Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1917-01-03
RIPOGENUS DAM.
STRUCTURE AT GORGE CHANG
ING FACE OF NATURE.
THRHD LAKES AND -FOUR PONDS WILL
Bn FLOWED INTO oNH-RArLRoAD
ELECTRrTIcATIoN PRoJECr.
rFrom the Bangor Ns.s.l

hipo8enus gorge, famed IN song ana
story Of the lumberman aud In many .
legend OF forest and flood, has this year
achieved new distinction--it il the loca-
tion Of 3 million dollar dam that IL re-
garded - notable triumph Of engineer
ing and that, s'backing up'' the waters OF
the West Branch Of the Penobscot for the
distance Of twenty i've miles, will merge
three lakes and four ponds in one body OF
AZ square miles area, thus creating the
fourth largest artificial storage basin in
the United States, and seventh largest in
the world. When the Ripogenus project
was broached, . few years ago. it attract
ed little attention outside manufacturing
and engineering circles, but now that the
great work Is completed everybody who
travels up Moosehesd lake way, or within
= days journey OF the West Branch,
makes it point to 60 over to 1.-THE head of
the gorge" and gaze upon the prize won
der Of the northern wilds.
Ripogenus dam, Is it will be known, is
the latest creation OF the Great Northern
Paper 70. in carrying out a vast and
comprehensive plan OF water conservation
water for power to operate the great
paper mills at Millinocket and East Mill
nocket, thirty fve miles down the river,
to float the log drives and maintain q
pitch adequate to general manufacturing
and other necessities from Ripogenus to
Bangor. That is part OF the purpose. La
ter on there will be some further and
different use Of the vast energy OF the
| pent- up foods.
1t is regarded by progressive and prac-
tical men as altogether likely that within
few years the power harnessed by such
giant barriers as this at Ripogenus will be
used to operate railroads that now de-
pend upon steam-to relieve the railroads
Of tremendous expense for coal, TO pre-
vent the devastating forest fires that the
locomotive spark kindleth, and to keep
the torturfng cinder ont OF the travellers
eye. These men expect to see established
at various places in eastern and northern
Maine, maybe in other parts Of the State,
hydro electric plants that will send power,
plentifully and cheaply, far and wide.
Three years ago, Hon. Charles W. Null
len, to whose engineering perception the
industrial opportunity at Millinocket,
"Maine's Magic City," first became appar-
ent, declared that not pound of coal
or north OF Portland, and to-day he re-
peats that declaration, with added en-
phasis. On every eastern and northern
river in this State there is ample power OF
falling water for every imaginable pur
pose, only some of that force is imper-
fectly developed, while the rest runs idly
away. Since the concrete era dawned
made toward the conservation OF water
and the creation OF power, but as yet no
move has been made for the liberalization
of the steam railroads.
Arthur X. Gould, OF Presque Isle, who
is president OF the Aroostook Valley rail-
road, narrow guage electric line, has
long contemplated the extension OF his
road, now of limited mileage in the east
ern part OF Aroostook county, straight
across northern Maine to connection
with Canadian lines al the Quebec bound
airy, and he intends to employ electric
power generated at falls along the Ala
cash.
A few weeks ago report was circulated
to the effect that ny dro- electric plant was
to be esta blisbed at Allagash Falls for the
generation OF power for railroads now us
ing steam, but nothing very definite can
be ascertained on the subject. 1t is known,
however, that the Maine Central R. r. Co.
owns Allagash Falls, and although sew
eral times approached by prospective
buyers, has declined to sell the privilege.
There are several other powers on the st.
John river in Maine, both on the main
stream and on its great tributary, the
Allagash, that are considered to be SUI
perior to that owned by the Maine Central,
and from one or several Of these President
Gould of the Aroostook Valley line ex-
poets to get the energy that some day will
carry his trains straight through the vir-
gin forests of farthest Maine.
The Maine Central railroad burns an
lines in this State. This year the Cen
trails coal cost about $8 ton in the loco
motive tenders. Ordinarily, of course, the
cost would be less, but in the most favor
able circumstances the bill would run
we'll over half million dollars. The
Bangor & Aroostook r. r. uses about 49,
600 tons OF coal annually, and the Cana
dian Pacific in Maine, from the Quebec
boundary at Megantic to Vanceboro on
the States eastern edge, burns $1,000 tons
q year. The coal bill OF these three roads,
with some small lines added, must be, in
normal times, close to 100000 year,
figuring the actual cost Of the coal itself,
water and rail transportation, handling
and various resultant damages, wear and
tear. 1t is contemplation OF this noun
famous bill, and the conviction that it Is
more likely to grow than to shrink, that
inclines the practical rsilroader to con-
sideration OF the electrical substitute.
What . development, like that 1t
Ripogenus could accomplish toward the
emancipation OF the railroa ds from coal