Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1889-06-08
The Breaking of the Dam.

The Plttsburg Commercial prints the fol-
lowing account OF the break OF the dam,
frcm the lips Of John g. Parkr, jr., a civil!
engineer vino was engaged on the grounds
OF the South Fork Clubs
"On Thursday night the dam was in per-
feet condition, ard the water was not with
in seven feet Of the top. at that stage the
lake is nearly three milea long. 1t rsined
very hard Thursday night. When got up
Friday morning / could sea there was a
food, for the water in the lake had risen
until it was only four feet below the top of
the dam. rode up to the head Of the lake
and saw that the woods were boiling full Of
water. South Fork and Muddy Run, which
emptied into the lake, we're fetching down
trees, logs, cut timber, and stuff from saw
mill that was up in the woods in that direc.
ton. About 7:30 o'clc3k twenty two Ital-
ians and q number Of farmers set to work
on tie dam. A plough was run along the
top and earth was thrown in the face of
the dam to strengthen 1t. At the
same time channel was dug on the west
end of the dam to make suicewsy
there There was about three feet of shale
rock through which it was pocsible to cut,
but then we struck bed rock that it was i'm
we cot the channel opened, the water soon
secured down to The d rock, and stream
twenty feel wide and three deep rushed out
on that end CT The dam, while the weir was
letting an enormous quantity on the other
end. Notwithstanding these outlets, the
water kept rising a, the rate of about ten
inches an hour.
'By 11:30 l had made up my MUD that it
ws imp1 ssihle 10 save the dam, aud getting
on my horse, gnlloped down the road to
South Fork to warn the people of their dan
ger. The telegraph tower is mile from
town, and sent two men there to have
message sent TO JohDstoWn and other points
below. heard that the lady operator faint
ed when she cent off the news, and mad 10
be carried of. The people 81 South Fork
had ample time to get to the high grounds,
and they were able to move their furniture,
too. In fact, only one person was drowned
at South Fork, and he while attempting to
fish something from the flood as it rolled by.
1t was just u o'clock when the telegraph
messages were can't ont, so that the people
OF Johnstown had over three hours warning.
"As rode back to the dam l expected al.
most everg moment to meet the lake coming
down on me, but the dam was still intact,
although the water had reached the top.
At about l o'clock the watsr was three
inches deep on it, and was gradually eating
away the earth on the outer face. AS he
stream rolled down the outer face it kept
wearing down the edge of the embankment,
and / saw it was merely question of time.
At rough guess should say that there were
6O,000,0O0 tons of water in the lake, and
the pressure of that mass of water was TO-
creased BY floods from two streams pouring
into It, The friction of the water pouring
over the dam gradually wore it away from
the outer face until the top became so thin
that it gave way.
"The break took place at O'Clock. 1t
was about ten feet wide at first and shallow,
but it grew wider with increasing repidity
and the lake went roaring down the valley
That three miles of water was drained out
in forty.fve minutes. The downfalls Of
those millions of tons was simply irresisti-
BILE. Stones from the dam and boulders In
the river bed were carried for miles. Trees
went down like you might cut mullen
stalk with swish of your cane.
The dam was made OF about half earth
and half rock The rip rapping was merely
skin on each face with more or less loose
sprauls mixed with the earth. The dam was
72 feet above water, and 20 feet wide on top.
Rock throughout was about one foot below
rurfarn