Daniel Johnson Morrell, of the Cambria Iron Works of Johnstown, also became a member, ostensibly to monitor the condition of the dam. High School: South Iredell; Location Information. Thats changed in modern years as scientists and historians work to reconstruct what happened during the fateful flood. Until the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001, it was . The discharge pipes were removed and the lake level was filled up to 70 feet in places. It was also hypothesized during the investigation ofthe failure that had the spillway been constructed according to the originallydesigned size, the dam would likely have not been overtopped and the worstman-made disaster in the United States prior to September 11, 2001 would havebeen avoided. Explains that a commission was formed between arizona, california, colorado,nevada, new mexico, utah, and wyoming. . A detailed discussion of the 21st-century investigation, its participating engineers, and the science behind the 1889 flood was published, in 2018, as Johnstown's Flood of 1889 - Power Over Truth and the Science Behind the Disaster. The disaster became widely known as the Johnstown Flood, and locally known as the "Great Flood". The Pennsylvania Railroad Company purchased the entire Mainline works in 1857 and left the dam and the reservoir virtually unattended. Enjoying our content? As a result, it flooded at least . [9], Alphabetically, a complete listing of club membership included:[6]. MLS # Despite the evidence to suggest that they were very much to blame, the Club membership was never held legally responsible for the disaster. Along with about half of the club members, Henry Clay Frick donated thousands of dollars to the relief effort in Johnstown. They picnicked, swam and fished, puffing on cigars and taking advantage of a rare chance to relax. Thedam was approximately 72 feet high, 918 feet long, 10 feet wide at its crest, and220 feet wide at its base. [8], The charter members of the South Fork Fishing and Hunting Club, assembled by Henry Clay Frick were Benjamin Ruff, T. H. Sweat, Charles J. Clarke, Thomas Clark, Walter F. Fundenberg, Howard Hartley, Henry C. Yeager, J. "The Johnstown Flood", by Robert D. Christie. The failure of the South Fork Dam, which affected Johnstown, is currently regarded as the worst dam failure in U.S history. They were too late. The water took its natural course, dropping 450 feet in 14 miles, at times 70 to 75 feet high, and reaching speeds of 40 miles per hour. Founded in 1794, Johnstown, Pennsylvania began to prosper with the building of the Pennsylvania Mainline Canal in 1834 and the arrival of the Pennsylvania Railroad and the Cambria Iron Company in the 1850s. Central Pennsylvania, May 31, 1889: After a deluge of rainnearly a foot in less than twenty-four hoursswelled the Little Conemaugh River, panicked engineers watched helplessly as swiftly rising waters threatened to breach the South Fork dam, built to create a private lake for a fishing and hunting club that counted among its members . Frick built the South Fork Fishing and Hunting Club around the private lake held back by the South Fork dam. 2. The South Fork Dam was originally built between 1838-1853 by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania as part of the canal system to be used as a reservoir for the state's Main Line of Public Works canal basin in Johnstown. On May 31, 1889, after several days of unprecedented rainfall, the dam gave way. The earth is not puddled and there were several leaks in the dam. By 1881 the dam had been repaired, without the benefit of an engineer,and the reservoir filled to capacity to form the now nearly three-mile-long Lake Conemaugh. South Fork Reservoir is approximately three miles long and one to one and a half miles wide. 9/2022. In 1880, at the suggestion of entrepreneur Benjamin Franklin Ruff, the newly organized club purchased an old dam and abandoned reservoir from Ruff which he had purchased from former Congressman John Reilly. 80 Engineering Society of Western Pennsylvania, Proceedings, 5(June 18, 1889); 89-99; . Johnstown had been built on a floodplain at the fork of the Little Conemaugh River and Stony Creek. The approximate death toll was over 2,209 and their bodies were found as far away as Cincinnati. Surrounded by nearly 2 million acres of national forest, limitless historical, cultural and recreational activities await visitors. [15], Interactive map showing the location for South Fork Fishing and Hunting Club, South Fork Fishing and Hunting Club Historic District. The residents of Johnstown heard the speeding wall of death, a roar like thunder. Roughly bounded by Fortieth, Main, and Lake Sts., D. W. C Bidwell owner of a mining industry, John Caldwell, Jr. treasurer of the Philadelphia Company, John Weakley Chalfant president of People's National Bank, associated with steel tubing manufacturer Spang, Chalfant and Company, George H. Christy attorney in Pittsburgh, Charles John Clarke founder of Pittsburgh-based transportation company Clarke and Company, father of Louis Clarke, Cyrus Elder (1833-1912); prominent attorney; chief counsel for the, Daniel R. Euwer lumber dealer for