Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1915-06-16
ST. JOHN RIVER
COMMISSION PRE-
PAIRING TO REPORT
Bangor Coinnercial.)

Recommendation relating to resef-
voirins and improving the Ct John river
were formulated at me meeting Of the
international St. John s<aver Commits
sion, held In St. John. n. B.. during the
past three days. The work Of locating
the Improvements ON the river which the
commission win recommend and the
dams for water conservation occupied
the session chiefly. but none Of the find
ings will be given out until reports have
been submitted to the United States and
70 the Dominion Of Canada, under which
governments the commission was Great
ed. Hon o. F. Fellows, counsel for the
United States before the commission,
has just returned from St John. where
he was in attendance at the meetings.
While 10 one connected with the COM
mission will give out any information at
present and the meetings in St John
were executive in their nature. it is un-
derstood that the commissioners in max
Ing their recommendations for the con-
servation Of the waters OF the St John
river will follow along the lines laid
down in the report of the consulting en-
gineers. Hardy s. Ferguson OF New York
city, and s. J. Chapleau Of Ottawa. Can.
OF the department of public works OF the
dominion Government.
The surveys and ma ps made by crew
Of engineers under the direction of the
consulting board are most complete
ever attempted Of that section and give
the locations for dams, estimates Of costs
and other information Of the utmost
value to the development of the river.
An examination of the channel of the
river was also made and improvements
along that line will De recommended,
much in accordance with the report TAX
en- together with the testimony Of expert
enced river men who have testified be-
fore the commission at the many hear
ings held.
1t il safe to say that the commission
will not In its report TO the two govern
rnents, recommend all Of the water
storage basins as laid down in the engi-
neers, report, blu: cniy the most feasible.
or in other words, only those which can
be done At the least cost, and will still
give the results desired. Their recon-
nendations will take into consideration
both the question OF log driving and
power.
The commission has had before II for a
long time the question Of the develop
ment Of the power at Grand Falls, and il
is now understood that the International
Paper Co. controls this tremendous
power. second only to Niagara on the
Atlantic coast. The question submitted
to the commission was one of the con-
aicting interests Of the United States
and Canada, it being claimed that the
development of Grand Falls would cause
an overflow Of the land along the river
near Van Buren, in the state Of Maine.
The commission has made no report on
this phase Of the work, but II is under
stood that one is forthcoming shortly.
The commission held a meeting re-
Gently in Van Buren, at which time w.
J. Lannigan of Waterville and George B.
Dunn Of Houlton testified before the
members as experts as to Improvements
in the river and the methods of handling
the logs at the big mills on the American
side of the river. Both men are practi-
cal river men and furnished the commits
sion with most valuable suggestions.
The delay in handling logs at Van
Buren, which occasioned the so-calied Van
Buren, war in 1875 and led to the ap-
pointment of the commission for the
complete investigation Of the river. ap-
pears to have been eliminated to a great
extent since the commission began its
work. More sorting gaps have been put
in which have permitted the work to be
done . great deal more expeditiously.