The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1889-06-08

CLARA BAhTOS, or THE RED CROSS.
JonNsrOwE, PA, June o. Eight
thousand men have been at work here
to-day clearing out the debris, but truth
COmpcls tho statement that the under
taking llas not yet been fairly started.
Fires are burning up and down the val.
Icy OF the Coucmaugh us far as the eye
can reach. The air Is thick with smoke
and yet to people familiar with the situ-
alton the efforts of this army OF earnest
tOilerS is hardly appreCiable, William
Finn, mounted on u weary looking
Rtecd, 10 riding up and down the city
directing tlle foremen in their labors, and
his executive ability is telling its own
story. Something like system is being
established, but the most careful esti.
mates are TINT II will take 1000 meR for
weeks to clear out the heap ofruin piled
for miles between the hills up and down
the course OF the river.
THE DAM WAS RorTEN.
Mr., A. NJ. Wellington, with F. P.
Burke, nssociate editor OF the Engineer.
ing Ners, of New York, have just com.
plotcd an examination OF ths dam which
caused the great disaster here. Mr..
Wellington states that the dam was in
every espcct Of very inferior Construc.
tion, aud Of kind wholly unwarranted
by good engineering practices OF thirty
years ago, Both the original and recon.
struCtGd dams were OF earth only, with
no heart wal, but only rlprapped on
the slopes. The original dam, However,
WIS made in rammed and watered lay,
ers, which still show distinctly In the
wrecked dam, The new end greatly adj
died to its stability hut 1t was, to all ap.
pearanCe, simply dumped in like an or
dinNry railroad fill. The reconstructed
dam also bears the mark OF great iYnor-
ancc or carelessness, having made
nearly two feet lower III the middle than
at the. ends. 1t should rather have
crowned in the middle, which would
have concentrated the overflow, II, II
should occur at the ends instead OF in
tile CCnter
WHAT MIGHT HAVE BERN. r.
Had tho break began at tho ends, the
cut oiwator would have been so gradual
that little or no harm might have re.
suited. Had the dam been at once cut
NJ the ends when the water began run
ming over the center, the sudden breai
oi tile dam would have been at leas
greatly diminished, possibly prolonged
10 TINT little harm would have resulted
The crest Of the old dam had not beer
raised IN the reconstruction OF 1881, ThI
old overflow channel through the rocI
sui remains, but owing 70 the SafI
Of tho crest in the middle OF the dam o
iVe leet Of water In II, instead OF sJyct
iee', II was necessary to run water owe
The orlGiDal discharge at the foot O
Tue dam Iad been permanently CloseG
when reconstructed, and this, while ,
minor matter compared 70 tho other
mentioned, further reduces the posi-
Ole rate Of maximum discharge. PhI
NY elect Of all these differences Of con
2ltioh was that the dam, % II stood. wa
NOT much saIer against excessive flood
apart from its inferior construction
thah the original dam would hay,
Deen with crest only throo an,
hall TO four feet hiVh allow
bottom Of tho rock spill way, Instead q
seven legt, II Is impossible 10 cay ltth
up mpp'hE tho new part otthe dar
Ns M good E the old or moi, since Il Ia
hot been wholly carried away, A lAFy
amount OIL the old rip rapplng and sii
wall remains intact and Ia Of oxCellen
quality 1t does mol appear thai theT
MaSany great amount Of Leakage t6touV
the dam before II broke, Destruriis
came from water flowing over tho toi
MI wellington said tint no envinsRr
A, Known and good standing lor Buoh yor
could possibly have been engaged on /
since ~ the particulars mentioned
violated the most elementary an
Universally Snay understood requirements
Nh, ELDERS STATEMENT,
Cyrus Elder, general counsel Of u
Cambria Iron Company, and a wealth
and prominent citizen Of JohnStow
lSst . wife aud daughter In the rcce,
G,!',. disaster NJ, and narrowly escaped Win /
M, Elder was seen BY a press tepr
sentative at his room In ilie Fltet \
uohAl Ban X amid the ruins thlS al,
noon, and hC spoke graphically Of |
s.nNuon,. which confronted the sIFiCk
citizens Of the valley,
In the first place said no, II vi
70 correct a popular error which las be
created by public comment within
past few days. My attention has BE-
called TO All article which appeatB
print Today, In regard 10 tile South 4,
dam, and think II 10 my duty 10 bt
lorthC benefit Of the public what / kn
pDouI this matter When tlS tSbul