Euwer and Brothers, John King Ewing involved with real estate through Ewing and Byers, A. G. Harmes manufacturer of machinery through his Harmes Machinery Depot, John A. Harper assistant cashier of the Bank of Pittsburgh, president of, Howard Hartley manufacturer of leather products and rubber belts through Hartley Brothers, Henry Holdship co-founder of the Art Society of Pittsburgh and the, Americus Vespecius Holmes vice-president of, Durbin Horne president of retail company Joseph Horne and Company, Christopher Curtis Hussey Hussey, Howe and Company, steel manufacturers, Harriet Augusta Byram Hussey wife of C.C. Original construction included both adult and juvenile fish passage facilities to help move fish past the dam. The South Fork dam was planned to supply water to the canal and waterway west of the Alleghenies. Twice a week we compile our most fascinating features and deliver them straight to you. Others, realizing their continuing vulnerability, called the dam the sword of Damocles hanging over Johnstown.. 1852-June 10, the Western Reservoir was finally dammed. This dam was built in 1840 as a reservoir for the Pennsylvania Mainline Canal. The Influence of Dam Failures on Dam Safety Laws in Pennsylvania. The dam was originally built with discharge pipes, so the only question that remained was who removed them. The spillway is obstructed with a bridge and fish screen. Simply put, the South Fork Dam had by then become a ticking time bomb, one that would timeout and detonate during the mid-afternoon of Friday, May 31st, 1889. See the many changes to the South Fork Dam through the years. To compound the problem, the club owners and managers had erected fish screens across the mouth of the spillway which was intended to keep water from accumulating to the point of straining the dam; the screens became clogged with debris, restricting the outflow of water. The dam was sold to the railroad, which then sold it to private owners. South Fork Dam. The dam was watertight due to puddled earth or being packed down. Until May 31, 1889, that is. (1)Mills, K. (2013). 1839-Engineer William Morris conducts another study for the state concurring with Sylvester Welch's report that the South Fork Creek was the best place for a canal feeder reservoir and, ironically, the safest location for a dam in the event of spring flooding. The next morning survivors were unsettled by the eerie silence hanging over the city. The outlet works for the dam consisted of a stone-linedculvert with five valves for releasing varying amounts of flow as well as a spillwaycreated by cutting into the rock along the east abutment. The nation responded to the disaster with a spontaneous outpouring of time, money, food, and clothing. Making the wave even more terrifying was the black pall of smoke and steam that hung over itthe death mist remembered by survivors. After the flood, victims suffered a series of legal defeats in their attempt to recover damages from the dam's owners. Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University. Coordinates: .mw-parser-output .geo-default,.mw-parser-output .geo-dms,.mw-parser-output .geo-dec{display:inline}.mw-parser-output .geo-nondefault,.mw-parser-output .geo-multi-punct{display:none}.mw-parser-output .longitude,.mw-parser-output .latitude{white-space:nowrap}402053N 784633W / 40.348092N 78.775730W / 40.348092; -78.775730, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=South_Fork_Dam&oldid=1136217234, This page was last edited on 29 January 2023, at 08:31. FACT CHECK: We strive for accuracy and fairness. Nobody, it seemed, was willing to challenge Americas most powerful men. Notify me of follow-up comments by email. Watching the lake rising an inch every 10 minutes, he knew that once the water ran over the top of the earthen dam, it would cut through it like a knife and the whole thing would go. When South Fork Dam gave way on May 31, 1889, the 20 million tons of water it released devastated the city and took 2,209 lives. The history of the South Fork Dam is a story of an immense . Those caught by the wave found themselves swept up in a torrent of oily, yellow-brown water, surrounded by tons of grinding debris, which crushed some and provided rafts for others. Johnstown was home to more than 30,000 people in 1889 and many of them worked in the booming steel industry. Among the dead were 99 entire families. The Club inadequately patched the holes from the 1862 break; never replaced the sluice pipes; lowered the top of the dam to make it wider for carriages; and put fish screens over the spillway. Eighty people died at the bridge, some still in their own homes. Hundreds, alive and dead, were buried beneath the ravaged city. The mesh screens placed in the spillway further decreased spillwaycapacity due to the collection of debris. "[12], In the years following this tragic event, many people blamed the members of the South Fork Fishing and Hunting Club for the tragedy, as they had originally bought and repaired the dam to turn the area into a holiday retreat in the mountains. Those who did see it said it snapped off trees like pipe stems, crushed houses like eggshells, and threw around locomotives