New-York tribune., 1874-05-28
THE MILL RIVER INQUEST.
TESTIMONY OF KxPRRTs-MoRE EVIDENCE THAT
THE RKsERvorR WAS CONSTRUCTED IN sLoV'
RNIy MANNED

| NORTHAMPTOS, May H.-ln the inquiry iuo"
the Williamsburg reservoir disaster to-day, George Ray
mOnd, civil engineer Of Fitchburg gave testimony rs
| an expert. He employed by A. H. Briggs & Co. IN
surveys and estimates che plans testified 10 by j. H.
Smith OF that firm Tuesday He described the STONE
dam they proposed: downstream. outside 'front.'
was planned in offset steps with stone worA
! extending back into the reservoir Tor
certain distance and earth banking below 10 relieve tne
horizontal pressure and substitute vertical The wiz
ness produced blackboard sketch OF the ruined DAM
from measurements. and exhibited specimens Oh mate
rias and soil taken out 7.lo feet north or anu on
level With the bottom Of the wall at the point OIL
breach the east end snd another sample sf undis
turDed soil from level with the bottom OF the wall o"
the side also a OF tangled roots taken from
under the embankment the east part, about IS feet IN
side from the front Of the downstream side. from whon
! the earth washed away, leaving sponry mass
He found that this bottom stone on the east end rcsr
on the half OF blocking Stone lu lhcues VIII tion
lengthwse; whereas an ordinary house i0nda'i.pIn .I
rests bed stones broader than the wall above. a.
the weight OF the wall about . feet above, ths resei
| on this narrow foundation. He found rhe ceInent
| the wall blind drain for any wafer Una. uaa'
should find its way To- It, Tle pressure ,poI upoI
10. per square foot. would he between four and hye
He measured two orices on the eastern enpAnk
ment about half its hight. one was seven inches ny
one and half; the other three inches by one lie eA
hlblted stones tahen out Oh tne wan @ near a en1 vr
them and showed specimens OF the mortar when ws
coored with iron and quite friabie ana rotten showing
very little trace OF any cement- III.
8Mr Raymond then pointed out another con nsiderahe
Goe on te Inner side OF the emban kment Of point
ing of the specimens were very good anf some
very poor Tue Grouting showed black EARN hcAt ~ ~
but This could have been deposited by wafer
had there been opening above. Mex to the Sepipo
the samples exhibited were very poor crlnDlng wen M
handled. OF the exact reason Tor TINS poor 'rhie' ~,
Raymond not clear II IN ght have been miNea 700
soon; the sand looks TOO ne or poor cement was po''
bly, used.
Lewis Bodman o. Williamsburg one OF the orlgiha'
stockholders. gave clear stasDent Of his Eno Wedge
of the building OF the dam. He unierstood tna'
Messrs. Dimock. Clement. Hayden were the Build
ing Committee. He hal expressed doubts as TO Mr'
Gardner's competency engineer but felt conn
dence in the work, the superintending &c
had all their property henelth the reservoir hr jl
described AZ length the fears ~ the cbnplnY con-
cernnc the reservoir when first filed in the Spring OF
mad been so great the viii ics thit IL intended 70
fill IL gradually ana keep u some ntteen feet below th,
top during the first seasOn. Tho outlet pipe was f0und
Insufficient TO draw down the water They TOOK sucn
precautions were possible 10 pr0iec. tlIe an ana
knew t.me TO be weak and unsafe Tlas sln.
mer the Company spent between sl.2O) ana s2on The
embankmcnt settled down the inside, ana
face was rprappSi The county Commissioners
were called, in order TO relieve the cOrD0Iators
gencv which they did expcct 10 As nc re-
membered. The west slope was dy before the dam was
was ed he Thought the springs DISCHARGED more water
previous TO tnat and thlt they were fed Dy
the reservoir. TIE company had repaired tlc waSte-
and had built an extra wall IN 5hat section on Tue
BENZ asked if there had been any statement
attributed 10 him inc papers which he desired 70
10 nc tSe , w, the ns IF cement in cold
For the first wear the iert az icarci
IT, especially Mcssrs spellmau, skinner HAYDEN. ami
Bodman; hut after the Company's repairs, they vera
satisfied its strength. All thc good cemfntins
exhibited from the Extra wall referred TO above
and was done by the Company and not by the con
tractors. Mr.. Wlllstol made tho motion tAat the
directors call the County Com nissoner anI u Iee
themselves from all personal responsibility. Mr Boh-
man sold his mill ana his Interest IN the Reservoir
Company In 1858.
