Water-Supply and Irrigation Paper No. 105 Series N, Water Power, 7 

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR 

UNITED STATES GEOLOGICAL SURVEY 

CHARLES D. WALCOTT, DIRECTOR 

THE 

WATER POvVERS OF TEXAS 

BY 

THOMAS U. TAYLOR 

. . . . . . . . . .·· · .. ··. : .. · ....... :. : . : . . . . : . :: . · ..... :: . · .. : : .. · .. : ... · .. : · ... : . ·. : .. 

WASHINGTON 

. :···. ::·· ·.: .. . . . . .. . . .. . . . . . . . . ~ 

GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE 

1904 

: :. ·. : ·: :. : ·: · ... : . ::··.:·.:.·.:· .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 
. ·.. .. : . .. . ·. . ........ . ... :: .. ::::::-: .. : ... 

... . ... . . . . . . . . .. : :. · ...................... . . .. . . .. . . ...... . . . . . .. . . . . . ·: .. : :. ·. .· : :. : : . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . .. . .. . · .. · .. : : : .. . . .. : •.· .· : ... · .. . 
CONTENTS. 

Letter of transmittaL __________ . _ . _ ... ____________________________ .- ..... . 

Introduction. _____ .. ___ . _______ . __ ... ____ .. __ ... _____ . _______ . ___ ....... . 

Rio Grande __ .... _ .. ______________ .. _________ . ___ . _ . ____ . ____ . __ ........ . 

Trans-Pecos streatns ___ . ___ . _ . __ . __ . ___ .. _ .... ___ . _______ . _ . _ . _ . _ . - .. - --.-

Toyah Creek. __ .... _____ . _ . _ .... ____ . _ ............. __ . _______ - - . - - - - -

Hackberry Springs . ___ ... _. ___________ . ____ ... ___ . __________ . ___ . ___ . 

Comanche Creek ____ ... ___ . ___________ .. ___ . ______ . __ .. _____________ _ 

Santa Rosa Spring._._._ .. ______ .... _. ____ . _________ . _. _______ . _ .. __ . _ 

Pecos River_._. _______ .. _._. ______ . ________ .. _______________ ._. _____ ._. __ 

!)evils River _ . ____ .... _ . __ . _ . _____ .. _ . _ . ______ . _ .. _______ . ______________ _ 

San Felipe Creek .. _______ ... ________ ... _. ____ . _ ... _. _____ .. _ .... _. __ . ___ _ 

Las Moras Creek . _ ... _____ .... ____ .. __________ . ___ . ___ .. __________ . _____ _ 

N ueces River _ . _ .. ___ . ___ . ____ ... __ . ________ . _ . ____ .. __ . _____ . _ . __ .. ____ . 

Leona River __ . _ . _________ .... ____ . __________ .. ________________ . _ . ___ . _ . _ 

Hog Creek._. _______ . ____ .. ___ .. ____ . ____ . ___ . ___ .. _. ______ . __ - .. -.-. 

San Antonio River_. ____ . ___ . ____________ ... _ .... ______ . _. _. _. _ .......... . 

J\fedina River . __ . _____ .. _ .. ________ .... _ ..... _ . ____________ . _ . - - - - - - -

Guadalupe River ____ . ___ . ______ .. __ .. ____ . __ .... __ . _________ ._ .. __ .. ___ ._ 

Cotnal River._._. ______________ . ___ . ____ . __ . ___ . __ . __ :. ________ . ___ ._ 

San 2\Iarcos River _____________ . _. _. _____ .. ___ . ______________________ _ 

Layaca RiYer ___ . _. _· ____ . _____ .. _. _. ___ . _. __ . _. ______________ . _____ . _. __ . _ 

Colorado River (in Texas) . ____ . ___ . ____ . _____ . _ . _ . _ . __ . ___ . ____ . ____ . _ . __ 

Dam at Austin _. _. ____ _ .: ____ . _. ___ . _. __ . __ ... ____ . ___________ ...... _ 

Power development at Columbus __ . ______ ._._ .. _________________ . ___ ._ 

Concho River _____ . ______ . _. _. ___ . ____ . ______ . ___ . ______________ . ___ _ 

San Saba River .. _______ . ____ . _____________ . ____________ ._ ..... ______ _ 

Llano River_. ___ ._ .... _____ . _____ . ___ . __ .. _________ . _________________ _ 

Cherokee Crt>e k _ . _____ . ____________ . __ . ___ . _____ ...... _ . _ . _ . ______ . __ 

Brazos Ri vt•r _ .. ___ . ___ . _____________ .. _______ . __ .. ____ . ___ .. _____ . ___ . __ _ 

Clear Fork of Brazm;_ ____ .. __ .. _. __ . ___________ . ________ ....... ______ _ 

Paluxy Rivt>r . _________ ... _. ___ .. _ .. ______ . ____ . ________ .. __________ _ 

Bosque RiYer __ . _______ . ___ . _. __________ . ___ ....... ___ . _. ___ . __ .... _. 

Leon River _ ..... _ .... ______ . _ . ________ .. _ . _ ... _ .. ___ . __ . ____ .... _ . _ . 

Lampasas River _________ ... ____ ._._ .. _ ..... _ ...... _____ . ___ ...... -.. _ 

Salado River . __ ... __ .. ______ . _ . _ .. __ . __ . __ ...... _ . _ . _ . _ .. _ .. _ ....... . 

San Gabriel Riyer __ . __ ...... ____ . _. __ ..... __ ........ _. __ . __ ....... __ _ 

Navasota River ________ ...... _._ ... __ .... _ ... _ ....... _._._ ... ____ ._._. 

San Jacinto River ___ . ___ . _ ... _____ . ___ . _. __ .. ____ .. __ .... _ .. _ ... _ .. __ ... . 

Trinity River ... _ . _ _ _ _ _ . ___ .. ___ . _ . _ _ _ _ ___ .. ___ .. __ . _____ . ___ .. ___ .... . 

Clear Fork of Trinity _____ .. ____ . _. ______________________ . _. __ ...... __ 

White Rock Creek ..... _ . _ .. ____ .. _ . ______ . _ .. ____ .... __ . ___ . _ .. _____ _ 

J\!Iill Creek .. ___ .......... _ .... _ . _ .. _ ...... _ . _ ........... -..... - .. -.. -

Big Elkhart Creek. _ ..... ___ . _ . _ . _ ... __ ... _ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . --... -.. 

Boggy Creek .•• ------------------------------------------------------ 3 

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4 CONTENTS. 

Neches River _______________________ . ___________________________________ _ 

Mill Branch _________ . ________ . _________ . ________________ . __________ _ 

Pedro Creek _ . ___ . ______ . ___________________________________________ _ 

Dove Creek ________________________________________ . _ . _____ .. ______ .. 

Big Ironosa Creek . ___ .. _________ . ___ ..... _____ .. _____ .. _ . ____ . _ . ____ _ 

Ayish Bayou ... ________ .. ____ . _. _. __ . _____ ... _____________ . ____ . __ . _. 

Mill Creek (Sabine County) ____ ... _____ .. ______ .. _________ . ___ . _____ _ 

Indian Creek ________ . ___ . __ . _____ .. ___________ .. _ . ____ .. ___________ _ 

Sandy Creek (Jasper County) ______ . ___ ... ____ . _______ . ______ . _______ . 

Front Creek __ . __ . ____ .. _ _ _ _ _ ........... __ .... ___ . _ ............ __ . _. 

Russell Creek . _______ .. ________ ... __ . __ .. _ . ___ . _____________________ _ 

Billum Creek. ____ . ___ ... ___ .... _. ____ . __ ...... ___ ... __ .. _ .. _________ _ 

Spring Creek ____ . _ . ______ ...... ___ . _ . _____ . _______ .. __ .. _ . __ . _______ _ 

'V olf Creek _ . _____ . _______ .. __ . __ .. ________ . _ . __ . __ . ____ . ___________ _ 

Cowpen Creek . ____ .... __ .... ___ .. __ . _ .. __ .... __ . ___ . __ . _______ . ____ _ 

Mill Creek (Tyler County)_. _______ .. ____ . _____ .. ___ .. __________ .. ___ _ 

Thonevin Creek . __ . _____ .. _ .. __ . ____ . _ .. ____ . ________ . ___ . ____ ... ___ _ 

.Mill Creek (Polk County) _. ______ . ________ . _______________ . _________ _ 

Don ble Branch Creek ____ . _______ . ________ .. _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ ___________ _ 

Kimball Creek ____ . ____ . ___ .. _._~_. ___ . __ . ____ . _____ . ______ . ________ _ 

Big Creek _______ . __ - . __ . _______ ... _ . ___ .. __ ... ____ ... ___ ... ________ . __ 

Marshall Creek _____ . ______ .. __ ... ___ . _ .. _ ..... ____ . _ . _ ..... ___ ... __ _ 

Sandy Creek (Polk County) .... _. ___ ~_ .... __ ..... _. ___ ... _ ... _. ______ . 

:Ed"·ards Creek _. __ ......... _ ... _. __ . _. __ . _ ... __ .... _ ...... ___ .. __ .. . Sabine River_ . __________ . _____________ . _____ . ____ .. ____ .. _________ ... ___ . 

Little Sandy Creek_ ..... _ .. _ ..... _ .......... ____ . _ .... _ ... ____ .. ____ . 

Big Sandy Creek. _______ . __ ... ____ ... ___ . ___________ . ____ . ________ . __ 

Greenstremn Creek ___ .............. _ ........... _ ................ ____ _ 

Benton Creek ..... __ .... _ ................................. __ .... ____ . 

Neal Creek_ . ___ .... _ _ _ _ _ .... __ ..... _ ...... _ .... ____ . ___ ... ___ ... ___ .. 

Sandy Bayou __ .... ___ ... __ ... _ .... __ .......... _ ....... _ . ___ .... _ . ___ . 

Tenaha Creek ___ .. ___ ... __ ... _. __ ... __ .. ___ .... __ .... __ ._. _____ . ____ _ 

Clear Creek ___ .... _ ................................................ __ 

Hunter Creek. ___ . __ ......... _ .. _ ..... _ .... _ ...... _ ....... __ .... ____ . 

Big Cow Creek. __ . ____ . __ ... _ . _ . __ . _ .. _ .... _ .... _ ..... _ ... _ . ___ . ____ . 

Little Cow Creek .. _ .... _ ........ _ . __ . _ ... ___ ..... __ .. __ .. _. _. _. ____ .. 

Lyons Creek. ___ .. _. ___ . __ .. _ ..... _ ...... __ .. _. _ ......... ____ ... ____ _ 

Millum Creek. __ .. ___ ._. __ ................................ _ ..... _._ .. 

l\lill Creek .. __ .... __ ................................................ . Caney Creek ____ . _ ~ ________ . _______ . ________ . ______ . ___ . _ .. __ . ______ _ 

Thickety Creek . _ . _______ ... __ ...... _ .... _ ..... _ .. _ ......... _ .. __ . _ .. 

·whiteoak Creek .. __ ... _ ... _ ... _. _ ....... -..... -........... _ ..... __ .. . 

Everett Creek ___ .. __ . _ .. _ .. ___ . __ .. __ ... _ ...... ___ ... __ .. _____ . _____ _ 

Sn1ith Creek. __ ... ___ .. _ ...... __ ... __ ......... : .............. __ .... _. Red River~_. __ . ___ ... ______ . ____ ._._. ______________ . __ .. _______________ _ 

Pease River. ___ ... _ .. __ ........ _ ... _ ..... _ ...................... _ ... . 

'Vichita River ____ ... __ . __ ._._._ .. _ .... _ .. _ ... _ ... __ ... _ ..... __ ... __ .. 

Cypress and Sulphur rivers .. _ ... _ ..... _ ... _ .... _ ..... __ .... ___ .... _ .. 

Canadian River .. ___ .. _ ............ __ .. _ ....................... _ .... _ ... . 

Progress in hydraulic po,ver development. ....................... ____ ..... . Appendix _ .. _ .. __ . ____________ ....... ______ . ____ . ___ . _____ . _____ . __ . _ .. . 

Index ____ .. _ . _ .. __ ... __ . _ ......... --......... -.. -.... --.. --- -.. ---------

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ILLUSTRATIONS. 

Page. 

PLATE I. A, TempleCanyon, Rio Grande; B, ScenealongNuecesRiverwest of 

Cotulla _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ 12 

II. Flume of Barstow Irrigation Company, Pecos River ________ .. __ ... 16 

III. Pecos Canyon at Moorhead __________________ ...... ______ .... . . . . 18 

IV. Dam on San Felipe Creek, Del Rio. ______________________ --.-.... 20 

V. Dam in park at San Antonio ______ . _______________________ . _ _ _ _ _ 24 

VI. A, "'\Vaterworks dam at Kerrville; B, Clemens dam at New Braunfels. 26 

VII. Erskine Falls, near Seguin _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ 28 

VIII. Buchel dam, near Cuero _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ . _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ 30 

IX. A, Waste weir at Landa's mill, New Braunfels; B, "'\Yhcel pit at 

Landa's mill, New Braunfels ____________ ,_____________________ 32 

X. View at San Marcos, shov,dng power plant and end of lake _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ 36 

XI. A, Kickapoo Spring, Tom (ireen County; B, Dam on Pecan Bayou, at 

Brown wood_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ 42 

XII. A, Austin dam, from the east; B, Flood over Austin dam, June, 1899. 48 

XIII. A, Broken dam at Austin, from east end; B, Power house and dam 

at Austin, from west._______ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ 54 

XIV. Ben Ficklin Falls, on South Concho River __ . ______ . ______ ._______ 64 

XV. A, Dam at Llano; B, Swenson's dam and power house at Clifton._._ 66 

XVI. A, Marlins Falls, on Brazos River; B, Bradley dam, near Lampasas. 72 

XVII. A, Dam and race of electric plant, Lampasas; B, Donovan dam near Lampasas _______ . ________ . _. _. _________________________ . _ _ _ _ _ 78 

Fw. 1. Discharge of Pecos River at Pecos, 1899 _____________ . __ . _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ 16 

2. Discharge of Pecos River at Pecos, 1900 _________________ . _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ 17 

3. Discharge of Pecos River at Pecos, 1901. _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ 17 

4. Discharge of Pel·os River at Pecos, 1902 _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ 18 

5. Discharge .of Pecos River at Pecos, 1903. __________________ . ___ . _ _ _ _ 18 

6. Map of San Antonio River near San Antonio ______ . _________ .______ 25 

7. Section of Guadalupe River near Uuero ____ · ______ ------------------ 31 

8. Map of New Braunfels ______ . _______ . ___ .. _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ :33 

H. Map of watershed of Colorado River above Austin._________________ 41 

10. Cross sections of Austin dam __ . _____ . ____ .________________________ 44 

11. Saddle used in construction of Austin dam _______ . __________ . ___ . _ _ 45 

12. Discharge of Colorado River at Austin, 1896. _. ___ . _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ 49 

13. Discharge of Colorado River at Austin, 1897 _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ 49 

14. Discharge of Colorado River at Austin, 1898. _____ . ___________ . _ _ _ _ _ 50 

15. Discharge of Colorado Riyer at Austin, 1899. ___ . ___ . __________ . _. _ _ 50 

16. Discharge of Colorado River at Austin, 1900. _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ 51 

17. Discharge of Colorado River at Austin, 1901. _____ . _. ____________ ~ _ _ 51 

18. Discharge of Colorado River at Austin, 1902 _____ . ______ ... _. _ ... _. _ 52 

19. Discharge of Colorado River at Austin, 1H03 ..... __ . _. _ .. _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ 52 

20. Plan of broken dam at Austin ________ . ______ ..... ____ ._. __ . ______ . 53 

5 
6 ILLUSTRATIONS. 

FIG. 21. Fanning's illustration of flow of water over Austin dam ..... __ . _. _ .. 

22. Plan of power house aud penstocks at Austin dam ____ .. _ ... _ ...... . 

23. Foster's suggested eross section for rebuilding Austin dam._ ..... ___ _ 

24. Cross section of Colorado River at Columbus ... ________ . ____ . _ ..... . 

25. Cross section of Brazos River at Waco .. _ ...... _____ . _. _ ... _ ..... _. 

26. Discharge of Brazos River at Waco, 1899 _. _. _ ......... _ .. _. _ ...... . 

27. Discharge of Brazos River at Waco, 1900 _. __ .. ___ . _ ..... __ ...... _ .. 

2R. Discharge of Brazos River at Waco, 1901 ___ ... _ ... _ ... _____ . _ .. _ .. _ 

2H. Discharge of Brazos River at Waeo, 1902 _. ___ . __ ... __ ..... _ ..... __ _ 

:10. Discharge of Brazos River at Waco, 1903 __ ..... ____ ..... _. _ ... ____ _ 

31. Cross seetion of Brazos River at Richmond .... ___ .... __ .. ___ .. ____ _ 

32. Cross section of Trinity River at Riverside_ ... ____ . ___ . ____ ._._ .... 

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LETTER OF TRANSMITTAL. 

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR, 

UNITED STATES GEOLOGICAL SURVEY, 

HYDROGRAPHIC BRANCH, 

Washington, D. a, Febnwry lJ, 1904. 

SIR: I have the honor to transmit herewith a manuscript on the 

water powers of Texas, by Thomas U. Taylor, for publication in 

the series of Water-Supply and Irrigation Papers. \Vith the manuscript are also transmitted illustrations and photographs. 

The paper contains a resume of such data regarding water powers 

in the State of Texas a~ are at present available. It is believed to be 

of general interest, and of especial importance to that portion of the 

country. 

Very respectfully, F. H. NEWELL, 

Chief Engineer. 

Hon. CHARLES D. V'l ALCOTT, 

Directm· United States Geological Survey. 

7 

THE WATER PO,iVERS OF TEXAS. 

By THOMAS u. TAYLOR. 

INTRODUCTION. 

Water develops energ-y by virtue of its weight and the amount of 

its vertical fall. The amount of work done by a force of P pounds 

acting through a distance of h feet is Ph foot-pounds. If it h; assumed 

that the weight of 1 cuhic foot of water is 62.5 pounds, and that the 

flow of a stream is Q cubic ft'et per second, and that it fall:-; an effective 

vertical di:-;tance of h feet, the work it does is 62.5 Qh foot-pounds. 

In defining power much larger units than the foot-pound arc used. 

The unit in most common use is the horsepower, which is equal to 

550 foot-pounds per second. The mill power is variously defined. It 

is expresst:'d by a certain discharge in cubic feet per second (Q) under 

a head h feet. Merriman gives at Lowell Q=30, h=25, 85.2 theoretic 

horsepower; at Minneapolis, Q=30, h=22, 75 theoretic horsepower; 

at Holyoke, Q=38, h=20. 

If the flow in cubic feet per second (Q) and the fall in feet (h) are 

known, the work ( \V) that can he done per second by the total flow 

can be found from the following: 

'V = 62.5 Qh foot-pounds. 

To reduce this to horsepower divide by 550. 

Horsepower = 62· 

5 Qh =~_g.~ > 550 44 . 

No machine can develop all of the power in the water on account of 

frictional resistances. Machines develop only a certain fraction of the 

theoretic power, called the efficiency of the machine. A first-class 

turbine can develop four-fifths, or 80 per cent, of the theoretic power. 

Then 

5 Qh 4 Qh Horsepower-= ---- X--=~ 44 5 11. (A) 

Rule: To find the horsepower that can be developed under favorable 

conditions, multiply the flow in cubic feet per second (Q) by the effective head (h), and divide the result by 11. 

9 
10 WATER POWERS OF TEXAS. (NO. 105. 

If the flow is given in gallons per minute, which is often the case, 

let G =gallons per minute. As each gallon weighs 8-:\- pounds, the 

work in foot-pounds per minute will be given by 

\:V = G X 8t X h foot-pounds. 

25 Gh 4 Gh 

Horsepower = ~{X- 33000 X 5 = 4950 · 

Gh Horsepower= 5000 nearly. (B) 

For an cfficiene~T of three-fourths, the last formula becomes 

Gh Horsel-)0,-.-'er = -- (C) "J 5280" 

It often happens that for easy transmission the water power is converted first into electric energy and then transmitted to the locality 

where it is needed. One horsepower is equal to 7 46 watts, the unit of 

work in elcctrie measurements. 

One kilowatt equals 7B7 foot-pounds pPr second. 

One kilowatt= ~~~ X 1 horsepowm· =~horsepower, nearly. 

Substituting this yahw in (A) and (B) 've have 

3 Qh Kilowatts= ----::j:4" 

For an efficiency of 78 per eent: 

l

-.-.1 Qh "-1 owatts = 15. 

(D) 

(E) 

Water power is most economically used in connection with an auxiliary steam plant. The power to be generated by water should be fixed 

at the amount the ordinary low flow will produce, and a steam plant 

should be installed for use when the flo\~ of the stream sinks below the 

ordinary low stage. The ordinary low flow of a stream may be 150 

second-feet, which should he the basis for estimating its power value, 

while the lowPst flow in extremely dry years may be 20 second-feet or 

less. The value of a farm is based on the ordinary efficiency in producing crops, not upon an extreme drought. Steam as a helper to 

water power is becoming more and more a commercial factor. The 

most important fuels used in Texa:::; on a large scale at present are the 

lignites, bituminous coal, and oil. Their values as power generators 

should be known. 

The cheapest coal fuel, as the results of the Rapid Transit Railway 

of Austin have so far shown, is the Rockdale lignite, the cost of which 

is about 48 per cent of that of the McAlester coal. The cost of Beaumont oil is about 60 per cent of that of bituminous coal which 

would produce the same results. The most elaborate and scientific 

experiments to determine the value of Beaumont oil as a fuel were 
TAYLOR.] INTRODUCTION. 11 

made by Prof .• J. E. Denton, of Steven~ Institute of Technology. 

The conclusions read1ed are set forth as follows: a 

Specific gravity [of oil], 0. 920. 

Flash point, 142° ·F. 

Burning point, 181° F. 

Calorific value per pound, by oxygen calorimeter, 19,060 B. T. U. 

The net evaporation ranged from 1-L 74 to 15.16 pounds of water per pound of oil. 

* * * Consequently, for the two higher horsepowers the net evaporation of 14.8 

pounds of water per pound of oil may be con:;;idcred to represent the bef'lt economy 

that is to be expt:'ded from the use of oil as a fuel with steam-jet burners. 

The combustion of the oil hy tht~ burner was practically perfect. The boiler utilized 

about 78 per cent of the heat of the fuel, which represents the best average boiler 

practice, aiHl the percentage of stt>am (·onsunw(l by the lmrners is a minimum for 

steam-jet burners. 

The emporation from and at 212° F. per pouwl of [buckwheat] coal [anthracite] 

was 9.17 and 8. H4 pounds of watt>r for 93 and 119 horsepower. The coal afforded 11.6 

per cent of ash and 14,680 B. T. F. p<'r pound nf combustible when hnrne(l in oxygen 

in a calorimeter. 

* * * * * * 

Ratio of nil to ('oal = 1;)· 1 = 1.1!5. 

H.17 

Number of barrelR nf oil equivalent to 2,240 pounds of [anthradte] coal, 4.23. 

* * * * * * * 

For producing horsepower upon the commonly guaranteed basis of 1 horsepo,ver 

to 10 square feet of heating Anrface and with an average percentage of moisture and 

ash in the coal: 

Evaporation per pound of \\·et coal from and at 212°, 8.75 ponndR. 

Ket evaporation per pound of oil from and at 212°, 14.8. 

Ifatio of oil to coal = 14·

8 = 1.69. 8.75 

Number of barrels of oil equivalent to 2,240 pounds of coal, 4.12. 

In comparison w_ith the bituminous coals mined west of Ohio and 

used in southwestern States the results are as follows: 

Pounds evaporation per pound of wet coal, 7.5. 

Pounds evaporation per pound of Beaumont oil, 14.8. 

R t

• 14.8 1 II'"" aw7 = .ul. .5 

Three and fifty-four hundredths barrels of oil are equi,,alent to 2,240 

pounds of coal. 

The McAlester coal used in Texas is about equal to the bituminous 

coal referred to above. The Beaumont oil was sold to the city of 

Austin at 50 cents per barrel delivered, while McAlester coal cost 

wholesale about $5 per ton. The 3t barrels of oil were obtained for 

$1.75, against $5 for an equivalent amount of coal. 

The Texas streams will be considered in order from west to east. In 

addition to the main streams 'vest of Colorado River there are at 

u Engineering :'\ews, vol. 47, 1902, p. 80. 
12 WATER POWERS OF TEXAS. [NO.l05. 

least twenty streams which rise in springs and which constitute oneof 

the most potential factors in the water supply and power. These 

springs oeeur for the mot-lt part in the Edwards Plateau, the most 

notable exceptions being tho8e at Fort Stockton, Santa Lucia, and at 

the head of Toyah Creek in trans-Pecos Texas. 

