Abstract
The history of the dam is intimately linked to the early transportation system in Pennsylvania. Philadelphia had been the center of commerce on the east coast. The success of the Erie Canal brought New York to prominence, surpassing Philadelphia. Prominent Pennsylvanians wanted an equivalent transportation artery to regain their stature. A great canal system and Portage Railroad were built to connect the rivers, east and west. It was soon realized that dams were needed to supply water during dry seasons to maintain the boat traffic. The South Fork dam was planned to supply water to the canal and waterway west of the Alleghenies. After many years of delays it was finally completed in 1852 and provided good service. However, by the mid-1850’s the canal system and its dams were virtually obsolete because trans-state rail service had been established. The entire system was sold to the Pennsylvania Railroad in 1857, but fell into disrepair.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Notes
- 1.
Governor Shulze should also long be remembered for laying the groundwork for free, mandatory education in the state; a feat achieved by his successor.
- 2.
Those tolls on the modern turnpike are still lucrative today!
- 3.
The present large dam on Quemahoning Creek was built in the early 1900’s.
- 4.
The Maryland Shaft #1, a deep mine at St. Michael, did not start operations until circa 1908.
- 5.
Inspector Roger Hampson reported on the Argyle Mine (probably #1) in 1882 and found it to be “in very poor condition …” Ventilation was the concern. J. P. Wilson was the mine superintendent. Fifty men worked there as of 1882. On Feb. 8th that year a 20 year old named D. O. Kuhns was instantly killed at the mine in the presence of Wilson. He had fallen and a loaded rail car rolled over his neck. Two weeks later Simon Richardson, age 21, died in a fall of coal. At that time there were only four bituminous mine inspectors in the state; James Louttit, John Davis, Thomas Adams, and Roger Hampson, whose territory included Cambria County. Hampson (1883) reported that 1463 persons worked in Cambria County to produce coal and coke, as of the end of 1882.
- 6.
Lead would have been more costly in 1861 and 1862, the initial years of the Civil War. The average price of pig lead in New York during 1853–1862 was 6.13 cents/pound (Congress, 1913), but retail prices would have been higher. Average prices diminished after 1872. But “free” lead would always have been desired by those with little cash, such as young lads wanting to melt it down to make fishing weights or bullets for hunting.
- 7.
Reynolds number is a dimensionless ratio of inertial forces to viscous forces; at sufficiently high values, turbulent flow dominates over smooth, laminar flow. Large Reynolds numbers are needed to induce cavitation.
References
Cambria Tribune (1862a) [No title – item under local news]. Bowman J (Ed), Vol 5, no. XVI, July 18, Johnstown, PA
Cambria Tribune (1862b). [No title – 1st item under local news]. Bowman J (Ed), Vol 5, Aug 1, Johnstown, PA
Chow VT (ed) (1964) Handbook of applied hydrology. McGraw-Hill Book Co., NY, p 1418
Coleman NM, Kaktins U, Wojno S (2016). Dam-breach hydrology of the Johnstown flood of 1889 – challenging the findings of the 1891 investigation report. Heliyon 2 (2016), p 54. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2016.e00120 [cavitation discussion in supplementary online material]
Chadwick et al. (1976). Report to US Department of Interior and State of Idaho on Failure of Teton Dam, by Independent Panel to Review Cause of Teton Dam Failure Dec 1976, p 590
DCNR (2018) PA Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, link to vertical accuracy reports for LiDAR data in Pennsylvania. Available at: http://www.dcnr.state.pa.us/topogeo/pamap/documents/index.htm. Accessed 4 May 2018.
Eng. News (1889) Engineering News, Apr 20 p 356
Falvey HT (1990) Cavitation in chutes and spillways, engineering mono. No. 42, Bureau of Reclam. p 145
Francis JB, Worthen WE, Becker MJ, Fteley A (1891) Report of the committee on the cause of the failure of the South Fork dam. ASCE Trans XXIV:431–469
Gay EF (1856) Report of the [Pennsylvania] State Engineer for the fiscal year ending Nov. 30, 1856. Report dated Dec 23, 1856. In: Reports of the heads of departments. Transmitted to Governor in pursuance of law, for financial year ending Nov 30 1856. Harrisburg
Hampson R (1883) Mine and accident inspector report, 4th bituminous district, dated Feb 9, 1883; In: Annual Rept of the Sec. of Internal Affairs of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, Part III, Industrial Statistics, Vol X, 1881–82
Hancock GS, Anderson RS, Whipple KX (1998) Beyond power: Bedrock river incision process and form, in rivers over rock: fluvial processes in bedrock channels. Tinkler K J and Wohl E E eds), AGU, Washington, DC, 35–60. doi: https://doi.org/10.1029/GM107p0035
Johnstown Daily Tribune (1900) The water problem. Swank G T (Ed), Aug 10, Johnstown, PA
Kaktins U, Davis Todd C, Wojno S, Coleman NM (2013) Revisiting the timing and events leading to and causing the Johnstown flood of 1889. PA History: A Journal of Mid-Atlantic Studies 80(3):335–363
Morris WE (1839) Report of William E. Morris, engineer [No. 12]. Reservoirs. Engineer’s Office, Hollidaysburg, Nov. 1, 1839. To: James Clarke, Esq., President of the Canal Board, pp 125–131
Morris WE (1841) Reservoirs, report of William E. Morris, engineer, Nov 20, 1840. PA House Jour., Appx to Vol 2, p 401–405
Morris WE (1846) PA State Archives, PA Canal Maps, map book #4, page 11, plan dated Mar 10 1846, available at: http://www.phmc.state.pa.us/bah/dam/rg/di/r017_0452_CanalMapBooks/CanalMapBook4Interface.html. Accessed 27 March 2018
NPS (2018) Johnstown Flood National Memorial, National Park Service, website: https://www.nps.gov/jofl/index.htm. Accessed 9 April 2018]
Shappee ND (1940) A history of Johnstown and the great flood of 1889: a study of disaster and rehabilitation [unpublished thesis]: University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA
Shelling RI (1938) Philadelphia and the agitation in 1825 for the Pennsylvania Canal. Pennsylvania Magazine, LXII (Apr 1938) 175–204
Unrau HD (1980) Historic structure report: the South Fork dam historical data, Johnstown flood National Memorial, PA. Package no. 124, US Department of Interior, NPS (1980): 242
Whipple KX, Hancock GS, Anderson RS (2000) River incision into bedrock: mechanics and relative efficacy of plucking, abrasion, and cavitation. GSA Bull 112:490–503
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2019 Springer International Publishing AG, part of Springer Nature
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Coleman, N.M. (2019). Early History of the South Fork Dam. In: Johnstown’s Flood of 1889. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-95216-1_3
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-95216-1_3
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, Cham
Print ISBN: 978-3-319-95215-4
Online ISBN: 978-3-319-95216-1
eBook Packages: Earth and Environmental ScienceEarth and Environmental Science (R0)