The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1882-09-14
THE HHA. REN DAN.
City Engineer CussA avs Report OF
rho Disaster at NfD'
Major Myers's Views.

hAAJoS uytrSs sss"S'
The Council ComI1ittee on sler 4
their last meeting heard the foTo" Hs ne
ports from City Engineer W. +. tuL'h 'h1N
and Major L. +. D. Myers, civil e.7eine-r Il
Colonel Cutshaw's report reads:
CRY EyGINEER's OFFICyrS
RICHMOND. VA, September ;, 1882. =
To. the Chairman and Members Of the
! Committee on Water:
Gentlemen,-In answer to your resolu-
ton calling for all the facts concerning the
wall at nine-miIe locks. / beg to report
that this wall is part Of the masonry con-
structions 81 our new pump-house works,
as provided for in the contract between
| the city of Richmond and the James River
and Kanawha Canal Company (now Rich
moDd and Allegheny Railroad Company,
which requires raceways 70 be constructed
around the locks; and as an essential part
of the works controlling the iced OF water
10 the canal from the river, is neces-
sarily located close 10 and adjoining the
| old lock at the feeder from Bosbers dam.
| This wall is broken ashlar, built Of granite
| laid in hydraulic mortar. and of such de-
/ sign and dimensions rs 10 Withstand
/ pressure Of water when flowing over It's
/ top. The dimensions and elevations given
| in the accompanying drawing show the
/ height Of this wall TO be about ten feet
above the average surface oi the river. and
/ AT least six feet above the surface OF the
river when ut a height Indicated by the
usual food oyerfows in the city al Rockets.
/ The foundation, which is upon a compact
| blue clay with underlying gravel, Is n
granite rtIbble wall. also laid in hydraulic
mortar, built upon a timber platform made
| OF Observation-Disclosures sill>, with boards
/ three inches thick spiked on them, and eX-
! tending four feet below the bottom OF the
raceway or stone sillS Of the gate-openings.
At one end this wall j. abutted against the
wing Of the lock and stepped hack towards
the bottom and foundation. 10 avoid cut
ting under the lOck-wah showing Itself
above our foundation: at the Oppo-
site end II i carried up straight in an
earth embankmCnt. ON both front and
back OF the wall. at each end. stiff clay en-
bankmentS slOping towards the gate Open
ings enclose the ends. covering them al
base for about twenty feet. Broken stone
rip-rap is laid on these slopes, and the bot
tom oi the raceway at front and back OF
the wall + filed with large stones about
two feet in depth. the stones in front
ranging from 500 10 LOCO pounds IN weight.
The sheet piling used in keeping out water
and supporting the sides OF the pit in which
the foundation Is built extends several feet
below the timber platform upon which the
wall rests.
With thi, description Of the Val, have
70 state that water was turned into The
raceway and canal through the gates o.
this wall for a icw days in the latter part O
June. and again the latter par. of August
controlling the water with which VIC hat
run the new machinery foI about 4 week
Early In the day Of your recent visit 10 th'
works leak was discovered near the enc
Of the wall close 10 the lock. which IN
= short while increased TO break, and finalll
4 settlement Of the wall for at least half II
! length. I'm this condition water continued
, to flow through the openings 10 such al
T extent that prompt and active measure
: had TO be taken both by the city and rail
. road company 10 prevent 4 serious wash o
; the canal. We are now engaged with
: large force Of hands putting IN couer
: dam. and hope 10y tomorrow night 10 nav
= the water under control.
The cause Of this break and damage I
the wall. as far ~ | can now see, was iroi
/ the old lock wall and perhaps the depih @
e foundation, although the timber phtiori
= ~ thi. was q foot below the foundation q
e Bo~her'- dam. In all probablity Wate
! Getting between the old lock and our wa
I fr.t made a breach in the clay at the en
I and then secured under the foundation I
: an evtant indicated bv the settlement OF IN
e wall. The wall was well built. and ever
B.. nqrt o. the work relating to il carried ol
i faithfully bv contractors and Others col
l l..l &
= reasonable precaution was taken al the TN
by me to avoid an accident 10 this Ner! IL
II Dortont piece Of work, il i evident no
? INT dceDer foundation and better tie I'M
The lock wall should have been made; an
~ Il fault attacbe. TO any one ] feel that
alone am responsible Tor II.
r. II /, necessary 10 rebuild this wall, ana
p therefore recommend that il be proceed,
with at once. and that IN appropriation
n. a.ked for 10 cover The cost II II and oth
n. work incident to ii. Very respectfully
W. l.. CrTsHAw. City Engineer.
e. Motor Z. T. u. MYERS, who was a
G pointed ly the Committee on WAFER 70
vcstigate the work at the nine-ulile ioct
Il, concludes hi report A. follows:
ps' The Engineer no doubt relied 100 ihu
H. upon the material placed between Inc W
and the sides Ol tIc tAcdN dilVn ~ ~ N''
e. end a. a stopper to cul OF access Of wal
from these etep-. Either along the face
Of the wall. within the slope or under the d.
Of the old masonry, it gradually work
on il. way under the existing head. y !
zee mt assure speedily became a forni'
ble cavly, which increased until the G
I'm foundation was secured out.
ed Such are the conclusions reached AZ
TO the event. The writer is not prepared
nd saw that he could have predicted the j
air nre. or that under like circumstances
Drs might not have been betrayed into
same errors.
re- Respectfully submitted.
ich L. 7. p. MYERS, Civil Engineer
The committee adopted resolution
ON inc the Council TO appropriate S26,ow
the restore the dam and TO pay for work 10
md done at the new pumpworks.. ms !,
the lution wa, offered at the called meetlh=
the Council yesterday evening and reies
IN the Finance Committee.