The water-power development in many localities is as yet in a very 

crude state, but there are many plants that have been built upon 

scientific principles where modern machinery is used and where a consequent high efficiency is obtained. A large percentage of the plants 

in existence at present are confined to the Guadalupe, the Colorado, 

and the Brazos and their tributaries. Guadalupe River easily takes 

rank as the most effective power-generating stream in the State. On 

the Neches and Sabine and their tributaries are more power plants 

than on the rivers farther west, but these plants generally consist of 

small mills of 6 to 30 horsepower which are used for ginning cotton, 

sawing lumber, or grinding corn. In eastern Texas the country is 

heavily wooded, and is traversed by many small streams which are 

for the most part tributaries of the Sabine or Neches and which are 

not 8nbject to sudden fluctuations in height. The water is held back 

by the coating of leaves and flow8 off gradually; as a consequence 

there is little occa:..;ion for shutting do\vn on account of low water. 

In western Texas the power plants are larger, but the streams are subject to sudden rises and fall8. This is e8pecially characteristic of the 

streams that flow through the mountain:.; of Edwards Plateau, such as 

the Colorado, the Guadalupe, and the Nueces. 11" 

RIO GRANDE. 

The International (\Vater) Boundary Commission established gaging 

stations at different pointi'l along the Rio Grande in May, 1900. The 

results of these measurements are given below. As the data for the 

year 1900 are incomplete they are omitted. 

Discharge, in second-fed, of Rio Orw1de. 

AT FORT HANCOCK. 

Year. -~1\Iaxim~Im. 1 Minimum. [ Mean. 

I 

lHOl __ ... _______ . ____________ . _ ..... _ .....• ___ . __ . 2, 710 0 I 

-~- --------------'----

ABOVE PRESIDIO. 

~:~~: : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : :: ----1 ,_ :RO- : : : : : : : : : :1_ ----2~~ ~03 .... ~-~~~~~=--~~-~~-------- ----~~---~:_6,600 o 1 532 
U. 5, GEOLOGICAL SURVEY WATER·SUPPLY PAPER NO. 105 PL. I 

A . TEMP LE CANYON. R IO GRANDE, TEXAS. 

B. SCENE ALONG NUECES RIVER , WEST OF COTULLA, TEX. 
TAYLOR.) RIO GRANDE. 

Discharge, in second-feet, of Rio Grande-Continued. 

BELOW MOUTH OF COKCHOS, NEAR PRESIDIO. 

-------

Year. 

1801 - - -- - - -- - - - --- - - -- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - --- -

1902 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - . - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - . - -

1903.--------------. -----.---------------- --------

AT LANGTRY. 

Maximum. 

5,690 

45,000 

8,960 

1901.--- ---- -------------------- ---- ------ -------- 14, 700 

1902- --- - - - - - - - - - - - - -- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -- - - - - - -- - 38, 200 

1903.--------------------------------------------- 18, 000 

KEAR DEVILS RIVER 

AT EAGLE PASS. 

34,280 

35,500 

28,180 

I 

1901.--------------------------------------- -·----- 21, 460 ! 

1902------------ ------------------------------.--- 32, 000 

1903 - - - - -- - -- -- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - . - - - - - - - - . - - - - - - - - - - -i 4 7' 400 i 

I 

TRANS-PECOS STREA~IS. 

TOYAH CREEK. 

:Minimum. I 

I 

20 

10 

105 

BiO I 

2851 

5:)0 

1, 620 

1,240 

1,330 

1,600 

1,260 

1,640 

13 

Mean. 

778 

2, 109 

1,441 

1, 388 

2,449 

1,838 

3,008 

;), 745 

3, 155 

3, 176 

3,831 

4,010 

Toyah Creek ri~es in t;prings about 40 miles southwest of Pecos. 

These springs are mainly in section 256, patented by the State of 

Texas to Antonio BalL They arc in a fiat valley hemmed in by a 

horseshoe curve of the Davis :\Iountains. About 3 miles to the northwest is Phantom Lake. The large~t of the Toyah springs is oval 

shaped, about 100 feet long by 60 feet broad. Its water level is 

influenced by the weeds and long grass which grow in it and by the 

atmosphere. As measured on September 5, 1900, the entire discharge 

was 46 second-feet. A large percentage of the water is deflected into 

the ditch of the Toyah Creek Irrigation Company. The flow of the 

spring is equal to about 8 h<:'ads--a head being defined as the amount 

of water flowing through an opening 1 foot square, the upper edge of 

which is 4: inches below tho 'vator surface. There is a tradition that 

the flow once amounted to 12 heads, but this is doubted. The springs 

are about an eighth of a mile east of the post-office at Toyah. 
14 WATRR POWERS OF TEXAS. [NO. 105. 

India (Brogado post-office) is about 4 miles below the springs, and 

Saragossa is 9 miles below the head t;pring. Both of these places 

are on the right bank of the creek. The total discharge of the main 

spring, as measured on ~July 21, 1904, was 46 second-feet. About 100 

yards north of the main spring (sometimes known as St. Solomons) 

there are two other springs, situated on the premises of G. "\V. Griffith; 

their joint flow is 8 second-feet. 

For several miles the creek skirts the foothills of the Davis Mountains, and, in addition to the well-known springs mentioned, it is fed 

by small invisible springs and by seepage. It empties into Toyah 

Lake, a large flat depression charged with alkali~ about 35 miles from 

Toyah and about 12 miles south of Pecos. 

Toyah Lake covers about 1,200 acres at low stages, the water 

varying in depth to about 6 feet in the deepest part. On the west, 

south, and east the vegetation grows close down to the water's edge, 

while on the north a sandy beach stretches between the water and 

the bluffs. The water of the lake is i'lalty and contains sufficient alkali 

to be decidedly bitter to the taste. In hot summer days when the 

wind is brisk evaporation so affects the temperature of the lake that 

a bath of long duration becomes rather uncomfortable. 

About one-eighth mile below the head spring the cotton gin of G. W. 

Donaldson is located, on a mill race that leads the water from the main 

spring to the gin, where the pmver is developed by a 20-inch Leffel 

turbine under a 10-foot head. The plant consists of an 80-saw gin. 

During the winter, spring, and- summer the water is deflected from 

the race into Toyah Creek proper. 

A half-mile above Saragossa, on the main Saragossa ditch, is the 

Clements grain and flour mill, a building constructed of adobe and 

timber, where there is a fall of 12 feet. Fifteen horsepower is developed by a 35-inch Leffel turbine. The mill was rebuilt in 1893 and 

now grinds both corn and wheat. The flow of the ditch is usually 

about 35 second-feet, only 25 of which is utilized for power purposes. 

HACKBERRY SPRINGS. 

About two miles northwest of Toyah Lake a series of springs 

occur on the prairie in a tnle flat which extends in rather irregular 

lines southeast from the head springs. :Maj. T. H. Bomar has found 

that the water level of the upper springs is 27 feet above the low 

level of Toyah Lake and is at exactly the same elevation as the top 

of the rail of the Texat:l and Pacific Railroad at Pecos, which is 2,581 

feet above mean low tide. The largest of these springs, at the northwest end of the tule fiat, consists of a large trumpet-like hole some 

20 feet in diameter. The water has a strong sulphur taste, but is 

exc~llent. for stock. '\Vhen visited in July, 1904, the flow through a 

ditch some 6 feet wide which had been excavated to drain the upper 
TAYLOR.) TR.A.NS-l'ECOS STREA:c\'IS. 15 

springs was 2.2 second-feet. These springs are natural artesian wells 

and the water is of the same nature a8 that of an artesian well between 

Toyah Lake and the springs. 

COMANCHE CREEK. 

Comanche Creek rises at Fort Stockton and has long been important 

as an irrigating stream. In appearance, character, and almost constant 

flow it resem hles the big springs that form the San :Marcos, San Felipe, 

and Comal. Its flow in 1899 wa8 found to be 66 second-feet. The 

stream feeds four irrigation ditches, upon one of which (the Rooney) 

is located a water-power gin of 70 saws. The fall is 10 feet, and the 

power is generated by a 24-inch turbine. It is estimated that 10 horsepower is developed. The flow of the creek one-half mile below the 

court-house, as measured on ~T uly 26, 1904, was 64 second-feet. 

Near Barstow there arc two water-power plant8 on the irrigating 

ditches of the Barstow Irrigation Company. The8e arc used to operate 

the gins of Briggs & Dyer and George E. Briggs. The former is on 

lateral No. 1 and has a head of 6. 24 feet. The energy is developed by 

a 36-inch Leffel turbin<', and 30 horsepower is easily developed by the 

flow of water in the lateral. This, as measured in January, 1902, was 

54 second-feet. The Briggs gin is on lateral No. 3 and has a head of 

7.5 feet on the 36-inch Leffel turbine, and 26 horsepower can be developed by the ordinary flo·w of 40 second-feet. 

SANTA ROSA SPRING. 

Near the post-office of 8anta Lucia, in Pecos County, the Santa 

Rosa Spring rises out of the mesquite prairie in a bold, almost constant, stream of 4 second-feet capacity. Its waters are utilized in the 

irrigation of the farms of Levi Scott and Thomas L. Ray, the postoffice at Santa Lucia being located on the Ray farm. 

PECOS IUVER. 

Pecos River rises in the mountains of New .1\Iexico and flows in a 

general southerly course through southeastern New :Mexico and western Texas. Before its waters were controlled or arrested by dams in 

New 1\'Iexico, at Roswell and Carlsbad, it had the most constant flow 

of all the riven-3 in Texas. At present thc.ordinary flow of the river 

can be diverted into Lake Avalon at Carlsbad, N. Mex. The flow in 

the Texas portion mu.st be accumulated from .springs and seepage from 

the irrigated farms below Carlsbad. The first dam in Texas across the 

Pecos is located 9 mile8 abon~ the town of Pecot; and 80 miles below 

the dam at Lake Avalon. The dam at this point belongs to the Barstow 

Irrigation Company and serves to detlert the water into the canals.. The 

United States Geological Survey has maintained a gaging station at the 

flume since September, 1898. The flume is 3 miles helow the dam and 
16 WATER POWl::RS OF TEXAS. [NO. 105. 

6 miles above Pecos. The minimum flow of the river at the flume is 20 

second-feet. Measurements taken on three days in April, 1900, gave 

the following results: 

Discharge, 1·n second-feet, of Pecos River and flume of Barstuu• Irrigation Company in 1900. 

