Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1889-06-28
CURRENT AFFAIRS.
THE SABA w0A RESERroIR.
Rnuiaeer Davis Reports that II l. Poor


Rnuiaser Davis Reports that II l. Peer
~ RuiIt and UnsRfe.
I T.. G. Davis, the Northampton engineer,
who was employed by the Shelburne Fall
citizens committee to make an examina
ton of the Sadawga dam aud reservoir in thu
/ town of Whitinghani, at the headwaters o
the DeerReld river. has sent in his report
anil it is Of an unfavorable character. He
says the reservoir lies 1857 feet above thu
dam of the Iamson & Goodnow cut lery
company at Shelburne Falls, so that tn,
fall Of the wAter would he terrific Right
below the pond which is a mile square
with deep waters. is the village of Sadaw
ga, the steeples Of the two churches beinl
place would be swept away should the res
ervoir get loose After giving a genera
description of the reservoir, Engineer Da
Wis says;
"From the hest evidence | could gather
in regard ~ the construction Of the earth
enIbankments, it seems that the earth was
simply dumped from the carts, from the
present grade Of the top Of the embank
ments, much in the same way that an or
binary railroad oil is made and without any
attempt to compact or consolidate the work
by pounding or spreading in layers and
driving over it. An examination of the
present condition of the embankments by
excavations made from the top, and by the
Use of a sounding rod indicates that they
were built in this manner, the excavation
showing the bank to be loose and porous,
thoroughly saturated with water, and of
fering no resistance in the use Of a sound
ing rod, tO the depth of eight feet below
the top The material OF which they are
made is composed Of short" or brittle
clay, with loan and some gravel. the pro
portions by weight being about 81 per cent
Of clay and loan to IL per cent Of gravel.
Samples, from which tests were made to
ascertain the proportions OF each, were
taken from the excavations made in the
embankments and also from the burrow
pit from which the material for the EN-
bankments was taken.
There are indications of leakage aud
percolation of water through the embank
ments, particularly at either end OF the
masonry, and the westerly embankment,
which has apparently settled in the centre,
it being lower at that point than at either
end, and is lacking in tirmness and stablll-
ty. From present appearances 1t is my
opinion that large part Of this embank
ment as well as the end of the easterly
one, where it joins the masonry, had been,
at very recent period, on the point Of
slOughing off, presumably at tbs time OF
maximum high water, when the level Of
the water in the reservoir was nearly at
the level Of the top Of the embaukment.
- l.uf
ering the risks incurred, for maintaining
the water at such height against an earth
embankment, however well constructed, as
has been done in this reservoir, not less
than six inches below the top of the en-
bankment There is also on the westerly
side Of the reservoir, about half mile
from the bulk head another dam or dixie Of
earth, built across IA low swamp tO prevent
the water at its present level from flowing
around aud forming another outlet from
the reservoir This dixie is 25O feet long,
six feet thick at the top, with side slopes of
about ! tO ! constructed in similar man
ner IA the embank Hents at the bulk head,
the earth work being merely mass OF mud
aud common pasture sOli, with but small
proportion Of gravel in 1t, and apparently
dumped in the same manner as the other
embank ments The depth Of water against
this dixie at its present height above the
level of the stone overflow at the bulk head
(2t feet is about four feet aud the depth
Of muck below is about tho sane. Amy
failure Of this dixie would at the present
stage Of water draw about eight feet in
depth of water from the reservoir.
From what | can learn Of the construc
tion Of all these earth emhankments and
from All examination of the material of
which they are constructed ! am Of the
opinion that they are unfit for the purpose
they are intended to serve. are unsafe and
should he condemned ut once by the proper
authorities Judging from the height
which the water has been allowed To rise
in this reservoir. by this use Of flash boards
in the overflow, the character of the mate
rial used, and the apparent lack Of intelli-
gent, competent supervisors Of the work
of construction, | have no hesitation in
saying that the margin Of safety has entire.
ly disappeared, and repetition of the dis
Asters with which the country has become
familiar, has been invited throughout the
Deerfield river valley