The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1911-10-02
ENGINEER KNEW
DAM WAS FAULTY
Technical Magazine Published
Report Of Defects Compiled
by Expert.

Coudersport, October 1.-The Bay.
less Pulp and Paper Company, owned
the dam which broke at Austin. carry.
Ing death into the valley below. L,
was two years old, and was $40 feet
across and 10 feet high. Its construc.
ton was of cement, and on numerous
occasions 1t was demonstrated that the
engineering work and material were
faulty.
On January 25. last year. tho dam
sprang leak, and a panic ensued in
Austin and other towns below, the
people fleeing to the hills for safety.
owing to the great size and impor-
lance OF the dam the American So
ciety OF Engineers of New York sent
experts to examine and report upon
the work. The Engineering News OF
that city thereafter exposed the de-
fects in the dam. directed attention
to the peril to which the corporation
owning 1T was exposing 1000 souls
living In the village below. The Bay
less Pulp and Paper Company did not
mend the defects In the dam, which
held 200.000,000 gallons of water
T. Chalkley Hatton. OF the American
Society OF Engineers. made :. full tech
meal report, which was published in
Engineering News March II, 1910, page
321.
The following Is the substance:
How 1t Was Built.
The dam was composed of cylopenn
concrete. with large quarry stones
from one-half to two cubic yards. en-
'oedded firmly in wet concrete These
stones were placed SO as to break
joints. both as headers and stretchers.
surrounded with not less than six
inches OF concrete. The composition
OF the concrete was one part Portland
cement. three pairs sand and six parts
of broken stone. There was no in
clination on the part OF any one con-
nected with the work in the first place
to slight II in any particular.
The work was done by c. j. Brit
nall & Co.. Binghampton. NJ Y, on
percentage plan. The work was con-
sidered first-class.
The dam was completed December.
1903. contained 1850 cubic yards of
concrete and there had cen excavated
for foundations 1925 cubic yards, and
$3.50 cubic yards of erlbankment, cost
Ing, exclusive of engin ering. s71,s2L4S
When completed there was one
small vertical crack 51.a feet on the
right of the spill water. Thi. crack
extended from the top of the ground
level. and was about l-16 of an inch
wide.
Later in December another crack
appeared 1913 feet to the east of the
Spill water This crack was similar to
the other and appeared to be due to
contraction. as there -,as no evidence
of settlement. They could not have
been the result of water pressure, be-
cause up to this time there had been
no water in the dam
Filled to OverfIowinC,
In, January, 1910, the weather grew
warm, some rain fell. and the heavy
SHOWS were rapidly melting. and with
in three days the dam was filled to
overlooking.
On January 90 a large slice OF earth.
forming the eastern wall. below the
dam dropped down eighr feet and part
~ slid into the valley. and some water
came down in the slide. which was evi
IDENTIFY coming from behind the dam.
Water in large quantities began COM
Ing up through the ground from fifteen
to fifty feet down stream, showing
that the water had got under the dam
through the embankment and through
the rock strata On the next day a
section of the dam slid out at the bot
tom.
One crack opened four inches and
another four and one-half The move
ment covered a period OF about eight
hours. when 1t stopped.
THE thirty-siX-inch pipe, which was
built through the centre OF the dam as
a draw-off. had been capped by the
company with a wooden cap attached
to the bell of the cast-iron Pipe with
wrought iron clamps contrary to tho
advice of the designing engineer. He
recommended valve cap. The cap
began at the foot or the spill water,
and II had become. OF course. i!npos-
stble to remove 1t whom the water was
H.
the spill water. The company had so
built 1t because they did not antici-
pate that the pipe would have to bo
used except for clearing out the bot,
tom when the water was low.
Dynamite Used. 81;
ITO relieve the pressure on the dam
small section of concrete was res
moved BY dynamite on the right side
CONTINUED on Fifth Page.)