New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1874-05-27

east and west ends certain seasons of the year,
but means were taken TO check this flow IN building r
fused To testify as to whether he considered hlinse
dam but thought that TIE Springfield Republican
could tell He believed that trench had been aug iof
the and that the water hs dam pembe unna
urallY while working the gate.
JOHN r. SMITH.
The expert testimony OF John Il Smith OF the nrh Vi
A. D. Briggs & Co. Of Springfield was mostly acco"-
panied by frequent reference to the diagrams ana was
of much vaue He testified that in the Fall OF 1864 ne
had mt in plans and specifications for two dams Tor
R .S ,SSs ns pnd to hod
| GALLONS wiI Of water. The was estimated TO
double PooysS aS St ISasnsd % Sei%SG
he two walls aud TO $4,000 The other plan was
Sa" Of cut We lnc The special
Mr.. smiths testimony lay in his criticisms upon uns
since the flood. He considered the A., founda-
.' T Sms s in Ra1e pcen heavy
bed Of concrete laid deep ill., not on the top OF the nard
pan and the stonework OF the wall should nave Seed
pan could be counted on 10 Withstand the force OF the
water There should also have been most tRorCusn
had not been removed to an extent that would
safety The witness did not say stuff had not
been cleared of In accordance with the specifications,
Mr. Deano read from these specifications. showing
that they only required the removal of perishbe mate
for distance of 80 feet each side of the center
wall. Mr. Smith said that had he drawn the specibca-
tons he should demanded wider bottom. entirely
contain no substance that would by IT'S mature,
act as filter to let the water work through
aud masonry. He had selected the place
! as good location for reservoir, on account
of the two gravely knobs each side or TIE val
ley against which the dam might rest: lie thongnt
springs oeneath tne s9 ol nJ rp,nnTnr the wall
remaining, found difference In the quality OF
cement in the grouing low there and it is of ine
quality so much so that there arc Oh IL iu'
The natural hardpan gravel is not ill all places such
as he would consider safe to build upon. lie judged
good groutng Three parts OF sand TO one of cement
would maze less excellent but sun decent groutpg;
These were the items in the dam which was carried
away which met Mr.. Smiths condemnation.
ELISHA A. EDWARDS.
or course there was much interest felt In hearing the
story OF County Commissioners, the men in whose
faithful Intelligent examination OF such structures
the public has place its entire security against In
secure dams. Elisha A. Edwards OF SOUTHAMPTON, the
Chairman o. the present Board ana one OF tho Comns
Pnes MnU re yw Inc dan, and fnaiy accepted il
oct l6, 1868, was first called Elisha H. Brewster OIL
Wor.hingon, Executive Councillor. then Chairman
of the Board and f. 5. Williams OF Hadcy, now de-
ceased. associated with him in the business The
first examination which they made OF the reservoir was
on June I6, when they found water running from the
dam at the lower part, 81 that little stream was
right continued Mr. Edwards, and We intlmated
| "a much. We said. Srengthen the bank; extend
the wall IN west sde and thoroughly riprap II ALL
The directors he added, seemed quite ready and even
to follow out all our suggestions Iney ana not
point out any special weakness He did not recall how
| many Of the directors were present, recoecung only
that Gov Hayden and Mr. spellman were there: There
was considerable talk aDodt the running vi water
/ from the dam, but he only remembered parucu-
6e aT October sGi ey were given to that
| the suggested alterations had been made Ihey ex-
amined fully as possible. They had never hdd any
experience in dam building but he thought they knew
as about any three men. one OF them being
engineer. lie mad heard thdt inc uaih mad Dcen III
spcced once before he not then IN the Board
Tue Commissioners could not tell the construction Of
SAID that there was a solid wall laid with cement up the
middle of it, ana that trench was made the entire
! length for tue wall No engineer was employed eSpe'
| cIally TO examine the works.
L. IL. BREWSTER.
Z. II. Brewster was the next witness He testified
that Chairman of the Board in 1867 and 1863 and
was first called out to the dam on petition in the
Fall OF 1867 going out with Col Thayer and Mr.. Eaton
| of Ware; the Commissioners found water on the east
and west sides they at first thought that 1t seri-
Gus leak at the east eud, but finally found il TO be
spring only AT the end they concluded that the
flow followed the bank around the wall and 50 suggested
as a remedy that the wall extended into the bank.
It done, was, also. some pudding. They only
knew of the walls as they were certified to be,
| OF solid masonry. laid in cement. Tue
specifications were produced ana talked about the Com
mssioners changing the base from an angie Oh % 70 80
degrees. Tue directors, he thought, were anxious 10
that mat0 t6s Wa should be extended but they
| did not suggest any weak spots. The Com
| inissOners three times. Once he thought
ii possible when asked while the men were at work on
the dam; again, June TO- 1868 when the dam was empty
/
ceptcd He did not know why it was rejected the sec
Ond time, but they were satisfied the last time that the
| dam was all night. When asked in regard 10
his observations of the dam since the
| food, Mr. Brewster thought that the thickness
of the wall about lie mad understood, but he
disappointed in ITS construction He had supposed tnat
il was stone but instead found very many c0b0c-
stoues. The wall at the east end was apparently upon
the ground but 1t is possible that the eartn washed
| away IN one place; but he believed he had found
| little ditch under stone, and Thought II
gnite possible that the wall had been laid down to hard
| pan When asked by Dr.. TrOw II he could push igAt
Slick SIX inches into hard could De done on the
line of the wall he thought not, but considered 1t posi-
Bile in water-sOaked soil. the directors were not sum-
moued as witnesses, but had talked freely about the
reservoir He did think the wall sufficient one,
and should excepted to 1t had he known its char
| acter
JUSTIN THAYFR
Justin Thayer OF Northampton who was special Com
missioner 1867, and in company with Mr.. Brewster re-
ceved the reservoir dam called to the stand, but
beyond stating that at that time Gov. Hayden was in
doubt they all IN doubt, as to where the water
observable on the outside Of the dam came from, lie
added nothing to the information previously gwen. Az
the close Of his testimony the inquest was adjourned
| until $3.50 o'clock Tomorrow morning.
| AID FOR THE SUFFERERS
| REPORT OF TIE BOSTON COMMITTEE-THE NUMBER
OF PERSONS LEFT DESTIIUTE-THE KIND OF