Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1889-06-13
1T Was Built in the Most Careless
Manner Immaginable.
The Engineers are Mainly Responsible
for the Disaster
Malignant Cases of Diptheria Assail
the Unf0rtunates.
The Amount of Food Not Sufficient
for the Crowds.

with f. p. Burt, associate editor of En-
cheering News, of New York, have com
pleted an examination Of the dam which
caused the great disaster. Wellington
states that the dam V as of very inferior
and of a kind wholly unwar-
rauted 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
raped on slopes. The original dam,
however, was made in ramme and watered
layers, which still show distinctly in the
wrecked dam. The new end mostly
added to its stability, but it was to all
appearances simply dumped in like an
ordinary railroad fill, or if remmed 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 OF 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 tae other in
building high dams OF earth.
The reconstructed dam also bears the
mark of great careles,ncss in having
been made two feet lower in middle than
as ends. II should rather have been
Gro wned in the middle whicn would have
concentrated the flow il it should occur at
the ends instead of IN the center. Had
the break began at the ends, the out of
the water would have been 30 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
20 run the water over the crest. And the
rock spill-wRy narrow at the best had
been further contracted by the close
grating TO prevent the escape of fish,
capped by good-sized timber and in
some slight degree also by trestle foot
bridge. The net effect OF all Jhese differ
euces Of condition was that the dam, as
as il stood was not much safer
against excessive floods, apart from
it's 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 riprapplDg and slope
wall still remains intact and Is of excel
lent quality. 1t does not appear that
there was any great amouns 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 been
engaged on il, since in the particulars
mentioned it violated the elementary
and universally understood me require
ments of good practice. The estimates
of the original dam indicate it was MAIDS
about half earth aud half rock, but if so,
there was little evidence of IL In the
broken dam. The riprapping was merely
skin on each fac7, with more or less loose
7hales mixed with earth. The dam was
u 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
thrOug hOut was about one foot below the
surface, the earth Was pretty good ma
terial for such a dam if 1t was to be built
at all, being of its standing intact since
1881 must be ascribed, "a 40 engineer of
landing would ever have tried TO so con
struct it. The fact that the dam Yves 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.
Are the horrors of the flood to give
81 -
the question that is now agitating the val
ley of the Gone maugh. To-day opened
warm and almost sultry, and the stencil
that sssails ones senses az he wanders
through Johnstown Is almost overpOwer-
ing. Sickness, IN spite of the precautions
aud berculean iaaors of the sanitary su-
thorities, is on the increase and the fears
of an epidemic grow with every hour.
ut is our i'm preston" said Or. I. L..
White. assistant to the state board Of
health, this morning, that there is 90
ing TO be some great sickness here within
the next week Five cases OF malignant
djptheria were located this morning on
Bedford street ar d as they were located
in different houses they mean fine start
ing points for diseast.
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
eass has sprung up. The men have been
hvingou salt meat with on vegetables ard
the opinion Ia that more doctors Will be
needed in a week than at present.
Two additional cases of typhoid fever
was reported this morning from Miners
dale, making q tota. of seven IN this vii
lage alone, since yesterday, Measles are
becoming more prevalent on Prospect
Hill where the refugees camp ii establish
I'd. Ar Commis-ary station there was
considerable activity. About 1000 peo-
pie had gathered about the place, alter
their days r8tions. The crowd became
so great soldiers had TO be called mp 70
guard the place until the relief commit
tee was ready to give cut provisions.
Several carloads of clothing arrived to-
day and was disposed Of as soon as pos
sitle, as the people are badly in need Of
clothing.
-Four bodies were taken from the ruins
at the Cambria club house and CON
pany's store this morning The remains