THE DAM-BURST IN ITALY.
[To the Editor of the SPECTATOR.] Sllt,—In one of your recent issues you attributed the failure, of the retaining dam at Gleno, in Northern Italy, to excep- tional rainfall, thus creating in the minds of your readers apprehension as to the possible fate of numerous other hydro- electric works of a similar nature which have been constructed throughout Italy in recent years. The economic future of Italy is in a substantial measure dependent on abundance of capital becoming available for the construction of works of this nature, and the dissemination of correct ideas as to their safety is a matter of no small importance to Italians. There- fore I beg that you will kindly find room for the following brief summary of the statement made by the Italian Minister of Public Works to the Italian Senate on December 6th :-
" A concession was given for the construction of the work in question in accordance with certain designs and subject to the condition that the construction be carried out in a carefully stated manner. Subsequently the Concessionaire applied for leave to introduce alterations in the method of construction. This applica- tion was rejected, and an injunction was served on the Concessionaire prohibiting progress at the works until such time as he should have supplied further details of the variation in method of construction which he wished to introduce. Notwithstanding the service of this injunction the Concessionaire completed the work."
The inquiry as to the responsibility of the parties who dis- regarded the orders of the Public Works Department has not been closed. The Minister added that there has been no ease Of failure of any water-retaining works in Italy which were completed in accordance with the plans and specification approved by the Public Works Department.
The Corriere della Sera, of December 6th, published the statement expressed by one of the leading hydro-electric engineers in Italy that, according to the evidence, the level of the water in the artificial lake did not overtop the dam, the safety outlet proving sufficient. Therefore he attributed the disaster to defect in the method of construction adopted.
(London Representative of the British Chamber of Commerce for Italy.) 12 Nicholas Lane, London, E.C. 4.
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