Alfred d. Tey mill-)gner at Eorsnce, and the
person appointed by the stockholders TO take measures
for freeing Of their personal responsibility in the
event OF the breaking OF the dam, next called Ho
said the stockholders conf lent OF the safety Of tho
structure after It gthened they frat wanted
to quiet general apprehension ana free themselves
from feeling of personal liability. He had shared tho
general apprehension during the hrst year ior the
safety Of the dam but Decam, Convinced OF is safety
%S wa DG M % s aud
expected 70 act rs supernten ien the drsc'ors
Overseers OF the work. He was not indHeIent 10 the
safety of the DAM but did not trust himself as lam
builder He had confidence IN Mr.. DimocA's thorough
Mr.. Gardner was not present at me exlninaloh
of the reservoir by the County Commissioners Nook
pert was employed The contractors were not present
He oniy remembered that Gov Hayden. and MT Din0ck
were mere He felt that the Commissioners had power
10 witnesses and experts, anu eit IL Win neH
JOEL BAssErr.
Joel Bassett of East Hampton Of the contractors
was recalled The contractors had first looked the
ground with a view TO beginning tho dam with Mr.
Clark jr and W p. Clement, with whom they made a
bargain but signed contract being told 10 utilize the
stone scattered in the lotsome fat but mostly bowlers
and the Company wished to lessen the
cost OF the dam When some - 900 had Ueen expendeu
sented TO the contractors for acceptance,
but something in IT being dnerent from from
cha nged inches 10 inches by Mr. Dimock. they
refused sign IT, In consequence OF the change OF pipe
as required bv the specifications, was abandoned pad
ding being substituted: AL the roots brakes and soil
4,iQ al W. ID fIDntu
80 required from either side Of the wall ana dumped
beyond furthest stakes set Tor the slope OF the en-
banknent None OF these things left in the enl-
oankmen Is SGrh fine by ME- E b Wes his Fellow
contractor contractors had nothing to do with the
pipe except their work over II as tightly as posi-
he the bargain specified tnat they be paid
much while the work over or under a certain amount
be estimated and PAID or deducted az tne rare Ol
40 per yard for earhworK and Sc and for stone
There was point 1.-THE wall where the bottom stone
was laid three feet below the surface The grout-
ing used was made by mixing haf barrel OF cement
ana from two barrels OF sand not best quality
but good the He mad considered the slope
OF the inner bank too steep ana had tod the bnuns
Committee The natural water SLOPE was 10 /. ana
this was u TO at one point Pir OF me NE w sa w5 .ad % a
the time that the Company raised the water on the
bank as it was wOud not give dollar Tor all the
property in the valley below He ana MS partner had
made between 5000 and 5000 the JOB, the whole
amount received beng sE6Jo.
WILLIAM SKINNER
William Skinner proprietor OF the silk works at Skin
nesyie ana one OF the stockholders Of the Reservoir
Company followed He had nothing to do with accept
ing plans for the reservoir which were taken after
general talk at OF the stockholders meetings.
with the building OF the dam Fnere mad been general
apprehension about It, but aery they had considered
It all rgnt He admitted that IL was his custom to
silk from the mill at times. fearing mat the
dam break but In he thought that only
a large freshet would be the result He dId not know
the calling Of the County Commissioners DE had
heard Messrs DimOck and Hayden complain bitterly of
the contractors falling IN their work.
The expert engineer, Mr.. Raymond OF Fltchburg was
recalled. and repeated clearly his testimony with
regard the Insecurity OF the dam wall, alter which an
adjournment made until Thursday.