EXPERT: PAPER COMPANY DAM WAS 'DOOMED TO FAIL'

Construction expert Phil Dodson of Lewisburg said the huge rocks used for 'fill' in the concrete mixture compromised the integrity of the Bayless Pulp & Paper Company dam from the time it was built in 1909.

Shortcuts in the construction process doomed the Bayless Pulp & Paper Company dam north of Austin to failure, according to a construction supervisor who recently studied the remnants of the structure.

Phil Dodson of Lewisburg, who has more then 40 years of construction experience, inspected the dam ruins over the weekend. He could see from the outset that the dam was substandard, even by the construction practices of 1909.

"It was doomed to fail," Dodson told Endeavor News. "They used too many large rocks as fill, which compromised the integrity of the concrete."

"It was no doubt quicker and cheaper to do it that way," he added. "But it reduced the strength of the dam."

Other construction shortcomings were more understandable, Dodson conceded. He said mixing of cement and other aggregates was not technically advanced in 1909.

"It was not properly mixed or properly set during construction, which is nobody's fault," Dodson said. "But I keep coming back to those large stones. They had to know that they were taking a chance by using those as building materials."

Dodson's tour came on the heels of a site study by students at Kent State University, who are working under the guidance of Dr. Abdul Shakoor, an engineering/geology professor.

That team has extracted core samples from the dam ruins to determine the construction shortcomings.

Many studies have been conducted over the years at the dam site, located north of Austin Borough off Rt. 872. Geologists and engineers have generally concluded that the dam gave way due in large part to the fact that it was poorly anchored in a subterranean base of sandstone.

On Sept. 30, 1911, the structure split apart and millions of gallons of water poured through it. The gushing torrent picked up logs and lumber from a mill located south of the dam, propelling them like battering rams through Austin and down into Costello.

Today, the ruins at the 'Austin Dam' are more than just a great photo opportunity; the site is a major attraction for thousands of visitors and the centerpiece of a growing state park.

Upwards of 80 people died in the flood. Some bodies were never recovered.

Austin gradually recovered from the tragedy by rebuilding. After litigation, the Bayless mill reopened and other industries sprung up to sustain the region.