The rise continued through the night to be equal to about 14 inches per hour. At half past 4 o'clock, the water having risen 15 feet above the overfall or apron of the dam, and two or three above the earthen embankment, (which was 12 feet above the overfall,) the embankment part of the dam gave way. It was obvious from the beginning, that if the water passed over the earthen embankment, it would carry away this part of the dam and the result to be expected imme- ;

diately followed. The earth being washed away, the protection wall gave no resistance, and the earth and the heavy protection wall were all swept down the river, so as not to have left a single stone now remaining, on the section of the dam referred to.

" We have stated above, that the calculation was, that the water might rise from four to six feet above the overfall of the dam, but instead of this, it rose to about fifteen, and for

this rise the dam was not calculated ; the earthen embankment gave no protection against

such a height of water ; and the overfall was not of a capacity, although 90 feet in

length, to discharge the water which the flood brought down. There is a small waste gate in the dam of five by six feet, but hardly intended to relieve the river when in flood.

The water in part escaped through the aqueduct passing over the gates, and discharging itself, at a waste weir, near Mill River, a distance of nearly 15 miles, without any injury