Dale Dike Reservoir

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The Dale Dyke Dam was a dam about 8 to 10 km above the city of Sheffield in England. It was built in 1859-1864 on the River Loxley of the Sheffield Water Company and was 25.50 meters high. The reservoir behind it ( the Bradfield reservoir ) was deep up to 21 meters. The storage capacity was approximately 3 million cubic meters. The dam was 270 meters length and crown width of 12 meters.

He broke on March 11, 1864, and caused a tidal wave that Sheffield partly devastated and about 250 to 270 death toll. The flood is also known as the " Great Flood of Sheffield " ( Great Sheffield Flood ) or the "Great Flood ".

The dam was almost finished and filled for the first time. The rupture occurred during stormy weather shortly before midnight. Water splashed by the wind driven over the dam crest. First, there was only a narrow finger- wide crack on the air side. The chief engineer of the waterworks, John Gunson, examined the plan and although he thought he was safe, they wanted to lower the reservoir. With the normal drainage which would have taken days, and so they tried to blow up the dam at the overflow to generate a larger orifice. Before they succeeded, became larger the crack, a breach was formed and the dam collapsed about 23:30 clock. John Gunson just managed to escape yet.

The tidal wave crashed down the valley through Loxley and Hillsborough, then the river Don along and through the middle of Sheffield, Attercliffe and Rotherham. The tsunami destroyed 800 houses, all the bridges in the city, including the Lady 's Bridge in the city center. Bodies were later found also in more distant Mexborough.

The reservoir was almost empty running after 47 minutes.

Ten years later ( 1870-1874 ) was built further up the valley a new dam approximately 300 meters, which still exists today.