Lamoille newsdealer. [volume] (Hyde Park, Vt.) 1860-1877, 1869-10-19

Greensboro Pond.
Mr.. EDITOR -

Mr.. EDITOR =
AS much excitement has existed in
the valley of the Lamoille for several
days concerning Greensboro Pond, and it
dill not diminish as day after day passed
away, a numbered gentlemen from Hard
wick and Greensboro assembled at the
pond on Saturday, Oct. 10th, to examine
the premises and devise means for the
safety of the people in the valley below.
Many, as they assembled, expressed their
fears in the strongest language, of Sc
we're calamity. But to make up their
minds concerning what ought to be done,
an iron rod was procured, II feet long,
and the bottom examined on both sides of
the wall composing the dam, and it soon
became evident to others, as we'll as the
writer, that the dam stood on solid rock,
for wherever that rod was put down with
force, it struck some substance as hard as
a rock. This hard substance extended
the whole length of the dam; and as if
Providence would make it lcertain
that He had made the foundation Of that
dam sure, man was found who helped
put in the last fume.-Mr. Leach of VOL
colt was going to Craftsbury on Saturday,
and he was requested to call on Horace
Cass, who was referred to above, and he
said the fume was located on a solid rock,
and that little in front Of the fiume the
rock was a little higher than where it
stood, and this corresponded with our sub
sequent investigations.
The original dam, which was built prior
to 1900, was about 40 feet long, a little
having been added to the south end since.
On the top of this, two planks had been
placed, which would raise the water about
fifteen inches. Over these the water was
pouring with heavy current.
The water in the fume was six feet
deep, and just below it, 4 feet deep; the
fall was q feet. At 25 feet from the
fume, just above the dam, the water was
4 feet deep; further it was less. In front
of the fume some one or two rods, the
water was 5 feet deep; fifteen rods, it was
6 feet.
On each side of the dam the rock was
found. At Cutters shop, some twenty
rods below the pond, his mill-dam stands
on a solid rock. A little north of Gut
tiers shop there is house whose sills
stand on the ledge, and are little below
the base of the wall at the pond. The
same kind of rock was found several rods
south of the outlet Of the pond.
If the dam, which has resisisted the
action of water for more than seventy
years, should all give way, and there come
out current of water 60 feet wide, 5 it,
deep in the middle and 2 at each end,
running at the rate Of five miles an hour,
and calling the surface of the pond 500
acres and averaging 5 feet deep, it would
take sc hours and 46 minutes to drain
the pond The water would Immediately
after leaving the pond 60 into thick &C.
dar swamp three miles long and half a
mile wide. Would there, therefore, be
any harm done in the valley below? IF
the inhabitants in the little village Of
Greensboro had gone and thoroughly ex-
amined the outlet of the pond, instead Of
moving their goods out of their stores and
houses, there would not have been so
much fright below.
So far as the writer knew those gentle
men from Hardwick who live along the
river side, went home satisfied that the
water would have to cut a channel in the
solid rock sufficient to drain off the pond
in few hours, before there would be any
material danger.
They have taken off those planks and
hoisted the waste gate and are drawing
down the pond as fast as passible. 1.-THE
planks are never put on again, there will
be but little danger below.
Yours, Ii. HERRIcK.
Wolcott, Oct. Is, 1869.