like so much chaff. A violent wind preceded it, blowing down small buildings. Members of this exclusive and secretive retreat in the mountains were 61 wealthy Pittsburgh steel and coal financiers and industrialists, including Andrew Carnegie, Andrew Mellon, Philander Knox, John George Alexander Leishman, and Henry Clay Frick. Barton and her staff of 50 doctors and nurses arrived in Johnstown five days after the flood. (Credit: Histed/Library of Congress/Corbis/VCG via Getty Images). On May 31, Elias Unger, who managed the club, looked outside and began to worry about the rising waters He supervised a group of Italian laborers as they frantically dug a new spillway and tried to unclog the existing one. Retrieved July 4, 2019. People would know only that he was the one who destroyed the dam and flooded the valley. In 1879, the breached dam and surrounding land were sold to Benjamin Ruffwho planned to repair the dam and use the land to create a retreat for the wealthy. He chose not to do it. By 1889, the dam was in dire need of repairs. Hours: Open seven days a week, 365 days a year. Then enjoy free entry to the park's Lenoir Museum depicting life in Southern Appalachia from 12,000 years ago to the present day, including Native American items, tools, glassware, and ceramics. Central Pennsylvania, May 31, 1889: After a deluge of rainnearly a foot in less than twenty-four hoursswelled the Little Conemaugh River, panicked engineers watched helplessly as swiftly rising waters threatened to breach the South Fork dam, built to create a private lake for a fishing and hunting club that counted among its members . The thing was finally completed in 1852 (O'Connor, p. 32). The committees analysis led to the conclusion thatalterations to the structure made during the repair of the dam by Ruff and theSouth Fork Fishing and Hunting Club led to the reduction of its spillway capacityand eventual overtopping. Entire blocks of buildings had been razed. A dam was built in 1840 on the Little Conemaugh River, 14 miles . . The $17 million in damage (more than $4.4 billion in current dollars) included 1,600 obliterated homes and four square miles of complete destruction. That same year, Pennsylvania called on engineer Sylvester Welch to find a spot for a feeder reservoir and he selected a spot on the South Fork Creek for construction of the South Fork Dam and Western Reservoir. The oil-soaked jam was immovable, held against the bridge by the powerful current and bound tightly by the barbed wire. The Navy's New $13 Billion Aircraft Carrier Is Already . Excursions 1842-1851-For many reasons, work was stopped and the dam was only half-completed; later studies by civil engineers concluded that this work stoppage caused damages to the South Fork Dam that led, in part, to its failure on May 31, 1889. Henry Clay Frick (1848-1919) A founding member and perhaps one of, if not the most famous, member of the South Fork Fishing and Hunting Club; perhaps second only to Andrew Carnegie. During the night the waters had receded, revealing vast heaps of mud and rubble-filled streets where there were still streets up to the third story. Originally built by the Commonwealth to service a canal system, the dam was abandoned when railroads superseded canals and was sold to private interests. The lake had a perimeter of seven miles (11km) and could hold 14.3 million tons of water. Major Historical Dam Failures with Modes of Failure. This flooding resulted in the deaths of 2,209 people, the loss of 1,600 homes, and over $17,000,000 in property damage. . The South Fork Dam was built between 1838 and 1853 by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania to provide water for the operation of the Western Division of the Pennsylvania Mainline Canal between Johnstown and Pittsburgh. The dam as originally built with a higher crest by the State of Pennsylvania would have impounded a greater volume of 1.627 10 7 m 3 below a lake stage of 493.5 m. Many publications report that . They added a fish screen onto the spillwaythe structure built to keep water from building up too high and straining the dam. ft. home is a 4 bed, 3.0 bath property. To the layperson, the South Fork Dam was an impressive structure. Point and swept away all traces of its existence. Assemblyman Bert Gurr (Courtesy / Lee Rix Gurr) Freshman Elko Republican succeeds Republican John Ellison, who termed out as District 33's assemblyman after 12 years. Built for downstream flood control, the dam is one of two TVA dams on the South Fork Holston River (the other is Watauga Dam). In the list to be disposed of are fifty bedroom suites, many yards of carpet, silverware and table ware with the club monogram engraved thereon and many odd pieces of furniture and bric-a-brac. [2] Ruff, while he was not a civil engineer, had a background that included being a railroad tunnel contractor and supervised the repairs to the dam, which did not include a successful resolution of the inability to discharge the water and substantially lower the lake for repair purposes. Lessons Learned From Dam Failures. Unfortunately, the whole project was a money pit, and construction was halted at times because