--------------------- -- ------

---------I-A-p-ri-12_2_·1 April26.1 April30. 

~~~:e ~~ ~~~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~I 21 I 20 II 21 

115 ! 118 106 

West Valley ditch ____________________________________ _ 12 , 10 I 18 

Total __________________________________________ _ H8, 

I 

J.-18 145 

It win· be noted that the lowest flow of the Pecos yet recorded at 

Pecos is 8 second-feet. Pl. II shows the flume at the gaging station 

at Pecos, Tex. Figs. 1, 2, 3, 4, ancl 5 show the flow of the Pecos at 

Pecos, below the flume, for the years 1899, 1900, 1901, 1902, and 1903. 

Se c,-ft, JAN. FEB. MAR. APR. MAY JUNE JULY AUG. SEPT. OCT. NOV. DEC. 

1,600 10 20 10 20 10 20 10 20 10 20 10 20 10 20 10 20 10 20 10 20 10 20 10 20 

1,400 

1,200 

1.000 

" 

BOO 

600 I I 

400 l 

=•~~ _I- ~- I 

.. l II.. I j 1._ 

FIG. 1.-Discharge of Pecos River at Pecos, 1899. 

These are the lowest measurements ever recorded of the river below 

the l\fargueretta dam. There is at the dam a minimum flow of a little 

less than 150 second-feet, and it would not be safe to calculate on more 

than this. Between Pecos and Great Falls there are no tributary 

~::;treams, and this low flow of 8 second-feet would be of little value for 

water power or j rrigation purposes. There are two other dams across 

the Pecos in the vicinity of the Great Falls. These belong to the Pecos 
U. S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY WATER-SUPPLY PAPER NO. 105 PL. II 

FLUME OF BARSTOW IRRIGATION COMPANY, PECOS RIVER, TEXAS. 

Carried away by flood, October 5, 1904. 
TAYLOR.] PECOS RIVER. 17 

Irrigation Company and the Grand Falls Irrigation Company, whose 

ditches are on the west and east sides of the river, respectively. The 

Sec.-ft. JAN. FEB. MAR. APR. MAY JUNE JULY AUG. SEPT. OCT. NOV. DEC. 

1020 1020 10201020 1020 1020 10201020 1020 1020 1020 1020 

FIG. 2.-Discharge of Pecos River at Pecos, 1900. 

FEB. MAR, APR, MAY JUNE JULY AUG, SEPT. 

1 0 20 1 0 20 1 0 20 1 0 20 1 0 20 1 0 20 1 0 20 1 0 20 

FIG. 3.-Discharge of Pecos River at Pecos, 1901. 

DEC. 

10 20 

efficiency of the former has fallen lamentably short of anticipations, 

chiefly on account of the use of the water in New JHcxico and at 

IRR 105-04--2 
18 WATER POWERS OF TEXAS. (NO. 105. 

Barstow, Tex. In fact, the Pecos Irrigation Company has done very 

little work for years. 

Bec,-ft, FEB. MAR. APR. MAY JUNE JULY SEPT. OCT. NOV. DEC. 

1,ov•Jr~~-1~0_2TO-r1~0_2TO-r~10~20~~10~20~~10~2~0~10~2-0~~~~1~0~2~0~1~0~2~0~1~0~2~0~1~0~2~0~ 

Bee 

3 

2 

,.ft. 

,200 

,800 

2 ,400 

2 ,000 

,600 

?no 

800 

JAN. FEB. 

10 20 10 20 

FIG. 4.-Discharge of Pecos River at Pecos, 1902. 

MAR. APR. MAY JUNE JULY AUG. SEPT. 

10 20 10 20 10 20 10 20 10 20 10 20 10 20 

~-. I 

I • ll 

FIG. 5.-Discharge of Pecos River at Pecos, 1903. 

OCT. NOV. DEC. 

10 20 10 20 10 20 

There formerly existed a water-power plant on Pecos River near 

the post-office of Grand Falls, but it has been transferred to one 
U. S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY WATER-SUPPLY PAPER NO. 105 PL. Ill 

PECOS CANYON AT MOORHEAD, TEX. 
TAYLOR.] PECOS AND DEVILS RIVERS. "19 

of the ditches of the Grand Falls Irrigation and Power Company. At 

present this plant consists of a 48-inch turbine working under a head 

of 10 feet, and operating an 80-saw cotton gin. a 

From the Texas State line to a point near old Fort Lancaster, in 

Crockett County, the river flows through a rich alluvial soil. It is 

the most sinuous river in Texas. Above Pecos there is hardly a mile 

in which the river does not flow in all directions. 

Near Fort Lancaster it enters the canyon, which gradually deepens 

until the river reaches the Rio Grande. The only use of the water so far 

has been for stock. At Moorhead, Tex., at the crossing of the Southern Pacific Hailroad, the low-water level is 321 feet below the top of 

the rails on the bridge. The flow of the river at this place was measured by J. D. Dillard during 1900 for the Boundary Commission. 

(See Pl. III; also appendix, p. 107.) 

Discharge, in second-feet, of Pecos River at ~Moorhead. 

_________ Y_e_a_r._ Maximum. I Minimum. 

190 l - - - --- - -- --. - --- - - - - --- --- - -- --- ----- -- - - ----- 9' 200 : 160 

1902 - - - - - - - . - . - - - - - - - - . - - - - - - - - - - - - - - . - - - - - - - - - - - - 11' 100 

1908. -- . -- - - - - - ----- - - - --- - --- ---- . - ---- - - - -- --- -- 2, 140 

Discharge, in second-feet, of Pecos River at Pecos. 

----------Y-ea_r_. ---------1 Maximum. 

1899 - - - - -- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -- - - -- - -. -- - - - -- •· - - - - - - - - --

1900.---------------------------------------------

'1901.----------------------------------------"----

1902 - - - --- -- - - - - - ----- ---- -- - - - - - . -- - --- - -- - . - - - --

1,040 

2,680 

840 

4,400 

1908- . ----------------.---------------------------I 2, 640 

DEVILS RIVER. 

210 

170 

Minimum. 

15 

20 

16 

15 

8 

Mean. 

630 

578 

408 

Mean. 

90 

340 

440 

204 

191 

Devils River is an illustration of the effect of the large springs of 

the Edwards Plateau. The river rises in Pecan Spring, about 45 

miles north of the mouth and about 60 miles from Del Rio. This 

spring is on the old mail route from San Antonio to El Paso, which 

followed the course of the springs on the southern edge of the plateau. 

The river is only about 50 miles long, and yet, of all the rivers of 

Texas, it has the largest minimum flow. This, as determined by semiweekly measurements, 1900 to 1903, is slightly over 380 second-feet. 

a Since the above was written the Dixie Irrigation Company has built a dam across the Pecos 20 

miles above the town of that name, and has deflected the waters of the river into a canal built on 

the west bank on the location of the old Highland canal. 
20 WATER POWERS OF TEXAS. 

Discharge, in second-feet, of Devils River at Devils River station. 

Year. . I .. J\Iax1mum. I Minimum. ' 

::~::::. ··:: :: .. ::::::::::: .. ::.::::.:.:::: .. ::::. 

s4o 1 

5, 380 1 

10,400 I 

48o 

1

' 

380 

380 I 

[NO. 105. 

Mean. 

---

627 

490 

587 

The flow of this dver could readily be utilized in irrigating vast 

tracts of land east of Del Rio. It would he necessary to cont;truct a 

dam across the river above the railroad bridge and convey the water 

from the lake thus formed to the irrigated lands by pipe lin0s to 

prevent seepage. The water is clear as crystal and forms a strong 

contrast to the turbid water of the Rio Grande. 

Pecos and Devils rivers unite with the Rio Grande within 25 miles 

of each other, and their waters serve to make the flow of the Rio 

Grande below Del Rio more constant and commercially valuable. 

The lowest flow at Eagle Pass during 1901 was found to be 1,800 

second-feet. Half of this amount 'vould irrigate for ordinary crops 

200,000 acres of land, and for rice in the lower and flatter country 

near Brownsville it would readily be sufficient for half of the whole 

rice crop of Texas for 1901. 

S.AN FELIPE CREEK. 

San Felipe Creek, which skirts the extreme eastern limits of Del 

Rio, rises from large springs a little over a mile southeast of the town. 

The flow of these springs is utilized in the magnificent irrigation system 

between the town and the Rio Grande and for one power plant. The 

total flow of the stream was as follows: In 1895,99 second-feet; in 1889, 

113 second-feet; in 1900, 149 second-feet; in 1901, 150 second-feet; in 

1902, 115 second-feet; and in March, 1904, 118 second-feet. There is 

installed on San Felipe Creek an electric-light and ice plant, the power 

for which is obtained solely from the rlow of the creek. The dam 

(Pl. IV) is constructed of rubble limestone masonry, is somewhat over 

100 feet long, about 10 feet high, and is built with a portion straight 

across the stream and the remainder curving downstream, thus forming the race between the portion of the dam next the power house 

and the bank of the stream itself. The cross section is approximately 

trapezoidal in shape, measuring 3 feet on top, about 10 feet at the 

base, and averaging 12 feet in height. It is built on solid limestone. 

The head obtained by this dam is practically constant and amounts to 

10 feet. The machinery consists of a vVarren 30-kilowatt alternating 

dynamo and a 6-ton ice machine, which are run by 44-inch Lefl'el turbines, the one operating the ice machine giving 20 horsepower with 

the gate partly open, and the one operating the dynamo g-iving 30 
U. S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY WATER-SUPPLY PAPER NO. 105 PL. IV 

DAM ON SAN FELIPE CREEK, DEL RIO, TEX. 
TAYLOR.) LAS MORAS CREEK AND NUECES RIVER. 21 

horsepower with a full gate opening. The turbine that operates the 

icc machine runs only fourteen houn; a day in the summer only, and 

the electric-light turbine fourteen hours per day the year round. A 

50-horsepower emergency engine is also installed in the power house, 

but has never been used. 

T.~AS MORAS CREEK. 

Las Morat-:~ Creek rises in a large spring in the town of Brackett, 

Kinney County~ and emptiPs into the Rio Grande about 25 miles above 

Eagle Pass. It has had a variable flow since measurements have been 

made. In December, 1895, C. C. Babb found a discharge of 21 secondfeet. The flow in June, 1899, W3S 60 second-feet at Mulligans Bend, 

one-fourth mile below the court-house; in September, 1900, the discharge was 51 second-feet; in September, 1902, two carefully checked 

measurements gave a discharge of 11 second-feet, and on March 14, 

1904, the discharge was 28 second-feet. 

On June 14, 1898, occurred the biggest flood in the history of Kinney 

County. This flood extended over the country between Spofford and 

Del Rio. Las Moras l\1ountains, about 4 miles a little east of north 

from Brackett, form a crescent in which Brackett and Fort Clark 

(separated from the former by Las Moras Creek) are situated, and all 

the deprP-ssions and dry streams from the mountains converge toward 

Brackett. From 11.30 p.m. on June 13,1899, to about 6 a.m. on June 

14 there was a total rainfall of 18 inches in the neighborhood. By 5 

a.m. of the 14th the water had reached a depth of 7.4 feet in the courthouse, 6. 7 feet in the storehouse of Roach & Co., 9.6 feet in the Terrell Hotel, and 12.1 feet in the street in front of the hotel. The main 

channel of Las Moras Creek between Brackett and Fort Clark was 

at flood height, while the draw that runs into it at Mulligans Bend 

was flooded to a depth of 30 feet. The lowland between Brackett and 

Spofford Junction was flooded for miles, and the tracks and roadbed 

uf the Southern Pacific Railroad were badly damaged. 

In l\'Iarch, 1900, another flood occurred at Brackett, but the damage 

was slight, the water being 9.5 feet lower than during the flood of 

1899. Ji..,ormer floods occurred on May 28, 1880, and in October, 1881. 

During the 1880 flood the water flooded the stores in Brackett and 

caused great d~,mage. In October, 1881, the rainfall that caused the 

flood was 14.2 inches. 

NUECES RIVER. 

The two main forks of Nueees River rb;e in Edwards County, Tex., 

and flow south through the rugged mountains of the Edwards Plateau, 

uniting 14 miles above Uvalde and about 6 miles above the crossing of 

the Southern Pacific Railroad. On their way through the mountains 

both branches are fed by springs, and from a point 12 miles south of 

Rock Springs to their junction there is a constant flow. Near the 
22 WATER POWERS OF TEXAS. [No.l05. 

junetion of the two forks the usual flow sinks into the gravel beds, 

occasionally reappearing in big clear pools at points where the gravel 

has been washed off the hard limestone bed-roek bottom. Four or 5 

miles below the railroad bridge flowing water again appears, as along 

its lowland course the stream is fed by numerous ~prings. The 

water of the Nueces is used in the mountains for irrigation. The 

farm of J. H. Ethridge, Montell, Uvalde County, is a type of irrigated 

farms. The ditch is known as the Casa Blanca irrigation and mill 

ditch and was constructed in 1893. It is 2t miles long and from 2 to 

7 feet deep. 

LEONA RIVER. 

The flow of Leona River at Uvalde was so irregular for several 

years that close observations have been kept upon it. Leona Spring 

is situated in the suburbs of Uvalde. It was dry in 1885, but soon 

after revived and continued to flow till 1893, when it ceased to flow 

and has remained dry since. In 1893 a pumping station for the city 

water supply was located on the banks of the Leona near the spring, 

but it soon became necessary to rely on well water, and the plant \Vas 

moved to its present site, 150 yards from the court-house. At this 

station a pit was excavated to a depth of 24: feet, and the pumps were 

placed at the bottom, and a well 4 by 7 feet was sunk 16 feet deep 

from the bottom of the pit, or to a depth of 4:0 feet from the surface. 

From this well water was pumped into the standpipe. At first the 

water rose to within 35 feet of the surface, but in December, 1897, it 

was noticed that the supply was failing. The water level continuing to 

sink, in May, 1898, a second pit, 10 by 10 by 9 feet deep, was excavated in 

the main pit, and a well was bored to a depth of 63 feet below the surface. The pumps were then placed in this last pit, at a depth of 33 

feet from the surface. In January, 1899, the water level had fallen so 

low that three wells were bored in the pit to a depth of 98 feet below 

the ground surface. In June, ] ~99, after the heavy rains over southwest Texas, which resulted in the Brackett flood, the water was stand~ 

ing at the 93-foot level and was slowly rising. In June, 1900, the 

water level had risen to within 35 feet of the surface, or within 2 feet 

of the pumps, and it was standing at this level on March 15, 1904. 

Between Leona Spring and the_ brickyard crossing on the road from 

Uvalde to Pearsall there are several small springs, the largest of which 

is :Mulberry Spring. In 1895 C. C. Babb found a discharge of 11 

second-feet at the brickyard crossing. In June, 1~99, there was no 

flow at this crossing, and in September, 1900, there was a discharge of 

5 second-feet, and on March H>, 1904, 22 second-feet. 

Near Cotulla the waters of the N ueces are used largely for the 

numerous irrigation plants. The water is pumped from the river by 

gasoline engines under a head of about 30 feet and is used largely in 
TAYLOR.] SAN ANTONIO RIVER. 23 

the irrigation of Bermuda onions. A full description of these irrigation plants will be found in \V ater-Supply Paper No. 71. 

Pl. I, B (p. 12), is a view of N ueces River west of Cotulla. 

HOG CREEK. 

The water of Hog Creek, Uvalde County, is used to run the corn 

mill of J. J. \Vyatt. A dirt dam 30 feet long deflects the water into 

the race, which conveys it to the penstocks, 1 foot square and 20 feet . 

high. An undershot wheel 6 feet in diameter generates 4 horsepower. 

SAN ANTONIO RIVER. 

San Antonio River rise~ about 3 miles north of the mission of San 

Fernando, which is the geographic center of the city. To better 

control and utilize the water of the San Antonio, two canals, an upper 

and a lower, were constructed in 1878 and 1881. A power house was 

built on each canal, called, respectively, the upper and the lower 

power house. The fall at the upper power house is about 7 feet, and 

that at the lower 12, while that at Guenther's upper and lower mills is 

3!- feet and 6 feet, respectively. 

San Antonio River became so low in 1896 that the water power was 

abandoned. Previous to this, in 1895, an auxiliary steam plant of 130 

horsepower was installed at the lower power house. The water at 

these power stations was pumped from artesian wells-one 12.inch 

well being located at the upper station and one 12-inch and three 

8-inch wells being located at the lower power house. In 1891 a steam 

and electric power plant was constructed on the banks of the river 

near Commerce street, at which there are four 8-inch and four 12-inch 

wells. An indication of the stage of the underground water can be 

obtained from the water level in the standpipes at the waterworks on 

Commerce street and at the lower power house. The artesian wells at 

these works are connected to standpipes about 50 feet high. The following table shows the heights to which the water rose: 
24 WATER POWERS OF TEXAS. [NO, 105. 

Height above rumps of water in well8 at San Antonio. 

Commerce street. Upper power house. 

Date. Height. Date. Height. 

May, 1893--------------------

Decem her 6, 1897 _ ............ . 

April, 1898--------------------

April29, 1900-----------------

:May 1, 1900 ................. .. 

:May 5, 1900 .. ___ .. ________ .. __ 

May 9, 1900 ___ . _ .. _____ . __ .. __ 

May 22, 1900 ________ . _______ __ 

Feet. I 

42.10 I Januarv 1, H)OO ______________ _ ;I • 

33.80 ! February 1, 1900 ________ ------

31. 60 J\Iarch 1, 1900 .... __ .-- ........ 1 

43.00 April1, 1900 .. ____________ .. __ : 

44. 10 May 1, 1900 __ . _________ .. ___ _ 

4.5. 10 May 24, 1900 .... ____ .. __ . ___ _ 

46.20 June 1, 1900 _________________ _ 

47.10 .July 1, 1900 ------------------~ 

August I, 1900 ________________ 1 

Septem her 8, 1900 __ . ______ ... _ 

October I, 1900 ____________ .. .. 

~oyember 1, 1900 .. ___ ....... _ 

Feet. 

1. 80 

6. 76 

13. 76 

13.77 

15.57 

18. 74 

17.99 

14.65 

12. 76 

12.10 

11.47 

11.38 

Deeemberl, 1900 -------------! 10.51 

The San Pedro is a small stream, of about 9 second-feet capacity, 

that rises in San Pedro Park and flows into San Antonio River within 

the city limits. About 1895 San Antonio River began to fail, and 

by the latter part of 1897 the flow above the city bad entirely ceased. 

The following table shows the decrease in the flow: 

Dischol'ge, in second-feet, of San Antonio River and San Pedro Creek. -~~~-----··~~--~ ···--

Date. San Pedro[ S;_m Ayto-! Total 1 

Locality. Creek. i mo RIVer. 1 . · ~~--1 ----

9 i 40 i 49 Canal .. __ .. 

------· 

December, 1895 .. _. _ .. __ _ 

November, 1896 ...... _. _. 12 29 41 · ..... do ____ _ 

December, 1897 ________ ...... __________ .. 

March, 1898 .. _ .. _. _ .. ___ .. _. _____ . __ .. __ _ 

June, 1899 _. __ . ______ . __ . _. __ . _ .. __ . _. __ _ 

' ' 

September, 1900 .......... -------- ........ 1 

September 19, 1900 .... _. _ 9 94 [ 

October 31, 1901 ---------~-------- --------[ 

March 16, 1904 ..... ______ 9 65[ - - ------·-·~--

11 Hot wells . _ 

9 ..... do . ___ _ 

10 ..... (10 ------

125 ____ .do _____ _ I 

103 . Canal ______ _ I 

41 1 Hot ·wells . __ I 7 4 [ ..... do _____ _ 

I Hydrographer. 

C. C. Babb. 

Do. 

T. U. Taylor. 

Do. 

Do. 

Do. 

Do. 

Do. 

Do. 

There are four power plants on San Antonio River within the city 

limits: (1) The upper power bouse, fed by upper canal, where the head 

is 7 feet; (2) the lower power house, fed also by a canal, where the fall 

is 12 feet; (3) Guenther's upper mill, where the fall is 3! feet, and 

(4) Guenther's lower mill, where the fall is 6 feet. Pl. V gives a view 

of the dam in the park at San Antonio. The fall from the upper power 

house to the lower Guenther's mill is 44.7 feet, according to a survey 
U. S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY WATER - SUPPLY PAPER NO. 105 PL. V 

DAM IN PARK AT SAN ANTON 10, TEX. 
TAYLOR.] SAN ANTONIO RIVER. 25 

made some years ago. Fig. 6 is a map of San Antonio River, showing fall. The upper power house is not used on account of lack of 

water. Its equipment consisted of two Risdon turbines, 43 and 60 inches in 

diameter, with vents of 220 

and 425 square inches. The 

lower power house has one 

Hercules 33-inch doublecapacity turbine and one 

43- inch single- capacity 

Risdon turbine. At present the water is held back 

in the big canal above the 

lower power house for 

twelve hours and then used 

for twelve hours through 

the wheel with gate one 

third open. That there is 

an intimate connection between the artesian wells and 

the river has been conclusi,TelyprmTed. Afewyears 

ago a series of stakes were 

driven in the still waters of 

the head lake and the height 

of the water marked thereon. The artesian wells 

were then all turned on 

and let run for twenty-four 

hours. The level of the 

water in the head lake or 

pond of the river had fallen 

2! inches. The wells were 

then checked and in about 

one day the water in the 

head lake was at its former 

level. Then, again, the artesian wells were by survey 

connected in a system of 

levels. An excavation was 

made on the land of the 

observer below the water 

line. It was possible by 

E/ev. rail 

A zoo.oort. rt. B /93.60n 6.40" 

c /92.97 11 .. 63" 

D 178.77" 14.20" 

E 17.3.1/" 5.66" 

F 172.75" .36" 

G 164.05" 8.70" 

H 163.87" ./8" 

I 183.09" .84" 

J /6/.48" 1.55" 

K /60.82.!' .66" 

L 160.26" 56" 

M 154.65" 5.61" 

N 148.88" 5.77" 

0 144.64" 4.24" 

p 137.95" 6.69" 

Q 128.62" 9 33" 

R 122.12" 6.50" 

s 92.62" 29.50" 

s 

FIG. 6.-Map of San Antonio River near San Antonio. 

observing the height of water in this hole to obtain the height of water 

in any artesian well in the city. 
26 WATER POWERS OF TEXAS. [NO. 105. 

MEDINA RIVER. 

Medina River rises in the southern part of Kerr County, flows 

southeast through the towns of lVledina and Bandera, in the eastern part 

of Bandera County, thence south by the town of Castroville, Medina 

County, thence southeast through Bexar County to its junction with San 

Antonio River at a point 16 miles south of San Antonio. The river 

has a small reliable flow in the mountains in Bandera County, but in 

the counties of lV1edina and Bexar it often ceases to flow. 

At Castroville ~Joseph Courand has erected a stone dam across 

Medina River. The dam is 250 feet long, 8 feet high, with an effective fall of 8 feet. The power generated by a 35-inch Leffel turbine is 

used to operate a gin and mill. The Medina often stops flowing during 

the dry seasons, and an auxiliary steam plant is used during periods 

of no flow. 

GUADALUPE RIVER. 

Guadalupe River rises in the south-central part of the State, flows 

southeast, and empties into San Antonio Bay. It is the best power 

stream in Texas, although its drainage area above Cuero is only 5,100 

square miles. Its efficiency is due almost entirely to the Comal, which 

flows into it at New Braunfel8, and which has a minimum flow of 320 

second-feet. 

First-class modern power plants are located on Guadalupe River at 

Seguin and Cuero, the. latter being somewhat similar in construction 

to the Clemens dam on Comal River. These dams have successfully 

withstood the floods of the Guadalupe for several years. At New 

BraunfelR a dam with a fall of 11 or 12 feet could be located below 

the International and Great Northern Railroad bridge that would 

easily generate 340 horsepower at minimum and 450 horsepower at 

ordinary ~tages. The fall of the Uomal is so slight below the highway bridge (north of the court-house) that a dam below its mouth 

should not back water above that point. 

At Klein Falls, on the Guadalupe, 2 miles below the International 

and Great Northern Railroad bridge, there is an excellent site, with a 

good rock foundation, for a dam. The fall from the railroad bridge 

to the pool below Klein Falls is 15 feet, and it would be entirely 

feasible to construct a dam with an effective head of 25 feet just above 

the falls. A minimum of 750 horsepower could thus be obtained. 

During the summer of 1902 the discharge of the Guadalupe was the 

lowest ever observed, forcing 6 power plants above New Braunfels 

to shut down or. run on short time. The flow at this time was so 

low that special efforts were made to obtain measurements at several 

points. The following measurements were made in 1902 on the 

Guadalupe above New Braunfels: 
U. S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY WATER·SUPPLY PAPER NO. 105 PL. VI 

,J. WATERWORKS DAM AT KERRVILL E, TEX. 

H. CLEMENS DAM AT NEW BRAUNFELS, TEX. 
TAYLOR.) GUADALUPE RIVER. 27 

Discharge, 'in .~ecund-jeet, of Guadabtpe River al,ove New Brauufels in 1902. 

------------ - ~---;---~~----~-~---~---

_____ ""''· _ __ -I . . :"ffi.tion. . . I J'i<eha<~ August 26 _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Two n:ules north of New Braunfels ______________ , 13 

28 _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Walhalla __________________________ -- - _ - - --- - --I 11 

28_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Six miles above New Braunfels_--_- __ ---------- _

1

, 9 

29 _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Comfort _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ 7 

I 

Above New Braunfels there are five dams on the Guadalupe that 

develop power, namely, the Hherman dam, at Ingram; the Schreiner 

dam, at Kerrville; the dam of the Kerrville Roller Mills; the 'Vitt 

dam, at Centerpoint, and the Flach dam, at Comfort. 

Three miles above Ingram is the first dam on the Guadalupe. The 

power plant belongs to ~John Sherman, and is used for grinding, sawing, and ginning. The dam is 7 feet high and is constructed of cedar 

and cypres:s and weighted with stone. The foundation is a ledge 2 

feet high, upon the crest of which the dam is located, giving it a fall 

in all of 9 feet. The power is developed by a 42-inch Leffel turbine, 

which is usually operated with the gate one-third open. The dam is 300 

. feet long and was built in 1892. At Ingram there is another excellent 

site for a power plant that has never been utilized. 

Two miles above Kerrville Charles Schreiner, in 1900, erected a 

wooden dam across the Guadalupe. The length of the dam is about 

100 feet and its maximum height is 3 feet. It is constructed of cedar 

and cypress plank, and rests on rock. The effective head is 10 feet 

and the power is developed by one 30-inch Victor turbine, which is 

usually run with the gates one-fourth open. The vent is 300 square 

inches, and it is estimated that 50 horsepower can be developed. This 

would require a discharge of 55 second-feet. The dam deflects the 

water into a race about 300 feet long on the north side of the river. 

The banks of the river on the south side are low, while those on the 

north immediately adjacent to the stream are low and flat for a distance 

of 150 feet. Next the bluff there is a low gap through which the race 

was carried. The bluff constituted one side of the race, and the south 

side had to be built of framework of vertical cedar posts, to which 

stout cypress planks were spiked, constituting a water-tight fence. 

At Kerrville a dam has been constructed by erecting 12 by 12 inch 

cypress posts in the rock bed of the river and thoroughly filling the 

hole around the foot of the posts with cement. On Pl. VI, A, is shown 

a view of the waterworks dam at Kerrville. Instead of bracing the 

posts from below to withstand the thrust of the water, an iron tension 

rod is attached to the posts and to an anchor bolt in the rock above 

the dam. The upper face of the dam is formed of thick cypress lum-

: : ::. :. . ::.:. ·. : :. ·. :. . :: . . :. : . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. .. . .... ... ······=····· .. ·.·:·.·:··.: .. . . . . . . .. . . .. . . . ... : : : .· ·. : :. ·.: • • • • .... : ·- ._. ! -

: :. ·.: ·: :. : .. ~ : . . .. . . . . . . . . . .. : . . . . . . . . 
28 WATER POWERS OF TEXAS. [No. 105. 

her, spiked to the 12 by 12 inch post;-;. The dam gives an average 

head of 7 ~ feet on the two Leffel turbines of 4± and ±8 inchel:l diameter. 

The 4±-inch turbine is generally operated with full opening and the 

48-inch wheel with three-fourths. They have vents of 300 and 260 · 

square inches, respectively. An auxiliary steam plant of 45 horsepower is used for operating the electric plant. 

At Centerpoint a wooden dam was built across the Guadalupe in 

1895. It is 300 :feet long and 7 :feet high and cost about $2,000. The 

plant is owned by \V. H. \Vitt & Co., and th~ power is utilized to 

opera.te the roller mills. The effective head is 9 feet, and the power 

is generated by one 48-inch Leffel turbine, which is generally operated 

with a gate opening of two-thirds. It is possible with this wheel to 

develop 40 horsepower, which would require, with an efficiency of 80 

per cent, a 'Tenting of 49 second-feet. 

The power plant at Comfort, 12 miles from Kerrville, is owned and 

operated by E. Flach. The power is used in the Comfort Roller 1\-lills, 

