Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1894-09-28

been an ordinary spring trrShet at thu
point, the Sheman-Eddy dam, located
about three quarters of n mile above
which had accumulated large bacl
flow OF water, gave way on one of rs
wings during the night, and let down M
unusual volume OF water through tn,
race way near the bridge, and it's current
at high flow ran quite directly agains
the up river and in stream corner of tn,
east abutment OF the bridge.
There was evidence tending to show
that the water rose higher at this brldg,
by several feet than was ever Known be
fore but the testimony on this point wa.
contradictory. The SEcman-Eddy dan
alluded to, and the sluce way just abov,
the bridge. were built some eight wear,
) ago, for the purpose Of facilitating tn,
driving OF logs in the river.
The elsterly abutment was protected
on both sides BY wing W: IS, tina; ON tn,
up river side, as we'll also as the fac,
wall of the abutment proper, rested OF
flag stones of from five to seven and q
half feet in length. and from one and q
quarter to two feet in thickness, and o
varying width, and reaching back length
wise under this wing an | face walls
which rested on them. These flas stones
rested, so far as could be discovered OF
a rubbing of broken granite chips which
! appeared to be placed on the native
! gravel earth of the river margin or bot
tom, at the river end of the wing walls
and, a the face wall of the abutment
these flag stones rested from one to two
feet below low water mark.
Seven of these flag stones, counting
from the shore or rear end of the vi
river wing wall, were found to be in
place as first laid. The eighth bottom
or flag stone was found TO be slight,
canted down, and also toward the
stream. The ninth flag stone had sunk
down from the OVERLAPPING stones some
eighteen inches, SO as TO leave an open
space between il and the tier OF stone
above of some two and one-half feet in
width, and this opening reached back
under the wing wall six or seven feet
| The flag stone bet wecn the one last re
ierred to and the one at the end of the
wing wall (which also formed the corner
flag stone OF the up river end of the face
! wall of the abutment) had settled and
cantcd down the stream considerably
but it was SO conditioned with he stones
above it, that it's inclination downward
from level could not be measured accu.
rately at the inspection. The next flag
stone was found to be settled and can.
! ted toward the stream. The one next
below this one was a flag stone six and
one-half feet in length, running back un
her the face wall and into the ston,
backing behind it, this stone was canted
toward the bed of the stream six or s~ver
inches for each two and onc-half feet o.
its length. The next flag stone down
stream, OF about five tons weight, had
! been taken out to develop view oil tn,
foundation on which these flag stone,
were laid. The next flag stone, being tn,
'. sixth down stream from the upper cor
ner. was long and wide stone, and can
ted into the stream three and one-hal
inches in two and half feet of length
and canted up stream ,wo inches in its
width Of little less than two feet. The
next stone was broken in two. the front
half having settled eight inches from the
top of the other half, and the front hal
was also canted up and towards the
stream.
The Board finds further, that the dowr
river portion OF the face wall OF tn,
abutment, which is still standing, has
, leaned or cantcd bodily. and without dis.
placement of the stone, in the up river
direction, so as to leave a space, between,
its lower end and the wing wall joining
on to it, six inches in width at top of the
fourth course OF stone from the flag
stones, and eleven inches at the top Of
the part now standing. Upon applying
the level it was found that this face wall
was inclined up river bodily, without
separating its layers, five eighths of an
inch i'll two and one-halfieet of it's length.
There was also strong evidence of IT,,
inclination of the down river portion Of
the upper wing wall to settle and incline
towards the settled canting flag stores
although its disturbed condition, as
found after the accident, forbids any
affirmative finding OH this point.
From the most careful examination
that the Board could make OF the abut-
ment proper, it is of the opinion that
there are no side face walls to it, but
that the same consists of a river side face
htted (hammered) stone, filled in behind
it, and between the wing walls, with
rough stone chips and earth, for the
roadbed embankment.
The face front of the abutment was
about 231a feet long on the flag stones,
and it's height above the same was 10
feet. The binding of the face wall to the
stone filling behind it was neither syste.
matte, extensive nor sufficiently strong
for the holding of the wall firmly in place.
This abutment face wall is built Of face
stone and binders, the former being
about two feet deep, and the latter from
four to seven feet long, reaching into the
rough stone filling back of the wall.
There was no grouting or mortar in the
fill behind the walls of the abutment.
The subsiding and sloping in of the flag