The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1890-03-12
A MINING DAM BURSTS.
Swept Away by the Weight of
Water it Was Meantt to Retain.
Fearful Destruction Of Life and
Property in Arizona.

The fine large storage dam built across Has
savampa River by the Walnut Grove Water
Storage Company, of Prescott, Ariz., at a
cost of $500, 900 gave way under great pres
sure of heavy food and swept everything
before it. Forty persons are known to have
lost their lives As the town of Wickenburg,
thirty miles below the dam, was on the same
stream, at the writing of this report, great
fears were entertained for the safety of that
town, but as there is no telegraphlc COM
municatiol no news was obteinable OF Its
fate. The service dam of the company,
fifteen miles below the reservoirs, and htteen
miles Of fume just approaching complexion,
were also swept away, although the company
had spent over $500, 900 on the enterprise OF
steering the water. The hydraulic mining
machine had arrived and they expected 10
commence operations the next week.
The dam which held the waters back was
40 feet long at the base and 400 feet at the
ton. It was ITO feet thick at the base and
ten feet at the top, forming lake three miles
in length by three -fourths of mile wide, and
11O feet deep. Lieutenant Brodie, in charge
of the work, was absent at Phoenix superln-
tending the shipment of the machinery to the
works, and was saved. Among those known
to have been drowned are: j. Halnes, wife
and four children; H. Boone and daughters,
John Silby, Joseph Reynolds Mrs. Mccarthy,
S. McMiller.
\ Not the slightest doubt had been enter
tanned of the safety Of the dam, and nuner-
GUS houses had been erected by miners at
various places along the course of the stream.
These were uplifted by the raging waters as
though they had been corks, and foated
down stream until they vera dashed to
pieces.
The first intimation of the appalling dlsas-
ter was sound resembling thunder, and at
the same instant q perpendicular wall OF
water fully fifty feet high came rushing
down the narrow valley with almost 1ncred-
ible speed Fortunately there were hutcon-
paratively few people living near the bottom
of the hillsides, and of these large number
were warned by the awful sound ana escaped
to higher ground.
The valley widens above WickenDurg, and
much of the town lies upon the lowlands
close to the course of the stream, and it is al
most certain that the vast body of water
which rushed out Of the reservoir carried
away many houses at that place. 1t was
believed at Prescott that fully as many peo-
pie were drowned there asimmediately as below
the dam. The ruined dam is cut from the top
almost to the bottom, as though a section
had been dragged out and the water above
was only few feet deep.
Heavy rains had fallen for several days,
and it was apparent that the water IN the
lake was approaching the danger line. The
rain continued throughout the night, and
early in the morning the water rose to the top
of the dam and cut small passage near the
centre, which rapidly widened and deepened
as the water poured over it, until in less than
twenty minutes the little stream had become
a roaring cataract.
The storage company is blamed for not
having provided a sufficient outlet for the
water in times of danger. The only way OF
letting Off the water was through the fume,
and this afforded no appreciable relief. This
is the first of the great storage reserv volrs pro-
jected in the Territory and it is believed the
disaster will operate to discourage the con-
struction of similar dams.
No further news had reached Prescott OF
tN2,Joss of life or the damage cauSed-by the
brS IF the Walnut Grove dam. Arthur
Alle2 Naprmerly in the enterprise, and John
McDNA4d, owner of the Blue Dick
mine, / Ad Just returned from the Dozoris
Divide, ! fourteen miles south of the
town, from where a view of the
dam could be had Wash Waterway could
be plainly seen with their wowerful glasses
high upon the side of the cliff, while the break
fin the stone work Of the dam was also
plainly seen.
The break in the dam is stopped to the
eastward, leaving the impression that the
main break was on the east side No accu-
rate estimate could be made Of the loss of
life or of property, but the latter would
reach into the millions, while the loss Of life
would, no doubt, be great, as many of tho
families were living near the stream In the
marrow canons.