an electric-light plant, and a cotton gin. The dam is made of cedar log 

pens, filled with rock, brush, and clay. It was built in 1881, is 150 

feet long and about 5 feet high. The head is 11 feet on an average, 

reaching 12 as a maximum and 10 as a minimum. The energy is generated by two Leffel turbines, 35 and 40 inches in diameter, having 

vents of 180 and 137 square inches, respectively. The horsepower 

developed is estimated at 40 and 30, and this would require, with an 

efficiency of 80 per cent, a flow of 40 second-feet through the larger 

and 30 through the smaller. The plant has an auxilia.ry steam plant of 

75 horsepmver for use in periods of low flow. 

Adolph Dittmar has a plant on Guadalupe River 5 miles below New 

Braunfeh;. There is a natural dam of soft calcareous material at this 

point, with a fall of 5 feet. The plant consists of a 42-inch Risdon 

turbine and a duplex \Vorthington pump of 14-inch piston diameter 

and lOt-inch stroke. The intake pipe is 12 inches in diameter and 

about 8 feet long; the discharge pipe is 10 inches in diameter and 750 

feet long. The lift is 42 feet, and it is intended to sell the surplus 

water to neighbors for irrigation purposes. 

Herman Dittmar has a similar plant 1 mile farther down the river. 

He also has a natuml dam with a fall of 6 feet. His plant consists of 

an undershot wheel 12 feet in diameter and 12 feet long and a centrifugal pump with a ±-ineh suction pipe and 3-inch discharge. He 

pumps through 18 feet o£ intake and 100 feet of discharge pipe, the 

lift being 32 feet. This plant was built in 1901. Water will be sold 

for irrigation purposes. 

Below the crossing of the Southern Pacific Railroad, Koehler & 

Blumberg have utilized a natural fall in the Guadalupe to develop 

power by use of a 72-inch Leffel turbine. By artificial means the fall 

ha$ lJe~n-JneP.~R"~d:tb'.7iee\. 'f.heh~wer is used in operating a gin . . . . . . . . . . . . : . . . . . . .. ::··.·.·:·: .. •.· .. :·.···· ......... . . . ... . ...... . . . . .. . . . . . .. ·.. . . . ..... . 

.. .. : 

. . . . . . . .. . . . .. . ·.: . : ·. : .. : : : .. . . . .. . . . . .. .. ... . . . . . . 
U. S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY WATER-SUPPLY PAPER NO. 105 PL. VII 

ERSKINE FALLS, NEAR SEGUIN, TEX. 
TAYLOR.] GUADALUPE RIVER. 29 

during the cotton season. At the lowest stages of the river this fall 

could easily develop 200 horsepower. 

The plant of the Reguin J\1illing and Power Company is located at 

Erskine Falls (Pl. VII), 4 miles west of Seguin and 1 mile below the 

bridge of the Southern Pacific Railroad. The irregular crest of the 

natural dam has been made horizontal by the use of cement concrete. 

The crest of the present dam crosses the river in a zigzag line, and 

the surplus water at low stages is allowed to pass over its southern 

end. Power is generated by three 50-inch Samson-Leffel turbines 

under a head of 12 feet. These turbines connect to one horizontal 

shaft and can be operated together or separately. There are eight 

double stand rolls with a joint capaeity of 200 barrels of flour per day. 

The elevator has a capacity of 35,000 bushels of wheat. The cottongin section is equipped with four 70-saw gins, and in addition to these 

machines a grist mill is operated. 

At Seguin arc two water-power plants, one at each end of the dam. 

At the south end of the dam is located the electric-light power house 

and gin and mill owned by Troell & Sons. The dam is partially a 

natural formation, of irregular section and plan, and was raised 1!- feet 

by dumping cemented gravel on the crest. The head obtained is 7!-

feet and the turbines used are one 6H-inch New Success wheel, which 

gives 135 horsepower, and one 54-inch Alcott wheel, which gives 40 

horsepower. The mill runs sixteen hours a day and the electriclight plant fourteen hours. At the north end of this dam is located 

the pumping machinery of the Seguin "\Vaterworks Company. The 

head is 7t feet, the same as at the south end, and the water wheels 

consist of one 54-inch Leffel turbine, which generates 40 horsepmver, 

and one 56-inch turbine, which generates 50 horsepower. This latter 

turbine operates a pump that has a capacity of 625,000 gallons per 

twenty-four hours and that supplies the town at present. The 

smaller turbine operates a pump that has a capacity of 378,640 

gallons per twenty-four hours and that is used during the summer 

months only. 

The Troell power plant operates an irrigated farm of 300 acres. 

The crops raised consist mostly of truck, small grain, and corn. 

The Ran Marcos joins the waters of the Guadalupe a short distance 

above Gonzalc:-<, 42 miles below New Braunfels. At Gonzales a 

timber and stone dam, 148 feet long, with a fal1 of 9 feet, luts been 

constructed, and the power is used in running the gin and gristmill 

of Smith & Lowery, the electric-light plant, and the pump for the 

waterworks. The dam was built in 1891 and 1892, and the power is 

developed by two 60-ineh, one 72-inch, and one 66-inch turbines. The 

ordinary minimum flow at this dam is slightly in excess of 450 secondfeet, and the capacity of the plant is reliably 400 horsepower with all 

the feeding streams at their minimum flow. 
30 W .ATER POWERS OF TEXAS. (NO. 105. 

Forty miles below Gonzales and 3 miles north of Cuero is the Buchel 

dam. The dam proper (Pl. VIII) is a solid limestone structure, 

weighing 140 pounds per cubic foot, its foundations and fillings being 

of concrete made from gravel~ sand, and cement. A stratum of very 

tough clay, 30 feet thick, afforded an excellent foundation. The clay 

was removed to a depth of 5 or 6 feet and a foundation of concrete, 25 

feet wide, laid; then come courses of stone on the upstream and downstream sides of the river, every course being set back until the lowwater line, 15 feet from the base, is reached, where the dam has a 

width of 21 feet; the middle being filled with layers of concrete. 

From this line each layer of stone is set back on the downstream side, 

so that the top of the dam, 10 feet above the ]ow-water line, is 6 feet 

wide. The total length over all is 220 feet. According to surveys 

made upstream, it is found that from 3 to 4 feet may be added to this 

dam without affecting seriously the low bottom lands upstream and 

subjecting them to more than usual danger or damage by overflo"\Vs. 

By doing this an increase of from 40 to 100 per cent in power can be 

gained. The dam was begun December 1, 1896, and finished March 1, 

1898.' The stone was obtained from the quarries at Van Raub, 26 

miles northwest of San Antonio. There were used in the construction of the dam and penstocks 1~9 carloads of limestone, 31 carloads 

of cement, 5,200 cubic yards of gravel and sand, 9 carloads of cypress 

timber, 370 cypress piles (20 to 30 feet long), 26 carloads of brick, and 

2 carloads of iron columns and shapes. 

The abutment to the dam on the west side is in the shape of a T. 

Next to the east bank are the penstocks, of the open type, built of 

cypress timber. They are of ample size, arranged to accommodate 

six turbines of sufficient capacity to utilize all the water of this stream 

whenever there is a demand for the power. At present only two 

54-inch vertical turbines of 163 horsepower capacity each, under a 

10-foot head, are installed. The entire fore bay and wheel pits are 

floored with a layer of conerete 12 inches thick, and the penstocks are 

held up by 29 east-iron piers and two sets of I beams weighing 360 

pounds per yard, all resting on concrete foundations. Upon this bank, 

whid1 is encircled by a briek wall backed by pier.'::l of concrete, is situated the power house, 28 feet above the crest of the dam. The 

~umping machinery for irrigating purposes is driven by a shaft 7 

inches in diameter, making 94 revolutions per minute. The power 

house is 80 feet long by 38 feet wide. One-half of this building, 

excavated to a level of 15 feet above the fore-bay water (about 16 

feet above the crest of dam), is used for a pump room. The pump 

for irrigating purposes is of the duplex piston type, made by the 

Laidlow-Dunn-Gordon Company, of Cincinnati, and its capacity is 
U. S. GFOLOGICAL SURVEY WATER-SUPPLY PAPER NO. 105 PL. VIII 

BUCHEL DAM, NEAR CUERO, TEX. 
TAYLOR.l GUADALUPE RIVER. 31 

r,stimated at 3,472 gallons per second (463 second-feet) under a normal 

speed. The suction pipe is 20 inches in diameter and the discharge 

18 inches. The water is pumped into a rectangular reservoir which 

has a capacity of 2,000,000 cubiu feet and which is about 300 feet 

from the dam. From the reservoir two pipes 3 feet in diameter lead 

into the irrigating ditches. Various crops, such as alfalfa, cotton, 

cabbage, etc., and, in 1900, 35 acres of rice, \Vere tried. About 60 

pounds per acre were sowed from April 15 to 1\fay 1. The yield was 

7! barrels per acre, and was readily sold for $3.50 per barrel f. o. b. 

at Cuero. In 1901 the company sowed 250 acres in Honduras rice 

and 50 aeres in Japanese rice. The cost of raising the rice at this 

plant will be exceedingly small, as no fuel will be· used. In addition 

to the power used for irrigating purposes, the company has j nst closed 

a contraet to supply 225 horsepower to the cotton mill that was erected 

in 1901. 

The flow of the Guadalupe was measured on the crest of the Buchel 

dam by electric eurrent in 1\1arch, 1901, when there had been no rains 

in the watershed for four months, and a flow of 551 second-feet was 

found. 

A gaging station was established on Guadalupe River at the Buehel 

dam, near Cuero, in December, 1902. The zero of the gage is at 

the crest of the dam at the south end. As it proved impossible to 

measure flood discharges at this point, another gaging station was 

established in .T nly, 1903, at the bridge of the San Antonio and Aransas Pass Railroad acro:-::s the Guadalupe 3 miles west of Cuero. The 

zero of the gage is 50 feet below the top of the tie in the third panel 

from the east. A tagged plumber's chain is used for reading off the 

gage heights. The observer is .John Hughes, who has charge of the 

pumping plant of the railroad at this point. Measurements are made 

from the highway bridge, about 200 feet below the railway bridge. 

A cross section of this bridge is shown in fig. ·7. 

The maximum discharge for 1903 was 60,000 second-feet, the minimum 740, and the mean 1,7~0. 

~-- 146' ---1 

F'IG. 7.-Section of Guadalupe River near Cnf'ro. 
32 WATER POWERS OF TEXAS. [N0.105. 

Pmcer plant8 on Guadalupe River. 

Locality. Owner. I Head. l\Iaterial of dam. 

Feet. 

Ingram_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ John Sherman ________ _ 9 

Kerrville ____________________ .

1 

C. Schreiner __________ _ 

Do _____ . ________________ .

1 

'Vaterworks __________ _ 

Centerpoint. _________________ .

1 

\V. H. Witt. __________ _ 

10 

7. f) 

9 

Comfort _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ E. Flach ______________ _ 11 

Five miles below New Braunfels A. Dittmar ___________ _ 5 

Six miles below New Braunfels. 1 H. Dittmar ____________ : 6 

Nine and one-half miles below 1 7 1 Koehler & Blumberg ___ 1 

New Braunfels. I 

Seguin _______________________ 

1

i Milli. ng and Power Com- ~. 12 

panv. : 

Do _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ S. Tro~ll & Sons ________ I 7. 5 ' ' Do _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Water Co ______________ 1 7.5 

Cuero ________________________ j 0. Bnchel ____________ .

1 

10 

Natural-wood. 

'Vood. 

Do. 

Do. 

Do. 

Xatural. 

Do. 

Do. 

Do. 

Do. 

Do. 

::\Iasonry. 

---~ 

COMAL RIVER. 

Tho mountains of the Edward~ Plateau end about 1 milo northwe~t 

of New Braunfeh;, and from tho fi~sures at the foot of the bluff~ the 

celebrated spdngs that form Comal River gush forth. The waters 

have been used for power since 1860, but it is only since 1S80 that 

systematic methods han~ been employed. 

The flow of the Comal is reasonably uniform. The writer has taken 

measurements on the Comal three or four times each year since 18H8 

with the view of obtaining reliable data for an accurate estimate of 

its water power. A special trip was made to the Comal on Christmas 

day, 1900, for the purpose of getting a measurement when all the mills 

and power plants were shut down and when the fiow would he uninfluenced by the variations of power required for the different purposes. 

The ~ections selected for measuring the flow were on the Landa mill race 

at the small bridge ahont 75 yards below the gran'_l dam, and on the 

Comal River 275 yard~ below the gravel dam. The eombine:l discharge 

was found to be 374: second-feet. The flow wa:-; again measured the 

next day, December 2()~ HWO, at the same sections, when all the power 

plants were in operation, and tho same discharge was fonnd. It wai::i 

ob:-;erved that the water in the Landa race at this bridge was at the 

same level on the t\vo days-i. e., the water was not lowered by tho 

operation of the machinery, a;-; the waste weirs were open. The above 

measurements were made at the dose of a very wet year, and it is certain that the flow as obtained was above the normal. During 1902 two 

measurements were made, one in J\llarch, ·when a flow of 34:3 second-feet 

was found, and another in August, when the flow was 333 second-feet. 

The lowest flow ever obtained by the writer in the last five years was 
U. S. GE:.OLOGICAL SURVEY WATER·SUF'PLY PAPE ~ NO. 105 PL. IX 

A . WASTE WEIR AT LANDA'S MILL, NEW BRAUNFELS, TEX. 

B. Wt-IEEL PIT AT LANDA'S MILL, NEW BRAUNFELS, TEX. 
TAYLOR.) OOMAI~ RIVER. 33 

310 second-feet, and it can be assumed that the minimum flow will be 

at least 300 second-feet. 

The Landa estate (Harry Landa, manager) operates two plants, 

both taking their water from the same fore bay. The south plant 

operates the roller flour mills, the elevator, an ice factory, an electriclight plant, a waterworks pump, and a small pump for irrigation purposes. The power is generated by a 26-inch duplex horizontal Leffel 

turbine, with a head of 21.50 feet. The water is discharged into a 

race 24 by 30 feet, cut through the west bank of the Dry Comal. The 

flour mill has a capacity of 3,000 barrels per week, the elevator a capacity of 100,000 bu~hels, and the ice factory 14 tons per day. The 

Scale o 590 •ooo zooo 3000 feet 

FIG. 8.-~Iap of New Braunfels. 

electric-light plant furnishes light to the city of New Braunfels and 

to the Landa works. It consists of t\vo motors, of 60 and 30 kilowatts. Manila rope belting is used, which is almost noiseless. The 

north plant is operated by a 30-inch Leffel double horizontal turbine. 

An attempt was made to substitute a steel overshot wheel for the turbine. The first work done with this wheel bent the shaft and tore 

rivets loose; in short, the wheel was a failure, and it has been removed 

and the Leffel wheel substituted. Rope transmission is used at the 

north plant also, and the power is transmitted to a shaft 240 :feet long 

and varying from 3f-~ to 2i6 inches in diameter. Pl. IX, A, is a 

view of Landa's waste weir. 

IRR 105-04--3 
34 WATER POWERS OF TEXAS. [NO. 105. 

The Clemens dam (Pl. VI, B) has a length over all of 220 feet and 

a length between bulkneads of 130 feet. Its total height is 14 feet, 

with a base 18 feet wide, resting on tough blue clay. The cross section in general is trapezoidal in shape. The crest is flat, 4 feet wide; 

the upstream face vertical, while the lower or downstream face is 

formed of a series of steps whose height or rise is about 18 inches 

and w bose tread varies from 18 to 20 inches. 

The dam was constructed in 1882 of limestone obtained 5 miles from 

New Braunfels, and the stones were laid in good Portland cement. 

There are three waste weirs, 6 feet deep and 5 feet 3 inches wide. By 

an agreement with the Landa interests the water in the fore bay or lake 

above the Clemens dam can not or should not approach nearer than 1~ 

inches of the crest of the dam, and there is also another agreement 

with other parties below the dam that the water below the dam must 

stand 4 inches deep on the eighth stone from top of dam, but this 

latter agreement no longer preyents the lowering of the water leYel 

below the dam. The difference of water level i.n the fore bay and tail 

bay in 1903 was 8.26 feet, but a reeent flood had dropped below the 

darn a pile of gravel that raised the level of the water 1 foot and thus 

reduced the head. The ordinary head is 9.25 feet. The power at the 

north end of the dam is generated by two Stillwell-Bierce Vietor 

upright turbines, 35 and ±4 inches in diameter. The shafts from the 

turbines transmit the power to a pulley 14 feet in diameter, whose 

center is 23.5 feet above the crest of the dam. The power is transmitted from thi:-; pulley by a -k-inch wire rope across the ri\'er 650 feet 

to the Dittlinger flour mill, whose capacity is 1,500 barrels of flour, 

1,200 barrels of corn meal, and 300 barrels of rye flour per week. 

At the south end of the Clemens dam a power plant eonsisting of one 

36-ineh Stillwell-Bierce Victor cylinder gate turbine, working under 

the ordinary head of 9! feet, pumps water Into the eity standpipe. 

The bottom of the standpipe is 95 feet above the water level above the 

dam. This standpipe is 57 feet high and 25 feet in diameter. 

The following survey '\Vas made in ~larch, 1903, from the head spring 

near the mouth of Panther Canyon to the lnte!'nativnal and Great 

Northern Railroad bridge. 

Fall of Carnal River. 

l"eet. 

Head spring to Lake Comal (above gravel dam) ...... _. ___ .... _ ..... _____ .. 5. 40 

Lake Comal to Landa fore bay_. ___ . __ . _ . _______ . _____ .. _ .. ___ .... _ .... _. . 1. 10 

Landa fore bay to Landa tailrace __ . ___ .... ____ ..... ___ . ___ . ____ ... __ .... _ . 21. 51 

Landa taijrace to Clemens fore bay _______ ..... _ ...... _ ........... _ .. _ . . . . . 1. 28 

Clemens fore bay to tailrace. ___ ................ _ ....... ___ ..... _ .. __ . ___ ._._ 8. 21 

Clemens tailrace to smooth water about 200 yards below Clemens dam .. __ ~ ___ · 2. 86 

Pecan tree to mouth of Comal River._._ ......... _ ....... _ . __ .. _ ... :. ____ ~ 2. 47 

Head spring near mouth of canyon to mouth of Comal. ... __ ... ___ . __ .. _ . _ . _ 42. 77 

Comal to International and Great N orthem Railroad bridge~ ... ___ . _ ..... __ . 6. 38 

Railroad bridge to Klein Falls .. _ ... _ . _ .. _ ..... _ ... _ .. ___ ... ____ ... ___ . _ . _ 15. 00 

Clemens tailrace to Klein Falls_ ..... _ ... _ . _ ... _ . _ ... _ ... _ .. _ . . . . . . . . . . _ . . 26. 65 
TAYLOR.] COMAL RIVER. 35 

At the Clemens dam there was a fall early in 1903 of 8.21 feet, but 

the usual fall is 1 foot more than this, as the water level below the dam 

had been raised 1 foot by the debris of Landa's gravel dam, which was 

washed ont and deposited in the river below the Clemens dam. A 

head of U.2;) fe0t and a flow of 300 second-feet (minimum) at the 

Clemens dam can be relied on, which with the ordinary efficiency of 

the best turbines should yield 250 horsepower. 

The gra\'el dam at the head of Comal River could be raised 5 feet 

without backing the water up to the head springs, but the configuration or topography of the land in the park and to the north of 

the lake renders ~:mch an increase unadvisable. In addition to this, 

:-:;ueh an increase in the height of the dam (gravel) would require a 

corresponding raise in the embankment around Landa's fore bay, and 

this i:-:; practically out of the qne:-;tion. The lake and the fore hay could 

be raised;) feet; this would increase the effective head to 24.50 feet. 

The eontrud between the Landa intere8t and that of the Clemens renders any increase in the height of the lower dam impossible. The 

water levd in tht• fore hay must remain 18 inches below the crest of 

the present dam. But below the dam small rapids occur for 200 yards, 

and a fall of :2.8 feet h.\' a dual survey occurs in this di::.;tance. Two 

feet more could he added to the present head hy excavating the blue 

clay out of the bed of the river. If this is clone 300 horsepower could 

be generated. 

Visdl!ll'[jl', in -~er:owl-j('l'l, of (/umal Rirer ut Xew Braw~(el.~. 

Year. 1 Hydrographer. ; Discharge. 

~---~--- 1----

~:::: : ::: ::::::::. :::::::::::::::::::::1 ~: ~/~:'~~;,~:::::::::::, 1899 ___________________________ . _________________ do ____ . ____ .. ____ .I 

1900 ___________ . ____________________________ . _ . __ do __ . ____________ _ 

1901 ________________________________________ . _._.do _______ . _____ .. _ 

~~j-.::- --::-:::::-:::::--:::-:::--:::-: :r:::E :::::::::::::::: a Recent rains. 

SAN MARCOS RIVER. 

328 

320 

310 

374 

343 

333 

a412 

375 

San :Marcos River rises in several large 8prings abo11t 1 mile northeast of the town of San Marcos. The dam of the San Marcos waterworks raises the level of the water and forms a lake which backs the 

water up to the head spring. The first measurement of the flow of 

the river was made in 1894, near the International and Great Northern 

Railroad bridge, when a discharge of 150 i:lecond-feet was found. The 
36 WATER POWERS OF TEXAS. [NO. 105. 

flow was again measured in December, 1895, by C. C. Babb, when a 

flow of 89 second-feet was found at a point 50 feet below the head gates. 

The opening was so regulated that the flow was about the average discharge of the springs. The spring is reported to have an annual rise 

and fall, and it is stated that frmn March the flow increases until the 

middle of :May, the total rise being about 18 inches. It maintains this 

level till September and then gradually falls. 

Discharge, in second-feet, of San ][areas River. 

Year. Hydrographer. Dis- . -charge. Locality. 

1894 .. _ .... ____ . C. C. Babb . _______ _ 150 International and Great Northern 

Railroad bridge. 

1895 _________________ do----------- H9 1 mile northeast of San Marcos. I 18~m ____________ , T.lT.Taylor ______________ _ 

1900 _________________ do ___ . _______ -~' 150 

1903. __ . ____ . _______ .do _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ 153 

W estertield ford. 

Do. 

-·· ---

The first dam on the San Marcos is about one-fourth mile from the 

head springs. The dam is about 400 feet long, the ·eastern section 

crossing the channel at a right angle for two-thirds of the length, the 

remaining portion deflecting parallel to the west bank to form a fore 

bay. The dam is constructed of earth and piling and has a maximum 

height of 15 feet, and develops a head that varies from 8 to 12 feet. 

The water power is generated by two 35-inch Leffel turbines of the 

Samson type, and one .:!8-inch Morgan Smith Success turbine. An 

auxiliary Atlas steam engine of 110 horsepower is used to supplement 

the water power. The plant belongs to the San Marcos Electric 

Light and Power Company, the San Marcos Water Company, and the 

San Marcos Ice Company. They are distinct companies. The building is made up of a boiler room 32 by 36 feet, an electric light and 

pump room 40 by 60 feet, an ice room 30 by 70 feet, and a storage 

room 20 by 40 feet. The electric energy is geuerated by one Warren 

90-kilowatt generator and one vYestinghouse 60-kilowatt generator. 

The pump is a Gordon Maxwell 10 by 12 duplex, with a capacity of 

500 gallons per minute, but there is soon to be installed one Fairbanks 

10 by 12, with a capacity of 1,000,000 gallons per day. 

On July 29, 1902, the rainfall in San Marcos was 8.5 inches, while 

at a point 15 miles above the town it was reported as 22 inches, and at 

Kyle 28 inches. 
U. S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY WATER-SUPPLY PAPER NO. 105 PL. X 

VIEW AT SAN MARCOS, TEX., SHOWING POWER PLANT AND END OF LAKE. 
'r.A.YLOR.l SAN MARCOS RIVER. 37 

The rain continued for seven hours~ and all the lower parts of the 

town were flooded and many houses washed away. The highest water 

reaehPd tlw bottom of the stringers of the International and Great 

Northern Hailroad bridge. 

Two miles below the head springs is the dam of ~J. 1\;1. Cape. This 

dam i:-; constructed of framework and earth, and h; 130 feet long, with a 

fall of H feet. The plant is equipped with two 48-inch Leffel turbines, 

which develop 78 horsepower. One-fourth mile below Cape's gin is 

the Thompson gin. The race is one-half mile long, and connects with 

the pond formed by the Cape dam. The fall at the Thompson gin is 

1± feet. An auxiliary steam plant of 55 horsepower has been installed. 

About 5 miles below San Marcos, on San Marcos River, is the gin 

and corn mill of J. C. ~Tones. The dam was built in 1896, and is of 

cedar-timber cribwork, filled in with stones, gravel, and concrete. It is 

90 feet long and 7 feet high. The power is derived from two turbinesone Leffel-Samson, 50-inch diameter, which produces 95 horsepower, 

and one Leffel standard 23-inch wheel, producing 6 horsepower. The 

power is utilized in operating a cotton gin, corn mill, a small 'Vestinghouse direct-current dynamo of 35-light capacity, and two small 

pumps that are used in supplying water for irrigating 20 acres of 

farm land. The total cost of the plant, not including the pumps, waH 

$6,000. 

About 2 miles northwest of the town of .1\;Iartindale, W. S. Smith 

owns and operates a cotton gin and corn mill on San Marcos River. 

His dam consists of a central portion of timber framework, :filled with 

rocks and gravel, 7 feet high and 200 feet long, constructed by 

placing alternately pieces of 10 by 10-inch cypress timber longitudinally and crosswise of the dam and filling in the spaces left between 

these -..vith the rock and grav.ol. These timbers are not laid flat upon 

their squared faces, but are placed upon edge, and are dapped or 

let in several inches where they cross each other, and secured by 

three-fourths-ineh bolts that extend completely through the dam from 

top to bottom. The lowest course, in which the timbers lie crossways 

of the dam, rests upon large longitudinal logs and extends 4 feet beyond 

the toe of the framework of the dam proper. Upon this extension 

are piled stones of all sizes up to the height of the dam, thus f01~ming 

the downstream face. The top of the frame work slopes backward and 

upstream to a slight extent, and is 16 feet in width, thus making t.he 

dam 20 feet wide at the foundation and 16 feet at the crest, the upstream 

side where the slope of the top ends being vertical. The ends of this 

wooden dam join on either side a dam of roughly shaped rock and 
38 WATER POWERS OF TEXAS. [NO. 105. 

concrete, the section next the gin and mill being· 120 f0et long and 

that on the far Ride 80 feet, making a total lPngth of dam of 400 fet•t. 

This dam wai:'l built in 18~7, and affords a head of H :feet on the turbines. Mr. Smith intends to raise the dam several feet, however. in 

the near future. The power is derived from threeturhine~-one4(1-inch 

1893 patent Leffel wheel, which produces 68 horsepower; one 30-inch 

1899 patent Leffel wheel, giving 40 horsepower, and one 18-inch special wheel, giving 5t horsepower, making a total of 113t horsepower. 

This is utilized in operating the cotton gin, corn mill, sorghum mill, 

and a small electric-light system. The machinery consists of ten gins, 

two presses, one cane mill, one sorghum mill, and a 125-volt \Y estinghouse direct-current dynamo. The total cost of the plant was $25,000. 

At the town of Martindale is the gin and mill o': J. \Y. Teller. 

The dam is constructed entirely of timber and roek and is similar to the 

central portion of W. S. Smith's. It is 250 feet long, was built in 

1893, and gi,·es an 8-foot head. The power is derived from two turbines-one Leffel standard 61-inch wheel and one 35-inch special wheel. 

The power is utilized in operating a cotton gin, corn mill, sorghumseed thrasher, and the electric-light and watPrworks systems of tlw 

town of Martindale. The machinery. consists of five Munger gins, 

one corn mill, one \V estinghouse 125-,·olt direct-current dynamo. onP 

Munger press 1vith :Murray eh•vator, one ,s()rghum-sct>d thrasher, and 

one pump. The total co:-;t of the plant was about $20,000. 

Near the town of Staples,. on San :Marcos Hiver, Q .• T. Lowman is 

rebuilding· a gin anrl ('Orn mill that wrts destroyed by fire in October, 

1901. He has a dam of timber framework and rock 140 feet long 

and 9 feet high, which was built in 1899. The original dam was constructed in 1867, but in 1899 it was practically rebuilt and raised seyeral feet higher. The timbers of the old mill were unhurt by the 

