New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1876-03-31
TRYING TO SAVE THE RESERVOIR.

SCATTERED AND INEFPECrUAL EFFORTS MADE
DURING THE DAY-ToO MANY ADyIsERs-CHAR-
ACTER OF THE DAM AND THE SIZE OF THE POND
SOME OF THE DAMAGE DONE.
[BY TELEGRAPH To TIE TRIBUSE1
WORCESTER Mass March 30.-Advices from the
Lynde Brook dam this forenoon were of more
assuring character. Large tree trunks, bales of
hay, and loads of dirt were being thrown into the
gap and the rush of the water at last le'sened.
Fears of any sudden giving way of the structure
gradually became aayed. Channels to connect the
reservoir with "a stream to the eastward were dig
gng with haste, and 1t hoped that some part OF
the force of the food would thus be diverted into
new direction. The water in the reservoir rapidly
lowered, and though the gap in the dam gradually
widened, it is now thought that the nam
structure would stand firm until the water
flowed away. There was less OF panic
along the expected path Of the food but efforts to
lessen or avert the danger went right Oh along the
Kettle Brook aud Blackstone River. There was an
immense crowd at the scene OF the trouble, which
grew constantly, and a large police force was on
duty keeping order and protecting the
goods ON the side hills removed from the
houses and manufactures along the valley.
At Ills a. M it was reported that the water had
stopped running through the small window OF the
lower gate-house, which great gain, but tho
leak again increased and the water began running
through the small window of tho lower gate-hoIse
again. The hole at the other side was also larger
than one hour before. AT p IN. it was decided
that the only means Of safety would be to cut
through the eastern part Of the dam, and divert the
water from the location OF the break. his would
carry the stream down Parsons Brook TO valley
Falls, and thence to New-Wofcester, by the high
way People on the line were warned Of this inten-
tion for there great danger of loss OF life and
property. City Engineer Blake thought ne could
control the flow if the channel should be cut though
other persons feared that the stream would get be-
yond control, and the whole contents OF tie reser-
voir be precipitated down the valley.
All day long the people watched and waited, and
at half past o'clock their fears were realized The
water, which had been trckling through the hole in
the reservoir embanlxment and undermining it little
by little swept triumphantly through break fully
thirty feet wide, and dashed out on its mission of
ruin and desolaton. The gate-house stood few
minutes and then crumbled to pieces, as il ground
to powder aud then fell beneath the flood. The wa
ter took the CT Lynde Brook, which is little
stream aud runs toward South Pond, only third
of mile below. Before reaching that pond 1t ran
across the highway from Worcester to Cherry Val
ley, sweeping out Oh its bosom d. w. Ol-
ney's house and barn as lightly as if they were
great aquatic fowl The stream as 1T crossed the
road fuIl SIX 1ccJ deep. DhlltHs Ponu ldPluiy
rose but tho dam withstood every assault, and on
its stone abutments Olneys barn, handsome struc-
turo with cupola and an L. was smashed to
pieces. Smiths mill below was undermined, and
part or it carried away. The strength Of the dam
slightly irnpeded the rush of the waters but they
gathered strength again before reaching Ashw0rth
81 Jones's shoddy mill only few steps below Hero
the boiler house was carried away, and the boiler
went whirling down under full Roadway OF steam
and soon disappeared in the distance. Next came
triangular shaped dam across the stream ms
offered no resistance TO tho rush of water but Darl-
ing 81 Hunts mill at that point was high up above
ON the bank and escaped serious injury All
distractions were passed except the
railroad embankment and that was mile distant.
The stream had broadened somewhat when 1t struck
the Boston and Albany Railroad yet the gravel fill
ing dissolved before it like snow. Fully 500 feet of
the embankment were washed away, and the track
was covered for almost oneeighth of mile in either
direction.
When the inundaton passed the track, all trace OF
IL Was lost to us who watching the reservoir.
Boats were not in general use, and those afforded
the only means OF locomotion. The damage was
done. and the loss could only be reckoned by
millions.
There was fatal delay and indecision In fighting
the food. There was no one To take the response
bility of decisive measures, which might possibly
have prevented the calamity. Chief Engineer
Blake proposed drawing of the water by
trench let in at the side of the reservoir but the
order was counternanded two or three times,
and when at last at O'clock it was DONE thewater
was so low that little water would run off there.
Phineas Ball, the engineer who constructed the
DAM was on the ground at o'clock and said that II
the cut was made ruin would be sure to follow. He
I 4 40 H. ,pp A. Inc. nt.r
if once the east dam was opened He staid there all
tho afternoon and still thought the dam would stand
All this time the hole at the upper gate was
working across the dam. and the general opinion
was that the dam would 20 before night if not re-
lieyed. When at o'clock, the water was let into
the trench. only slow current hardly six inches
deem flowed through il, and il was of no use what
ever in relieving the terrible pressure on the gate
Al > o'clock evidence of the weakness of the EN-
bankment became more and more evident AT $3.50
o'clock tho whole side 10 feet in length, on both
sides of the gatehouse went and the pentnp stream
was free at last
A small leak has existed in the arched passage
under the dam through which the outlets pass. Ever
since it was constructed this was supposed to come
from springswhch were encountered while exca-
waiting for the foundations but as a safeguard
against danger if the leak should be in the body of
the dam, q weir was put III 10 mcasufc
the quantity of water escaping through this
leak. The flow of the water from this
leak has been uniform since it was put in. Last
Monday the weir. which had for a month shown a
iiowage of Zoo of an inch, showed an increase Of
800, but fell again yesterday afternoon FOO of an
inch When the flow of water from the break began
this weir was of covered up, and its condition
is unknown. The original dam was built on Lynde
Brook in 1863 when the Hon. ID. Waldo Lincoln was