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It was the deadliest non-hurricane flood in American history, and people wanted answers. At the time the South Fork Dam breached in 1889 its impoundment held about 1.455 10 7 m 3 of water below a lake surface elevation of 492.56 m . It turns out that the flood could actually have been preventedif only the magnates of the South Fork Fishing and Hunting Club had been willing to trade in a bit of their leisure for the safety of the town below. Among the dead were 99 entire families. Before the flood, speculators had bought the abandoned reservoir, made less than well-engineered repairs to the old dam, raised the lake level, built cottages and a clubhouse, and created the South Fork Fishing and Hunting Club. Nephew of, James H. Willock cashier of the Second National Bank, William K. Woodwell associated with Joseph R. Woodwell and company, H. C. Yeager dry goods and trimming wholesaler through C. Yeager and Company, This page was last edited on 10 September 2022, at 20:32. The 3,015 sq. 1. From its large porch, members could watch the clubs two steam yachts setting off on excursion trips. People still wonder why so many vote against temporary taxes to help relieve or open museums or sports stadiums in their towns. Credit: NPS/Harpers Ferry Center. When the South Fork Dam Broke, a Pennsylvania City Washed Away. During the summer of 1889 the clubhouse remained open but has since been occupied only by a caretaker. , On May 31, 1889, South Fork Dam near Johnstown, Pennsylvania, . Public indignation at that failure prompted the development in American law changing a fault-based regime to one of strict liability. 1854-Pennsylvania Main Line Canal went out of business. "Benjamin Franklin Ruff (1835-1887)", "Johnstown Memorial", National Park Service. Though the dam had been built according to accepted engineering practices, the canal system was obsolete by the time the dam was . The South Fork Dam was an earthenwork dam forming Lake Conemaugh ,[1] an artificial body of water near South Fork, Pennsylvania, United States. All About South Fork Reservoir. Retrieved July 4, 2019. Originally built by the Commonwealth to service a canal system, the dam was abandoned when railroads superseded canals and was sold to private interests. Nobody, it seemed, was willing to challenge Americas most powerful men. Torrents of water rushed downstream as the dam failed, inundating nearby Johnstown with 16 million tons of water and wiping out much of the town. . [1] The district includes eight contributing buildings remaining from the club. According to the Johnstown Area Heritage Association, 2,209 people died, almost 400 of them children. 1852-June 10, the Western Reservoir was finally dammed. A time line of the South Fork Dam: 1830s-Pennsylvania constructed the Pennsylvania Main Line Canal from Philadelphia to Pittsburgh; the canal's Western Division had its eastern terminus at Johnstown. The district includes the club house and six cottages. In modern times, this former library is owned by the Johnstown Area Heritage Association, and houses the Flood Museum. Browse 42 SOUTH FORK DAM stock photos and images available, or start a new search to explore more stock photos and images. Author: U.S. Bureau of Reclamation & U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Association of State Dam Safety Officials This year marks the 133rd anniversary of the dam breach that took the lives of more than 2,200 people and galvanized the nation to ensure such a tragic event could not happen again. The dam was later sold to the Pennsylvania Railroad. 2023 A&E Television Networks, LLC. Both projects were started in the early 1940s but were halted by order of the United States War Production Board in late 1942 in order to redirect as many resources as possible to support activities central to the war . Only in 2013 did researchers from the University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown find out the real truth about the clubs claims with the help of hydrological research and advanced mapping. At present, all that remains of the historic earthen dam (originally about 900 feet long and 75 feet high) are the north and south abutments, the spillway cut around the north abutment to carry off excess water, and a few remnants of wood and culvert foundation stones representing the location of the control mechanism. These photos were taken by Louis Semple Clarke, the son of a club member, during the happy days before the tragedy. Figures 4.2 (Chap. Money poured in, too. As rescuers worked in the dark to free people, the flames spread over the whole mass, burning with all the fury of hell, according to a Johnstown newspaper account. It was abandoned by the commonwealth, sold to the Pennsylvania Railroad, and then sold again to private interests. Even before Folsom Lake Dam was built and the reservoir filled, the north fork of the American River was supplying water to communities, farms and ranches in south Placer and northeast Sacramento counties. The South Fork Dam was an earthen dam originally built between 1838-1853 by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania as part of the Pennsylvania Main Line canal system to be used as a reservoir for the canal basin in Johnstown. A desire to fish created an epic 1889 deluge. Notify me of follow-up comments by email. Part of the St. Michael neighborhood, and most of Creslo, of the town St. Michael-Sidman, Pennsylvania now sits on the bed of the former Lake Conemaugh. 