Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1903-07-29
THE ToxAwAy DAM.
Col. J. L. Orr Considers |. Unsafe Engineers
Should Make Thorough Examination.
[Greenville News, July 1871


Col. James l.. Orr and his sons have
returned from the mountains, where
they enjoyed camping for ten days at
C@sar's Head, Buck Forest, Sapphire,
Toxaway and Cashiers Valley.
Knowing the interest the citizens near
the valleys Of Keowee and Seneca rivers
felt in the big Toxaway dam, reporter
for the gGreenville News asked Col. Orr
what he thought Of 1t.
He said, from an artistic point of view
the Toxaway lake aud dam were beauti-
full. The water being perfectly clear
and smooth, glstened like silver and
reflected the mountains surrounding it
like French plate mirror, but from an
utilitarian point Of view he was differ
ently impressed. He Thought engineers,
who were competent to judge, should
make careful examination of it.
Toxaway river, which runs from the
foot of Hogback mountain, is about as
large as Reedy river, and drains large
extent of the smaller surrounding noun
tains, and runs very swiftly. Indeed,
just below the dam the river falls proba-
bly, 100 feet in 200 yards. The dam is
about 4S0 feet long, 62 feet high, 260 feet
made exclusively of loose stones and
dirt, there not being any masonry or
cement used except on two little drains
on top of the dirt dam. Tho dam is IL
feet higher than tho water and this space
is set in grass and the whole lower side
Of tho dam has been sodded, the top
being driveway.
The water overflows around the end of
the dam through space 30 to 40 feet
wide, which has been blasted out of roa-
sonably sound stone.
Col. Orr said: "If n continued rain
should fallit is doubtful if this outlet
would discharge tho water as rapidly as
it collects from the mountain sides, and
il the water over rose above the top of
the dirt dam it would wash it away in
two hours. The extent of the dam can
hardly be appreciated, as one cannot get
a full view at any one point, but it is
said to be l3 miles around, and from 50
to 75 feet deep in many places. 1t took
months and Is days to fill up. Think
of that.
"There is one thing about it that
alarmed me very much, and which was
not observed until careful examination
was made of the base of the dam. There
are unquestionably two very considcra-
BILE leaks under and through tho dam,
aud being Of dirt and loose rock, the
probability of their increasing seems
very great. With these leaks the chances
of muskrats burrowing through tho dirt
and the possibility of the overflow not
carrying away the surplus water, must
confess that l feel considerable appre-
henson for the people living in the val
leys, their property, and the bridges
over and dams on the streams which
would receive the waters if the dam
should break.
"'rhe railroad from Eastatoe, on the
French Broad river, has been completed
to one and one-half miles from the dam.
and the Toxaway Hotel, on the lake,
with 400 rooms, will be open by the first
of August. Mr.. Hayes, the general mana
ger of the railroad and Toxaway Co.,
has transformed those wild and unin-
habitcd mountains into a paradise, and
opened up the finest climate that 1 know
of in the world, to the tourist. His
energy, enterprise and power Of develop
ment has been phenomenal. Let us hope
his judgment as to the safety of the dam
is sound, for if it is not Johnstown and
Clifton floods would be insignificant
compared with the loss of life and prop
erty, which this would occasion"