Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-06-21
A FORGOTTEN WARNING.
The Breakingof Dam inspain 81 Years
Ago Canses Great Destruction.

The Breaking0f n Dam inspain 81 Years
Ago CaHses Great Destruction.
Mr.. George Seymour NJ. Inst c. E., writes
to the London Globe as follows: In
view of the late terrible catastrophe in Amer
lea. a few particulars of an almost similar oc-
currence which took place in Spain at the COM
mencement of the century may. possibly, prove
of interest to your readers. With the view of
providing supply of water for the irrigation of
the weII-known and beautiful .Vegu," or
plain, Of Lorca, in the province of Murcia, a
. dam. apparently identical in plan and dimen-
sions to that in the Conemaugh Valley, was
constructed about the year 1900, some IL miles
to the north Of the city Of Lorca, at the apex of
a large and well-watered valley. The reservoir
formed by it was, as far as can gather. some
three miles in length, by mile or more In av-
erage width, and the depth of water at the
deepest point some 200 feet have visited the
place on more than one occasion, but am writ
ing from memory. The dam was about 200 feet
high, and some so feet in width at the base,
tapering to some 20 feet in width at the sum-
NIT. The outside and inside faces we're of
hewn stones, joined together by iron staples,
long since removed. The interior of the mass
consisted Of rubble masonry built up on pile
foundation.
At 2:30 o'clock on the afternoon of the Both
day of April. 1902, it was noticed that, on open
ing the 6lu1ceS, the water flowed out with
bubblIng noise, and was, moreover, of dark
red color. Information of the occurrence was
Immediately sent to Don Antonio Robles, the
engineer of the works. Shortly after o'clock
the dam burst. and an irresistible food poured
down the valley, carrying all before it. As in
the case of the Conemaugh Valley, the center
of the dam first gave way, leaving an arch in
the middle 100 feet high by 80 feet in width
The stream of water, liberated by the bursting
of the dam, pursued its relentless course down
the vale of Lorca and through the CITY, where
the waters rose to q height of over 80 feet
Six hundred and eight persons were drowned,
800 houses and 229 smaller habitations were de-
stroyed, and the loss of property was estimated
at over f200000. One house alone. which was
destroyed by the force of the boulders carried
down by the torrent, consigned no less than 300
persons TO a watery grave.
The first victim of the disaster was its author.
Don Antonio Robles, the engineer who de-
signed the works-hearing rumors of the catas-
trOphe-was overtaken by the torrent as he
was driving toward the city. His assistant,
hearing the roar of the pursuing waters, i'm
plored him to fly; but, deaf to all reason, he
protested the dam was too strong to burst.
The assistant, opening the carriage door, fed
up the side of the ravine, and moment later
coachman, mules and master were all swept
onward toward the sea. Some of the boulders
swept down by the torrent weighed as much as
2I5 tons, and were carried two leagues beyond
the City of Lorca. A new dam is now being
erected on the site of this terrible disaster
under the auspices of the Spanish Govern
ment, but the memory of the catastrophe is
Notwithstanding the 81 years which have since
alanSad