Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1922-08-30
THE NEW STATE PIER.
Destined to Play Important Part in
Development of Maine.

now more than fifty per cent. com
pleted is destined to play an impor
tant part in the industrial and com
mercial development of Maine. o.
course Portland, at it's place of lOca
ton, will receive the greatest direc
benefit, and in recognition of this thu
cities Of Portland and South Portland
expended $35O,00O for the site, anC
decided it to the State. The State hal
appropriated $1,15O,000 for con
struction work, and later will bt
called upon to make further ap
preparation for the construction Of
large warehouses necessary to bring
the pier to it's greatest efficiency ant
the maximum of usefulness to the
manufacturers and agriculturists Of
Maine.
The State pier, therefore, means
the investment of a large sum of the
peoples money, and the people Of all
secti ions of the State have a direct
and vital interest in how the money
is being expended, what they are
getting for it, and what returns may
reasonably be expected from the in
vestment. For the purpose of giving
them this knowledge through the
press, newspapermen from all over
the State were invited to Portland
last Friday by the State Chamber of
Commerce and Agricultural League
for an inspection of the pier. A sail
down the bay, a shore dinner at Fal-
mouth Foreside, with speeches by
President Gulnac of the State cham
Der, Mayor Chaplin of Portland,
/ Mast ~ no "a nd nj
Der of commerce, Henry F. Merrill of
the port directors, Frederic r. Fay,
engineer for the directors in the con-
struction of the pier, and others,
were delightful incidentals of the
trip.
The pier just now is a busy and in
teresting place, with small army of
men rushing the work Of construc-
ton The site extends from Com
mercial street = the waterfront
street of Portland out to the
newly established harbor line, 1900
feet. 1t has frontage on Com
mercial street of 400 feet, and a
waterfront width of 500 feet. 1t en-
braces nearly thirteen and one-half
acres of land, wharf and water
property. The pier itself is 1000
feet long, or twice as long as the
Grand Trunk pier, until now the
longest in Portland, A pier 1000
feet long will accommodate the larg-
est vessels likely to come to Portland
for many years in the future. Along
side the pier can be berthed at one
time two steamships such as are COM
monty found in overseas or Pacific
coast service.
The new pier is of pile construc-
ton, built of creosoted southern pine
piles, rs to 80 feet in length. Along
the entire easterly side the slip has
been dredged to the depth of thirty
five feet at mean low water, the
depth of the present main ship chan
mel. Provision has been made for
deepening this to forty feet should it
become necessary, but considering
that the largest ship in the world is
only 956 feet in length with draft
of thirty-eight feet, it is believed the
new pier will be adequate for years
to come to accommodate the largest
vessels that may be expected to visit
Portland.
The pier is being built to accom-
modate both overseas and cOastwise
shipping. Provision for trans-Atlan-
tic shipping is being made on the
easterly side of the new pier. Here
the pier is of most permanent con-
struction, with concrete deck on
which is to be built permanent
steel shed ninety feet in width and
story of the shed being adapted to
passenger business and the lower
story, or main wharf deck, to freight.
Along this portion of the pier will be
carried grain galleries connecting
with the Grand Trunk elevators.
The outer end of the new pier is
planned primarily for freight bust
ness. 1t will have timber deck and
single story sheds sixty feet in width
on each side. The berth at the east
erly side on the outer end is de-
signed for either overseas or coast
wise shipping. The westerly side of
the outer end of the pier, together
with it's pier shed, has already been
completed and leased to the Eastern
Steamship Co. for it's coastwise line
to New York. The western side of
the inner portion of the pier has also
been leased to the Eastern, and has
been continued in use without inter-
ruption for the Boston line.
Thus the new pier will accommo-
date at one time two ships of overseas
type on the easterly side, and two
coastwise steamers on the westerly
side, with provision at the outer end
for berthing smaller boats.
The two-story pier shed at the in
ner end of the easterly side of the
pier, as stated, is for the accommoda-
ton of both transatlantic freight
and passenger business. Particular
attention is being given to provision
of suitable quarters for handling i'm
migration business at this port. The
greater portion of the second story Of
this pier shed will be devoted to i'm
migration work, and will contain
waiting rooms, examination rooms,
detention and board rooms, railway
and steamship ticket Offices, lunch
counter and other features of the