The author drew attention to the difference in the section of the Furens
dam, Fig. 11, as compared with that of Alicante, and of Puentes, which is
similar to the latter. These two last illustrate the ancient Moorish
type, and the former that of the present day. The Gileppe dam at
Verviers, in Belgium, Fig. 14, although quite recently erected, viz.,
between the years 1869 and 1875, differs very much from the Furens type,
in so far as it is of very much larger sectional area in proportion to
its height, but this is accounted for by the desire of the engineer, M.
Bodson, to overcome the opposition to its construction, and meet the
objections and combat the fears of those whose interests--and those
serious ones, no doubt--would be affected in the event of its rupture,
the body of water stored being 2,701,687,000 gallons, or about eight
times as much as the capacity of the Furens reservoir.
In addition to this, there was another reason, which was quite sufficient
in itself to account for the extra substantiality of the dam. This
reservoir is for supplying water to the cloth factories of Verviers, on
the Belgian-German frontier. It is curved in plan to a radius of 1,640
ft., with a length of 771 ft., and the additional strength of the
structure due to so flat a curve is probably slight.
It is built of rubble masonry, with ashlar facework, laid in hydraulic
mortar.
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