The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1889-06-28
Tho hN~arNnIr.

There are 81 rsa-y statements about the
UFuleT If construction and tue material
used ia tas 5ulAukment OF the reservoir,
both in the old and the reconstructed dam,
that will eudeavor % give your readers as
accurate an account as / have been able 20
draS from reliable Information aUd person
al observation.
In the trst place. it is we'll 70 remember
tha, the old state works were not all con-
structed in conformity 70 the plans aud
specifications" OF the State engineer and
this work was undoubtedly one that was
not, If. as is asserted. the plans called
for wall In the center Of the embankment.
as no such wal, was ever placed there.
There Appeals in the ruins OF the dam
remnant Of a wall at the head Of the
archei cu!yert through which the three feed
pipes ran, but they, il Is said by those who
know. ran only about the one.half Of the
ength OF the culvert instead OF clear
through. The pipes connected with =
wooden tower. the framework OF which was
composed Of four pieces Of pine timber 30
feet in length placed about 20 fee. apart at
the bottom and about feet at the top. held
together by a great number OF cross pieces,
and closely resembling a derrick used m
boring for oil Iu this tower were the levers
which regulated the supply OF water to the
canal The emoaukment was composed
principally ~ gravel backed up with slope
walls and rip-raD of rough stone, some OF
them Of several tons weight. The ground
. was evcavateu To a depth ot four feet and
the ground again filed In. This was in the
first dam in 1910. which was partly washed
away in 1917 and repaired in 1857. The
first wurE. although not what it should have
been, was far superior % the second filling
in which but feeble attempt at pudding
was made (the first il appears was pretty
/ we'll puddled). The Overflow" was cut
| through solid rock on the north side OF the
/ dam, where the waters ran around to the
lower end Of the stone culvert and connect
I ed with the creek below. The width of this
waste way was about 20 feet, AMI itano wed
so feet OF water in the dam, but from the
I appearance OF the overflow after the second
break the water could not have run of that
/ way much, as the erosion at that time was
absolutely nothing 10 comparison 20 what it
was during the last period Of Its existence.
After the sale OF the State works the res
srvoir stood for several years as a menace
to Johnstowu, but was carefully watched
by Mr.. Joseph Leckey. an aged italian who
lived on q farm near the dam, until, seeing
from the muddy water that was flowing
I from the cuIgert that il was about breaking
/ down Ia the center, opened the pipes, and
. riding 10 Wimore pOst-haste. had Mr.. Geo.
. W. Kerbey, the present venerable Pennsyl>
/ yania railroad agent, telegraph to Johns
town that the reservoir was breaking but
the dam did not then contain more than
half the amount Of water that il did az the
recent disastrous break, and As it was a fun
[ balf day 10 going, besides swes ping away a
couple OF saw mills below .he dan, u did
Q little damage.
The writer saw the Ear made by this
/ break several years after II occurred, and
/ his recollection Is that the cuIverr was bIok-
I en- down from about the center TO tie tower.
while the lower half WAS intact. Into this
break the embaukmenE had beeu swept
making a mighty chasm about 200 feet wide
on top, JaPering down, hopper shaped at
tNr tower side - ere t0p % TIE calvert, but
. clear down at the breast 20 line with the
bottom Of the cuIvert. Below the culyert
| was o dsep hole OF water which appeared 10
be at .ea,t 10 feet in depth that had been
washed out by the action % the water The
.
through the CulEert, rather than over &c.
To the last recoGstructiou OF the dam, the
. remaining part Of the arch OF the culvert
was blasted down except 4 short distance
at the lower enc, which as the writer saw il
/ a couple of months ago, presented the ap-
/ pearance OF the Da tch9s Of 4 crazy quilt. At
/ least this is the report OF a reliable work
/ wan who worked 1t the dam in 1850. lie
I also says that he had been put 20 work TO
I blast the waste away deeper. but that the
I order was cnuntermanded. This he said
would have made the spillway four or FIVE
! feet deeper near the middle. He saw no
! cement used in the work
Since the last break. visited the site,
/ and found two bridges spanning the waste
! way, the lower one partially washed down,
| but the upper trestle bridge at which was
I the netting intact. This netting was CON-
/ posed OF first an upright iron railing about
, feet high, each rail being about 5 inches
/ IN diameter aud placed about inches
apart. To work mp ana down. presumably
in font Of this raiiag was a network OF
heavy wi-e with u'eshes OF about I Inch.
. about feet in depth capped at the top by
| sticks OF timber about uy Q inches, In two
edges Of which long spikes were driven, the
I timb s1.diug UPWARDS and down wards
/ with the rise and fan OF water, on iron rods,
; thus regulating the position OF the network.
+. This railing. il will be seen, very much i'm
! peded the capacity of the waste-way. and
although 20 rubbish was 70 be seen at the
( time OF nv visiting the place, IL is probable
! that suction of the water carried it through
! the break. The great defect was in the
I absence OF pipes or gates to let of the wa
( ter from the dam and an inadequate chan
! mel for the overflow. Even with these safe
: guards the dam was not properly built 70
/ be absolutely secure. Engineers calculate
| the pressure Of water b7 well-knOwn rules
| OF SCIENCE, but science fails to comprehend
! the waste force Of water in a stream OF the
| size OF the South Fork during flood like
! that OF the forever r-to-be-rememoered one
/ Of May 3Ist, 1859. j. NJ.
/ Correspondence