New-York tribune., 1874-05-29
THE MILL RIVER FLOOD.

CONTINUATION OF THE CORONERs INQUEsr-TEsri-
MoNY OF THE CONTRACTORS, THE ENGINEER
WHO DREW UP THR SPECIFICATIONS, AND EN-
PLoYEEs.
NORTHAMPTON, May 2S.-In the reservoir
disaster inquest, this morning. Engineer Raymond OF
Ftchburg testified at great length concerning the weak
Of the dam and the operating to destroy H.
He said water would not leak through the gravei on
which the wall laid Of the directors had com
planned they dug deep there were Ia or IA fee
OF the work done after frost and none OF this WORK.
to his remembrance. protected by brush OF other-
wise, except the overflow.
Emory B. Wells of Northampton, the other contractor
testified concerning the building Of the dam his evil
dence not varying materially from Bassetts. He test
fed TO having had doubts TO two points OF the WALL on
the east and the west. Mr. Wells testified further IN
regard to the time when the Committee rsked laying
OF the stones the gravel and said that Mr. Speman
had suggested that there need OF going so deep
with the foundation. Consequently he and Mr. Bassett
called the Committee to view the work. and the Com
mittee directed them. at that point, to rest on the
gravel. The question OF expense on this occa
sion. 1t would have needed an excavation OF twenty
yards and the building Of twenty yards Of stone WORK.
at a cost or about $3.50. to dig to hardpan.
Julius Finn OF New Britain. Conn, the engineer who
drew up the specifications, got them up as ordered by
the Committee, Messrs. Clark Dmi0ck, and Clement.
They said they did want wall for strength but only
to keep out vermin The Committee OF Directors chose
the contractors, Bassett and Wells He COM
pleted tho writing Of the contract but knew
nothing more about 1t. He went away because
s as did not want ths responsoty of this dam The
work needed the superintenddnce OF competent en-
work. He had told the directors
urged its careful supervision He knew nothing OF
Gardners competency. He did not consider the specl
fcatons he drew up definite. He depended less upon
them than upon the superintendent He would never,
himself, have built so weak structure az this dam
Franklin Bush of Westteld, who was employed Dy the
contractors TO lay portion OF the foundations was next
called He did not lay the base stone at te broken end
OF the east wall OF the weak foundation OF whlch Ens
neer Raymond had told; he thought that the water
might nave washed away the harapan under H. as tne
wall he considered generally well laid he had had
charge of mixing the groung used IN the dam and hs
mode OF mixing from two 10 two and half barrels
OF cement 10 one barrel 0f sanu.
Phnsss Bal q tsS rr.lngieid Waer Works testified
been trench along the line Of the wall that any more
than reached the hsrdpan if it dd that The end stones
there rest on gravel above the hardpan The con
dition of the surface in the reservoir seen, s
then hard compact but porous gravel then harapan
He described the dam, which ne Is now constructing
on the same general plan Of earthwork with
the center wall but with important s,rSn1S yar,a-
laying the wall in cement mortar. not groatlng,
pacSns earth in their layers He showed roots that ad
hered to the mortar at the base OF the wall from the
surface SOIL left when the dam was built He gave IL AS
his opinion that the saturated the embankment
and went through the wall as through seye ana
grouting in a wall built to resist water.
Justin Cook of Sortham pton VINO employed IN
the earthwork Of the dam the contractors next came
forward testified that they had thrown ont all per-
ishabe matter In preparing for the dam he thought
there been doubts about the security OF the dam at
first il having leaked little at the pipes he had heard
Mr. Wells doubts of It's safety some SIX years
ago, but all had thought II safe OF late.
An adjournment WAS then mad unti 10 o'clock on Sat
urday morning.
AID FOR THE SUFFERERS
BosroN, May 2S.-The Special Committee of
the Legislature the Mil River Valley disaster have
tho IA in far he
of sl20OO 10 aid IN the OF the highways
destroyed by the flood 100000 10 10 Williamsburg
and $4,000 70 Leeds.
THE TRIBUNE has received an additional subscription
OF 50 from W." Tor the sufferers by the MIL River dis
aster. This, with the amounts previously acknOwl-
edged makes the total THE rRIBUSEs subscription
list $95l 55.
c. II. Il F. D. Blake received the following amounts
yesterday;
Previously reported sl3l03 Os; Carter H4Nlsr Co. 500
$40; J. NJ r., $50 Churches Astoria T. J., through
the A. &. Bowsn clothing
AnonyIHOus package cluthag Total el32JJ Uc.