fire, and are to be used with the new machinery. They comdst of one 

66-inch Morgan Smith wheel, which develops 82 horsepower; one 42-

inch McCormick wheel, gi'.Ting 82 horsepower, and one Leffel 26-inch 

wheel, giving 12 horsepower~ The power is used at present in operating the waterworks of the town of StaplP::;, hut will be utilized for 

ginning purposes, the operation of a corn mill, and electric lights for 

the town upon the completion of the mill. The machinery will consist of eig·ht cotton gins, one 1,000-volt alternating-current dynamo of 

750-light capacity, a Gould pump 'vith a capacity of 75 gal1ons per 

minute, and a 50-horsepvwer Atlas engine and boiler; also a corn mill. 

The total cost of the plant will be $25,000. 
TAYLOR.] SAN MARCOS RIVER. 39 

At the town of Fentress~ C. R. Smith & Co. own and operate a gin 

and mill on San :Marcos Hiver. The dam iH 90 feet long and is built 

of timber framework and rock~ like that of .T. vV. Teller's, a few miles 

uho,re. A wing of timber sheeting 2 feet higher than the dam joinR it 

to the hank opposite the mill. The dam in its normal condition gives 

a head of 6 feet on the turbines, but this can be increased to 8 feet by 

a system of flash boards that are raised above the dam when needed and 

taken off when not reguir(jd. These flashboards consist merely of 2 

by 4 inch pieces 2 feet long which are bolted to transverse timbers in 

the top of the dam (spaced about 6 feet), and which can be raised or 

lowered at will. The under sides of these 2 by 4 pieces are notched, 

and when raised they are propped up by means of sticks (in the notches) 

that rest upon the apron of the dam at the toe. Planks 2 by 12 are 

then placed upright against these 2 by 4 props, and raise the water up to 

the required 8 feet. The power is derived from one 66-inch Morgan 

~mith turbine, which gives 35 horsepower with a 6-foot head and 55 

horsepower with an 8-foot head. This is utilized in operating a gin, 

corn mill, and small waterworks and electric-light plant. The machinery consists of seven Munger gins, two Meyer's pumps of about 200 

gallons capacity, one 115-volt direct-current dynamo, a corn mill, and 

a 50-horsepower Atlas engine and boiler. The engine is required 

when the mill and gin are run to their full capacity, and is connected 

directly to the turbine shaft. The entire cost of the plant was about 

$10,000. It was built in 1879. 

4-t the town of Prairie Lea is located the gin and corn mill of J. J. 

Jones. His dam is 120 feet long, 8 feet high, and is constructed of 

timber framework filled in with stones. It was built in 1896. The 

pmver is derived from one 61-inch Alcot turbine, which produces 45 

horsepower under the 7 -foot head obtained. This is utilized in operating a gin, corn mill, and one 110-volt Wiley dynamo. The total cost 

of the plant was about $2,400. 

Three and one-half miles north of Luling a dam of timber cribbing, 

filled with rocks, about 120 feet long, is constructed.across San Marcos 

River. The power obtained by it is used in operating a sawmill, gin, 

gristmill, and the Luling electric-light plant. A head of about 9 feet 

is obtained~ and one 50-ineh Samson turbine produces about 67 horsepower. The clam was fir:-;t built about thirty years ago, but has been 

repaired from time to time, and has therefore been practically 

renewed at least once since then. The foundation is the muddy bed of 

the river. 
40 WATER POWERS OF TEXAS. [No.105. 

Farther downstream and nearer the town is the dam of F. Zedler, 

which furnishes power for the operation of a cotton gin, gristmill, 

and the water-supply machinery of the town. The dam is about 60 

feet long and is constructed of timber cribbing backed with stone and 

gravel. It is built in the form of two cribs, placed one upon the other, 

and resting on a foundation of hard sandstone. Two turbines are used 

to generate the power-one Leffel 66-inch wheel, giving 90 horsepower, and one 54-inch Alcot wheel, giving 60 horsepower, with an 

e:ffecti ve head of 9 feet. 

There is a dam on the same river at Ottine, a few miles below 

Luling. It is about 100 feet long, constructed of cribbing and stones, 

and is of an irregular shape. The power is generated by a 72-inch 

Alcot turbine, which, under the 7-foot head, produces 70 horsepower, 

and is used in running a cotton gin and gristmill. 

Powe1· plants on San Marco.~ River. 

--------------------------------;-

Locality. 

I 

Owner. Head. 

-~ --- - --- -- - - Feet. 

Wimberly _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Cotton gin ____________________ _ 

I ! San Marcos ________________ -1 ,V. E. Green.__________ 12 

Do _________________ . _.. J. M. Cape . _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ 9 

Do ____ .___ _ __________ -j Thompson ______ . _____ _ 

Five miles below San 1\Iarcos _ J. C . .Tones ___________ . 

Martindale _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ vV. S. Smith _____ . ____ _ 

Do ____________ . ___ .___ J. ,V. Teller _____ . ____ _ 

Staples _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Q. J. Lowman __ . _____ _ 

Fentress ____ ._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ C. R. Smith & Co ______ 1 

Prairie Lea _________________ 'I J. J. Jones. _ .. _ ..... --. 

Luling _____ . _________ . _____ • ____ . _ .. _ ... _ .. __ - _ . _ . _ .I 

Do_____________________ F. Zedler _____________ _ 

Ottine_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ ____ do _____ . __________ · 

Gonzales _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Smith & Lowery ______ _ 

----- I I 

LAVACA RIVER. 

H 

7 

7 

8 

9 

6 

8 

9 

16 

7 

9 

Material of dam. 

Earth and wood. 

Do. 

j Cape dam. 

'V ood and stone. 

Do. 

Do. 

Do. 

Do. 

·wood. 

Crib work. 

Do. 

Do. 

Do. 

Lavaca River rises in Lavaca County and flows south through Jackson County into Lavaca Bay. Its waters have not been used so far 

for irrigation or power purposes. Its discharge in December, 1903, 

was found to be 87 second-feet at the crossing of the Texas and Mexican Railroad, 2 miles west of Edna. 
TAYLOR.) W ATl<~R POWERtj OF 1'EXAS. 41 

COT-o~ORADO RIVER (IN TEXAS). 

The drainage area of the Colorado (fig. 9) extends into the southeast corner of :New Mexico, and in its course the river is fed by the Conchos, the Pecan Bayou, the San Saba, the Llano, and the Pedernales. 

:FIG. 9.-Map of watershed of Colorado River above Anstil1. 

Power plants on Colorado River and tributaries. 

Locality. Owner. ----1 

Knickerbocker_. __ .. ________ ! T. Vinson ____________ _ 

San Angelo _______ . _______ . Payne & JoneH. __ .. __ .-I 

Do _____ . ________ . ___ ._. J. L. Millspaugh, Mgr_ _ 

Point Rock __ . ____ . ______ . __ F. J. P. Ford _________ _ 

Ratler. ___________ . _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ J. D. ·willis. ____ ._. ___ _ 

Menard ville ___ . __________ . _ Gus Noyes. ___________ _ 

San Saba _____________ . _ _ _ _ _ 'Vater Co ____________ . _ 

Do__________ _________ _ ___ do ______________ _ 

Head. 

Feet. 

15 

18 

11 

-! 

4 

23 . .5 

20 

10 

}Iaterial of dam. 

Ditch. 

Do. 

Steel and stone. 

Stone and wood. 

I .. ogs, rock, etc. 

Ditch. 

Stone. 

Do. 

Bakers _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ . _______ . __ . _ . _ . _______ . _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Brush. 

Lometa ( 11 vV. ) _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ M. Chad wick ____ . ____ . 5 Logs and rock. 

Cherokee __________________ J. T. vVhite ___________ _ 

Bluffton _____ .. ____ . _ . _. _ . . Tanner Bros ____ .. _ .... 

Kingsland_ ... _____ ... __ . ___ J. M. McDaniel & Co. __ 

Llan~:: :::_: _::: _: _::: ____ : -~~~;z~y: :::::::: _: 

Marble Falls _________ . __ . _______ .do _______ .. _. ____ -~ 

Austin. __________ ... -- ... --- City------------------ -

1 

12 

9 

Rtone. 

Xatural. 

.5 . .5 'Vood. 

12 Natural. 

8 Do. 

9 vVood. 

22 Natural. 

62 Stone. 
42 WATER POWERS OF TEXAS. [No. 105. 

About 11 miles from Goldthwaite, in Mills County, .L D. \Yillis 

(po:-;t-ofiice, Hatler) hai-l eom.;tructed a dam of logs, rock, and grayel, 

4 feet high, across Colorado RivPr. The power (lcveloped is w~ed in 

operating a mill, gin, and irrigation plant. The water wheel is 4~­

feet in diameter. and develops 15 horsepower. Five acres in peaches, 

grapes, and garden can be irrigated. 

In Mills County, about 11 miles west of Lometa, just below the 

junction of the San Saba and Colorado, J\;1ilam Chadwick owns and 

operates a power plant. The dam was built in Ul79, out of stone and 

cedar logs, is 196 feet long and gives a clear fall or head of 5 feet. 

The dam is curved upstream and has on its crest a course of burr oak 

logs to whieh cedar brush is spiked and bolted. The power is developed by a 36-inch Leffel turbine, with a yent of 5,850 square inches, and 

is usually run one-half open. The mill hou'le is located hig·h upon the 

bank, out of rea.ch of high water, and the power is transmitted from 

the turbine shaft to the mill house hy a wire rope. The river here 

has a reliable flow, and the power i...- used for running a flour and eorn 

mill and a cotton gin. The demands of the neighborhood are met by 

operating the plant one and one-half hours per day. 

At Bluffton, 60 miles above Austin and 12 miles above Kingsland, a 

dam 400 fcpt long was eonstructt>d in 1SHH. It is built of logs, and 

the power developed is used in operating the gin and gristmill of the 

Tanner Brothers. There is a natural fall here of 8 fPet, and the dam 

raises the water an additional foot, giving an effective fall of n feet. 

The dam cost only $125, and was constructed to fit the configuration 

of the cross section of the river bed. At deep places planks were 

used as a face. A 27-inch double discharge turbine is used to develop 

the power. The water i:-~ conveyed from.the lake formed b3~ the dam 

to the turbine hy a mill race 2,400 feet long and 10 to 12 feet wide, with 

a depth at the dam of 1 foot, increasing to R feet at the wheel. 

At Kingsland, on the Llano branch of the Houston and Texas Central Railroad, a dam, owned by .T. :M. :McDaniel & Co., has been constructed across Colorado Hin·r ahont 1 mile from its junction with the 

Llano. The dam 'vas built in L""~Hi. is ;)00 feet long, has a fall of 5t 

feet, and backs the watPr ;) mih•s up the river. A framework of liveoak braces covered with 3-ineh pine lumbt>r constitutes the dam, and 

it has withstood successfully several floods-notably those of .T nne, 

1899, and April, 1HOO. The power is <levelopcd by a 35-ineh turhine~ 

and at low stages of the river 25 horsepower is utilized in running a 

gin and mill. · 

At Marple Falls occurs the most remarkable natural dam along- the 

course of the river. A fall of about 12 feet has been utilized to pump 

the water supply for the city. From the present lake level above the 

falls to the head of the tailrace there is a fall of 16.4 feet; to the end 

of the tailrace, or to the tailrace pond, a fall of 19 feet from the lake 
U. S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY WATER-SUPPLY PAPER NO. 105 PL. XI 

A. KICKAPOO SPRING, TOM G REE NE COUNTY, TEX. 

H. DAM ON PECAN BAYOU AT BROWNWOOD , TEX. 
'l'AYLOR.) COLORADO RIVER. 43 

lf'Y(~l; to the pond undf'r the highway bridge, a :fall of 21.6 feet. A 

~mall outlay of nwney would increase the pr0sC'nt head fully 5 feet 

without rai:-:iug· tlw erest of the dam. From the lake nuder the bridge 

to the bend in the river below there is a fall of 12.R feet, or a total 

fall from the lake of 35.4 IC'f't, and to a point 1.25 miles below the 

dam there is a fall of ±7 feet. There are two ways in which the power 

could. ue materially increased: (1) By excavating the tailrace to the 

lake under the bridge by cutting it down at the head 4t feet, which 

would give an effective head of 21 feet; (2) by raising the crest of the 

present dam, by the cheap construction of a dam on the crest of the 

presC'nt natural dam, from 4 to 12 :feet. The minimum flow found in 

recent years was 160 second-feet, which could develop 300 horsepower 

if all of the water were used with a head of 21 feet. Six hundred horsepower could be developed at this place, the only expense being the construction of a tailrace, the erection of the pmver plant, and raising the 

present lake kvel 12 feet. This would involve the purchase of a small 

tract of :-:ubmerg-ed land on the :--:outh side of the river. There will 

certainly be a big dt>mand for the power in the future. Granite 

:Nlountain is only 2 miles away, and along the railroad. By combining 

the water power and the granite industry a corporation could commaud the best and the most economical manufactured output. -Marble 

Falls offnrs gr<'ater possihilitiPs for watf'r power than any other point 

in Texas. 

DAM AT AUSTIN. 

In May, 1890, the city of Austin determined to construct a massive 

dam across Colorado River, near the city, and to expend $1,600,000 on 

the enterpriRe. It ·was estimated that 1±,000 horsepower could be 

developed. Xo hydrographie data had been collected. In the spring 

of 1890 a mea~urement of the flow of 1,000 second-feet was taken as 

the minimum. The minimum flow proved to be much less, but the 

greatest disappointment was the failure of the dam on April 7, 1900. 

The dam was built ahove Austin, at a point where the deep cut or 

canyon which the rin~r ha::< worn in the limestone rock is about 1,150 

feet wide. The cross section of the channel is almost level on the 

bottom, and i~ hounded by nearly perpendicular 'valls of rock rising 

to the hPight of a little over GO feet on the city side of the river and 

12;) feet or more on the other side. The spillway was l,OB1 feet long 

between the bulkheads at each end, which extended to the natural rock. 

The upper face of the dam was vertical and ()0 feet high, measured 

from an assumed ]ow water. The downstream face was a reverse 

curve of ogee form, which, at the toe of the dam, was horizontal. The 

width of the darn at the base was ()6 feet. The rotten and loose rock 

excavation over the area covered by the dam was comparatively slight, 

being only a few feet in depth. It was designed to have two trenches, 

about 4 feet in width and of -somewhat greater depth, extending length-
44 WATER POWERS OF TEXAS. 

wise along the upper and lower edges of the dam and filled with 

masonry to increase frictional resistance. The total exposed surface 

of the dam was constructed of squared granite and thP interior of 

limestone rubble masonry, Portland cement heing· mwd throughout. 

As was aftenvards proyed, this gTanite facing ~was not :-lufficiently tied 

into the interior rubble, as it acted like a coating of ,~eneer. 

The original cross section of the dam, as recommended by :Mr. Frizell, 

is shown in fig. 10 (left half). The cross section as adopted (fig. 10, 

right half) was recommended by Mr. Fanning, who in hiR report to 

the hoard of public works said: 

~---------66'------------~ IE------66'--------7'' 

FIG. 10.-Cross sections of Austin dam. 

The profile [fig. 10, left half] as shown to me seems not to fulfill the required conditions for passing the floods, because of the slightly rounded or nearly angular form 

at the front of its crest. Another diagram [fig. 10, right half] presented shows an 

advised modification of the profile of the upper part of the dam, which is better 

adapted to pass the flood in a gliding sheet down the face of the dam and to deliver it 

to the lower level without a direct blow, and so that its velocity ~wiJl he expended 

chiefly in a horizontal direction in the backwater belo~w the dam and in eddies at a 

safer distance below the toe of the dam. The lower part of the do,vnstream face of 

the dam has a curve of 31 feet radius to whieh low-water surface h; tangent. The 

central part of this face has a batter of 4~ inches to the foot. 

The new profile at the top part, as-suggested, completes the downstream face and 

crest of the dam with a curve of 20 feet radius, to which both the front batter and 

the surfaee of the pond at a level of the crest are tangent, this cun'e ending on 

the crest at 5 feet from the upper angle of the crest. The upper angle of the crest is 

then rounded off ~with a smaller curve, and the entire front of the dam becomes a 

reverse curve of ogee form, the form of dam best of all adapted to pass a large volume of water through so great a height. The top curve conforms nearly .to the 

theoretical form of a medium flood stream. At higher flood stages there will be 

tendency to vacuum under the curve stream immediately after it has passed the 

crest, which, together with the pressure of the atmosphere upon the top of the 

stream, will keep the full flood stream in full contact with the curved face of the 

dam, and cause even the highest flood to glide down the fall without shock upon 

the face of the dam or the soft rock foundation. 
TAYLOR.] AUSTIN DAM. 45 

The best modern appliances were used in the construction of the 

dam. The granite material for the facing was o1)tained from Granite 

Mountain, near ·Marble Falls, being hauled from the quarry to the 

dam over the Austin and Northwestern Railway, a distance of 70 miles, 

and delivered at the east end of the dam. The granite blocks were 

of average dimcn:-;ions and weighed 4 tons each. The four classes of 

material used, i. e., the limestone rubble, the cement, the sand, and 

the granite, were transported from the end of the dam to place by a 

cable 2t inches in diameter, stretched between two towers-one on 

the east and the other on the west bluff-1,350 feet apart. The 

cable was anchored at the ends to ''dead men" weighted down by 

stone. The saddle shown in fig. 11 was especially designed :for this 

;=========~==== hau/1'17/1 

======~at=== buffon 

.hoi:;ti11g rope c11rrier 

Fw. 11.-Saddle used in construction of AuRtin dam. 

work, and ran on the main cable. The wire ropes were known as the 

" hauling rope.," the "hoisting rope," and the '" button rope." The 

hauling rope was attached to the lower part of the :framework of the 

saddle, passed over pulleys at both towers, and wound around a drum 

under the east tower. The endless hauling rope was operated by an 

engine to which its drum was attached. It was completely under the 

control of the operator, and could be stopped in any position along its 

course. After being checked in the position desired, the drum operat-
46 W .A TER POWERS Olf TEXAS. [NO. 105. 

ing the hoisting rope was brought into motion and the load was lowered 

to the dam. · 

The granite blocks and the larger limestone rubble stones were 

handled by inimense tong-like gdps. The cement and sand were 

loaded into cages, transported to the place of construction, and there 

dumped on the dam. The cement mortar was made at the place where 

it was to be used, and the blocks of masonry were placed where needed 

by crane derricks. 

A wire rope one-half inch in diameter was used in connection 1vith 

the cable and saddle to pre,7 ent excessive vibration of the operating 

ropes. On this rope there were buttons which increased in 1-iiL:e from 

the tower to the \vest. The hoisting rope was supported at different 

points by carriers which rested, when the saddle was stationary, on the 

main cahle. This carrier consisted e:-;sentially of two parallel bars, 

between which and near the lower end a small pnlley was :-;npported to 

carry the hoisting- rope. A series of slot:-; were arranged in the upper 

part of the carriers through whieh some of the buttons conld pass. 

When near the east tower the Haddlc supported all the carriers on a 

horn. In modng from the tower to the weHt, the smaller button 

passed through all the carrion~ except the last, which it took off the 

horn; the second button pa:-;Hed through all the remaining slotH 

except that in the second carrier, "·hich it pulled off the horn, etc. 

The carrier:-; were thuH stripped off the horn hy the button:-; and restetl 

on the main cable, affording a groove or support for the hoisting rope 

and reducing its vibration. 

~ot only was there lack of hydrographic knowledge, but the location of the dam was i11 chosen. Under the dam, near its eastern end, 

fault and fissure in the rocks were encountered. The fis~mre, as stated 

by Mr. Groves, engineer in charge for part of the time, wal:l 75 feet 

wide and was filled with clay, with an occasional bowlder. Joseph P. 

Frizell, the chief engineer in the early stages of the work, states that 

at a point 300 to 400 feet from the east end of the dam a very friable 

limestone was found, and in 1896, in a letter to the mayor, he warned 

the authorities about this dangerous point, and suggested some supplemental work of protection. It is highly probable that the dam 

would have been standing to-day if this work had been executed. 

The minimum flow of the river was overestimated about five times. 

Measurements taken by the writer in Ma~·ch, 1899, and since indieate 

that the flow was les8 than 200 second-feet at low stages, against an 

assumed 1,000 second-feet. The flow at J\1arb1e Falls, 70 miles above 

the dam, was 197 second-feet, and that at the head of the lake a day or . 

so later, no rain having fallen in the meantime, was 210 second-feet. 

Reeords of depth of water on the c'rest of the dam were kept from 

September 1, 1895, to January 1, 1900. The maximum and average 
TAYLOR.] A US'l'I N DAM. 47 

depths of water on the crest of the dam as given by the gage were as 

follows: 

Depth of 11Hller on crest (d Austin darn. 

1

---y--:;- l\Iaximum I Average I e · depth. ! depth. 

I - - - ----~-- -- ~ 1- ""--

1 

I 

Feet. Foot. 

1896 ... -----------~ 

I 

2. 6o 1 o. 496 

1897 ____________ _ 2. 20 . 422 

1898 ____________ _ 4. 20 . 280 

1899 ____________ _ H.80 

A\'urag(' _____________ _ 

On aeeount of the inequalitie~ of tho erest line of the dam all depths 

Imrst he increa~ed by o.om~ foot to get an an~rage for the whole spill-

·vmy of l,OH1 feet. 

f1~xpcrimentl""l with an deetrie-current meter were made during ~January and March of HWO to determine the coefficient C in the weir 

formula: 

Q=CLH ~-. 

The results indicate that for thP Au~-;tin dam C was nearly 3.09, the 

thc)oretic coefficient used hy Frizell. Substituting this value of C 

and the length of 1,mn, we get 

Q=3,371 H ~· 

The average flow through the penstocks for the four years was about 

250 second-feet. The following table shows the maximum and average 

daily discharge in second-feet, including the flow through penstocks: 

Oage heiuht and discharge at Ausl'in dam. 

Gage height. Discharge. 

Year. 

:\Iaximum. i .\ yerage. , :Maximum. I Minimum. [ Average. 

- -------- -Peet. ~-~~~I' Second:feet. Second:feet. Second-feet. 

1896__________________________ 2.611 0.505 14,100 180 1,460 

1897- -- -- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -- 2. 21 1\ . ~31 II 11, 000 200 1, 200 

4. 21 . 026 29, 000 210 1, 880 

6. 81 1 . 421 

1 

103,400 180 1, 170 

1898. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

1899.----------------------- i --i 

The average depth on the crest for the four years was 0.417. Making H=0.417 in the weir formula gives Q=910. Adding to this the 

flow through the penstocks, the average flow for the four years is 

1,160 second-feet. This, with the conditions prevailing at the Austin 
48 WATER POWERS OF TEXAS. (NO. 105. 

dam, would have given, if it had all been used, 6,264 horsepower. 

Thus the average flow would not have produced hal£ the power the 

minimum flow was supposed to produce. 

The maximum, minimum, and mean discharge of the Colorado at 

Au~ tin since January 1, 1896, are given in the following table. Thi~ 

does not include the flow of Bartons Creek: 

Discharge, in second:feet, of Colorado River at Austin. 

--------- --------~---------------,------,------,----

Year. Maximum. Minimum. I 

1896.--------------------------------------------- 14,100 

1897------------ ------ ---------------------------- 11,000 

1898- - - - . -- --. --- - -- - -- ---- ----- -- - --- -----. -- ---- 29, 000 

1899.----- ------------------------ ..... --- ---------- 103, 400 

1900- ------ -- ---- -- --- --- ---- ----- ' - - - -- --- -- -- - - - 123, 000 

1901. -- -- -- ---- ---- ------ ---- --------- ---- - -- --- 40, 912 

1902---------------------------------- . ----------- 31, 250 

1903- -------- ---- - --- --- -- . ----- -- -- --- ------ - -- -- 32, 500 

Mean. 

I 

180 I 1,460 

200 1,200 

210 1,880 

180 1, 170 

410 3,115 

175 1,994 

180 2,224 

320 1,300 

The flow of the Colorado since 1896 is shown in figs. 12 to 19, 

inclusive. 

The Austin dam failed on April7, 1900. Upon the present condition 

of the foundation of that part of the dam that was broken out hinges 

the proper interpretation of the cause of its failure. So important 

was this special feature that the writer made an elaborate set of soundings in the latter part of 1900 in that part of the broken section through 

which at present the water flows. Four lines of soundings (marked 

x, y, z, and t) were made parallel to and at distances of O, 16.5, 42, 

and 60 feet from the upper face. The result is shown in the following table. Distances were measured from east bulkhead. All the 

soundings were to solid rock except those marked (S). 

Soundings at site of wrecked portion of dam December, 1900. 

Distance in feet. 

Line x. 

Feet. 

600------------------------------------------ 13.0 

550 -------------------------.. ------------.-- 9. 5 

500 -. -. - -- . ---- ---- ------ -.---- ---- ---- ---- -- 10. 9 

450.----------------------------------------- (8)1~6 

400------------------------------------------ 11.6 

350 - - - - ---- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - --- - - - - --- - - ----- 8. 1 

Depths below top of toe. 

Line y. I Line z. I Line t. 

---;::;- ---;::;-1 Feet. 

9. 1 ! 10.1 

11.8 11.9 

12.9 ' 12.6 

11.61 12.2 

8. 9 (S) 9. 61 

I 

12 

14 

14 

15 

15 
U. S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY WATER-SUPPLY PAPER NO . 105 PL. XII 
TAYLOR.] DISCHARGE OF COLORADO AT AUSTIN. 49 

MAR. APR. MAY JUNE JULY AUG. SEPT. OCT. NOV. DEC. 

1 0 20 1 0 20 1 0 20 1 0 20 1 0 20 1 0 20 1 0 20 1 0 20 1 0 20 1 0 20 

FIG. 12.-Discharge of Colorado River at Austin, 1896. 

FEB. MAR. 

10 20 10 20 

JUNE JULY AUG. SEPT. OCT. NOV. DEC. 

1 0 20 1 0 20 1 0 20 1 0 20 1 0 20 1 0 20 1 0 20 

FIG. 1:3.-Discharge of Colorado River at Austin, 1897. 

IRR 105-04--4 
50 W .A.TER POWERS OF TEX.A.S. 

Se Or-ft, JAN. FEB. MAR. APR. MAY JUNE JULY AUG. SEPT. OCT. 

8,000 10 20 10 20 10 20 10 20 10 20 10 20 10 20 10 20 10 20 10 20 

s ~. ~~ ~ I 

7,000 

fl.nnn 

I 

I 

18 

5,000 

4,000 

a.ooo 

2.nnn 

1.nnn 1- I IIJ 

FIG. 14.-Discharge of Colorado River at Austin, 1898. 

Seo,-ft, JAN. FEB. MAR. 

10 20 10 20 10 20 

3,000t-+-+-l~-+-f--+--+--+---+--H+-+-. 

2,000 1--+-+-1-+-+-f--+--+--+---1-..... +-

JULY AUG. SEP~ OC~ 

1020 1020 10201020 

FIG. 15.-Discharge of Colorado River at Austin, 1899. 

[NO. 105. 

NOV. DEC. 

10 20 10 20 
TAYLOR.] DISCHARGE OF COLORADO AT AUSTIN. 51 

Sec.-ft. JAN. FEB. MAR. APR. MAY JUNE JULY AUG. SEPT. OCT. NOV. DEC. 

10 20 10 20 10 20 10 20 10 20 10 20 10 20 10 20 10 20 10 20 10 20 10 20 

FIG. !G.-Discharge of Colorado River at Austin, 1~00. 

FIG. 17.-Discharge of Colorado River at Austin, 1901. 
52 

Seo,-ft. JAN. 

8,000 10 20 

6,000 1-t---t-t-t-t+-

5,000 1-t---t-t--r--t+-

WATER POWERS 0~' TEXAS. [NO. 105. 

FIG. 111.-Discharge of Colorado River at Austin, 1902. 

AUG. SEPT. OCT. NOV. DEC. 

10 20 10 20 10 20 10 20 10 20 

FIG. 19.-Discharge of Colorado River at Austin, 1903. 
TAYLOR.) AUSTIN DAM. 53 

As the height of the top of the toe of the dam above the rock bed 

of the river was, on an average, 6 feet, and as the foundation was not 

(with the exception of the trenches) over 8 feet belo"T "low water," a 

glance at the above table will convinee anyone that there is no part of 

the foundation in the western 300 feet of the broken section remaining. 

From the present orrlinary eastern water edge a large sand bank 

extends to the end of the eastern standing section, which covers 140 

feet of the former bed of the dam. Soundings wPre not made through 

this sand bank, but the erest of the big section of the dam carried dmvnstream, but still standing, is on an axerage only 4 fcpt lower than the 