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. Right image Presentation published by U.S. Bureau of Reclamation. Johnstown Flood National Memorial The ruins of the Sisters of Charity building. Please like & follow for more interesting content. Those who were able began scrambling over the heap toward shore. This disaster is known as the Johnstown Flood. But by far the most famous dam failure, and indeed one of the worst disasters in U.S. history, was the Johnstown flood of 1889 . [2], The five cast iron discharge pipes, each with an inside diameter of two feet, had previously allowed a controlled release of water. 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. 4, riprap along dam crest) and 9.1 provide direct evidence that the dam was lowered more than 0.6 m to as much as 0.9 m by the South Fork Fishing & Hunting Club. . As a result of poor maintenance, the outlet works culvert collapsed and a portionof the dam washed out in 1862. "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. The failure of the South Fork Dam, which affected Johnstown, is currently regarded as the worst dam failure in U.S history. 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. To use social login you have to agree with the storage and handling of your data by this website. I love creating & composing history articles and lists. 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. It also brought out . 2. Scouring its way towards Johnstown, the flood picked up several hundred boxcars, a dozen locomotives, more than 100 houses and a growing number of corpses. How was his response different? Modifications to spillways can unintentionally decrease their capacity. The South Fork Fishing and Hunting Club was a Pennsylvania corporation which operated an exclusive and secretive retreat at a mountain lake near South Fork, Pennsylvania, for more than fifty extremely wealthy men and their families. Though the American legal system soon adopted precedents that made it possible to hold defendants liable for their modifications to land, the magnates behind the Johnstown Flood walked off scot-free. The approximate death toll was over 2,209 and their bodies were found as far away as Cincinnati. 1875-Pennsylvania Railroad employee and US Congressman John Reilly, bought the South Fork Dam for $2,500.00. ASDSO Annual Conference. USBR. Unfortunately, the telegraph lines that would send the warning to Johnstown were down. Parke was caught in a painful dilemma. Former Bouquet seller now making a go with blogging and graphic designing. Torrents of water rushed downstream as the dam failed, inundating nearby . Dam not originally built of stone, face of dam on lake was not rip-rapped. Before the club bought it, the unnamed reservoir was part of Pennsylvanias canal system. [3], Daniel Johnson Morrell became a member of the club for the purpose of observing the state of the dam under its stewardship, and campaigned to club officials, especially to Ruff, its founder, regarding the safety of the dam. These screens clogged on May 31, 1889, meaning that as the rains continued to fall, the only way for water to get out was to overtop the dam. Volunteers search for bodies in the debris piled up against the stone bridge. The original 918-foot-long ( 280-meter-long) structure stood 72 feet (22 meters) high and was built in 1852. and looked at similar dam failures and issues with the South Fork dam itself to . As a result, it flooded at least . Many more failures - in Arizona, Tennessee, Oregon, North Carolina, Texas, Virginia, West Virginia, and elsewhere across the U.S. - occurred around the turn of the century, and some early state . Study with Quizlet and memorize flashcards containing terms like People knew the South Fork dam might break. 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. 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. 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. The remains of the South Fork Dam from the Visitor Center area. In an effort to create hisenvisioned resort, BenjaminRuff and other members ofthe South Fork Fishing andHunting Club modified thedesign of the original damduring its reconstruction. . 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. The thing was finally completed in 1852 (O'Connor, p. 32). 