New-York tribune., 1874-06-11

ssS ::d
time have rendered It water-tight
The specifications are also defective IN providing ror
slopes OF only II to They should he at least 10 on
the outside and 81 to or the inside Another defect Is
providing for hight OF the cmbankment only tees s
above the ton OF the center wall. the hight shoud pe
sufc,ent 10 protect the wall completely from irost'
which in this climate requires Ave feet OF EARN - .hs a. ~
heavo or fracture It, We give no particular
OF the discharge pipe and wasteway, as ths
In the ecnstructon Of tho work by the contractors
appears that there was no sseent and
during great part the time none at ALL except Dy nc
directors Of the company or s1sr Bnang ~ the dam
indicate defects Of workmanship oi the grVsscs Gun" @
ter The bottom Of the wall does mol ~ a casos %, n
rest upon the hardpaD II In evidence NJ tue n-
quest that the wall laid up dry. and grouted nye
feet high at tme The groutlng mas NOT conpeso no
Allied the cavities and the quality OF the mortar S some
of it very bad as might from this noae OF
building The soil aud porous 81 rraysa n Tens 80
feet on each side the center WALL as required ny 'no
specifications.
THE WORK NOT TO DE- JUSTIFIED ON ENGINEERING
PRINCIPLES.
II ia probably not possible ascertain with certainty
the immediate cause Of the failure but from the eVi
aence we can come to no other conclusion than
that the water found its way under the wall at point
about 100 feet from the discharge pipe causing slip IN
the EN- tho down stream side OF the center
wall which Sa the SsnS neps9 9es .de aa failing made
breach which was rapidly enlarged by the washing
away OF the ombankmen and the ia oi the o'ner p''
OF the wall. ,,.... ..,so
why did it not happen before when the reservoir was
a higher leveli The answer. we think, would De, that
there has been gradual working out OF the gravei u
der and near tho wall, and loose places or caVies
formed which, when they had attained certain oeVei
opment would suddenly lead to their failure.
The Committee understand that the principal oUect
OF their continent to report on this matter was 10
study it as an engineering work. 1t being well UNDER
stood that usually more be learned from one failure
than many succcsses but is obvious that TINS cannot
De called an engineering work. Its engineer or person
calling himself such. can be held respohsipis LOT enca
ira design or execution. According TO the eVluenoo
reported must be considered as the work OF nonpro
fessiona persons. This being the case the COlttee
DO not think it devolves them or on tue society W
crtcise its design execution The causes OF Iaiuto
attended with such disastrous consequences cannon a
To be interesting the members OF the society," anu "o
have endeavored to point them out
In connection with this report w. T.. Worthen OF New
York exhibited q model OF the broken dam, ana ex-
planned In brief terus the manner In which tue ofeaK
WAS first discovered and the subsequent sliding away
OF the wall He said that 1t far from being MS
opiuou that could build reservoirs Dy nuon
thorough knowledge OF the power OF water as wen as
the strength masonry required ana this ncces-
SLATED study. The employment OF men VINO d1 hot ui
derstand water jidciOus TO say the very east
and those who employed them have found TO their cost
that il was an unwise economy