crest of the standing dam, which indicate::-; Vl'ry dearly that it8 foundation went with it, a:..; it is ret-~ting practically in the old tail race, 

'vhose bed wa:-; lower than the bottom of the dam. 

In all 74 sounding:-; were made, and il7 of these show that the depth 

of bed rock i:-; over S fePt helow "low water,'' and at the other 7 

soundings the rod eonld not he driven through the sand, mud, or 

gravel, to solid rock. At no place was any solid rock encountered 

as near as 8 feet to the "low-water" mark in the area of soundings, 

whieh covered a space of 18,000 square feet. 

The condition of the foundation, the detached standing section (BD, 

fig. 20), and the condition and poBition of the other broken section that 

Lake ..MCLJonald. 

FIG. 20.-Plan of broken ctam at Au~tin. 

occupied the gap and that disappeared soon after the break, all preclude the theory that the dam broke at the le,Tel where it was 31 feet 

in thickness. This level was 25 feet above "lmv water" and 35 feet 

below the crest. If it broke on thiH level, then there was a section 

only :15 feet high that hroke off and moved back. The broken sections 

moved down the stream about 60 or 70 feet, and rested in a position 

practically parallel to their orig-inal positions and in the tail race of 

the dam. the hottom of which was lower than the foundation of the 

clam. If the dam had broken at the level of 35 feet aboYe ~"low 

water,'~ then when the upper 35 feet of the dam moved off three 
54 WATER POWERS OF TEXAS. [No.105. 

things would have occurred: (1) The upper part would have turned 

over aH it slid off of the lower part, which it did not do. This i~ 

shown by the section BD, still standing (Pl. XIII, jl), and by the 

other section which was carried bodily downstream and which remained 

upright forty minutes after the first break. (2) \Yhen the 35-foot 

section moved downstream, if by any possible means it could have 

slid off, then fallen a distance of 30 feet and landed in the tail race 

in an upright position, its crest would have been 30 feet below 

the crest of the standing portion. All this is disproved by the facts. 

The crest of the standing section (Pl. XIII, A) is onl.,y 4 feet (instead 

of 30) lower than the original crest, and that of the portion which 

stood for a while was as high as or higher than the original crest. (3) 

The crest of the standing section is now 53 feet above ordinary flow, 

whereas it would have been only about 22 if the dam had broken at the 

25-foot level above low water. (4) That section of the dam carried 

downstream and still standing can be examined and the 25rfoot level 

will be found actually intact. The position of these sections, horizontal and upright, indicates that the cause of failure was a sliding out 

bodily on its base of that portion that failed. 

On account of the immense importance of the Ailstin dam as an engineering structure-it being the largest in the worlc1 across a flowing 

stream-the writer here submits the opinion of some of the engineers 

who were connected \vith it from time to time. 

:Mr. Frizell has said that the location at :Mormon Falls, ~miles above 

the chosen site, presented points of decided superiority over the 

locality selected, but the board of public works thought that location 

inconsistent with the purposes of the improvement. J\lr. Frizell does 

not consider that the solubility of the rock had any bearing on the 

failure, and sees no reason to doubt that the immediate cause was the 

undermining on the downstream side, caused by the a brasi•,,e action 

of the current and the constant stream of water coming f,rom the 

power house and flowing along the toe of the dam on its way to the 

open channel of the river. A progressive weakening is attested 

by the fact that during the preceding year the dam had withstood a 

flood substantially as great as the one in which it failed. The toe of 

the dam, which was left without support by the undermining, contained granite blocks of more than 6 tons weight. 

It is on record that the breaking down of this unsupporte(l toe was imminent, in 

which event each of these stones would become a millstone (propelled in sueh a 

flood by some 2,000 horsepower) in the work of grinding the friable rock bottom and 

extending the undermining. At the wooden dam aeross Connecticut River at 

Holyoke, Mass., an action of this kind became threatening in 1866. A pit 20 feet 

deep had formed on the downstream_ side of the dam. This danger was met by the 

construction of a massive apron of crib'";ork filled with stone, which prolonged 

the duration of the structure more than thirty years, or until the construction of the 

present stone dam. At Austin the engineer had in contemplation from the beginning 
U. S. GEOLOGICAL CU RVEY WATER-SUPPLY PAPER NO. 105 PL. XIII 

A. BROKEN DAM AT AUSTIN , TEX. , FROM EAST END . 

B. POWER HOUSE AND DAM AT AUSTIN, TEX., FROM WEST. 
AUBTIN DAM. 55 

an analogous work, namely, an extension of the massive apron by a bed of concrete, 

to be applied as soon as the abrasive action had made sufficient progress to indicate 

the character and extent of the work required for its suppression. 

N. Werenskiold, one of the engineers of construction, in a letter to 

a friend in the latter part of 1900, said: 

There can be no doubt that the failure was not caused by any defective work in the 

dam_ itself, but by the entire body being pushed downstream and broken from the 

lateral pressure on account of too small frictional resistance under the dam. It is also 

proven conclusively that this resistance against sliding had been materially diminished 

by erosion below the toe of the dam, and to that extent the failure is chargeable to 

lack of care in maintenance. 

I haye no doubt but that all the masonry went, or slid, _and I am inclined to the 

belief that some of the rock ledges underneath went with it. I think it possible that 

the foundation might have been good enough for a dam without overfall, but it 

proved not to be good enough for this bold structure. I think it probable also that 

vibrations of the dam, caused by the fall of the water, may have had a very detriInental effect on the underl~'ing foundation and also increased the lateral pressure of 

the silt and earth against the dam far beyond the generally assumed water pressure, 

until this lateral pressure overcame the combined bending resistance of the dam 

proper, together with the frictional resistance under the base. 

As early as in l\Iay, 189:3, in reply to a direct question from one of the leading 

mmnbers of the board, I stated that the foundation under the east end of the dam 

was not what it should be; that it was hard to say whether it was safe or not, but 

that I thought that the dirt filling against the clam on the water side would prevent 

undennining and save the structure. I also suggested the necessity of close watching below the dam. 

On l\lay 7, 1894, when replying to a letter from another of the leading members of 

the board, I suggested that they make borings below the dam for the purpose of 

ascertaining the necessity of taking some precautions for the safety of the darn, stating 

that there might or there might not be immediate necessity for so doing, but that I 

believed it would prove necessary in the course of time. In another part of the same 

letter I suggested concrete or paving in front of the power house. From this you will 

knmv they were not without friendly warnings. 

But iri spite of all this I can not say that the works were designed and built with 

due safety or precautions, or that, to my kno·vdedge, proper borings and examinations 

of the underlying formations were ever made. 

Mr. J. T. Fanning remarks as follows: 

The theoretical stability of the masonry of the dam in its normal condition, as completed ih 1893, -..vas sufficient to resist a much greater volume of flood flow than the 

flood at the time of the break. The structure substantiates this view in the fact that 

the westerly part of the Jam, nearly one-half its length, resisted the force that broke 

out a mid section. It is evident that there -..vas a large surplus of resistance, both as 

to sliding and overturni11g in the remaining part of the structure, as otherwise the 

moving sections would have pulled with them those portions of the dam now standing erect in place. 

Undercutting.-That there was undercutting of the toe of the dam at a point where 

the dam first yielded is attested by soundings made before the sliding of a portion of 

the dam. 

A writer in public print has attributed this undercutting in large part to the flowing of the tail ·water from the water wheels in the power house along the toe of the 

dam toward the channel, as shown in Pl. XIII, B. This theory is not sustained by 

the facts. 
56 WATER POWERS OF TEXAS. [No.l05. 

This dam was built on the rock bed of an ancient channel of a great river. Both 

ancient shores are of rock and nearly vertical to the height of the dam. \Vhen the 

dam was coilstructed the modern river occupied less than half the ancient river 

channel, and the remainder of the channel, covering somewhat more than its easterly half, was occupied by an alluvial deposit 40 to 60 feet in depth. A narrow cut 

was made through this deposit to the east shore for placing the foundations of the 

dam in that part of the ancient channel. The tail-water from the power house 

flowed out through this cut on bed rock to the modern west channel, as shown in 

Pl. Xlii, B, and had the toe of the dam for its right shore and the earth deposit for 

the other shore. 

In examining the theory of the bed rock cutting by the tail-water alone we observe 

that the quantity of tail-water flow was ordinarily about 250 cubic feet per second 

and in the narrowest part of the channel had a velocity of about 2 feet per second. 

In the wide section of this channel, at point of l'lcour, the tail-water alone had a mean 

velocity less than three-tenths foot per second. The theory of scour and undercutting of the rock by the tail-water flo,ying at these low velocities is absurdly erroneous. 

The undercutting was probably not done by the scour of extreme floods. It was 

anticipated that the cutting by floods would be at a distance from the toe of the dam. 

Pl. XIII, B, sho,vs that floods passed over a space in front of the toe of the dam and 

did their cutting of the alluvial deposit below the line of the lower end of the power 

house about 200 feet from the toe of the dam. 

"~"hen a flood glides down any sloping face on the lower side of a dam its current 

is discharged in solid stream under the backwater below the dam somewhat as shown 

in fig. 21. When logs pass over a sloping dam with the flood they first appear at the 

FIG. 21.-Fanning's illustration of flow of water over Austin dam. 

surface of the ebullition at some distance below the dam, as at m, in fig. 21, and then 

return along the surface toward the dam. The greater the flood depth on the crest 

the farther from the toe of the dam do the logs appear and the more swiftly the logs 

return with the surface current toward the dam. 

Breakwater.-In a case such as is shown in fig. 21 the breakwater comes in contact 

with only the toe of the dam. With 11 feet depth on the crest, 60 feet fall, and 25 

feet of back"·ater, the discharge velocity past b c f is great. The ·water at d then 

flows back over the swift undercurrent 'lvith a velocity due to the free head of backwater next the dam, but at its surface lew] can not reach the dam. These effects of 

flo\\·, which may be observed at many dams, seem to have been overlooked by most 
'rAYLOR.j .AUSTIN D.AM. 57 

writers on the subject. It is illustrated in part by Pl. XII, B, in which the valley 

between the downflowing stream and the returning current is filled with spray. 

Fig. 21 is a reproduction of a sketch relating to these matters explained by the 

writer to members of the board of public works at Austin, in June, 1892, when he first 

visited the works. The foundations of the dam were then in place and the superstructure in progress. 

In computing the stability of a masonry dam, the "\veight of water resultants from 

a to b, fig. 21, have usually been neglected. So, also, have the reactions of the tail 

water against the dam throughout the flowing jet, and also the weight reactions at 

b c and the weight of the 'vater at d, which in this case are sufficient to materially 

enhance the factor of safety. 

Fall at the toe.-Referring again to the undercutting at the toe of the dam, "\vhich 

occurred at a point about 300 feet from. the easterly abutment, we call attention to 

the appearance of the low and moderate flo·ws at the fall over the toe of the dam, as 

shown in Pl. XII, A, and Pl. XIII, B. This fall should but slowly cut hard litTlestone, but might cut such soft stone as was said to have been found at the point mentioned. At the right of fig. 21 is a sketch suggesting the possible effect of such fall 

on a soft rock or adobe stratum. A fall of 1 foot to surface of backwater gives a 

velocity of about 8 feet per second, and of 2 feet a velocity of about 11.34 feet per 

second, and of 2~- feet, as observed, a velocity of about 12.68 feet per second, each 

independent of the velocity acquired down the slope. 

The failure of the dam was attributable to a local weakness in the rock on which 

it rested. It is probable that the friable or soft stratum under the part of the dam 

·which first moved, and which was not removed and replaced, became so saturated 

with water that upward pressure from the pond waR transferred to the underside of 

the dam in sufficient amount to neutralize a. considerable part of the weight pressure 

of the masonry resting upon that soft rock and, furthermore, that this saturated 

stratum became like a lubricant on which that part of the dam had but moderate 

resistance against sliding. 

The parted sections constituted nearly one-half the length of the dam. It is probable that the section of the dam resting on the formation on which it had not sufficient frictional resistance was held as a part of a beam until a vertical cross crack 

came at the central part of the soft section at B (fig. 22)~ and also that then the two 

parts adjacent to B were held briefly as cantilevers until they cracked at C and A, 

after which they slid, moving slightly faster at B, the point of first crack, until they 

rested 80 feet forward of their original positions. The erosion in front of the toe of 

the dam was not so v6de but that the two parted sections of the dam slid over the 

erosion without tilting and stood erect in their new position, as shown in Pl. XIII, A. 

In such constructions it is usual to countersink the toe of the dam flush into the 

bed rock, giving it an abutment, which makes sliding impossible. 

Power-house foundations.-The injury to the power house was a remarkable and 

unprecedented accident. 

The foundations remain now uninjured, as is indicated in fig. 22. The basement 

windows were placed above the 40-foot backwater level and the river wall was trussed 

to resist the inward pressure. of 40 feet of backwater. The wave of water from the 

broken dam rose above the windows, and broke them in and then flooded the basement where the turbines were located. As the flood receded the basement held this 

water, as a tank, up to the 40-foot leveL ·when the backwater outside had next day 

(twelve hours after break in dam) fallen below the level of the basement floor the 

inclosed water pressed a part of the basement wall outward and permitted a part of 

the floors and roof to fall. 

Site of power house.-Some one has srated that the power house was in more danger 

from the flow over the dam than it would have been if located 100 feet farther downstream. Its position as constructed was adopted as the one of greatest safety and 
• 

58 WATER POWERS OF TEXAS. [No.105. 

f'ltability, and also in part hecause the extension of the abutment and steel penstocks 

100 feet farther would h~we added $20,000 to their cost. The relatiye l(wation uf the 

dam and power house are approximately shown in fig. 22. In this sketch GF bl the 

face of the east abutment, but with exaggerated curve. This easy curve of the abutment was proportion,ed with care to deflect the flood current in a predetermined 

direction, so that it could not scour along the face of the power house foundation except as a return eddy. The return eddy flowing upstream ·would be 

'veakest near the dam, so that part of the foundation nearest the dam was safest of 

all from scour hy flood. The foundations of the power house were uninjured by the 

rush of waters dashed against the building. 

The question of rehuilding the dam is not considered in these pages, 

for the reason that it will require expert examination of the whole 

question. The paramount factor, aside from the financial feature:::;, 

will be the character of the foundation. 

Mr. \Vilbur F. Foster, of Nashville, Tenn., upon invitation of the 

committee appointed by the water and light commission to consider 

ways and mean~ of rebuilding the dam, after visiting Austin and examining the dam site, submitted the following report: 

... 

I 

,I 

~ I 

·I 

.... 

SectiOn on.. line X Y. 

y 

FIG. 22.-Plan of power house anrl penstockR at Austin dam. 

Any estimate of this kind, in the absenee of definite plans and specifications which 

are to be complied with, is at best uncertain . and unsatisfactory; and in this ease it 

has been assumed that those which controlled the original construction would be 
TAYLOR.] AUSTIN DAM. 59 

follcnved in the renewal, in order to preserve uniformity of appearance of the entire 

dam when completed, hnt with such mo(lifieationR, to secure stability and for the 

sake of economy, as are herein suggested for your consideration. 

The report herewith submitted is from the standpoint of a builder, guided by some 

experience in construction of similar work in other localities and from information 

obtained in your city as to various details of cost, and ·will, therefore, ignore technical questions as to cause and manner of failure, etc., which have been so ably and 

exhaustiwly discussed by well-informed and intelligent observers who have given 

much time to the study of the facts. Only the conditions as they now exist will be 

considered. 

The engineering problems involved demand the most painstaking, careful investigation, and these you will doubtless submit to some member of that profession in 

whom you have entire confidence, and. whose advit:e, plans, and specifications, when 

once adopted, as well as his instructions with regard to details during the progress of 

the work, you will rigidly abide by. I may be pardoned for suggesting that some 

of the questions thus to be most carefully studied in the light of the unfortunate 

experience you have had are: 

(1) Whether it will not be better to abandon entirely the present location, and in 

rebuilding adopt one by which you will avoid the "faults" or unreliable strata in 

the geological formation which seems to have been the prim.e cause of the trouble 

you have had, both with the foundation of the dam and the construction of your 

bulkhead masonry and power house. Of course a large amount of material will be 

available by salvage from the old dam when removed and from the debris from the 

portion destroyed. 

The suneys, soundings, and careful investigations already made by the eminent 

professional gentlemen who have been connected '\vith your work heretofore will 

greatly facilitate the decision of this point. 

(2) Whether, in view of the obseryed action of the overflow in time of flood, a 

modification of the profile or crof's section of your dam is not advisable, wherever it 

may be built, the upstream face to be battered or offset in lieu of vertical, and the 

downstream face to have flatter slope, thus increasing the weight of the mass and 

giving a larger frictional area upon the base. 

(3) A careful consideration of the merits of the fossiliferous limestone, which is 

abundant in the vicinity of the dam, as a building material. It does not seem 

reasonable that stone which has '\vithstood the action of the elements for untold 

ages should be condemned as altogether Vi'Orthless. In view of the excessive cost of 

granite, both in quarry cost and transportation, as given to me in Austin, I believe 

that the limestone of the vicinity should be used in the upstream face, at least to a 

point fourteen feet below the crest of the dam, and quite possibly on a portion of 

the downstream face also, and that it will be reliable for strength and durability in 

that portion. 

Assuming that these and other details will hereafter be decided by your engineer, 

I will endeavor to answer, as briefly as possible, the inquiry of Mr. Caswell, guided 

by my personal examination of the locality and by my best judgment as to the cost 

of the various items. 

It might be assumed by some that inasmuch as the total length of the dam between 

abutments is 1,091 feet and its total cost was about $611,000, and as about 91 feet at 

the east end and 500 at the west end remain standing, that the interval 500 feet 

could be replaced for its pro rata of the total, or about $300,000. This supposition 

will be found erroneous for several reasons: 

(1) The shattered condition of the 91 feet now standing at the east end makes its 

removal and reconstruction a necessity, and inasmuch as this is at a place where a 

very troublesome leak occurred after completion of the dam it is probable that the 

foundation itself ought to be excavated to greater depth. 
60 WATER POWERS OB' TEXAS. [NO. 105. 

(2) A large mass of the original dam is still standing, just far enough downstream 

from its original position to be very much in the way of construction of new work, 

and must be removed. 

(3) A very large deposit of earth and silt east of the present channel, also along 

the toe of the dam on the west side of the channel, must be removed for construction 

of new work. 

( 4) An examination by sounding with an iron rod reveals the fact that the bed 

rock in the channel through which the river is nov!' fio\ving is an irregular surface, 

ranging from 8.6 to 12.6 feet below the assumed low-water line, which was the top 

of the toe of the d}1m as built. This is the result of seven soundings, and is pretty 

conclusive proof that not only the foundation stone is gone from this portion of the 

dam, but that the bed rock itself has been broken up and washed out to a depth in 

some places of more than 6 feet. The average of these soundings is 10.8 feet, and 

while it is not certain that this condition extfmds to the eastern end of the gap, yet 

it will not be safe to estimate otherwise, as it is probable that if not washed out at 

least that mueh would have to be removed before rebuilding. This break-up of the 

bed rock I have assumed to be from a point 6 feet above the upper face of the dam, 

a line 20 feet below the toe. This, then, ·will make a pit 483 feet long by 92 feet 

wide by 4.8 feet deep which must be filled with masonry or concrete before reaching 

the base of the original dam. 

(5) It seems to me irnperatively necessary that the toe of the dam its entire length 

should be protected by an apron of masonry or concrete to prevent undermining. 

This I have estimated as l, 100 feet long, average width 20 feet, average depth 3 feet. 

(6) In my estimate I assumed that the upstream faee wall will he built of limestone to a height H feet below the crest of the dam and will have a slope or batter 

of 3 inches to 1 foot vertical. This will adcl 442 feet to the original :-:ectional area of 

the dam, making it 2,642 feet. The upper l4 feet of the upstream face, the coping, 

and the downstream face all to be of granite, as in original plans. All this will be 

shown more fully by the sketch (fig. 23) which I herewith inclose, showing tmggested p'l'ofile. It is suggested that the entire filling or interior shall consist of concrete made of American Portland cement. 

(7) The cost of the contractor's plant or outfit under conditions like these is quite 

as great for the construction of a dam 600 feet long as for the original length of 1,091 

feet. 

'Vith the above explanations I submit the following estimate of cost: 

Earth excavation, wet and dry, 21,000 cubic yards, 30 cents, $6,300. 

Rock excavation, 2,000 cubic yards, $1.60, $3,200. 

Removal of masonry now standing, 14,000 cubic yards, $1, ~14,000. 

Granite coping conrse, 1,378 cubic yards, $19, $26,087. 

Granite facing, dowmtream, 5,535 cubic yards, $11.75, $65,036.25. 

Granite facing, upstream, 684 cubic yards, $11.50, $7,866. 

Coursed limestone masonry, upstream face, 4, 738 cubic yards, S7.50, $35,535. 

Concrete filling, 55,749 cubic yards, $5.50, $306,619.50. 

Total, $464,643.75. 

Deduct for salvage of granite in old dam and debris, 3,025 yards, ~7, $21,175. 

Total net, $443,468.75. 

In the above estimate it is assumed that the granite work can be done at the same 

prices as in the original contract, notwithstanding the increased figures given mE~ 

when in Austin. It is also assumed that all the work will be laid in American Portland cement mortar of approved quality. 

Incidentally, while at the site of the dam, I made a measurement of the flow of 

the stream, which was said to be at a stage lower than for many years. This measurement, 'vhich was of the rudest type and without any facilities for securing accuracy, 

indicated a flow of 360 cubic feet per second. I also examined the ground on the 
TAYLOR.] AUSTIN DAM. 61 

west side of the river and found that by cutting a channel 100 feet wide, w·ith an 

average depth of about 50 feet, and approximately 1,000 feet long from the canyon 

of Bee Creek south·wardly to a ravine which empties several hundred feet below the 

dam, a spillway might be obtained, which, with 10 feet of \Vater on the dam, would 

pass a volume of water equi \·alent to a depth of 1 foot over the crest of the dam. The 

excavation would be solid rock, vvould probably cost 8150,000, and is only mentioned 

as my r.ttention waH directed to the matter. 

In this report I have made no attempt to determine the extent or estimate the cost 

of work to be done in reconstruction of the power hous~c•. "'hether the head-gate 

masonry must he rebuilt, whether the penstocks and turbines should be lowered, 

whether two or three penstocks will not he tmfficient in lieu of six, and whether the 

river wall of the power house should be more Folidly rebuilt are questions that can 

be bef't decided by those who arc familiar with all the details and \vho know the 

present condition of the plant and the cost of all the items involved. 

One detail, however, should not lw overlooked or neglected in any event. The tail 

race, by which water is discharged from the turbines, should be so directed that the 

FIG. 23.-FoRtcr's suggested cross section for rebuilding Austin dam. 

current will not scour along the toe of the dam, thus endangering its stability, however carefully it may be protected. 

In conclusion, I would say that the estimate herewith furnished is concurred in by 

my business partner, ::\Jr. R. T. Creighton, who was present and assisted in all the 

examinations and measurements. 

It will be observed that :Nlr. Foster conclude::-; from hi::-; soundings 

that not only the foundation stone but part of the bed rock was 

torn up and wa:-;hed away. It will he remembered that Superintendent H .. C. Patter:-;on, in a report to the water and light commission in 

,July, lHOO, said that '"the original foundations were in no way damaged, and in all cases not less than 6 feet of the footing courses 

remained." The writer has made many soundings at the dam, the 

result::-; of which have been confirmed by lVIr. Foster's report. 

Since the failure of the Austin dam the city has been operating its 

waterworks, electric-light plant, and other motors for commercial 
62 WATER POWERS OF TEXAS. (NO. 105. 

purposes with steam power. Beaumont oil ha~ been used as a fuel for 

the greater part of the time. The fuel bill, with the necessary cleaning· 

of boilers, has amounted to about $60,000 per year. This represents 

in round numbers the amount that the water power was saving the city 

per year. The most economical plan upon which the dam could he 

rebuilt w·ould be .to design a water-power plan to utilize the ordinary 

flow of the river, and to add an auxiliary steam plant of a capacity 

