Gazetteer of the State of Maine With Numerous Illustrations, by Geo. J. Varney
BOSTON: PUBLISHED BY B. B. RUSSELL, 57 CORNHILL. 1882. Public domain image from
BATH. 101
Bath, Brunswick, Topsham andBowdoinham lie on the west,—the two latter being separated from it by Merrymeeting Bay; and West Bath and Phipsburg lie on the south. The length of the town along the river from north to south is about 5 miles, and its average width is about 1|- miles. The surface is much broken by low ledgy hills. The principal eminence is North Hill, said to be several hundred feet in altitude. Lily and Mill Ponds, each about three-fourths of a mile in length, are the principal insulated sheets of water. The rocks are granite and mica schist, and the soil a clay loam. Hay is the largest agricultural product. The forest trees most abundant are beech,
birch, pine, spruce and fur. Witch Spring is a mineral spring of some local note.
There are three valuable water-powers,—two on Whiskeag Stream, one of which is a tide power ; and the Winnegance Dam Companys power, lying at the south of the town, between it and Phipsburg. Its capacity is 333 horse power, of which two-thirds belong to the latter town. There are two lumber-mills on Whiskeag Stream, with a capacity of manufacturing about 500,000 feet of lumber annually. On the same stream is a grist-mill with a capacity of grinding 10,000 bushels of grain annually. Other mills are a barytes and a coffee and spice mill. In the northern part of the town, on a point projecting eastward oppo- site Lanes Island is Varneys steam saw mill, employing several small vessels in conveying the lumber to market.
The chief industry of the city, however, is ship-building; and the product of its yards is of an excellent quality. It is said to he sur- passed in the extent of this manufacture only by Boston, New York and Philadelphia, and to excel all in the number of wooden ships built. During the year ending June 30, 1852, there were forty ships, five brigs, and three schooners built here, having an aggregate of 24,339 tons. In 1854 there were fifty-six ships built, besides thirteen other vessels amounting to 58,454 tons. Following this date there was a g-eat falling off in production. The number of vessels built in 1879 was thirty-five; aggregating 17,383 tons. In 1880, forty-one vessels were built with an aggregate measurement of 22,186 tons. There were launched this year four ships, three barks, two brigs, twenty-six schooners, two steamers and four sloops. The number of vessels now belonging in the U. S. collection district of Bath is 294, with a tonnage of 156,978. The following table gives tbe product of Bath in this article for the century past, including 1880:
|
Number. |
Tonnage. |
Value at $50 per ton |
Ships and barks, |
1,094 |
793,785 |
$39,689,250 |
Brigs, |
609 |
126,357 |
6,317,850 |
Schooners, |
1,068 |
139,031 |
6,951,550 |
Sloops, |
183 |
8,046 |
402,300 |
Skows and barges, |
11 |
1,583
9,357 |
79,150 |
Steamers, |
47 |
($100 per ton) 965,700 |
Total |
3,022 |
1,078,159 |
$54,375,800 |
|
Yearly average investment for the 100 years, $543,758 |
There are also in the city manufacturers of boats, anchors and ship machinery, boilers, engines, iron, brass, rail cars, drain-pipe, bricks, carriages, clothing, sails, lumber, meal and flour. There are four ice
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