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. ( 1891 p 446) claim the dam was lowered 2 ft. and report a mean height of 7.96 ft. (2.43 m) above the spillway floor for eight points on the crest of . 2. The South Fork Dam, as it became known, experienced a catastrophic failure on May 31, 1889 when it was overtopped during a large storm event. [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. South Fork All Rights Reserved. For years, the Gilded Ages most powerful industrialists gathered at Lake Conemaugh, an idyllic body of water made possible by Pennsylvanias South Fork Dam. It was over in 10 minutes, but for some, the worst was still to come. The spillway is obstructed with a bridge and fish screen. The control tower burned down and was not replaced. A number of club members built large cottages nearby. Debris at the stone bridge covered 30 acres, and clean-up operations were to continue for years. Barton and her staff of 50 doctors and nurses arrived in Johnstown five days after the flood. On the afternoon of May 31, 1889, a private dam in western Pennsylvania burst, sending 20 million gallons of water and debris into the unsuspecting town of Johnstown with the force of a tidal wave . The dam had not failed completely since 1862. While some people inJohnstown made the usual preparations for flooding,John Parke, the club engineer who was at theSouth Fork Dam,knew things were more serious. Major Historical Dam Failures with Modes of Failure. A family of survivors lives in a makeshift shelter in a cave. Why did they fail to evacuate, even after the warning came?, Describe the damage caused by the Johns-town Flood., In response to the flood, Carnegie reacted differently than other South Fork members. It was the worst flood to hit the U.S. in the 19th century. Original construction included both adult and juvenile fish passage facilities to help move fish past the dam. 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. The South Fork Dam was built to provide water for the operation of the Western Division of the Pennsylvania Mainline Canal between Johnstown and Pittsburgh. In 1862 a break occurred near the discharge pipes, but little damage resulted because the water level was so low. There have been a number of fatal dam breaks in the United Statest. However, by the mid-1850's the canal system and its dams were virtually obsolete because trans-state rail service had been established. On May 30, 1889, afterunusually heavy rains hit the area,the citizens of Johnstown were warned three times of a possible impending flood if the dam didnt hold. Built for downstream flood control, the dam is one of two TVA dams on the South Fork Holston River (the other is Watauga Dam). But the most harrowing experience for hundreds came at the old stone railroad bridge below the junction of the rivers. 80 Engineering Society of Western Pennsylvania, Proceedings, 5(June 18, 1889); 89-99; . Contributions from the United States and abroad totaled over $3,700,000. Auctioneer George Harshberger has announced that the sale will take place on Thursday, the 25th inst., at the clubhouse, when the entire furnishings will be disposed of at auction. Hundreds, alive and dead, were buried beneath the ravaged city. On May 31, 1889, torrential rain and subsequent flooding caused the South Fork Dam to fail near Johnstown, Pennsylvania. 1. Court of Common Pleas. Your email address will not be published. . 1834-During the canal's first season, it was realized that the Conemaugh River could be problematic during drought situations. Others, realizing their continuing vulnerability, called the dam the sword of Damocles hanging over Johnstown.. Pandemonium had broken loose, screams, cries and people were running. Pets and people struggled to escape the rushing waters, but when the wall of water arrived, they were helpless. 1840-1841-Construction finally began; contractors were James Morehead of Pittsburgh and Hezekiah Packer of Williamsport. It was abandoned by the commonwealth, sold to the Pennsylvania Railroad, and sold again to private interests. In addition, the material used to repairthe embankment settled, creating a low point on the dam crest that increasedthe potential for overtopping and concentrated overtopping flow at that location. An engineer at the dam saw warning signs of an impending disaster and rode a horse to the village of South Fork to warn the residents. Though the dam had been built according to accepted engineering practices, the canal system was obsolete by the time the dam was . On May 31, 1889, the dam burst and led to a massive disaster involving the loss of 2,209 human lives. Study with Quizlet and memorize flashcards containing terms like People knew the South Fork dam might break. And this even though the South Fork dam was built of earth rather than rock because it was cheap to hire people to move dirt. The discharge pipes were removed and the lake level was filled up to 70 feet in places. The flood provided vast literature with important lessons for environmental management today. And most importantly of all, they lowered the dam, which sat right above Johnstown. On May 31, a spillway at the South Fork dam became clogged with debris due to steady heavy rain. To truly understand the devastation caused by this flood, we need to understand the construction of the South Fork Dam. He could cut through the end of the dam, where the pressure was less, so it would give way more slowly and reduce the waters destructive force. 