THE INQUEST
The Inquest was opened before Mr. Geo Dyson, of Halifax,
the then coroner for this division of the West Riding of Yorkshire,
on the bodies found, before a respectable jury, on the 6th
of February, and it was adjourned from time to time until
the whole of the bodies found had been seen by the jury.
On Friday, February 27th, after a sitting of five
days’ duration, the following emphatic verdict was handed
in to the coroner by the foreman, on behalf of himself and
fourteen fellow jurymen:-
We find that the deceased persons came to their deaths
by drowning, caused by the bursting of the Bilberry Reservoir.
We also find that the Bilberry Reservoir was defective
in its original construction, and that the commissioners,
the engineer, and the overlooker were greatly culpable in
not seeing to the proper regulation of the works; and we also
find that the commissioners, in permitting the Bilberry reservoir
to remain for several years in a dangerous state, with a full
knowledge thereof, and not lowering the waste pit, have been
guilty of great and culpable negligence;
and we regret that, the reservoir being under the management
of a corporation, prevent us bringing in a verdict of manslaughter,
as we are convinced that the gross and culpable negligence
of the commissioners would have subjected then to such a verdict
had they been in the position of an individual or firm.
We also hope that the Legislature will take into its most
serious consideration the propriety of making provision for
the protection of the lives and properties of her Majesty’s
subjects exposed to dangers from reservoirs placed by corporations
similar to those under the charge of the Holme Reservoir Commissioners.
The evidence of the various witnesses disclosed the existence
of so large an amount of neglect and carelessness, that the
severity of the above finding could be no matter of surprise,
indeed, it is impossible to avoid a feeling of regret that
the Commissioners could not be made legally responsible for
the heavy suffering and loss which had been entailed upon
innocent individuals through their fatal recklessness.
Of the degree of blame attached to these gentlemen a fair
estimate may be gathered from the very clear and valuable
report made by Captain Moody, the Government Inspector.
After expressing his opinion that the immediate cause of
the catastrophe was the middle portion of the embankment,
or dam being lower than the top of the waste water pit, the
gallant Captain said:-
This waste pit is designed to carry off the waste or flood
water, but the top of the embankment having sunk below the
top of the pit, and being suffered to remain so, the flood
waters had no proper or sufficient escape, but went over the
dam, which, as a necessary consequence gave way.
In the evidence before you mention has been made of a
spring, of different leaks, and defective workmanship, but
so long as the level of the dam was below the level of the
waste pit, and the flood suffered to pour over the top of
the embankment of this kind, it would give way, though there
were no springs, no leaks, and through the best quality of
puddling was to put in as watertight as possible.
It would give way, though not so simultaneously from top
to bottom; it would be slower in its operation, but still
quick enough to form a flood of terribly destructive effects
in its course.
After describing the mode of constructing reservoirs of a
similar character to the Bilberry, and pointing out, in the
formation of the dam, that the best materials only should
be used, Captain Moody said:-
In the construction of the Bilberry dam this careful selection
has not been made.
The material is similar on both sides, and loose in its
nature. The inner portion is permeable throughout; and, instead
of the part next to the puddle-dam being closely rammed, and
almost puddle in its character, a dry, open, rubble wall,
or backing, appears to have been carried up from the bottom,
on both sides of the puddle-dam, inviting the water, as it
were, to act on the whole inner surface of the puddle, and
to escape with greater ease at any leaks or fissures arising
from settlement or bad execution of the work.
In flowing over the top of the dam, the water would flow
down through this dry rubble to the very bottom, and acting
on any cavities, or porous or weak portions at that part of
the embankment, would act with immense hydraulic pressure,
in fact, on the principle of a hydraulic ram.
In the case before us you have it in evidence, that the
water, before passing over the outer surface of the dam did
pour down thus for half-an-hour, and also acting on the water
which was forcing its way through leaks and a spring at the
bottom, the dam boiled up in the centre, as the witness stated,
and burst out from the bottom, almost simultaneously with
breaking away in masses from the top.
It was thus the whole dam gave way, and the volume of
water in the reservoir burst forth at once.
Referring to the spring stated to have been discovered in
the trench under the embankment, Captain Moody referred to
the fact proved in evidence, that it was not led away by any
of the usual and necessary modes, but
That very objectionable plans were resorted to in the
hope of choking it up, or ‘weighting it down.’
But it was not to be ‘weighted down;’ it rose as the work
rose, materially infusing the lower portion of the puddle,
making it weak and bad, of a nature easily to be worked away
with the water of the spring, as the latter forced itself
through the outer part of the embankment like a little rill
of water issuing from the foot.
At times this rill was clear, and at times muddy and yellow.
The muddiness varied with the head of water in the reservoir.
To the weak nature of the puddle at the base, and the
washing away from time to time by the continuous run of water
from the spring under the bottom of it, the great settlement
of the puddle dam in the centre to be attributed, a settlement
which continued to go on during the construction, and after
the dam had been raised to the height required in the specification.
Of late years the settling down appears to have gradually
ceased; doubtless the soft puddle had been nearly all squeezed
out, and then would probably commence a different mode of
action, leaks increasing in size, and unequal settlements
causing fractures.
Captain Moody concluded his observations with this emphatic
warning to the inhabitants of Holmfirth:-
In this neighbourhood there are many mountain reservoirs
receiving floods of waters, impounded by lofty dams; pray
don’t look upon them and treat them like mill-dams or fish-ponds.
They are engines of mighty force, strong in aid of your
industry to augment your wealth, and terrible in their power
to destroy if mismanaged or neglected.
The fact must be indelibly impressed on the minds of all
the dwellers in Holmfirth.
At the conclusion of the gallant Captain’s observations the
audience broke out into a general buzz of approbation.
 
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