equal to the power that would be generated by an amount of water 

represented by the difference between the low ordinary flow and the 

minimum flow. In the face of the present fuel bills the rebuilding of 

the dam becomes an imperative economic and public necessity. 

POWER DEVELOPMENT AT COLUMBUS. 

A gaging station was established at Columbus, Tex., in December, 

1902. The gage consists of a plumber's chain tagged every foot with 

a lead weight attached as a sounder. The zero of the gage is 50 feet 

below the top of the cylindrical pier under the southwest batter brace 

of the mid span of the highway bridge near the jail. The gage has 

also been marked off on this pier, reading to one-fourth of a foot. The 

observer at this station is 1V. E. Bridge, the sheriff of Colorado 

County, whose residence is within 300 feet of the gage. Measurements are made from this highwa~· bridge, a cross section of which is 

shown in fig. 24. The section is not absolutely permanent, as the 

!58' 

£AST 

II 

14 

FIG. 24 .-Cross section of Colorado River at Columbu>~. 

river makes an immense bend just above the hridg·e, and while very 

few measurements have lwen made so far, these indicate that the bottom of the river is not permanent, but that its depth below the datum 

or bridge chord varies. The top of the horizontal chord on the downstream face of the bridge is 50.6 feet above datum. 

At Columbus highway bridges cross Colorado River north and east 

of the town, about one-half mile apart in an air line and about Hi miles 

apart by the river. There is a clear fall of 11 feet in the river at low 

stages. Just above Prairie Street Bridge (the north bridge) is a riffie 

in the river where a dam could be located to deflect the water into !\ 

canal connecting points near the bridges. In 1887 \V. R. Freeman, a 

civil engineer of Han Antonio, made the following report in regard to 

the possible water power at Columbus: 
TAYLOR.] POWER DEVELOPMENT' AT COLUMBUS. 63 

I have made allowance accordingly and. find that the minimum. available power is 

85 horsepower per foot of fall, with a certain thing on 100 horsepower at ordinary 

low water. The site chosen for the dam is at the top of the riffle, just above Prairie 

Street Bridge (north bridge), as it possesses many ad.vantages over all others. The 

security of the dam and head-gates, if properly constructed, is assured at this point, 

while the expense of the structure is greatly reduced. The length of the canal would 

he 4,800 feet and. the greatest depth 36 feet. To complete the dam, penstocks, and. 

sufficient capacity of canal and tailraces to obtain 1,000 horsepower at the lower end 

would cost about $70,000, exclusive of land anrl right of way. ·with this construction the whole 2,000 horsepower can be utilized at any future time, 'lvhen needed·, hy 

simply enlarging the canal. I have calculated on raising the water to obtain 20 feet 

fall, on building the dam of live oak on pile, on making the canal 30 feet wide at the 

bottom, and on fixing penstocks for six turbine wheels. I luwe made approximate 

estimate on three different lines of canal and three separate locations of the dam. 

The cost of dam, canal, etc., is as follows: 

Length of canal, 4,800 feet. 

Excavation, 208,000 cubic yards, at 20 cents. ____________________________ _ 

Dam 300 feet long (lh·e oak) ________________________ --- ________________ _ 

Head-gates _________________________________________ - __________________ _ 

Penstocks and tailraces _________________________________________ .. ______ _ 

$41,600 

10,500 

2;500 

7,500 

Total ____________________________ - ___ --- _____ -.--- ____ --__________ 62, 100 

'Vith 10 per cent allowance for contingencies the amount "\Yould be $68, 310. 

As to the damage from extreme floods, my estimates from the dam and head-gates are 

ample to provide for the necessary protection at the upper end of the canal, but I 

would recommend the construction of an intermediate gate to prevent any flood 

"\Vater from the sides of the canal from creating a current sufficient to produce scour 

on the sides. I have assumed that the material through which the canal is to be 

excayated is of such a character as to stand on an ayerage slope of one-half horizontal 

to 1 yertical, and from what I have ascertained I haye eyery reason to believe it will. 

H~wing made a careful examination of the river for 6 or 7 miles above the proposed location of the dam, I am pleased to state that by raising the water to a head 

of 10 feet at the dam the backwater will only reach a point about 6 miles up the 

river, at whieh point I haYe established a monument. I also find that the banks of 

the river are abrupt for a height of about 25 feet the entire distance, thus obviating 

the possibility of flooding any priyate property of any kind. 

CONCHO RIVER. 

On the North Concho, in Sterling County, the :McGee Irrigating 

Company built a dam in 1894. There are ten dams across the Concho 

in Tom Green County for irrigation purposes, the most elaborate of 

which is the Cunningham dam, near the site of the old town of Ben 

Ficklin. 

Tho only two power plants in Tom Green County at present are 

located on the outfalls of the Baze and Bismarck irrigation ditches. 

The former belongs to Thomas Vinson, and is one-half mile north of 

Knickerbocker, on the Raze ditch. The water is furnished by the 

irrigation ditch, which is the feeder both of the irrigation system and 

of the power plant. The head on the turbine is 15 feet, and the length 

of tail race from the gin to the creek is 1,000 yards. It is estimated 
64 WATER I~OWERS OF TEXAS. [NO.l05. 

that 15 horsepower is developed by the 24-inch turbine, and this is 

used in operating the 70-saw gin. The cost o£ the whole power plant 

was $1,400. Pl. XIV is a view o£ Ben Ficklin Falls on the South 

Concho. 

Ten miles south of San Angelo, on the Bismarck ditch that takes its 

waters :from the South Concho, is located the power plant of Payne & 

,Jones, which operates the Bismarck gin. The dam on the river that 

deflects the water to the ditch is 4 :feet high and is built o£ cedar timber, brush, and stone. At the gin on the ditch there is a fall o£ 18 

feet, but the turbine is an old-fashioned one and its efficiency is estimated at about 30 per cent. The plant is run ten hours per day during 

the ginning season. 

Near San Angelo, on the main Concho, a dam was erected by the 

Coneho 'Vater Company, of which .J. L. Millspaugh is manager. The 

dam was built of stone. The main part across the river proper consists of stone, which is to extend into the stone abutments. But early 

in 1H03 a flood on the South Concho cut through the mill race into 

the river, throwing the flood around the end of the dam, thus changing the channel o£ the river. The length o£ the spillway is 166.5 

feet and its height 11 feet, while the height o£ the massive stone 

abutments is 18 :feet. The dam deflects the water into a canal800 feet 

long, 15 :feet bottom width, 25 feet top width, and an average depth 

o£ 7 :feet. A head of 17 :feet will be obtained at the power house at 

the lower end of the canal. The power generated is to be utilized in 

operating the waterworks, pumps, dynamos, and :for irrigation purposes. The surplus power will be sold to power users in San Angelo. 

Across Concho River, at Paint Rock, the county site o£ Concho 

County, 30 miles below San Angelo, a dam 4 feet high and 180 feet 

long has been constructed o£ stone and cedar posts. The dam belongs 

to the Paint Rock \Vater Company and was built in 1896. The power 

is used to operate the city waterworks, a mill, and gin. The wheel is 

a breast paddle ·wheel, 16 :feet in diameter, and in addition to operating the gin it pumps water into a reservoir 42 :feet above the town 

level. The water supply here is unfailing and is amply sufficient :for 

all demands. 

SAN SABA RIVER. 

San Saba River rises in two springs near Fort l\'lcKavett, in the 

western part of :Menard County, and flows in an easterly direction :for 

over 100 miles to its junction with the Colorado. Between Fort 

McKavett and :Menardville the river is :fed by many springs, some of 

which are utilized for small irrigation plants before their waters join 

the San Saba. The largest of these springs, known as the Wilkinson 
U. S. GEOLOGICAL SURV~V WATER-SUPPLY PAPER NO. 105 PL. XIV 

BEN FICKLEN FALLS, ON SOUTH CONCHO RIVER , TEXAS. 
TAYLOR.] SAN SABA RIVER. 65 

Spring, is situated above Menardville, on the farm of W. J. Wilkinson, and forms the headwaters of Clear Creek, a stream about 3 miles 

long. Its waters are partly utilized for irrigation, and there is 

enough water to irrigate 1,500 to 2,000 acres. A resident of thirty 

years states that the flow of this stream is slightly greater in summer 

than in winter. The discharge of Clear Creek as measured in the 

summer of 1902 was 25 second-feet, and the variation in flow is so 

very slight that its capacity for power or irrigation purposes would 

be practically constant. 

Four miles above Menard ville the Noyes ditch, 9 miles long, is taken 

out of the San Saba and deflects most of the normal flow. This ditch 

feeds the Noyes irrigation system above and below Menardville. 

Below Menardville the Sieker and Kitchen ditches are taken out of 

the river on the north side. They are described in Water-Supply 

Paper No. 71. 

Twelve miles below Menardville the San Saba enters the canyon, 

which it traverses for 50 miles. The canyon finally widens into rieh 

valleys at a point known as "'The Narrows,'' 17 miles above the town 

of San Saba. In June, 1902, the San Saba at this point had a discharge of 25 second-feet, which can be relied on as the minimum flow, 

as practically no rain had fallen in the San Saba watershed for the two 

years previous. vVhile the discharge at Fort _McKavett is more than 

this, and while Clear Creek and the smaller streams double this flow 

above Menardville, the irrigation systems in Menard County practically take all the water at low stages. 'Vhen this measurement of 

25 second-feet was made at '' The Narrows " the river was reported as 

not flowing above the mouth of Brady Creek. Twelve miles above 

San Saba the Sloan Spring emerges from the foothills of the Edwards 

Plateau. It has a capacity of 9 second-feet, and the water is utilized in 

one of the most effective irrigation systems in Texas. 

The San Saba is at present almost undeveloped as a water-power 

stream. Its capabilities for power or irrigation rank with the best 

rivers of the State. Its reliable flow from Fort McKavett to its mouth 

marks it as a stream of great usefulness. Four miles east of Menardville on the main ditch is the water-power gin of Gus Noyes, where a 

fall of 23t feet is obtained. Power is developed by a 23-inch Leffel 

turbine and is used in operating a gin of 150 saws and for a corn sheller. The whole flow of the ditch is used for power after the irrigation 

season is over. Forty-two horsepower can be developed by a flow of 

20 second-feet. 

On MiH Creek, that skirts the town of San Saba, there are two dams. 

This creek is supplied by four springs of constant flow. Their comIRR 105-04-5 
66 WATER POWERS OF TEXAS. (No.105. 

bined flow, as measured on December 18, 1901, was 10 second-feet. 

The dam is built of masonry, 15 feet high and 4 feet wide at top. The 

dam proper is 90 feet long, the right wing 60 feet long, the left 160. 

The original dam was built about 1856, but it has been repaired several 

times since its erection. A fall of 20 feet could easily be ::;ecured here. 

The plant is used for the water-supply system of the town. The spring 

from which the water is pumped has a flow of 3 second-feet, and it 

is located in the backwater or pond. To prevent contamination the 

spring is encased in a cement chamber, which is tapped by the 8-inch 

suction pipe. 

On the San Saba 8 miles above San Saba, near Bakers, the river 

makes a horseshoe bend, across the neck of which is a slough. By 

replacing the present dam with one 20 feet high, nearly double that 

amount of fall could be secured. The present plant is on the banks of 

the sloug-h, above high-water mark. The original dam was damaged 

by the floods of 1899, but ·it has been renewed by a brush dam. The 

present plant develops about 30 horsepower by the use of a 26t-inch 

and a 33t-inch turbine. 

LLANO RIVER. 

The water-power plant of Walter "\Vallace is located in the suburbs of 

Junction City, in Kimble County, and receives its power from the South 

Llano. A small dam of loose stones deflects part of the water of the 

South Llano into the mill race. This race is about 3 feet long, 10 feet 

wide, and 4 feet deep, and generally carries about 2 feet of water. 

The power is generated by a 30-inch Leffel turbine under a head of 10 

feet and is used to run a 70-saw gin and to pump water for the city 

supply. The water is pumped into a 6,000-gallon tank, 80 feet above 

water in race. The gin is located on the side of a bluff. The race 

terminates a flume 6 by 6 feet and 100 feet long, resting on cedar posts. 

The flume conveys the water to the masonry penstocks, where it is 

admitted to the turbine wheel. The tailrace returns directly under 

the flume for 60 feet and then deflects eastward into an excavated ditch 

connected with the river. The minimum flow of the Llano at Junction City is about 90 second-feet. 

J. K. Fir:lay, of Llano, owns and operates two natural-power plants 

on Llano River 8 and 1t miles, respectively, above Llano. At the 

upper dam there is a natural fall of 12 feet, the few cracks and crevices 

being planked. At the verv lowest stages of the river this dam, with 

a reasonably good turbine, can develop 76 horsepower. At the lower 

dam there is a fall of 8 feet, and the plant is equipped with two 30-

inch turbines. The lowest flow can develop 50 horsepower. At present only 20 horsepower is used in ginning cotton, grinding corn, and 
A. DAM AT LLANO, TEX. 

B. SW ENSON'S DAM AND POWER HOUSE AT CLIFTON , TEX. 
TAYLOR.] LLANO RIVER. 67 

in polishing granite. A small outlay in constructing dams upon the 

top of these ledges could easily double the power. At Llano all the 

factors that enter into a successful water-power plant are present in 

their very best varieties. The river bed is formed. of continuous 

granite, which in the central two-thirds rises in a turtle-back formation, the visible portion extending over 300 feet below and 200 feet 

above the dam. This leaves two channels on each side approximately 

150 and 100 feet wide, the bottoms of which are 10 feet below the crest 

of the turtle-back formation. The first essential of a good water 

power, a foundation for the dam, is here in the very highest perfection. The very best rock, in a rough, irregular surface, with projections and depressions, extends from bank to bank. The central half _ 

could be constructed as easily as it could be done on banks, and then 

the two depressions near each bank would afford alternate gateways 

through whichthe water could be played from side to side while the 

work of construction was progressing. In addition to this, Llano is 

the very heart of the granite region, and good building stone could 

be obtained within 1 mile of the dam site. Thus a good foundation, 

ease of construction, and convenient stone all unite in inviting the 

increase of the water power of the river. The flow here at the 

ordinary low stages is about 76 second-feet, and a dam with an effective head of 24 feet could be easily constructed, thus developing at the 

very lowest stages 168 horsepower and 200 horsepo\\er at ordinary 

low flow. By a judicious use of flash boards on the crest of the dam, 

and by utilizing the power only ten hours per day, and conserving it 

at night and on Sundays, the very lowest power could be increased to 

475 horsepower. 

A small dam (Pl. XV, A) has been utilizing the power of Llano 

River at Llano for several years. The two channels on each side of 

the turtle-back formation are dammed by wooden structures. The 

framework consists of a triangular brace of cedar posts bolted into 

the granite, and on these longitudinal purlins are spiked, forming a 

base for the facing plank. The wooden part on the south side is about 

150 feet, while that on the north is about 100 feet. The general course 

of that part of the dam that covers the south channel and the granite 

hump is at right angles to the axis of the river, but the northern end 

deflects about 40° to bring the end of the dam into a granite 

ledge. The total length of the dam is about 600 feet, and at the power 

house on the right (south) bank is a head of 9 feet. The present 

power is developed by two Leffei turbines 40 and 44 inches in diameter. The plant supplies the city water system, the electric-light 

sytem, a polishing plant, and will soon run the Llano l\!lilling Company's plant. The city water is pumped into an elevated standpipe, 
68 WATER POWERS Ol!' TEXAS. (NO. 105. 

the bottom of which is 56 feet from the ground and 44 feet above the 

low-water level in the tailrace and 35 feet above the ordinary lake 

level. The capacity of the tank is 30,000 gallons, and the pumps are 

run all day. When pipes and tanks are full the safety valve is so . 

adjusted that the water wastes through an automatic valve. The 

power will be conveyed to the flour mill by a cable from the power 

house. The motor for the polishing plant is operated by a direct current, while that of the electric light is an alternating current. As a 

precaution against breakdowns and low water, an auxiliary steam 

plant is provided, which consists of a 50-horsepower engine and 55-

horsepower boiler, but these have not been used since July, 1899, 

when the exceedingly low water stages of the Llano and Colorado 

almost stopped the turbines at the Austin dam, the water level in 

Lake McDonald Rinking to 10 feet below the crest of the dam. 

CHEROKEE CREEK. 

The mill of J. T. \Vhite is located near Cherokee, Dan Saba County, 

1 mile below the crossing of the road from Llano to San Saba. The 

dam is a substantial stone structure, 90 feet long, 4.5 feet high, and 

deflects the water into a race 3 feet wide at bottom, 6 feet at top, and 

111 rods long. It backs the water one-fourth mile. The plant was 

built in 1895, and is located about 600 yards from the dam. The 

effective head is 12 feet. The stream is supplied by springs about 2 

miles above the dam, the largest of which is known as Heck Spring. 

The supply often is so low that there is not enough water to operate 

the mill. A small dam for irrigation purposes has been constructed 

near the head spring. 

BRAZOS RIVER. 

Brazos River rises in the Staked Plains, in Hale and Lamb counties, 

and takes a southwesterly course for 100 miles and then turns to the 

left and takes a general easterly course for 100 miles to Young 

County, where it ag·ain assumes its southeastern course, which it 

maintains to the Gulf of Mexico, a distance of 350 miles. In its 

upper stretches, above Young County, it flows through fiat plains and 

has maintained an unreliable flow for power purposes. The two 

branches, Salt Fork and North Fork of Double Mountain River, 

unite in the eastern part of Stonewall County, and 100 miles below 

they receive the waters of Clear Fork. 
TAYLOR.] BRAZOS RIVER. 69 

Summary of water-power plants on Brazos and tributaries. 

- ~----~-------------.,-----------

Locality. Owner. ! Head. I Material of dam. 

----------~1 

Eliasville ..... ~ ........... _ -I Donnell Bros __ .... _ . __ ! 

To wash . _. _ ... _____ . _ .. _. _. B. M. Boyd _. _ .... -._.I 

Feet. 

6 

7 

10 ' I Clifton _ .......... ___ . _. _ ... 1 T. 0. Swenson_ ...... _ . 1 

Smither .. ____ . ___ ... _ ·[ 11 

~Water Co .. _ ........... 

1 

18 

~W. T. Donovan & Sons_ 11 

Bel ton ..... _ .... _ .. ______ _ 

Lampasas_ . _ . _ ... ____ .. ____ _ 

Do--------------------

Do. ______ . _________ .... Bradley Bros ____ . __ ... 10 

Summer's . _ ... _ ...... _ .. __ . Summer ..... ____ ... ___ ! 10 

Cotton gin _ ... __ . _ . _ . _ -I- . __ . __ _ ___ . do . ____ ... __ .. _ . _ . 1 • ______ _ 

Salado River ____ . _____ . __ ._. 

Do .. ___ ....... __ . _ . _ .. _ 

Stinnett _____ -- ___ ... --I 18 

McDonald & Bruce ..... • 9 

Do _ . _ .... _ . _ . _ . _ .. ____ _ 

Jonah _______________ . ____ .. 

Georgetown (6 miles east)__ J. F. Townes .. _ ..... _. 16 

Georgetown (3 miles west) _ D. A. Strange _______ .. -I 16 

Straws Mill_ ________________ C. H. Straw ___________ ! 8 

Pidcoke _________ . _ ...... _. Mrs. L. J. Rogers . _ .. __ 9 

Stone. 

Wood. 

Stone. 

\Vood. 

Stone. 

'Vood. 

Do. 

Stone. 

Cribwork. 

Framework. 

Masonry. 

Timber. 

Acton .. _ ... ___ ..... __ .. _ _ _ Me ·wharton _____ ...... 7 Brush and rock. 

Quito ____________ ......... .J. A. Allison ____ .. ____ _ 9 Dirt. 

Snow _____ .. __ ...... ____ .. __ M. F. Bates. ____ .. __ ... 6. 5 Timber. 

Railroad bridges over Brazos River. 

Name. 

Gulf, Colorado and Santa Fe Rwy ______ . _____ 

Southern Pacific R. R .. _______ . ___ .. __ .. _ ... 

San Antonio and Aransas Pass Rwy .. ___ . _. _. 

Missouri, Kansas and Texas Rwy . ____ .. _ .... 

HousLm and Texas Central R. R. ___________ -~ 

Gulf, Colorado and Santa Fe Rwy ___ . _ ....... 

International and Great Northern R. R.----- -~ 

Missouri, ~ansas and Texas Rwy ____________ 

St. Loms Southwestern Rwy _. _. __ ... ___ ... __ 

Distance 

above 

mouth. 

Jfiles. 

75. 8 

99.5 

183.3 

151.5 

208.0 

272.5 

336. 1 

424.2 

424.3 

Elevation of 

top of tie 

above mean low tide of Gulf. 

Feet. 

69.5 

92.9 

120. 7 

135.5 

185.5 

216.5 

292.8 

414.0 

416.5 

Location 

Thompson. 

Richmond. 

Lewis. 

vVaco. 

Do. 
70 WATER POWERS OF TEXAS. [NO.l05. 

Me Wharton's mill is located on the Brazos, in Hood County. The 

dam is 300 feet long and is made of brush and rock. It was construded in 1887 and produces an average head of 7 feet. The power 

is developed hy a 32-inch Leffel turbine and is used in grinding corn 

and ginning cotton four or five hours a day. 

About 6 miles south of Whitney, Tex., B. M. Boyd owns a flour 

mill, which is operated by the water power obtained from a dam across 

Brazos River. The river at this point has a vertical bluff on the north 

side about 50 or 60 feet in height, and in a gap in this bluff and at a safe 

distance above high water is located the mill. The dam is 300 feet 

long, is constructed of cedar timber and brushwood, rock, and gravel, 

and rests upon the solid limestone bed of the river. The cross section 

is triangular in shape. The dam is composed of a foundation layer 

of logs placed lengthwise, brush and stone spread over this, then a 

layer of logs placed crosswise, and brush and stone upon this, then 

another course of logs lengthwise, and more stone and gravel, etc., 

until the top is reached. The top surface of the dam slopes backward 

to the fou~dation and makes an angle of about 20° with it, and a liberal 

backing of stone and gravel is deposited upon it within a few feet of 

the crest, which effectually prevents leakage. Iron pins are let into 

the bed rock at the toe of the dam to prevent sliding. The height is 

about 7 feet and the width at the base about 20 feet. The junction 

with the shore on the south side is made hy means of a bulkhead or 

abutment of log cribbing and on the north side by means of limestone 

masonry. The power is developed by means of two Leffel turbines, a 

44-inch and a 48-inch, each of which develops 25 horsepower with the 

7-foot head obtained. It is possible to add at least another 3 feet to 

the height of the dam and thus obtain a 10· foot h~ad, without backing 

the river up over its banks, and it is probable that the owner will 

attempt this and add to his equipment in the near future. The da1n 

was first constructed in 1856, but has been partially washed away and 

rebuilt several times since then. 

The feasibility of constructing a dam across the Brazos at or near 

Waco has often been discussed. At the suspension bridge the southwest bank is composed of limestone, while the northeast bank is an 

alluvial deposit. The width between bank crests is a little over 500 

feet, and a dam to be at all safe would have to be this length or over, 

with protecting wing walls. The sand is of unusual depth, and it 

would require an excavation through the sand bed nearly 20 feet deep 

at places to reach bed rock. Then to obtain a head of 30 feet the dam, 

if constructed near the suspension bridge, would have at some places 

a height of at least 50 feet. 

A gaging station was established at Waco in September, 1898. The 

gage consists of three inclined iron bars 1 by 3 inches, the first reading 
TAYLOR.] BRAZOS RIVER. 71 

from zero to 4.3, the second from 4.3 to 11.0, the third from 11.0 to 

18. The g-age is under the suspension bridge, bolted to a hard-pine 

stick 16 feet long embedded in cement in the limestone of the bank, 

flush with the surface, on which are painted the graduations below 

4.3. The inclination is such that 5.4 feet along the bar corresponds to 

a rise of 1 foot. Above this bar is the second bar, similarly bolted and 

located, except that it is inclined at a greater angle; 9 feet along the 

bar corresponds to a rise of 4 feet. The lower end of this bar connects with the upper end of the lower one and is graduated to 11 feet. 

On the third section 1 vertical foot equals 1.3 along the bar. The 

reference bench mark is on the water table of the brick abutment of 

the suspension bridge at the south end and is almost on a level with 

the floor of the bridge. This bench mark is marked "'U. S. G. S. 

44.33 B. M." For high water the gage is marked on the south abutment of the bridge. In the early part of 1902 a new camel-back truss 

of one span of 18 panels was erected across the Brazos a few hundred 

feet above the suspension bridge, whose axis makes an angle of 76° with 

the river. This nmv bridge has a footway on the downstream side 

that affords excellent facilities for measuring the flow of the river, as 

there are no midstream piers to render measurements troublesome or 

doubtful. On the north pier a gage has been marked off to agree with 

the United States Geolog·ical Survey gage under the suspension bridge. 

The top of the cement floor of the new bridge at the southeast batter 

brace is at a height of 45.4 feet with respect to the United States 

Geological Survey gage. The gage is tied into the Co.ast Survey 

system of precise levels. The Coast Survey bench mark is at the 

corner of Third and Jackson streets, near the south window in the 

west side of Patten's store, 2 feet south of the window and 4 feet 

above the gTound surface. The elevation of this bench mark is 413.20 

feet above mean low tide and 55.60 feet above zero of gage, making 

zero of gage 357.60 feet above mean low tide. 

The Brazos reached the lowest flow of its recorded history in March, 

1902. On December 28, 1901, the river reached the low stage of 2.3 

feet, and several measurements were taken at this stage to determine 

what was thought to be the lowest flow of the Brazos. The average 

of these measurements was 70 second-feet. During the months of 

January and February the water kept falling slowly. 

From January 1, 1902, to March 7 the water slowly fell till it 

reached the gage height of 2 feet. On March 8 a measurement was 

made of the river at a point 200 yards above the new bridge. The 

water was then flowing through a small channel on the south side of 

the river bottom that was 24 feet wide and of an average depth of 

7 inches and had a mean velocity of 1.36 feet a second, giving a 

discharge of 19 second-feet. 
72 WATER POWERS OF TEXAS. [NO, 105. 

A cross section of the Brazos at Waco, at the suspension bridge, is 

shown in fig. 25. 

The fol~owing tabular statement will show the minimum, mean, and 

..._ maximum flow of the Brazos at Waco since 

l3 1898. ~ 

~ ::::. 

C) 

Cl) 

Discharge, in second-feet, of Brazos River at Waco. 

Year. Maximum. Minimum. Mean. 

1899 _____________________ 77,076 26 3,025 

1900---- - ----- - . ----- --- - 98,832 315 5, 755 

1901 _____________________ 38,017 61 836 

1902 --- --- - ----- --- ~ . --- - 74,600 20 2,694 

1903--------------------- 65,000 120 1,360 

The flow of the Brazos of Waco since 1899 is 

6 shown in figs. 26 to 30, inclusive. "-' 

~ The natural configuration of Brazos River at 

~ Marlin Falls (Pl. XVI, A) makes it possible to 