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. In the aftermath, bodies were found as far away as Cincinnati, Ohiomore than 400 miles away. 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. That's when a dam altered by the exclusive club burst, and the unthinkable happened. People indoors when the wave struck raced upstairs seconds ahead of the rising water, which reached the third story in many buildings. Making the wave even more terrifying was the black pall of smoke and steam that hung over itthe death mist remembered by survivors. It is an example of what can happen when people disregard the principles of engineering and hydrology. 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 (23km) downstream, causing the Johnstown Flood.[2]. . According to records compiled by The Johnstown Area Heritage Association, bodies were found as far away as Cincinnati, and as late as 1911; 99 entire families died in the flood, including 396 children; 124 women and 198 men were widowed; 98 children were orphaned; and one-third of the dead, 777 people, were never identified; their remains were buried in the Plot of the Unknown in Grandview Cemetery in Westmont. [2] A torrent of water raced downstream, destroying several towns. Privacy Policy. The South Fork Dam was 72 feet (22m) high and 931 feet (284m) long. The South Fork canyon area west of the park boundary is managed by the Bureau of Land Management. The Pennsylvania Railroad Company purchased the entire Mainline works in 1857 and left the dam and the reservoir virtually unattended. South Fork,PA 15956. (1)Mills, K. (2013). However,Benjamin Ruff, thefirst president of the South Fork Club, responded by saying:You and your people are in no danger from our enterprise., Southfork Clubhouse, Johnstown, Pennsylvania, In the end, nothing was done andby and by, most Johnstown residents talked less and less about it. Excursions Morrell insisted on inspections of the dam's breastwork both by his own engineers, (including John Fulton) and by those of the Pennsylvania Railroad. In 1862 the dam broke, resulting in a sag in the middle where repairs had been made. Originally constructed in 1852, the dams primary purposewas to provide a source of water for a division of the Pennsylvania Canal. 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. 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. The Influence of Dam Failures on Dam Safety Laws in Pennsylvania, Johnstown Flood Debate Renewed: UPJ Geologists' Report Questions Findings of Early Investigation into Cause of 1889 Dam Failure, Historic Structure Report, The South Fork Dam Historical Data, Johnstown Flood National Memorial, Pennsylvania, Package No. Cambria Iron and Steels facilities were heavily damaged; they returned to full production within 18 months. Enter your account data and we will send you a link to reset your password. Many bodies were never identified, and hundreds of the missing were never found. In court, they claimed that they only lowered the dam by one foot and that the flood was an act of God. Individuals who sued all lost in court, and some even went bankrupt. Dam that was built by the state of Pennsylvania between 1838 and 1853 as part of a canal system. National Parks, Monuments & Historic Sites, Byways & Historic Trails Great Drives in America, Soldiers and Officers in American History, Washington-on-the-Brazos, Texas Declaring Independence, Stanley, Ks Extinct but Still Here (LOK), Black Bob Reservation in Johnson County (LOK). People would know only that he was the one who destroyed the dam and flooded the valley. The resulting flood wave thatcontained 20 million tons ofwater and debris caused 2,209fatalities and became known asthe Johnstown Flood. The American Society of Civil Engineers launched an investigation of the South Fork Dam breach immediately after the flood. 1853-South Fork Dam and Western Reservoir deemed ready for operation. The South Fork Dam. Daniel Johnson Morrell, of the Cambria Iron Works of Johnstown, also became a member, ostensibly to monitor the condition of the dam. 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. 1879-11-17. pg 7. Left image The president at the time of the flood was Colonel Elias Unger. 