the state of Pennsylvania couldn't come up with the cash. After dark, however, the thirty acres of debris, at places forty feet high, that had piled up behind the bridge caught on fire and burned through the night, blanketing the ravaged town in a dark cloud of acrid smoke. Next in line was Woodvale, a town of about 1,000, that the torrent smashed with equal ferocity. The mission of the Texas Water Development Board (TWDB) is to lead the state's efforts in ensuring a secure water future for Texas and its citizens. "National Historic Landmarks & National Register of Historic Places in Pennsylvania", "National Register of Historic Places Inventory Nomination Form: South Fork Fishing and Hunting Club Historic District", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=South_Fork_Fishing_and_Hunting_Club&oldid=1109599238. 1 Its purpose was to hold water for the canal during dry seasons. The South Fork Dam in 1881 after it was rebuilt by the South Fork Fishing and Hunting Club. One observer from a hill above the town said the streets grew black with people running for their lives. Some remembered reaching the hills and pulling themselves out of the flood path seconds before it overtook them. "Historic Challenge: Study Contests Cause of Dam Breach That Led to 1889 Flood", University of Pittsburgh Johnstown. However, according to modern research conducted by, among others, University of Pittsburgh instructor Neil M. Coleman,[7] the report was delayed, subverted, and whitewashed, before being released two years after the disaster. Then the oil caught fire. There had been some speculation as to the dam's integrity, and concerns had been raised by the head of the Cambria Iron Works downstream in Johnstown. (Credit: Bettmann/Getty Images). The dam fell into despair in 1857 and changed ownership multiple times. February 11, 1881; "Report of the Committee on the Cause of the Failure of the South Fork Dam", loc. When word of the dam's failure was telegraphed from South Fork by Joseph P. Wilson to Robert Pitcairn in Pittsburgh; Frick and other members of the Club gathered to form the Pittsburgh Relief Committee for tangible assistance to the flood victims as well as determining to never speak publicly about the club or the Flood. Presentation published by U.S. Bureau of Reclamation. In just 40 minutes, 1600 homes turned into debris and thousands of people died and their corpses floated away. As everyone had dreaded, disease followed in the wake of the flood, and typhoid added 40 more lives to the 2,209 that had already died. B. He also talks about the impoundment of Libby Dam in 1974, which created a 90-mile lake and became home to various species of fish, including Kokanee salmon, rainbows, and cutthroats. Those who were able began scrambling over the heap toward shore. After the flood, survivors suffered a series of legal defeats in their attempts to recover damages from the dams owners. 3. 41 terms . Hussey, elected as the club's only female member following her husband's death in 1884, Frank B. Laughlin secretary of the Solar Carbon and Manufacturing Company, John Jacob Lawrence paint and color manufacturer, partner of Moses Suydam, Jesse H. Lippincott associated with the Banner Baking Powder firm, Sylvester Stephen Marvin established himself in the cracker business, founding S. S. Marvin Co., centerpiece to the organization of the, Frank T., Oliver, and Walter L. McClintock associated with O. McClintock and Company, a mercantile house, James S. McCord owner of the wholesale hatters McCord and Company, W. A. McIntosh (president of the New York and Cleveland Gas Coal Company and father of, H. Sellers McKee president of the First National Bank of Birmingham, founder of, Reuben Miller Miller, Metcalf and Perkin, Crescent Steel Works, Edwin A. Meyers Myers, Shinkle and Company, H. P. Patton associated with the window glass manufacturer A. and D. H. Chambers, Benjamin F. Ruff first president of the South Fork Fishing and Hunting Club, tunnel contractor, coke salesman, real estate broker, Marvin F. Scaife producer of iron products through W. B. Scaife and Sons, James M. Schoonmaker J. M. Schoonmaker Coke Company, James Ernest Schwartz president of Pennsylvania Lead Company, Moses Bedell Suydam M. B. Suydam and Company, Colonel Elias J. Unger managed hotels along the Pennsylvania Railroad, second and last president of the South Fork Fishing and Hunting Club, did not have a military record, Calvin Wells president of Pittsburgh Forge and Iron Company. It also brought out . On May 31, 1889, the South Fork Dam failed catastrophically and 20 million tons of water from Lake Conemaugh burst through and raced 14 miles downstream, causing the Johnstown Flood. He talks about their lodging at Kootenai Angler and that time when they built their first rental cabin in '92 under $15,000. . There were two primary conjectures about who was to blame: former Congressman John Reilly and the South Fork Fishing and Hunting Club. It was abandoned by the commonwealth, sold to the Pennsylvania Railroad, and then sold again to private interests. However, they failed to properly maintain the dam, and as a result, heavy rainfall on the eve