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tip-wagons; the inadequacy of the overflow arrangements; and the practice of removing spoil for the embankment from the area to be flooded. This then set standards on specifics that needed to be met when constructing such large-scale structures as the Dale Dyke Dam. The Dale Dyke Dam was eventually rebuilt in 1875, but on a smaller scale. As for John Gunson, most of the blame fell on him, although the company recognised his loyalty by retaining him in its service until he died in 1886. The
Government started a Board of Inundation Commissioners to pass judgement for compensation claims against the Waterworks Company. They also arbitrated 7,500 claims for loss of life and property which totalled £455,000. All but 650 claims were settled without recourse to the arbitration process, but those 650 claims took almost six months to process. The claims registers record the claimant, their marital status and address, as well as details of the claim and the outcome, and amount awarded in compensation. They provide a unique insight into mid-Victorian Sheffield's trade and industry with claims listed for stock, tools and premises damaged and lost. The claims for furniture, clothes, books, toys and household utensils and goods help build up a picture of workers' lives at the time. A flood memorial stone marks the site of the original dam wall and footpaths to explore the area.
402:, and one of these was the scene of a dramatic collapse, in 1852, when 81 people died. John Leather and resident engineer John Gunson were working closely together during the construction of the dam. Leather designed the dam and oversaw its construction whereas Gunson directed and supervised the construction of the dam. Gunson was on site the night of the collapse and stated that there was a concerning crack in the outer slope of the embankment. Gunson convinced himself that the crack was not harmful but still took the precaution of opening up the valves on the middle of the embankment to allow more water through. This failed to prevent the crack from worsening.
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agree about the causes of the Dale Dyke collapse. They noted that even with the cracks the collapse of the whole dam was unforeseeable. The corporation had found two men who either were or were becoming president and then found five other engineers, all of whom had already been or about to become presidents of the Civils. They thought that on the basis of landslipping they would pardon the
Sheffield Waterworks Company from any carelessness and that the collapse of the Dale Dyke Dam was an unpredictable accident. They continued:
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414:, quickly set up a relief fund and help was provided for the homeless and needy. Sheffield was quickly supplied with aid wherever needed. The mayor ordered a meeting "For the purpose of considering and adopting such measures as may be deemed necessary to meet sufferings occasioned by this dreadful calamity", raising over
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As for the physical damage in
Sheffield and all the nearby areas hit in this short space of time, 238 people died and some 700 animals were drowned; 130 buildings were destroyed and 500 partially damaged; 15 bridges were swept away and six others badly damaged. The engineering profession at this time
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is a city and subdivision of South
Yorkshire, England. As the town industrialised, its population grew from 45,478 in 1801 to 185,157 in 1861. This rapid population growth resulted in greatly increased demand for water, which led to the construction of the Dale Dyke Dam for the purpose of providing a
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We are moreover of the opinion that all the arrangements made by your engineers were such as might have been reasonably expected to have proved sufficient for the purposes for which they were intended and that, if the ground beneath the bank had not moved, this work would have been as safe and as
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or landslip. Public perception, informed by the
Coroner's court and the press, saw the collapse as due to a failure in the mode of construction of the dam. The professional inquiry was conducted, and progressed to parliamentary investigations and institutional deliberations. The experts could not
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The collapse of the Dale Dyke Dam led to reforms in engineering practice. The court criticised the design and the construction of the dam. They focused on things such as the placing of the outlet pipes; the puddle wall thickness; the method by which the embankment had been built up from railway
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The broken dam was constructed much according to the ordinary practice in such works. It failed nonetheless ...That the
Bradfield dam was lamentably defective no one can doubt ... The Bradfield catastrophe, in its way, is a useful warning to the whole
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4,000. On 18 March 1864 the mayor called another meeting, but this time it was for anyone who could afford it to give up one day's wage to give to those in need. A relief committee was created, and in total over £42,000 was raised.
281:, the cause of which was never determined. The dam's failure led to reforms in engineering practice, setting standards on specifics that needed to be met when constructing such large-scale structures. The dam was rebuilt in 1875.
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March 2014 saw the 150th anniversary of the disaster. Events took place to commemorate the occasion, including an illustrated talk and exhibition at Low
Bradfield Village Hall, guided walks to the dam, memorial services at
451:, that provided both an excellent contribution to the technical press and a platform of public relations. An editorial headed "The Bradfield Reservoir" on 18 March 1864 reflected the anxiety of the moment:
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Valley to the north-west of the town, on which to build a reservoir. By the 1860s the dam and its associated works had been passed as satisfactory and it was allowed to fill with water.
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The CLOB (Centre Line of Old Bank) stone marks the location of the original (breached) dam wall. The new dam wall was built 2,000 feet (600 m) farther up the valley in 1875.
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was being filled for the first time. At least 240 people died and more than 600 houses were damaged or destroyed by the flood. The immediate cause was a crack in the
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perfect as the other five or six large reservoirs of the company which have so long supplied the town of
Sheffield and the rivers Rivelin, Loxley and Don with water.
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The company denied any problems relating to their structure and design of the dam, and believed that the cause of the crack and the collapse involved a
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Buchanan, R Angus. "Special Issue: Engineering
Disasters – 4 The Causes of the Great Sheffield Flood of 1864." History of Technology 26, (2005): 113
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Documentary film telling the story of the Great
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657:. Great Britain. Parliament. House of Commons. 1865. p. 118.
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List of disasters in Great Britain and Ireland by death toll
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more efficient source of clean water. It was created by the
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Produced by Sheffield City Council's Libraries and Archives
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and St Polycarps, Malin Bridge, and a public talk at the
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1864 flood that devastated parts of Sheffield, England
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A fortnight later, under the same title, it went on:
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Crack in embankment; cause of crack never determined
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595:"Flood of 1864 research guide"
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566:. BBC News. 11 March 2014.
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32:List of floods in Sheffield
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669:"The Dale Dyke Disaster"
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190:53°23′14″N
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349:River Don
304:Sheffield
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799:11 March
794:BBC News
758:Archived
727:Archived
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609:9 March
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