Austin Dam
Encyclopedia
Austin Dam was a dam
in the Freeman Run Valley, Potter County, Pennsylvania
, which serviced the Bayless Pulp & Paper Mill. A failure of the dam in 1911 caused significant destruction in the valley below.
in the Freeman Run Valley. By 1909, the company realized that occasional dry seasons required a more reliable water source. After finding a small earthen dam to be inadequate, the T. Chalkey Hatton firm built a large concrete
dam across the valley. The dam was 50 feet (15.2 m) high, 540 feet (164.6 m) long and cost $86,000 to construct. It was designed to be thirty feet thick, but was built only twenty feet thick.
Within only a few months of its completion, problems were detected. The dam bowed more than 36 feet (11 m) under the pressure
of the water it was holding and the concrete started cracking. The bowing was alleviated by using dynamite
to blast a 13 feet (4 m) space for the excess water to spill over. The cracking was claimed to be normal because of the drying cement.
On September 30, 1911, the dam failed and destroyed the Bayless Pulp & Paper Mill as well as much of the town of Austin
. The damage was approximately $10 million. It also resulted in the deaths of 78 people. The paper mill and dam were subsequently rebuilt, but the mill was lost in a fire in 1933. The new dam failed in 1942 with no loss of life. The dam was not replaced after the second failure.
A documentary about the dam disaster, featuring narration by Willie Nelson
, was created by Mansfield University of Pennsylvania
professor Gale Largey in 1999. It includes interviews with five survivors along with original newsreel footage.
In 2011 Largey produced a 272 page book based upon over 150 news accounts from as far away as Hong Kong and Japan. Unique stories from the respective newspapers are featured as well as hundreds of original photos along with nine editorial cartoons that appeared in various newspapers. The book is of special interest not only for historians, but also reporters and photojournalists. It is a coffee-table style publication rich with images. It provides insights on the social dynamics that lead to the disaster as well as those that followed. Info at www.galelargey.com
, Redheaded Stepchild, and The Bhuddahood.
Dam
A dam is a barrier that impounds water or underground streams. Dams generally serve the primary purpose of retaining water, while other structures such as floodgates or levees are used to manage or prevent water flow into specific land regions. Hydropower and pumped-storage hydroelectricity are...
in the Freeman Run Valley, Potter County, Pennsylvania
Potter County, Pennsylvania
Potter County is a county located in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. It is in the Allegheny Plateau region. As of 2010, the population was 17,457. Its county seat is Coudersport. Potter County was named after James Potter, who was a general from Pennsylvania in the Continental Army during the...
, which serviced the Bayless Pulp & Paper Mill. A failure of the dam in 1911 caused significant destruction in the valley below.
History
In 1900, Bayless Paper chose to construct a paper millPaper mill
A paper mill is a factory devoted to making paper from vegetable fibres such as wood pulp, old rags and other ingredients using a Fourdrinier machine or other type of paper machine.- History :...
in the Freeman Run Valley. By 1909, the company realized that occasional dry seasons required a more reliable water source. After finding a small earthen dam to be inadequate, the T. Chalkey Hatton firm built a large concrete
Concrete
Concrete is a composite construction material, composed of cement and other cementitious materials such as fly ash and slag cement, aggregate , water and chemical admixtures.The word concrete comes from the Latin word...
dam across the valley. The dam was 50 feet (15.2 m) high, 540 feet (164.6 m) long and cost $86,000 to construct. It was designed to be thirty feet thick, but was built only twenty feet thick.
Within only a few months of its completion, problems were detected. The dam bowed more than 36 feet (11 m) under the pressure
Pressure
Pressure is the force per unit area applied in a direction perpendicular to the surface of an object. Gauge pressure is the pressure relative to the local atmospheric or ambient pressure.- Definition :...
of the water it was holding and the concrete started cracking. The bowing was alleviated by using dynamite
Dynamite
Dynamite is an explosive material based on nitroglycerin, initially using diatomaceous earth , or another absorbent substance such as powdered shells, clay, sawdust, or wood pulp. Dynamites using organic materials such as sawdust are less stable and such use has been generally discontinued...
to blast a 13 feet (4 m) space for the excess water to spill over. The cracking was claimed to be normal because of the drying cement.
On September 30, 1911, the dam failed and destroyed the Bayless Pulp & Paper Mill as well as much of the town of Austin
Austin, Pennsylvania
Austin is a borough in Potter County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 623 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Austin is located at ....
. The damage was approximately $10 million. It also resulted in the deaths of 78 people. The paper mill and dam were subsequently rebuilt, but the mill was lost in a fire in 1933. The new dam failed in 1942 with no loss of life. The dam was not replaced after the second failure.
A documentary about the dam disaster, featuring narration by Willie Nelson
Willie Nelson
Willie Hugh Nelson is an American country music singer-songwriter, as well as an author, poet, actor, and activist. The critical success of the album Shotgun Willie , combined with the critical and commercial success of Red Headed Stranger and Stardust , made Nelson one of the most recognized...
, was created by Mansfield University of Pennsylvania
Mansfield University of Pennsylvania
Mansfield University of Pennsylvania is one of the fourteen state universities that are part of the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education. The University is accredited by the Middle States Association of Colleges and Secondary Schools, the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher...
professor Gale Largey in 1999. It includes interviews with five survivors along with original newsreel footage.
In 2011 Largey produced a 272 page book based upon over 150 news accounts from as far away as Hong Kong and Japan. Unique stories from the respective newspapers are featured as well as hundreds of original photos along with nine editorial cartoons that appeared in various newspapers. The book is of special interest not only for historians, but also reporters and photojournalists. It is a coffee-table style publication rich with images. It provides insights on the social dynamics that lead to the disaster as well as those that followed. Info at www.galelargey.com
The Dam Show
An eclectic music festival and colorful light show takes advantage of the natural amphitheater and historic significance of the dam ruins. The Potter County Fine Arts Council and the Austin Dam Memorial Association are key organizers in this event. Bands known to appear are Larry Herbstritt, The SlantThe Slant (band)
-The Slant :The Slant was an experimental, psychedelic, indie,alternative, folk/rock music group based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The group has received favorable reviews from National Public Radio and various other media outlets. The Slant used...
, Redheaded Stepchild, and The Bhuddahood.