of the disaster meant that the structure was not strong enough to hold the excess water. When it reached Johnstown, 2,209 people were killed, and there was $17 million ($473 million in 2020 terms) in damage. Though the dam had been built according to accepted engineering practices, the canal system was obsolete by the time the dam was . However, by the mid-1850's the canal system and its dams were virtually obsolete because trans-state rail service had been established. |. I love creating & composing history articles and lists. Modifications to spillways can unintentionally decrease their capacity. Until May 31, 1889, that is. In the past, they . On the chilly, wet afternoon of May 31st, the dam started to go at 3:10 p.m. The fearful rushing waters opened the gap with such increasing rapidity that soon after the entire lake leaped out It took but forty minutes to drain that three miles of water. John Parke, South Fork Engineer. Lake Conemaugh, which was about two miles (3.2km) long, approximately one mile (1.6km) wide, and 60 feet (18m) deep near the dam, was named by the new club. They thought the dam's location was a prime spot for a private resort. Locomotives weighing 170,000 pounds were wrenched from railroad tracks and swept thousands of feet. Public indignation at that failure prompted the development in American law changing a fault-based regime to one of strict liability. The capacity of the spillwaywas decreased significantly by the lowering of the dam crest and thereby reducingthe freeboard. For years, the Gilded Ages most powerful industrialists gathered at Lake Conemaugh, an idyllic body of water made possible by Pennsylvanias South Fork Dam. (Photo credit: Library of Congress / Getty Images). The canal system was obsolete by the time the dam was completed in 1853. 4. The South Fork Dam was built on the artificially created Lake Conemaugh in Pennsylvania, the US between 1838 and 1853. At 4:07 p.m., Johnstown inhabitants heard a low rumble that grew to a roar like thunder. Some knew immediately what had happened: after a night of heavy rains, South Fork Dam had finally broken, sending 20 million tons of water crashing down the narrow valley. The South Fork Dam was originally built between 18381853 by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania as part of the canal system to be used as a reservoir for the state's Main Line of Public Works canal basin in Johnstown. The corporation was disbanded in 1904, and the real estate assets were sold by the local sheriff at public auction, largely to satisfy a pre-existing mortgage on the large clubhouse. Any modification to a spillway should be reviewed and approved by a professional engineer. . 239 S. Limestone Street Retrieved from the Digital Public Library of America, Last edited on 10 September 2022, at 20:32, U.S. National Register of Historic Places, Learn how and when to remove this template message, Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary, "'It's still controversial': Debate rages over culpability of wealthy club members" by David Hurst. The resulting flood wave that contained 20 million tons of water and debris caused 2,209 fatalities and became known as the "Johnstown Flood". But if you see something that doesn't look right, click here to contact us! Located some 14 miles east of Johnstown at a point where the South Fork branch of the Little Conemaugh River and several mountain streams converged, the dam created what was, at the time, one of the largest artificial lakes in the nation, more than two miles long and nearly a mile wide in some places. The museum also displays photography of the construction of Norris Dam, going all the way back to the first photo of the dam in October 1933. . Some of the big names included Andrew Carnegie and Henry Clay Frick. . NBI Bridge Condition: Good: All rights reserved. Directions: I-77 N to exit 51 for I-40, keep left at fork for I-40 W. Take exit 141 for Sharon School road and TR . That version of the dam partially failed just a decade after it had been completed. It would be the most devastating flood of the 19th century in the United States. Many became helplessly entangled in miles of barbed wire from a destroyed wire works. Despite some years of claims and litigation, the club and its members were never found to be liable for monetary damages. A wrecked freight car next to twisted railroad tracks, after the Johnstown, Pennsylvania flood of 1889. Most never saw anything until the 36-foot wall of water, already boiling with huge chunks of debris, rolled over them at 40 miles per hour, consuming everything in its path. Credit: NPS/Harpers Ferry Center. Retrieved June 7, 2019. It was the worst disaster event in U.S. history at the time, and relief efforts were among the first major actions of Clara Barton and the newly organized American Red Cross, which she had founded and led. Retrieved June 8, 2019. Emergency morgues and hospitals were set up, and commissaries distributed food and clothing. Parke was caught in a painful dilemma. 1862-Due to heavy rains and lack of maintenance, the South Fork Dam failed for the second time; the water in Johnstown was raised only 2-3 feet.