The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1869-12-18
IxpRovEMESr OF JONES FALLs-PRoposED EREc

IMPROVEMENT OF JONES FALLs-PRoPosED EREc
TIoN OF Dams IN THIS COUNTY On Monday last,
ia The First Brunch OF the city council of Balti-
more, Mr. Carter submitted the following COM
municaiion from Joseph Wilkins agent, and John
P Clark, proposing to sell certain tract of land
below Swami Lake, in this county, to the city,
for the purpose o. erecting dams thereon in order
To prevent Hood in the city
1.-The undersigned sell the city Baltimore
in fee simple for the of eghty-fve thousand dol
lars, the land privileges and improvements contained
in about fifty acres located in Baltimore county
Immediately below Swami Lake. and through the length
of which Jones's falls flows, and which is divided by
he Falls road turnpike into two tracts of twenty
AMI thirty acres Lis bounded a thcssi by the Falls
turnpike and the road leading from the turnpike to
Lake and on the west by the Northern Central
railroad
perty that be converted into two DAMS which
being with culverts to keep the water
from running out faster than the channel of the falls
can receive it, the surplus will be retained in the DAMS
and flowing out gradually preyenla flood in the city.
"a triangular wooden frame anchored in front of the
culyerts and floating upon the surface of the water
will turn aside the drift wood and keep the cuverts
open The bottom Of the dams could be excavated to
give average depth of fifteen feet with capacity of
two hundred and seventy five million gallons of water
The cuverts should be made of such size as to pass
three ourths the amount of water which the channel Of
the falls could receive The remaining onefourth Of
the capacity of the channel would safely accommodate
the amount of rain which would fall below the dam and
in the city; A.. s,u on.o,,, 81
when the stream has swollen to the fu capacity Oh
the channel three gallons will be flowing out through
the culverts whilst only is retained within the
DAMS which would cause the water to accumulate so
slowly that the storm would most probably be over
fore the dams could be filed and eleven hundred
million gallons of Water after the ha' --.--ence M
ing. must "a. before they would overflow.
I'm case any mill-iam should give way, any OBJ
struction the falls should accumulate body of water
and down from the pressure upon it, the sudden
rush of water would be arrested in the dams and be de-
tanned therein until passed out through the culverts,
without danger of overflow within the city limits.
'Swann Lake could Be made to serve as an auxiliary
dam reservoir, by letting out at the commencement
of the storm part ofis water and thus lowering its level
besides improving the water for drinking purposes as
the muddy water would How out and after the storm
clear water would take its place.
The flow Of water being augmented, and its rapidity
increased by Strengthening the channel OF the iais ana
the dams retaining three Ourths of its
capacity ii will be impossible, judging the future by
continued as to cause another food in the city of Bali
more"
The communication was read and referred to the
special committee on Jones falls.
The city council took up the above matter of
iar Improvement of Jones Falls on Tuesday, and
dchnirr, decided it, by adopting the plan pro-
passed hy Henry Tyson, Esq, OF making straight
through the city, from Eager street TO the
river This cat is to be OF a uniform width of
1875 'e-i, above Baltimore street, and $50 feet
wide below that point. The walls TO be Is
feet inches high, gradually reducing to the
htsin VIII. re they will be feet high.
An ordinance was subsequently, presented, APP
poi,.ling M,ssrs Henry Tyson, Isaac r. Trmble
aud George p. Kane commissioners to do the
work, and appropriating So, 500, 900 for the me-
c.ssary expense.