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

UuIn IN DDc AUlltb h'ldt'Nt ~
voir would have held at the 1lofoot
level 10000 acre feet OF water
Protective Organization.
Construction work on this biz dam
began about year ago. It was the
one topic of Overwhelming interest TO
the people Of Mackay. The manner
of its construction became at once the
topic OF supreme interest to them, not
only as commercial consideration 20
their community but one rs To the
safety of their lives aud property IN
the town Of Mackay as we'll Each
detail of the proposition therefore was
taken into consideration by the bright
people of the community, with more
than passing interest. The works were
of that public nature which served TO
bid them to become easily advised, not
only of it's scope, but of great deal
Of the minutia attending its building.
During the winter and spring months
it became apparent to them that Inc
and without regard TO the accepted
specifications of the state board or
land commissioners, as indicated by the
files of the engineer office. This agil-
tation spread rapidly and on the Sth
Of June an organization, protective IN
character, was formed by the citizens
Of Mackay. Forty-eight of the lead
ing business men constituted this move,
ment and by concerted plan probed
further into the details affecting this
dam. This organization has now grown
to more than $50 members and has
the hearty and undivided moral sup
port of practically all Of the men, wo-
men and children Of this community.
Expert Is Employed.
In accordance with the spirit of
their organization they employed tho
services of Mr.. j. b. Ii"pincott Of
California to come and make a detailed
report as to the safety of the people
and the property of the town of
represent Mr. Lippincott IS services
were secured and on the 25th day Of
June he made to the committee an eX
haustive report. Mr.. Lippincott's re-
port is highly scientific, deals care
fully with minute facts convincing in
character. both to the informed and
the uniformed in the jntricacies Of
engineering and fully satisfies the
anxious community which accepts his
their suspicious Of the danger which
would attend them if this dam, as it
was being constructed, should be com
pleted and filled with water.
The concluding paragraphs OF Mr.:
Lippincott s report TO the citizens of
Mackay condemns in toto the construc-
ton works then in course of progress
near FThe Narrows' in Big Lost
river. in this very clear language,
which becomes at once most alarming
to the people of Mackay and of great
significance TO all irrigation projects
everywhere and TO the people Of Idaho,
who are sustaining in power, by the
exercise of their clectiv franchise, the
persons responsible for the existence
of such conditions.
Scorching Report,
The foundations Of the dam arc fun
damentally bad, and the construction
theron, ] believe to have been improperly
built The remedy for the settler lies,
in my judgment. in finding a more suit
able dam and reservoir site.
The dam is about 40 per cent in vol
ume and 60 per cent in cost finished, but
I can sec no valid good 10 the settler or
TO the state TO be derived from its com
pletion,
II the work is continued l recopmend
that you endcavor 10 enjoin tho con-
struction company from raising the water
above the level OF 1850 feet" which Is
the top Of the concrete core wall. and
that an adequate spilway at that level
he demanded, Without a Spillway at
that level under conditions or sustained
high flood it would be difficult, IL not
impossible. TO prevent tho water rising
above 1t and becoming q menace.
The Lippincott report is full of sub
stantial matters IN justification of his
theory, which he proves by scientific
deductions, that the foundation of the
dam was insufficient, that the proper
respect was not paid to the results Of
the test pits made by others prior to
the beginning of this construction, that
the character of the material being used
for the dam does not conform to SDcci-
ficatlons, that the steel core was not
put in TO Z" firm rock; as called for
in the plans; that the puddle wall OF
the dam was not put to imperVlous
stratum, as required by the specifca.
tions, and that the concrete used in the
construction of the works was not COM
posed of the material required to aft
ford duo resistance. Mr., Dippincott
took samples of the material which had
been used from the center core of the
dam and made mechanical tests, so
that his report is based upon scientific
knowledge, which prcchdes the proba-
bilitY of error of scientific calculation.
In his report he calls to his aid such
assistants as Mr., Huddell Of Mackay,
United States forest supervisor, who
speaks as TO the amount of water com
ing through the dam early in June; Mr.,
Swccny, who was on the ground when
the piles were being driven: Mr., DAILY
and Mr.. Drummond. who had TO do
with the driving of the sheet piling; the
Munson Bros. well drillcrs, from Black
foot. who made test pits Mt this point
previous TO beginning the work on the
dam: and bv Mr.. Elliott. a civil engi-
ncer of Salt Lake City, who reported
on this plan of work and the sinking
OF the shaft, through which lee made
report TO George NJ. Bacon Of lj9 Pier
pont street. Salt Lake City, as to the
" foundations of the Mackay dam
Elliott Is Outspoken.
In Mr.. Elliott IS correspondence TO Mr.
, Lipplncott lie uses this very significant
language, which seems to require at
once the interrogation as 10 why this
project was ever accepted by the state
/ land board of Idaho and the works al
lowed TO proceed to their present status
/ viz:
wish you would inform NE at once
b If the dam nas been built on the original
site some distance above "Thc Narrows.
where Owens and Monarch did some
work " WAS III this site that / made
ihc tests and | want 10 be sure HAT ii
is the same one, as ! do not want to
mislcad you by giving YOU information
shat does not apply. ! have always un-
dcrstood that they were us,ng the old
site. but | never could sec how any
! rsru, nblo rNrlnccp cn1tld InVr tlp nerve