Construction of the South Fork Dam
Construction of the dam began in 1838. Work on the dam stalled several times and the dam was finally completed in 1853. It was finished in time for the canals to go out of business-the railroad had come to Johnstown. The dam sat untouched until 1879.
Original Design
The dam was made of puddled earth, slate, and rock. At one point two spillways existed. A culvert was installed in the center of the dam to allow for draining. The dam stood 72 feet high and 918 feet across. A break in the dam occurred in 1862, destroying the culvert. It was never replaced-the first of many mistakes.
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The South Fork Hunting and Fishing Club
Benjamin Ruff, a member of The South Fork Hunting and Fishing Club, purchased the dam in 1879. Among its members were the Pittsburgh elite-Andrew Carnegie, Henry Clay Frick and Andrew Mellon. Repairs began on the dam, adding to the instability. One of the spillways was filled in, and mesh screens were installed on the other-screens installed to keep the imported fish from escaping. A carriageway was also built, lowering the center point of the dam-all would contribute to the failure of the dam.
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"..we must protest against the erection of a dam at that place, that will be a perpetual menace to the lives and property of those residing in the upper valley of the Conemaugh, from its insecure construction. In my judgment there should have been provided some means by which the water would be let out of the dam in case of trouble...to provide an outlet pipe or gate before any engineer could pronounce the job a safe one." - David Morrell to Benjamin Ruff |