New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-06-05
TIE LESSON OF THE DISASTER.

TIE LESSON OF THE DISASTER.
When the first shock of an awful calamity
like that in the Conemaugh Valley has passed
the public mind turns naturally to the con-
sideration of the causes that led to 1t and the
question Of responsibility. This IS necessary
II not with view to enforcing legal penalties
should they be found practicable, at least IN
order that the lesson Of this appalling nftssacre
may be fully learned for the benefit OF others
r. IL represented that the dam had oeon ire
ouently examined by engineers and pronounced
safe. This Is no doubt true. but there Is con-
,3no;re evidence that its condition had long
haon a source Of uneaSineSs TO many persons,
and that the attention of the officers OF the hSh-
inc club. for whose pleasure this huge artificial
lake was kept hanging like continual menace
over the heads Of a population OF moro tnan
90 600 souls, had been repeatedly called 70 IL.
The practical question Is as to the prevention OF
similar catastrophes elsewhere in the future
We cannot call back TO life any OF the thou-
so,dS who have been sacrificed. We cannd
expunee from the tablets Of the memory the
countless tragedies that have extinguished hum
dreds Of families and left thousands Of hearts
bleeding, but il ought 10 be possible TO translate
this bitter experience into measures tor inc
better protection Of life and property under
like circumstances.
There seems 10 be an impression abroad THAI
dams must occasionally be subjected TO a
pressure which no structure can resist lhiS
view does not seem consistent with the lacH
Tho Min River disaster, which ranks next to
This in the destruction OF life and property, but
which sinks into utter indgnfcance beside IT,
u,as due, as tho Jury found TO defective work
mon the dam. Tho verdict was that the en-
! pineering work was inferior, and the con-
tractors were ceuured and even the Sthee
legislature was blamed for not having eHer-
cisrd sufficient care The reports which arc
now beginning TO find their way TO us Indicate
| that the Johnstown disaster may be found 70 DO
clearly traceable to improper construction and
| negligent mana cement. IL may be that the
original dam was well built, but the dam thai
burst was very different structure In order
| 10 nroyide a greater expanse OF water for hsh-
inc {. had cen enlarged. and It's increased
Size necessarily multiplied enormously
the pressure TO which inc ehure
structure was subjected. IL IL hardly open 10
question that such q dam would not DO as p
whole what It would have been II 1t had been
originally built 10 Withstand all oil this strain
| H. Ia not an uncommon thing TO construct Dams
| that resist successfully an enormous and ex-
| cen,ioual pressure. The building OF dams for
the exprexs purpose Of withstanding great
freshets is a familiar engineering achievement
The famous dam across tho river furens In
| Frarce To protect the town OF Etienne agains'
freshets is one in point This dam is only one
third as long as the Jamestown DAM but Is
| twice its height. The Jamestown lake WAS oil
great size for an artificial body of water and
lis situation involved peculiar engineering
nroblems. II is difficult TO reason concerning
II according TO precedents. But this was al
the hotter reason for distressing ordinary tests
and ~ there was no doubt, for erring on the
side of safety. -,
Civilization which brings such perils to hft
should also provide measures against them' II
ought to be possible to establish IN every state
where similar dangers exist system OF lnspec
ton that shall inspect and what ~ still moi'
necessary, some system by which the measures
necessary to protect life and property shall BIZ
actually enforced. II Is a mOnstrouS thing ina
; anv body OF men should be permitted TO gather
mn whether for their personal profit or merely
tnr their Measure, a deadly avalanche like tina
which has lust been hurled upon this peacefu
valley. In u future age. when human life hal
ceased to be the cheapest Of all earthly posses
; sions, such a thing will seem inconceiVabIe
, There is no reason to suppose that there are no
, | other dams besides that Mt Johustown which
, are storing up death and ruin for some futur'
day. It will be a criminal negligence II w
are not led TO deal with this subject in les
hapbazard fashion, and in a more scientific, no
to say more humane, spirit. The sacrifice o
! perhaps 0, 900 lives in an hour is visitation
: the like Of which has seldom been seen in tn
history Of the race. We ought to learn some
Z thing from ii.