The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1910-08-08

NATTER They called further atten
ton to his letter, stating that he Gin
tended to appoint three eminent engi-
neers to investigate the matter of the
construction of the DAM and to his
request for suggestion as to the man
ner of the appointment of the same. -
To this the committee IS reply under
date of July 20 stated:
Dam Poorly Constructed
TO explain frankly to you our position,
will say that we are citizens living al
most directly beneath the dam, and
therefore would have TO bear the brunt
of any accident that might happen TO
the same through faulty construction OF
otherwise. AS a matter OF fact unless
we are confident that the dam Is con-
structed in the best possible manner we
are going to suffer an enormous depro-
citation in the value of our property. be-
sides being n continuous menace TO our
lives and property, We have the greatest
confidence in Mr.. Lippincott, who rem
dcred our report, and feel that The pres
ent site is an impossible one and that
the dam has been very poorly constructed
indeed.
Therefore, should a committee of en-
gineciS be appointed. we believe that we
should have the right to name one OF
the engineers, that the state land board
should name another and that these two
should Jointly name the third man.
This letter closes with the hope that
the committee may receive prompt re-
ply as to the thoughts of the governor
regarding the appointment of this board
of engineers.
Nothing was heard in reply to this
until the receipt by the committee of
the governors letter of July 20, in
which he expresses the unanimous opln-
ion of the board as being against The
appointment of this board by the plan
suggested in the committees IS letter to
the governor. and stating that they
were Of the opinion that the board Ut
self, without any reference or sugges-
tion whatever from the settlers under
the canal, the company itself, or the
people of Mackay, in the shape OF posi-
tive recommendations. Then follows
this quotation from the governors let
ter OF July 30:
The board realizes in this instance as
In a great many others, its inability To
entirely cope with situations such as
would ordinarily require weeks of per
sonal examination under another and or
dinary circumstances. ] believe. how
ever that the exercise OF caution and
carefulncss In proceeding, further at this
time matter of wisdom upon the part
OF the board / believe more mistakes
are made, ordinarily, by haste than when
the time is taken to fully Investigate
Extracts from Lippincott Report.
] quote below. somewhat at random,
a number of literal statements, which
the Lippincott report contains, all of
which are germane TO the building of
this dam and which the state board of
land commissioners and the state en-,
ginecr Of the state of Idaho must either
Imswer or contradict before the people
of Mackay, or of Idaho, will feel that
their lives and property are secure, OF
before the settlers on the lands under
the Big Lost River irrigation project
will have their confidence restored in
tnls enterprise:
There arc certain fundamental rcqui-
sites for high earthen dams.
FlrSt-ConucCtion OF the dam with bed
rock or some other impcrvlouS material,
such as a massive bed of clay everything
bedrock.
Second-The dam should have a con-
tinuous. impervious core connected
throughout with its water tight .founda-
tion. This core to be standard in dams
OF this class. should constitute either
pe-third OF the middle portion of the
dam generally called the middle third.
should he absolutely watcr-tight. Such
81 core should be massive and continuous,
Thrd-thc spiIlway should be adequate
TO alone carry the maximum leod de-
dams often fail because of inadequate
splllway provisions, resulting in the over
| topping OF the dam by flood which the
lower slope is unable TO withstand
Fourth-The upper face OF the dam
should be protected from wave action.
so a to prevent erosion,
The action OF this creek demonstrates
that this gravel bed on which the left
so per cent OF the dam rests. les perVious.
He says these piling were driven to re
fusnI." Owing 10 the numerous cobbles
In, 10
parent.
MY experience has been that rods or
pipe cannot be put down TO depths
greater than IL or 20 feet III material %!
this nature in this manner:
In view OF the other evidence and ob-
. servations on the ground, IT is certain
| that the sheet piling have not been driven
Ito 1lrm rock" as called for in the plans.
and that the remaining portion of the
puddle wall of The dam Is not Ito ana
| into the impervious stratum called for
stratum
The specifications arc remarkably weak
| in defining both the character OF the ma
tcrial TO be used in making the dam,
and in describing the way in which /,
should be placed,
Tho voids' in screened gravel viii vary
| FROM so to 30 per cent, and 10 per cent
OF earth would. therefore, not MI them
or make them ,watcr-tignt,
| AS the sample was moist to start with
! and as all air cannot he expelled In this
| manner Il is probable that the voids in
] This cornpactcd gravel were over so per
/ cent Of the mass.
| \ third hole was dug three feet from
| the core wall. and IL feet below the top.
on the upstream side near station ~
al a point selected by Mr. Drummond.
whore the fine silt had been washed
down from tho adjacent fill. This bolc
wns 3.S by 80 by 30 feet deep. Very
| icw stones were cScaYatcd. Tho water
| started into this hole at HAS. The
water stopped running at l2:2I and WAS
2.S feet deep in The hole. At this time
| / had 10 leave, but Mr.. Jones, the local
| engineer for the Arnold company. re-
ports that at l.2i the water had dropp"
| lSl inches He did no, again see the
| hole until 100. when II dry. II
! the water dropped 81 Inches in 81 min
! ufes. thcn IT should have dropped -
feet (totnD in ll0 minutes, OF by Ell.