions
begins at the foot of Ripogenus lake.
For the entire distance thru the
gorge the river is raging torrent,
flowing thru lodges with almost verti-
cal sides, from so to 100 feet high.
The rayine is so narrow in places
that wonderful dam sites have been
provided by nature.
The river drops pa feet thru the
gorge and under natural conditions
there was perhaps flow of about
400 second feet which would pro-
vide for a development of nearly TO-
600 gross horse power. Under fully
developed storage which this dam
will provide the horse power capacity
of the development will be in
opoog cod IN ,pmard nf do O00
The possibilities for development
are wonderful and provision might
be made at various points thru the
gorge for power units, the aggregate
development of which would be ire
mendous.
The new dam will be at the head
of the gorge, where there is now an
old wooden crib dam used mainly
in the driving season for flushing
the logs down thru the gorge. The
site is an almost ideal one for dam
of any reasonable height, and this
one will be over so feet from the bot
tom to the crest.
Ripogenus lake which is more like
an enlargement of the river, and is
nearly three miles long and mile
wide will be lost in one great lake,
which will include Chesuncook and
Caribou lakes above and transform
all into magnificent sheet of water
nearly 25 miles in length.
Chesuncook in itself is lake IL
miles long where the Great North
ern has developed by means of tim
Der dam a storage of water equal to
16 billion cubic. Engineers have es-
timated that to this amount the dam
will add from eight to ten million
cubic feet more. and with the COM
pany's Twin lake storage system
which has already been developed to
its capacity of nearly Is billion cubic
feet. there will be plenty of water
to insure an even flow for the COM
pany's mills below.
The damage done by the flowing
out OF this great area will be chiefly
to sporting camps and timberland.
The site of the Thomas camps on the
west shore of Ripogenus lake will be
many feet under water-B Bangor Com
mercial.
Deciding that there had been no
break" between Mime Nordica and