Daily Republican. [volume] ([Wilmington, Del.]) 1874-1890, 1889-06-06
THE DANGER FROM DAMS.


From the New York sun.
In December, 1857, half million of
people we're destroyed by the overfowing
of the Yellow river in China and a whole
district of the empire was laid waste. 1t
vas calamity which seemed to us 10 be
possible only In u country that had not
reached the high development of civill-
ton prevailing here.
Yet II the region devastated by the
Conenaukh flood last week had b en- rs
deneely populated as the Chinese prov
ince OF llonan, the loss of life might
have been as great. If Johnttown had
been community as numerous as many
communities in that fertile Chinese dis
trict, the multitude OF those who persisted
would have been increased by tens of
thousands. For the torrent was irresisti-
BILE. and the loss Of life would have been
measured by tho number Of people
dwelling along It's course.
We sec, therefore, that even Western
civilization and Western engineering
have proved no more capable than the
Oriental TO stay and control the forces of
nature in such an eu ereercy II is not
possible to determine yet whether any
fault In the construction of the North
Fork dam, or any carelessness In It's main
awful catastrophe; but the damage
wrought by the spring freshe;s of last
week in many parts OF the country sug-
gests Il reasonable doubt whether blame
can justly be laid on the shoulders oil
the engineers and custOdians oil tue struc.
ture. Perhaps 1t might have given way
under the tremendous, the unforeseen
aud the extraordinary strain TO which Il
was subjected, no matter how great may
have been the engineering precautions,
according to all the rules and cacula
tons Of the best practice of the profess
sion. But we may properly doubt th c
wisdom OF building any great dam iu a
situation like that chosen for the North
Fork dam.
| The question is of importance and per
tinenee to the people OF New York at this
time because there is now proposition
to build by lar the greatest dam in the
world to the north of the town, for the
purpose OF holding the waters OF the Gro
ten basin, go that they may be sent to the
city through the new aqueduct. I'm
doubleday the scheme has the support OF
the highest engineering talent and expe-
rlence, and 1t has been considered in all
It's bearings for many years, Tho emf
neer OF the old aquedect and Mr.. Church,
whose supervision the new aqusduct has
| been built, were in entire agreement tn at
the dam oller d the best solution of the
problem Of II water supply for New York.
Nor do we know of any hydraulic engi.
neer in this country of superior profess
sional standing who has not given his
assent to the project as feasible and as
| desirable. II we are TO rely on the Gro
| ton basin for our entire wat supply
there may be no doubt that the construc-
tion of the dam is essential, That it can
be built, at a cost which is hardly calcu-
liable, and that when it ia built it will be
one of TIE wonders of the world, is not
less doubtful.
Yet, after the experience of the burst
ing of the Mill River dam in Massa.
chusetts fifteen years ago, and of the
Conemaugh dam In Pennsylvania last
week, will not engineers hesitate about
constructing above the great capital OF
| the New World an experimental structure
CT the kind, which will be the most enor-
nous ever undertaken? We want more
water, but we do lot want 1t in such tor
| rents as destroyed Johnstown.
The available sources of water supply
| for New York are many. We are not
| obliged TO confne ourselves to any which
necessitate the building of dam Of pro-
dlgious cost, and possibly of terrible
danger to the community. 1t is not sur
pfisiDg that there is hesitation about be.
ginn ng the construction OF the great
work, although engineering opinion
seems to be In Its favor so strongly.