Los Angeles daily herald., 1890-02-24
WALNUT GROVE DAM.
The Rumor of Its Bursting
Confirmed.
EVERYTHING SWEPT BEFORE TT.
Great Loss of Life Anticipated-The
President of the Company
Among the Victims.

Associated Press Dispatches to the HERA1n
PRESCOTT, Ariz., February ga
general feeling of excitement and sus-
pense prevailed here today over the news
of the disaster at Walnut Grove. The
courier who brought the news arrived at
eight O'Clock last night. AS he left i'm
mediately after daylight, he could give
few particulars. Five bodies had been
recovered and identified when he left.
The distance from Prescott to the storage
dam by the shortest route is forty miles,
while the service dam is fifteen miles
further down the stream. immediately
on receipt of the news Adjutant- General
O'Neill left here for the scene of the dis
astsr, with two surgeons to assist
the sufferers and superintend the burial
of the dead. A representative of the
Journal.Miner accompanied the party,
and will send a courier with particulars.
II will take at least twenty.four hours
for the round trip.
HOPEFUL VIEW OF THE DISASTER,
As yesterdays courier came from the
lower dam, the road from which does
not pass the upper one, it was only sur
missed that it had given way on account
of the immense quantity OF water coming
down SO suddenly. A more hopsful
feeling exists this evening on account of
no direct news being received that the
upper dam is broken. The reservoir NAV
still be intact, as the food may have
been caused by the opening of the gates
to relieve it from threatening danger.
THE WORST NEWS CONFIRMED.
characterization Allen, formerly inter-
ested in the works, and John Mcdonald,
one OF the owners of the Blue Dick mine,
have just returned from Dosori's divide,
fourteen miles south of town, from where
q view OF the dam could be had, and re-
port that it has gone without a doubt.
| The wash OF the waterway could be
plainly discerned, with their powerful
glasses, high up on the side of the cliff,
while the break in the stonework OF the
dam was also plainly seen. The break
in the dam sloped to the eastward, leav-
ing the impression that the main break
was on the east side.
No estimate can yet be made of the
loss of lie or property, but the latter will
undoubtedly run into millions, and the
former must be great, as many families
were living in the narrow cailons near
the stream. Confirmation of the news
has heightened the excitement here, and
further news is auxiously awaited.
FAULTY CONSTRUCTION OF THE DAM.
SAN Francisco, February 23 In the
printed transactions of the regular meet
ing of the Polytechnical Society of the
Pacific Coast, held in October, 1888, ap-
peara description of the Walnut Grove
dam by Luther Wagner, one of the
directors OF the society. From this il
appears that the dam is situated on
Hassayampa creek, about thirty-fve
miles south of Prescott, it's elevation
above sea level being $500 feet
The drainage area above the dan
is 800 square miles. The dam was
built to store water principally TO,
some alleged rich placers on the mesa
eighteen miles below the dam. The re.
port continues: "The history of the con.
struction of the dam is one full of blum
ders, mainly caused by the officers Of
the company in New York" Its alleged
faulty construction is then stated in con
siderable detail. In brief, the quality oi
cement and lumber were not up to the
usual standard. Some OF the work was
constructed in the absence of the chiel
engineer. Wagner was assured by the
men who did the work, that in the c.
menting they did not 60 to bed rock, and
that they worked in four feet of water
the labor was also unreliable, perhaps
owing to the presence of saloons and
gam bling shops, and totally inadequate
provisions were made for the comfort oi
the men, by either the company or the
contractor.
SOME OF THE PROBABLE VICTIMS.
New YORK, February 23.-The presi.
dent Of the Walnut Grove Storage Com.
pany is Martin 8. Van Buren, of this CITY,
He went to Prescott in November with
his daughter Nellie and her cousin, Mary
Hanlon. He intended to inspect the
dams. His friends could not hear from
for his safety and that of the ladies.