Montour American. (Danville, Pa.) 1866-1920, 1906-02-01
RIPRAPPING
RIVER BANK

From time immemorial the North
Branch of the Susquehanna has been
making heavy inroads along the north
ern shore at DanviIle The big river
has always had its way in the matter
and each recurring heavy food at GER
tain points has cut off slice after slice
of valuable land until really it has be-
came a question where the thing is 20
ing to end
1t has remained for f. y. Hartman
10 take the initiative, to contest the
supremacy of the great river. At no
point do the swollen waters attack
the shore with greater virulence than
just opposite the Nemoloton Silk Mills.
The spring food of 1904 wrought great
havoc, not only cutting away large
portion of the embankment, but also
nearly destroying the water plant CON
nected with the mills
Mr. Hartman immediately repaired
the damage to his wells and then set
about to fortify himself against the
recurrence of such calamity. All
who visit the spot are surprised at the
immense amount of work that Mr..
Hartman has done, and feel convinced
that he has fair chance of holding
his own in this conflict with the old
river.
Hundreds of cubic yards of cinder
and other material have been hauled
to the spot and dumped over the river
bank opposite the mills at a point i'm
mediately above the well and the spot
where the huge waste pipe connected
with the steam condenser enters the
river. OF course IA deposit of cinder
and the like no matter how extensive
would of itself be hardly a circum-
stance in the face Of great flood on the
river if the deposit were not reenforc-
ed in some way.
In order to make the shore as nearly
impregnable as possible Mr. Hartman
has conceived the idea of riprapping
he high bank as fast as the filling up
progresses and the river bank is recon
structed. For this purpose he is buy
ing up all the heavy stone to be pro-
cured in this section. He has not only
purchased all the stone suitable for
this purpose at the Bessemer Blast fur
mace being dismantled. but also all the
stone at the old canal lock above town
the stone at the aqueduct in this city
and the stone used in the construction
of the canal bridge at Chulasky.
Mr.. Hartman has also purchased the
stone at Pursel'S slope, but while he
Will no doubt have use for these in
filling up, they are hardly of the sort
required for riprapping. The stone
have already been shipped up from
Chulasky There were ten car loads
of them in all, many being monsters.
especially those used in the bridge
abutment. The larger of the stones,
weighing three to four tons apiece.
are already being laid in position ON
the river bank. 1t is a very complete
piece of riprapping, the stones being
carefully laid and not dumped down
over the river bank without regard to
order as is mostly considered sufficient
in such work
Mr.. Hartman is filling up all along
the shore and it is his intention sooner
or later TO riprap the river bank as far
as his property extends. Just at pres
ent he is concerned with the protec-
tion of his water plant and the steam
condenser which i nearly a winter S
job III itself. The condenser is a most
important adjunct of the plant effect
ing a tremendous saving in fuel. At
the same time it is worthy of note that
it requires in its operation l30, 600
gallons of water per day.