The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1869-01-13
The HOIyOke Dam.

The Hartford Times has very interesting
article in reference to the great dam on the
Connecticut river at Holyoke, Mass. Very
important improvements are in progress, and
these are described as folio ws:-
The work of Improvement here is one of far
greater magnitude than we had supposed, aud
its impresslveness as a triumph OF engineering
skill and proof OF what mans labor can effect
over the rude forces OF Nature, can be properly
appreciated only oy being seen.
In the flood OF last spring the front timbers of
the dam were slightly loosened by the concus-
sion of huge and heavy bridge, which came
crashing down on the flood from some point a
hundred miles above. An examination of the
front foundations, while 1t disclosed no serious
injury to the great dam. revealed another fact of
some interest The river bed at this place is for
a considerable distance composed OF lock but
q rock full of seams; and the steady, continuous
fall of the great sheet had by hydrostauc pres
sure iltled Out the rock in masses, and scattered
boulders of ton 10 twenty tons weight for
considerable distance down stream making at
last q great hole in front OF the dam, iron
twenty-slX to thirty feet deep or as deep as the
deepest places In New London harbor.
1t was found necessary to check this destruc-
tive work; and accordingly the dam, which has
for so many years presented sheer fall from its
edge, will now be made with sloping tront as
well as rear; SO that it would, If the river were
dry, present an outline similar to that OF the
peaked roof OF house. This front extension
is fifty feet in diameter at the base, presenting
uniform slope to the top, that will so graduate
| feet as to make it look more like great rapid
| than the old familiar HClyoke dam.
This work is done by seCtlons-the first, which
| was begun in september and Is now nearly nm
| ished, being 269 feet wide in the middle OF the
1t is made of solid timbers, fastened in layers
! cross-wise, in the way known to builders as
''Crib WORK." and filled in with an enormous
! balIasting OF stone. These solid masses of
| timber, boiled and riveted together for such an
| extent and height, present, to one unaccus-
toned to 1t, very Impressive slgnt. Unlike
| the old dam, the new front will be solid; no
open-work timbers. The timber cribs" are
sunk, aud the rock ballast filed solidly in be-
meath them in the higher part with good
| deal OF engineering skill. The engineer Is MI.
| S. S. Chase, whose uncle, we believe, built the
original dam. He floats down good deal of
| his timberlrom Vermont. 1t consists largely OF
hemlock, timber which reslsts decay and tue
action of water beyond most others. Chopping
| into the wood Of the old dam shows that
twenty years have failed to damage 1t particle;
| it is as sound as ever.
| They have put down in this section about one
million feet of timber. That fact tells the story
of the literal solldlty of the new dam.
1t is found that the weight or force OF the
stream eXeIted against the dam at all times IS
nearly four thousand tons. The weight OF this
new structure above the water is thirteen
Looking at it from the shore, this section OF
two hundred and sixty nine feet seems but a
little part OF the whole breadth OF the fall, but
to q person standing on it at its lower or Its
upper edge it seems IN itself big thing"
The company are eXpending from $4,000 to
500, 000 ON these changes at the dam. Iley
have at work large gang OF men, lum mOetmeu
and loggeIs from Name and builders irou
other regions, and the boom derrlcEs, axes
adzes and saws are kept busy, winter though
| il be. ,
Next summer the work Of completing the
front extension will be begun. This mia lie
section, now substantially completed, Is the
most important Dart of il.
The construction of the fsh-way for salmoG
and sbao, had 10 be delay led on account OF TINS
improvement on the dam. 1t Will be made, al
the east end OF the dam, as soon as the latter II
finished.
One OF the rocks lifted out of lis natural bee
by the hydrostatlc pressure IN front OF tne ole
dam weighed, before MIR. Chase blasted II
moved q hundred feet down stream by "Wa,,l
| DOWer,v