Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1889-06-13
1t Was Built in the Most Careless
Manner lmmaginable.
The Engineers are Mainly Responsible
for the Disaster.
Malignant Cases of Diptheria Assai
the UnfOrtunates.
The Amount of Food Not Sufficient
for the Crowds.

=
pleted an examination Of the dam which
caused the great disaster. Wellington
states that the dam was of a very inferior
construction and of a kind wholly unwar-
ranted by good engineering practices
of thirty years ago. Both the original
and reconstructed dams were of earth
on with no heart wall but only rip
rappad on slopes. The original dam,
however, was made in rammed and wateTed
layers, which still show distinctly in the
added to its stability, but it was to ali
appearances simply dumped in like an
ordinary railroad fill, or if rammed shows
no evidence of good effect from it. Much
of the old part is standing intact, while
the adjacent parts of the work are
wholly carried off. There was no central
wall OF puddle or masonry either in the
new or old dam. 1t has been invariably
the practice of the engineers for thirty
or forty years 10 use one or the other IN
building high dams of earth.
The reconstructed dam also bears the
mark of great carelessness in having
been made two feet lower in middle than
at ends. It should rather have been
Gro wned in the middle which would have
concentrated tue flow if it should occur at
the ends instead Of in the center. Had
the break began at the ends, the cut of
the wafer would have been so gradual
that little or no harm might have result
ed. Had the dam been at once cut at
the ends when the water began running
over the center, the sudden breaking of
the dam would have been greatly dimin-
ished, possibly prolonged SO that little
harm would result. The crest of the old
dam had not been raised in
reconstruction of 1881. The old over
flow channel through the rocks still re-
mains, but owing to the sag of the crest
in the middle Of the dam only five and
one half feet of water remain in it in
stead of seven feet which were necessary
TO run the water over the crest. And the
rock spill-way narrow at the best had
been further contracted by the close
grating so prevent the escape of fish,
capped by good-sized timber and in
some slight degree also by a trestle foot
bridge. The net effect OF all these differ
ences of condition was that the dam, as
as it stood, was not much safer
against excessive floods, apart from
its inferior construction than the origi
nal dam would have been with the crest
only ~ to feet high above the bottom
of the rock spill way instead of feet. A
large amount of riprapping and slope
vail still remains intact and is of excel
lent quality. It does not appear that
there was any great amount of leakage
through the dam before it broke. De-
struction came from the water flowing
over the top. Wellington said that no
engineer of known and good standing
for such work could possibly have beeu
engaged on it, since in the particulars
mentioned it violated the elementary
and universally understood the require
ments of good practice. The estimates
of the original dam indicate it was MAIDS
about half earth and half rock, but if SO,
there was little evidence of il in the
broken dam. The riprapping was merely
skin on each facs, with more or less loose
shales mixed with earth. The dam was
~ feet above the water, two to one inside
slope, one and one-half to one outside
slope and 20 feet wide on top. The rock
throughout was about one foot below the
surface, the earth was pretty good ma
terial for such a dam if it was to be built
at all, being of ite standing intact siace
1881 must be ascribed, as 10 engineer of
standing would ever have tried to so con-
struct it. The fact that the dam w9s re-
constructed after over twenty years aban
Comment made it especially hard on the
older part of the dam to withstand the
pressure of water.
care the horrors of the food to give
place to the horrors of the plauge?" is
the question that is now agitating the val
ley of the Conemaugh. To-day opened
warm and almost sultry, and the stencil
that assails ones senses as he wanders
through JOhnstown is almost over power |
ing. Sickness, IN spite of the precautions
and herculean Iaaor5 of the sanitary au-
thorities, is on the increase, and the fears !
OF an epidemic grow with every hour.
1T is our impression" said Dr. t. L.
White. assistant to the state board of |
health, this morning, 'that there is GO
ing 30 be some great sickness here within !
the next week. Five cases of malignant |
dip.heria were located this morning on
Bedford street ard as they we're located |
in different houses they mean fine start
ing points for disease.
The only thing that has saved the peo-
pie is the cold weather and since the
warm weather has set in all kinds OF dis
ease has sprung up. The men have been
livingon salt meat with on vegetables and
the opinion is that more doctors will be
needed in week than at present.
Two additional cases Of typhoid fever
vas reported this morning from Miners
dale, making a totaI of seven IL this viii
lage alone, since yesterday, Measles are
becoming more prevalent on Prospect
Hill where the refugees camp is establish
ed. At Commiszary station there was
considerable activity. About 1000 peo
pie had gathered about the place, after
their days rations. The crowd became
SO great soldiers had to be called up to
guard the place until the relief commit
lee was ready to give cut provisions.
Several carloads of clothing arrived to-
day and was disposed of as soon as pos
sible, as the people are badly in need of
clothing.
Four bodies were taken from the ruins
at the Cambria club house and com
pany's store this morning. The remains j
were all bruised and in terrible condi-
ton. They had to be embalmed and |
buried Immediately and it was impossi
Die to have any one identify them. The :
number of people missing from Wood i
Vile is almost incredible and from pres {
snt indications it looks as if only 80 peo- {
pie in the borough were saved.
An hour ago the writer completed q
tour of the mighty wreck in this vicinity.
Dozens of human beingF and animals |
we're to be seen on the surface, charred
and blackened by fire and In such state I
Of deeom position that the strongest man
could not more than glance at them. '
men from Altoona, under c
orders of the sanitary officials are g
gathering disinfectants over the acres
IF wreckage that the railroad bridges
stopped. L
The pneumonia scourge grows alarm '
nrLu nntu1t landing the staternents of | c