Ellsworth American., 1922-12-13
BRIMMER'S BRIDGE DAM
WILL CREATE ARTIFICIAL LAKE
THIRTEEN MILES LONG.
1t Will Be the Largest Lake in Han
cock COunty-Progress of the
W0rk
(Bangor Commercially


Work.
(Bangor Commercially
Few people are aware of the i'm.
mensity of the power development
project being undertaken by the
Bangor Railway & Electric Co., at
Br1mmer's bridge on the Union river
about a mile and one-half above
Ellsworth Falls. When this project
has been completed there will result
a dam 720 feet in length, or only 14O
feet less than the length of the
RipOgenus dam Of the Great North
ern Paper Co., on the west branch of
! the Penobscot, and twenty-eight feet
in heigh above the present level of
water, as compared to eighty feet of
the Ripogenus dam, and second only
in size to the latter structure, which
is the third largest water storage
dam of it's kind in the world. This
construction furthermore means a
storage, adequate in itself to meet
any requirements called for by the
power house at Ellsworth and is a
project which means the expendi-
ture OF much money, has long been
contemplated and involves engineer
ing skill and ability of high order.
In these days when people are
realizing more and more, not only
the Importance but the necessity of
white coal" any project which
means in it's finality, additional de-
velopment of water power, is of
especial value and interest to those
who are far removed from the scene
of the production of coal itself
nf ri Tfyy fo
which people are daily being ac-
customed, is bringing nearer and
nearer the realization that in all
probability, in comparatively few
years, the solution of the vexing
problem of heating dwellings and
business blocks will have been
solved. People have already become
SO familiar with and accustomed to
the many electrical machines now in
general use, that it would be difficult
indeed to- return to the old-fash-
ioned methods of doing things. All
therefore are much concerned and
interested in every project which has
for it's object, an increase in electri-
cal energy and power.
In 1906, John r. Graham, man
whom Maine came to know as of
sterling integrity and unusual busi-
ness foresight and ability, was elect
ed president and general manager of
the Bangor Railway & Electric Co.
In 1907, looking into the future and
believing sincerely in the growth and
development of eastern Maine he con-
ceived the idea of constructing dam
of considerable proportions at the
site of Brimmer's bridge, so called,
for the purpose of creating a reser-
voir that would be sufficiently large
to take care of any emergency that
| might arise, as we'll as to increase
the potential power of the already
existing plant at Ellsworth. This
undertaking, however, he personally
was not privileged to carry out for
previous to a full contamination of
his plans, he died. The RESPONSE
bility and duty of then guiding the
affairs of the company devolved upon
his son, Edward M. Graham, who
succeeded his father as president of
the company, and he immediately
commenced to carry into effect the
plans and ideas originally conceived
by him.
These plans called for the con-
struction at Brimmer's bridge of 8
dam, 720 feet in length, $50 feet IN
width at the base and eighteen feet
wide at the top. The top surfact