The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1874-06-11
THE CIVIL ENGINEERS.

Mill River Dam Again.
The sixth annual Convention Of the American
Society OF Engineers began Its sitting at Tammany
Hall, on Fourteenth street, yesterday morning
Colonel julius W. Adams OF New York, presiding.
There were about 100 delegates present rom this
and neighbOring States.
The irst paper OF the session. on sThe Form,
Weight, Manufacture and Life Of Ralls,' was read
by Mr.. Ashbel WEIGH, G. E. or Lambertville, N. J.
There were two very important requisites tor rails
first, that they should act bearers to carry the
heaviest loads without straining the metal and
second, that they should endure the wear. Euro
pean managers, coming to this country, generally
failed at first owing to their want OF experience
In the principles OF rail destruction in America.
Rails are addicted to all sorts OF breaking,
crumoling. washing and splitting. not SO CON-
mon in Europe. American contractors are in
the habit OF buying the poorest class OF
rails If the road Is built only to sell.
The form OF the rail should be such that. while
there is no metal wasted. It should have all neces
ssry strength. Experience shows that most II not
ali the wear Is on the head OF the rail- and there
fore most Of the metal should be placed in that
portion. The head should be broad on the top to
give as much wearing surface as possible In the
speakers experience the thinner the stem
Of the rail the better. It 10 estimated that
100000 tons OF freight wears the rails LOO OF an
inch. The wearing qualities OF steel rails are
thirty-sx times greater than those OF iron rails
Alter considerable discussion on the durability
and the shape OF rails the Convention took re.
cess iEss
THE MILL RIVER DAM
After the Convention was called to order, James
B. Francis, G. E.. OF Lowell Mass, read paper on
''The Failure OF the Dam at Williamsburg Mass.n
The paper was substantially as folows:- s,s.
mn. a. ~
about 4S feet high at the highest point near the CEN
tire, diminishing to nothing at the ends, forming,
when filed, reservoir In the valley above oil an area
At the time OF the failure the water was about TOUR
feet below the top Of the OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES an I'M
usual height at this scason-and WITHIN 4 few
months the water had been at least loot higher.
The failure took place between seven and eight
O'Clock on tie morning 9! May 70, when probably
capped IN about twenty minutes, or at the rate OF
10000 cubic Get per second. The dam
iOnstuSisi vai 'ns of ssoDe and cement
through It's centre. waste-way thirty-tn
ieet VIDE the natural ground At one
pipe through the embankment and wall At the
lowest point Tor the discharge OF the water AZ
plans for DAN ct this point were prepared, and
rejected on sccOunt OF their cost. The plan
not appear thai any plan WAS drawn. were I pre-
pared BY MIR. Lucius Fenn, now Of New Britain,
Conn.,, who now claims tnaths sacred only as the
iicationsS The work Was done oy Wells Basse st
Here the original contract, as printed In the
On a. the site sna
mains OF the dan We ma that the bottom Is very
comDsct naId pan Overland BY about Two feet q
nearly anysoIl can we'll Be, ana at the breach
seSersi feet dspth 'V when mas G so@
Of 70 the oo Rsr ts Ss es
hardpan is washed and porous. small spring Is
now TO be seen coming out from under the remains
Is evidently superficial and from the gravel The
empankment is tormed Of gravel similar TO that
was taken from tie hillside just above the dam
1t has scarcely airy thing binding In Its character
ana Is not capable Of being made INTO puddle
the character or the bottom and tho material
available Tor the Imbankment It Is obvious that
be in the cement van and the complete union OF
its It's. base c ~, with the nah nsrdpan the main
more nna ~ss sa sDpesES s sOses
leet deep 70 gse g nrm, hard bottom ior
evidently was to sscnss the A' wan II 'sn rom
settlIng e 4 for building OF bridge sDusment
age the Il WHAT as
could oe expeotedAsainss pressure Of forty iest
the E 81 ssO oT rotss s
pasture ano woo0hn0 the water In the dam was
very clear. There toud consequently be but very
little SEDIMENT w1oh might In time have render
fsctive in providing for slopes Of only one and
half TO one. Tney Mould have been ct least two
70 one on the outsile and two and . half on the
the embankment tS0nly two feet above the top OF
the centre wall. The height should have been
frost which In this climate requires ave feet OF
earth at least. II the earth becomes frozen
70 the wall It ? liable to heave and frac-
dam indicate effects OF workmanship OF
the grossest characer. the bottom Of the wall does
not In al cases eva rest upon the hardpan. IL
was In evidence at NE inquest that the wall was
laid up dry and grolted nve ieet high at the Time
Tue grouttng has nj completely nlled she cavities
and the quality Of 10 mortar H. some OF II, very
bad, a. might be exected from this mode Of build.