3768 Arctic Fox Dr , Island Park, ID 83429 is a single-family home listed for-sale at $1,100,000. It first went through the narrow path of the little Conemaugh river and smashed into the small town of Mineral Point and swept away all traces of its existence. According to the Association of State Dam Safety Officials (ASDSO), there have been around 1,600 dam failures in the United States since the South Fork disaster, resulting in approximately 3,500 . (2013). House ripped from its foundation by the flood in Johnstown, with a tree trunk sticking out of a window. Surrounded by nearly 2 million acres of national forest, limitless historical, cultural and recreational activities await visitors. [6] The founding entrepreneur, Benjamin F. Ruff, had died several years earlier, and Unger had been on the job only a short time. This included the South Fork Dam, which was built just north of Johnstown in 1852. The world rushed to help. The design engineer(s) should be involved in the construction phase of dam projects. "Historic Challenge: Study Contests Cause of Dam Breach That Led to 1889 Flood", University of Pittsburgh Johnstown. Why did they fail to evacuate, even after the warning came?, Describe the damage caused by the Johnstown Flood., In response to the flood Carnegie reacted differently than other South Fork members. "[14] The South Fork Fishing and Hunting Club Historic District was designated a national historic district listed on the National Register of Historic Places, in 1986. (Credit: Bettmann/Getty Images). Oregon Dam Safety Conference. South Fork Reservoir was built in 1988 with recreation specifically in mind. Lexington, KY 40508, 2023 Copyright Association of State Dam Safety Officials. Morrell died four years before the flood he had labored to prevent.[4][5]. 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. He removed the five sluice pipes at the base of the dam. Just 40 minutes later the Lake was empty; all the water had escaped through the broken dam. The dam eventually gave way and the heavy water poured into the valley. High School: South Iredell; Location Information. A freight car lies near the damaged Cambria Iron Works warehouse. Locomotives weighing 170,000 pounds were wrenched from railroad tracks and swept thousands of feet. And wasnt the dam being maintained by some of the richest and most powerful men in America? 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. 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. Some never had a chance, as homes were immediately crushed or ripped from foundations and added to the churning rubble, ending up hundreds of yards away. Charter of the South Fork Fishing and Hunting Club. Technical paper published by Association of State Dam Safety Officials, Newspaper article published by the Tribune-Democrat, Author: H. Unrau, U.S. National Park Service, Presentation at Oregon Dam Safety Conference, Author: N. Coleman, U. Kaktins, & S. Wojno. Founded in 1879, the club was designed to give the most powerful men in Pennsylvania a quiet retreata place to enjoy the magnificent wealth they had accumulated in the steel, railroad, and other industries. This had two deleterious effects on the dam: it aggravated a sag at the top of the dam, making it more susceptible to overtopping. Thats when a dam altered by the exclusive club burst, and the unthinkable happened. The history of the South Fork Dam is a story of an immense . The nation responded to the disaster with a spontaneous outpouring of time, money, food, and clothing. Most significantly, in order to provide a carriageway across the dam, the top was leveled off, lowering it, where it sat above the town of Johnstown, leaving it only a few feet above the water level at its lowest point. The canal system was obsolete by the time the dam was completed in 1853. Retrieved June 7, 2019. Represents a district that is made up of a large portion of eastern Nevada, including parts of Elko, Eureka, and Nye counties, and all of Lincoln and White Pine counties. 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. This dam was built in 1840 as a reservoir for the Pennsylvania Mainline Canal. Their secret retreat was a place to fish, hunt and consolidate their power. 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. They added a fish screen onto the spillwaythe structure built to keep water from building up too high and straining the dam. After the flood, victims suffered a series of legal defeats in their attempt to recover damages from the dam's owners. By the year of 1889, the dam was in bad condition and in desperate need of repair. the group wanted to use the colorado river's water for each state's use. The dam is 165 feet wide and 100 feet tall and is built of unreinforced concrete. When the initial renovation was completed under Ruff's oversight, it became impossible to drain the lake to repair the dam properly, having modified the dam and lake area it to suit its recreational interests.