~ utilize the full power of the water by a low 

;:a 

::g dam and a deep fore race. A low wooden dam 

~ could be used to deflect the water into the mill P=l 

0 race, and at the same time a dam of this height 

:§ would not give sufficient fall over it in time of 

~ flood to scour out the river below the dam. 

~ tT ust below the falls McCullough Slough enters 

cr the river from the north, and this could be con-

~ verted into a tailrace with a fall of 6 inches. 

ci 

~ The power plant could be located on the bank 

of this slough about 1 furlong from the river 

bank. The feeding canal could be excavated 

from the dam to the power site, while the convenient slough would save the expense of digging a tailrace to the river. Within a half 

mile the river has a natural fall o:f about 10 

feet, as shown by the survey of the War Department engineers, and a dam 10 feet high 

would give an effective head of 20 feet. At 

ordinary low flow this would give 240 horsepower. 

The drainage area of the Brazos above Rich-· 

mond is 44,000 square miles. A gage was established here in December, 1902, by the writer. 

The gage consists of a tagged plum her's chain marked every foot with 
A. MARLINS FALLS ON BRAZOS RIVER , TEXAS. 

B. BRADL EY DAM , NEAR LAMPASAS, TEX. 
TAYLOR.] BRAZOS RIVER. 73 

brass tags. The chain is 50 feet long, the bottom of the lead weight 

being the 50-foot mark. The zero of the gage is 50 feet below the 

Sec,-ft, JAN. FEB. MAR. APR. MAY JUNE JULY AUG. SEPT. OCT. NOV. DEC. 

10201020 1020 10201020102010201020 1020 1020 10201020 

FIG. 26.-Discharge of Brazos River at Waco, 1899. 

FIG. 27.-Discharge of Brazos River at Waco, 1900. 

top of the guard rail in the middle of the sixth panel of the mid-span 

(counting from the west) of the Southern Pacific Railroad bridge. 
74 W .ATER POWERS OF TEX.AS. (NO. 105. 

The ele-vation of the top of the tie with reference to mean low tide, 

according to the War Department survey, is 92.9 feet, and that of the 

s ec.-ft. JAN. FEB. MAR. APR. MAY JUNE JULY AUG. SEPT. OCT. NOV. DEC. 

8.000 10 20 10 20 10 20 10 20 10 20 10 20 10 20 10 20 10 20 10 20 10 20 10 20 

7,000 I~ ~ 

,::non 

90 s,ooo 

4,000 

~non 

~ nnn I 1,non ' IL • 

....... .... ~Lll.~~~~ ... FIG. 28.-Discharge of Brazos River at Waco, 1901. 

FEB, MAR, AF'R, SEPT. OCT. NOV. DEC. 

1020 10201020 10201020 1020 1020 

FIG. 29.-Discharge of Brazos River at Waco, 1902. 

top of the guard rail 93.2 feet, thus making the zero of the gage 43.2 

feet above mean low tide. The lowest gage height yet recorded is 
TAYLOR.) 

Sec.-ft. 

BRAZOS RIVER. 

MAY JUNE JULY 

10 20 10 20 10 20 

NOV. DEC. 

10 20 10 20 

75 

FIG. 30.-Discharge of Brazos River at Waco, 1903. 

1.80, or exactly 45 feet above mean low tide. Fig. 31 shows a cross 

section of the Brazos at Richmond. 

Estimated monthly discharge of Brazos River at Richmond in 1909. 

[Drainage area, 44,000 square miles.] 

Discharge in second-feet. 

I 

Run-off. 

Month. I Second-feetf Depth in 

Maximum. Minimum. Mean. 1 

per~~~~re inches. 

---

January __ .................... 21,125 3,460 5,580 0.127 0. 146 

February __ ............ _ ...... 48,000 3,540 16,200 .368 . 383 

l\Iarch _ ....................... 64,000 13,900 36,000 . 818 1. 022 

April ...... __ . __ ........ ___ ... 11,800 3,540 6,020 .137 .153 

l\Iay -------··-----·-----·---- 7,000 3,040 3,620 .082 . 094 

June ........ -- ---- -- -------- - 4,980 2;880 3,500 . 079 . 088 

July -------------·-----·----- 14,100 1,650 3, 750 1 .085 . 098 

August . __ .................... 37,000 1,810 9, 680 I .220 .025 

September ....... ___ .......... 1, 760 1,195 1,425 .032 . 036 

October . __ ... _ ............. _ . 16,600 2,045 5,240 .119 .137 

November ............ __ .... __ 1,860 1,195 1,500 .034 .038 

December ..... __ ............ _ 3,480 1,020 1,480 .034 .038 

The year ......... ____ . _ 64,000 1,020 5,400 .123 2.258 
76 WATER POWERS OF TEXAS. [No.105. 

Above and at Waco the Brazos rises rapidly, and when it gets above 

the 30-foot mark on the Waco gage it overflows the bottom lands 

below that town. When the flood 

spreads out over the bottom lands, as 

it does from Waco to Richmond, the 

water is high longer in the lower 

stretches~ as the backwater in the bottoms and low lands serves as storage 

reservoirs and is drained slowly as the 

river recedes. Above Waco the surface water rushes off into the stream 

more rapidly; the river rises more 

suddenly aml falls almost as suddenly. 

For this reason the maximum discharge at Waco may be greater than 

'S at Richmond. The maximum height 0 

s at Richmond occurred on July 7, 1899, ..c:: 

~ and was 4 feet below the top of the 

~ guard rail, or at a gage height of 46 

t: feet, according to the United States ~ ~ Geological Survey gage. The water 

~ was out over the bottoms at and above I=Q 

c; Richmond, and it covered the tracks of 

~ the Southern Pacific Railroad. Q 

~ 

rTl 

rn 

8 

CLEAR FORK OF BRAZOS. 

I On Clear Fork, in the southern part 

s::i of Young County, near Elias ville, a 

C!i 

~ power plant is owned and operated by 

the Donnell Brothers. The dam is 

situated about the middle of a rounded 

bend in the river and backs the water 

about 2t miles. The width of the bed 

of Clear Fork is about 150 feet. In 

the irregular bed of the river deep 

rock holes occur, alternating with 

shoals. Some of these shoals give a 

fall of as much as 6 feet in a distance of 

300 feet, while others give only an inch 

or so. There is a fall of perhaps 30 feet 

from the dam to the mouth of the river, 

a distance of 9 miles. The flow of Clear 

Fork is very irregular; it is often bank full, but seldom overflows. The 

river is not supplied by many springs, and :it falls fairly rapidly when 
TAYLOR.] P .AL UXY, BOSQUE, .AND LEON RIVERS. 77 

rain ceases. It usually falls to a flow of about 20 square feet cross 

section on shoals, and when dry weather continues will stop flowing altogether in four months or thereabouts. It has not quit running since 

1880. The Eureka dam is built of sandstone slabs 6 by 2 by 6 feet long 

and is 120 feet long and 6 feet high. At first the lower face was left 

vertical, but so much pounding occurred from drift logs that a timber 

apron was put in with a slope of one to two. This rock bed of the 

river is about 6 inches thick,. underlain by hard blue clay. The swiftness of the current eroded the bank on the north side of the river, and 

to prevent the waters going around the dam a great quantity of brush 

and logs was piled in and proved successful in preventing erosion. 

In very high water the dam is invisible. The current is hardly swifter 

on crest than elsewhere. For a while the mill was an ordinary crusher 

mill for wheat and corn, run by an overshot wheel. About 1888 patent 

roller machinery was added. Although often forced to shut down by 

low water, the mill has paid well. A eotton gin, of recent construction, 

is run by steam, and doubtless an auxiliary steam plant will be put in 

for the mill. 

PALUXY RIVER. 

The Paluxy rises in Erath County and flows southeast through Hood 

and Somervell counties to its junction with Brazos River. Formerly 

an excellent power plant was in existence on the Paluxy at Glenrose, 

but it was washed away five years ago and has not been rebuilt. 

BOSQUE RIVER. 

On North Bosque River, at Clifton, Bosque County, T. 0. Swenson 

owns and operates a flour and corn mill that derives its power, except 

in dry times, from the water of the Bosque. The dam is of stone, 195 

feet long, 10 feet high, and was built in 1867, at a cost of $5,000. The 

water is backed up the river for 1 mile. The power is generated by 

two Leffel turbines of 30t inches diameter, and when running at threefourths gate opening can develop 35 horsepower. To guard against 

dry seasons and low stages of the river, an auxiliary steam plant of 30 

horsepower has been installed. A view of Swenson's dam and power 

house is shown in Pl. XV, B. The Bosque near Waco is subject to 

sudden and great fluctuations in flow. In very dry years it ceases to 

flow near its junction with the Brazos. 

LEON RIVER. 

Leon River rises in Eastland County and flows through the counties 

of Comanche, Hamilton, Coryell, and Bell before it empties into Little River, a tributary of the Brazos. A short distance above Belton 

it receives the waters of Cow house Creek. 
78 WATER POWERS OF TEXAS. [NO. 105, 

The mill of Charles H. Straw, at Straw1:1 Mill post-office, Coryell 

County, is on Leon River. The dam is 90 feet long and was built of 

lumber in 187 4. One 48-inch Leffel turbine senerates the power under 

a head that varies from 4 to 8 feet, with an average of 6 feet. Twelve 

horsepower can be developed. An auxiliary steam engine of 40 horsepower is used to supplement the water power. 

The mill of Mrs. L. J. Rogers is located near Pidcoke, in Coryell 

County, on Cowhouse Creek. The dam is 110 feet long and has an 

average head of 9 feet. One 22-inch Leffel turbine is in ~se. 

The flow of the Leon at Belton is utilized by the electric-light plant. 

The dam was built in 1894 and is somewhat unique in its construction. 

Its ends extend to the abutments of the highway bridge, and its race 

or forebay extends under the end approach of the bridge adjacent to 

the west abutment. It is in its plan arched upstream, the radius of its 

curve being 24:0 feet, giving it a rise of 12 feet in its span of 150 feet. 

The framework was made of cedar posts, and it was then covered with 

pine plank. The main purlin posts that carry the upper face are 

inclined to the horizontal at an angle of 45°. These purlin posts 

are braced from near their · top by posts that are inclined to the 

vertical at an angle of about 10°, and the pur lin posts are again 

braced by a series of short posts about 3 feet from the bed rock. Horizontal braces connect these two main supports of the purlin posts. 

To this framework is attached the framework of the apron. A· row 

of short vertical posts, 3 feet high, extends in a circular curve 7 feet 

below the main dam, and to this the top row of post sleepers are 

attached and connected to the framework of the dam. These sleepers 

slope downstream and form the support for the flooring of the apron. 

The main cross section of the dam is like the letter A, the first line 

of which is inclined 45° and the right line about 80° to the horizontal, while the horizontal line is about one-fourth of the height 

from the bottom. A course of plank was nailed to the upstream 

posts, and then a layer of gravel, dirt, and small stones was spread 

on this surface, and then the upstream face was again protected by 

several layers of plank. The downstream face, the apron, and the 

vertical fall below the apron are all protected by plank coverings. The 

total height is 12 feet, the fa1l from crest to apron 7 feet, the fall of 

apron 1 foot, and the final fall from apron 3 feet. The water is taken 

from the lake through an arched conduit between the west abutment 

and the shore. This conduit opens into an open flume 11 feet 8 

inches wide and 80 feet long. The flume follows the west bank and is 

supported on posts that are thoroughly protected from the effects of 

floods by strong sheathing. The fall at the penstock is 11 .feet, and 

the power is transmitted to the dynamos by shafting. The power house 
U. S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY WATER-SUPPLY PAPER NO. 105 PL. XVII 

A. DAM AND RACE OF ELECTRIC PLANT, LAMPASAS, TEX. 

B. DONOVAN DAM, NEAR LAMPASAS, TEX. 
TAYLOR.] LAMP AS .AS RIVER. 79 

is on the high west bank and is equipped, in addition to the water 

plant, with two tubular boilers having an estimated capacity of 100 

horsepower each and one automatic Russell engine of 80 horsepower. 

LAMPASAS RIVER. 

Sulphur Fork of Lampasas River rises in the city of Lampasas and 

il-l formed by two springs, the Hancock and the Hanna. The Hancock 

spring is about 1 mile S. 30° W. from the court-house, and its flow, 

as measured on December 18, 1900, by current meter, was 10.3 secondfeet. The measurement was made just below the ford and about 400 

feet below the bath house at the spring. The dam of the electriclight plant, which is a little over half a mile below the spring, backs 

the water up to within 200 yard~ of the spring itself. The flow of the 

spring, as stated by the citizens, is reliably constant. 

The Hanna spring il-l about one-fourth of a mile N. 20° E. from the 

court-house and almost on the opposite side from the Hancock. It 

ri8es in a large pool, 60 feet in diameter, which has been constructed 

of stone and cement. The water flows out of the pool over an inclined 

apron and can be diverted to the large bath house near by. The stream 

formed by the spring has been diverted from its original channel and 

is con\reyed partly underground for over 200 yards, but at certain 

places the stream is visible through boxes placed in its course, the 

sides of which project above the surface. At one of these boxes the 

flow of the Hanna spring was found to be 4 second-feet on December 

19, 1900. The Hanna spring is strongly impregnated with sulphur. 

The waters of the springs are utilized by variou8 power plants. 

There are three dams across the stream within a mile and a half of 

Lampasas. The electric-light plant (Pl. XVII, A) is in the suburbs 

of Lampasas and has a stone dam, which has a height of 18 feet above 

foundation bed and 14 feet above the river bed and is 150 feet long. 

The water is conveyed by a race nearly 300 yards long to the power 

house, where a fall of 14 feet is obtained. The waters above this stone· 

dam are held back during the day and used only at night, but the lake 

above the dam fills up and the water begins to flow over the dam 

shortly after midday. A judicious use of flashboards would render 

more power available. A flow of 1 cubic foot of water with an efficiency of 75 per cent would give a continuous horsepower of 1t, or a 

total of 12 horsepower used continuously, or a total of 28.8 if used for 

only ten hours during the day and held back for fourteen. An auxiliary steam engine is used at the power plant when heavy demands 

are made for power. 

The seeond dam (Pl. XVII, B) belongs toW. T. Donovan & Sons 

and is about three-fourths of a mile below the stone dam. It is an 
80 WATER POWERS OF TEXAS. [No. 105. 

old-fashioned wooden dam, 120 feet long, and gives a fall of 11 feet. 

Triangular frame bents are constructed with the inclined braces upstream. To these braces sheeting is nailed, which forms the upstream 

face of the dam. With a good hydraulic wheel1 second-foot of flow 

should give 1 horsepower at the dam. The power is used here by the 

Donovan flour mill, but the flow of the stream is under the control 

of the upper dam to such an extent that a gasoline engine is used as an 

auxiliary. 

The lower dam (Pl. XVI, B), about 1 mile below the Donovan dam, 

belongs to Bradley Brothers. It is a wooden structure, composed of 

cedar-post framework, the qpper brace of which is inclined at an 

angle of 45°, while the lower is nearly vertical. These posts are 

bolted into the bed of the stream, and the upper face is covered 

with planks. To sustain the water pressure the upper inclined purlin 

posts arc braced with a short brace a few feet above the bottom. The 

north end of the dam terminates in a substantial masonry bulkhead, 

that serves to prevent cutting around the end in times of high water. 

The plant is on the south bank of the river and consists of a gristmill. The fall is 10 feet, and the power is developed by a turbine. 

SALADO RIVER. 

Salado River ri::;e::; in the famous Salado springs, in the town of 

Salado, 9 miles south of Belton. These springs are tdmilar in source, 

behavior, and character of water to those of San :Marcos, Del Rio, and 

other places. In December, 1901, the discharge at the s.ite of the old 

stone dam in the town was 13 second-feet. The stream below the 

town is often rather deep and resembles in all its characteristics except 

magnitude of flow the San ~Iarcos. At present there are four power 

plants on the Salado. Two miles above the mouth is located Summer's mill. The dam is built of stone masonry, is 175 feet long and 

10 feet high. The power is generated by two Leffel turbines, 30 and 

32 inches in diameter. The head is 10 feet and the gate opening is 

one-hal£. In winter the mill is operated twelve hours a day and in 

summer twenty-four hours a day. A 20-horsepower steam engine is 

kept ready in case of necessity, but it is seldom used. 

Six miles above the Summer mill is located the Stinnett mill. The 

3-foot dam is 1 mile above the mill and is used merely to deflect the 

water into the mill race. The power is generated by a 23-inch McCormick turbine under a head of 18 feet. The mill has all of the water 

privilege and it runs the entire year. Between these two mills there 

are two cotton gins operated by water power. In addition to these 

plants there are four possible locations where power plants could be 

located. 
TAYLOR.] BRAZOS RIVER BASIN. 81 

SAN GABRIEL RIVER. 

At Jonah, about 10 miles east of Georgetown, is a flour and corn mill, 

owned by McDonald & Bruce and operated partially by the power 

derived from San Gabriel River. The dam is about 300 feet long and 

is constructed of timber framework with a top sheeting of 2-inch 

planks. It is triangular in section and is made up of a row of 6 by 

6 inch upright posts, on the downstream face, let into the bed rock of 

the river a few inches and about 12 or 15 feet apart; a cap of 6 by 

6 inch timber rests upon these posts and supports one end of the 

stringers, to which the top plank sheeting is spiked. These stringers 

slope upstream at an angle of about 30° to the horizon and the 

other end rests upon the river bed. Two-inch planks are bolted to 

these to form the upstream face of the dam. A head of 9 feet is 

obtained, and the power is derived from one 36-inch Samson turbine, 

and it is estimated that 50 horsepower can be developed with a full 

gate opening. A 35-horsepower steam engine is used in conjunction 

with the water power when the mill is run to its full capacity and during time of low water. The dam was built in 1890. The machinery 

is valued at $5,000. 

About 6 miles east of Georgetown is the flour and corn mill of J. F. 

Towns, on San Gabriel River. The power is derived from one 26!-

inch Leffel turbine and is estimated at 36 horsepower under the 16-foot 

head obtained. The dam is constructed of timber framework and a 

top sheeting similar to the one at Jonah, except that the posts on the 

downstream face are slightly inclined instead of being vertical, and 

there is no cap on the top of these to support the stringers for the 

sheeting. Each stringer rests on the head of a post, and the sheet 

planks are nailed directly thereon and lengthwise of the dam. The 

posts are about 8 feet apart, and a wooden sill embedded in concrete is 

placed the full length of the dam at the foot of these posts to prevent 

sliding. The dam is connected to the river banks on both ends by 

stone abutments. It is about 400 feet long and 6 feet high, and was 

first built in 1882. In 1892 it was rebuilt entirely as it stands to-day. 

The power house is located about one-fourth of a mile below the dam, 

and a head of 16 feet is obtained on the turbine. The water is conducted to the power house by a race. The cost of the plant, dam, 

machinery, etc., was about $8,000. At present the river is so low that 

the mill is not run, but when the water supply is sufficient it is run 

day and night. 

About 3 miles northeast of Georgetown is a small corn mill owned 

and operated by D. A. Strange. The mill is situated on the banks of 

Bear Creek, but obtains its power from a spring, the water of which 

IRR 105-04-6 
82 WATER POWERS OF TEXA8. (NO. 105. 

is backed up by a dam and forms a pond or small lake above the mill. 

The dam is built of limestone masonry, is of irregular section, and is 

about 150 feet long. In plan it is approximately trapezoidal in shape, 

and the mill is situated in the middle of the section at right angles to 

the river. The effective head is 16 feet, and with the 16-inch turbine 

22 horsepower can be obtained. The mill is a very small concern, the 

machinery old and very seldom used. 

NAVASOTA RIVER. 

The Navasota rises in Limestone County and :flows south to its junction with the Brazos. In extremely dry years it ceases to flow even 

near its mouth, but ordinarily it has a reliable flow. In Leon County 

are many small water-power sites. Some of these have been utilized, 

and there are several abandoned power plants. The mill of J. A. 

Allison is near the post-office of Quito, in the western part of the 

county, on the watershed of Navasota River. A long dirt dam 3 feet 

high impounds the water of Clear Creek. It is reported that the stream 

flows the year round. The mill race is one-half mile long, 16 feet 

wide, and 3 feet deep. The power is generated by one 17-inch Leffel 

turbine, under a head that varies from 8 to 10 feet, with an average of 

9 feet, and produces 5 horsepower. The mill is generally run six 

hours a day. The plant was erected in 1880. 

The mill of JI. F. Bates is near Snow post-office, in the western 

part- of Leon County, and is on Pigeon Roost Creek, a tributary of 

the Navasota. The dam is made of oak timber and is 9 feet high. 

A race 180 feet long, 12 feet wide, and 9 feet deep conveys the 

water to a double Leffel turbine 23 inches in diameter, which runs 

under a head of 6. 5 feet, the least being 4 and the greatest 9 feet. 

, When the wheel is run with full gate opening it produces 15 horsepower. The stream has a constant flow during the summer time, 

except when raised by rains. The plant was erected in 1902. 

About 9 miles east of Marquez, in Leon County, T. J. Invin 

owns and operates a water-power plant, which consists of a grist mill 

and cotton gin of 45 saws. The mill is on a small stream that runs 

into Navasota River, and the flow is continuous the year round. A 

high breast wheel 24 feet in diameter develops the power under a 

head of 22 feet. A small dirt dam 7 feet high, located 600 feet above 

the mill, deflects the water into the mill race and backs the water into 

a pond covering 1 acre. 

SAN JACINTO RIVER. 

San Jacinto River rises in Grimes, Walker, and Montgomery counties, 

flows south, and empties into San Jacinto Bay. Although the river is 

short, it often becomes very broad and swift. The waters are not used 
TAYLOR. TRINITY RIVER. 83 

for power directly, but for rice irrigation. Two and a half miles east 

of Sheldon the Sheldon Canal Company takes water for 2,000 acres of 

rice from San .Jacinto River by pumping 

against a 40-foot lift. A 300-horsepower 

Corliss engine operates an 18-inch VanWie 

centrifugal pump. A complete account of 

this irrigation system is given in 'VaterSupply Paper No. 71, page 100. 

On December 24, 1903, at the crossing of 

the Southern Pacific bridge, the San .Jacinto 

had a discharge of 357 second-feet when 

the level of the water was 35 feet below 

the base of the rail. 

THINrry RIYEH. 

"'J 

Trinity River rises in a network of small ?i 

streams .in Montague, 'Vise, and Parker f 

counties, but the combined capacity of these ~ 

streams at Dallas is not sufficient to keep ~ 

up a constant flow. Below Dallas the Trin- g 

::3 ity flows through a woDded country, and 2.. 

is not subject to sudden floods. A gaging ;: 

station was maintained on the Trinity at .3: 

Dallas by the United States Geological ~ <: 

Survey for several years, but it was a ban- ~ [--

doned on account of the low water. In ;; 

December, 1902, a station was established ~- ---......,~=:...==-=:y:_.::~""'E---~ 

at Hiverside, on the Trinity. The station ~ 

is at the drawbridge of the International · 

and Great Northern Railroad, and the 

zero of the gage is 66 feet below the top 

of the tie on the north arm of the draw 

span. The elevation of the top of the 

pivot pier is 56.50 feet, according to the 

United States Geological Survey gage, 

and the elevation of the top of the channel of the lower chord of the draw span 

is 62.90 feet. According to the survey 

of the "Tar Department engineers, the 

elevation of the top of the tie with reference to mean low tide of the Gulf is ~ 

148.7 feet. Fig. 32 shows the bridge and a cross section of the river 

at Riverside. 
84 WATER POWERS OF TEXAS. [NO. 105. 

Summary of plants in watershed of Trinity River. 

I 

Name. Post-office. Head. Horse- Material Kind of wheel. power. of dam. 

I 

Feet. ! R. A. Randol ....... Randol _ ........ 10 12 Stone --- Turbine. 

J. R. Harrington. _ .. Brandon -.----... 8 10 Wood ___ Do. 

W. J. Chaffin ....... Grapeland ...... 22 4 Earth. __ Pitch-back. 

J. C. Shelton------- Athens ....... _. 10 8 :---do ____ Turbine. 

C. F. Booth -------- Jacksonville . _ .. 17 12 . . . do .... Overshot . 

J.D. Douthit. ...•.. Concord ... _ ... _ -... --- ... -- -... -- ... -- .. ----------

Approximate location and elevation of railroad bridges over Trinity River. 

ApproxiDiAtance Elevation mate elevaBridge. from of top of tie tion of low Fall per 

month. above mean water above mile. 

low tide. mean low 

tide. 

Mtles. Feet. Feet. Inches. 

Texas and New Orleans R. R ........ ___ ... 40.9 30to35 1.0 4 

Houston, East and West Texas Rwy ... _ ... 120.4 95to 100 50.0 6 

International and Great Northern R. R .... 188.3 148 to 153 90.0 8 

Do •.• ____ ........ _ .................. 315.0 235to240 183.0 12 

St. Louis Southwestern Rwy .............. 397.9 320 to325 264.0 ..... -- ... -... -

Texas and Mi~land R. R .................. 

1 

462.8 a340 302. o I 14 

Texas and Pacific Rwy (Dallas) ............ 512.6 422 365. o 

1

. _______ 

a Approximate. 

The mill of Robert A. Randal is on Trinity River, near Randol, 

Tarrant County. The dam is made of stone, is 100 feet long, and 

was built in 1887. The power is generated by one 40-inch Leffel turbine, under a head of 10 feet, and develops 12 horsepower. An 

auxiliary steam engine of 40 horsepower is used to supplement the 

water power. The power is used to run a flouring and corn mill. 

CLEAR FORK OF TRINITY. 

From 1860 to 1870 there were three flourishing water-power mills 

on Clear Fork of the Trinity above Fort Worth. Two of these 

were in Parker County, 10 and 18 miles below Weatherford, while the 

other was in Tarrant County, 20 miles below Weatherford, at the 

present post-office of Bear Creek. After the land was cleared and 

grazing more extensively practiced Clear Fork lost its capacity as a 

power stream. In the years alluded to the· grass was luxuriant, springs 

issued from the foothills, and it was only on extreme occasions that 

the stream stopped flowing at Bear Creek. Now the conditions are 

reversed. 
TAYLOR.] TRINITY RIVER BASIN. 85 

WHITE ROCK CREEK. 

The mill of J. R. Harrington i8 on vVhite Rock Creek, Hill County. 

The dam was constructed of posts and plank, in 1875, and gives an 

average head of 8 feet. One 27-inch Leffel turbine generates 10 

horsepower when the stream flows. 

MILL CREEK. 

The mill of tT. C. Shelton is 6 miles southwest of Athens, on Mill 

Creek, a tributary of Trinity River. One Ridgeway 20-inch turbine develops the power under a head of 10 feet, and it is used in 

running a gin, press, and gristmill. The mill is generally operated 

ten hours a day and develops 10 horsepower. The dam is 900 feet 

long and was constructed in 1860 out of plank, sand, and stone. The 

mill race is about 300 feet long and is 5 feet wide and 2.5 feet deep. 

The mill of C. F. Booth is 5 miles southwest of Jacksonville, on Mill 

Creek, a tributary of Trinity River. The dam is 60 feet long, 8 

to 10 feet high, and develops a head of 17 feet. The power is generated by an overshot wheel, and it is used to operate a 70-saw gin and 

a gristmill. The dam is located on the right of the JacksonvillePalestine road, but the race, which is about one-fourth mile long, 

conveys the water under the highway to the mill on the south side of 

the road. Under usual conditions about 12 horsepower is devel0ped. 

BIG ELKHART CREEK. 

The mill of W. J. Chaffin is 5 miles northwest of Grapeland, Houston County, on Big Elkhart, a tributary of Trinity River. A small 

dam is used to deflect the water into the mill race, which is one-half 

mile long. The main shaft in this mill was secured from an old 

wrecked steamboat on Trinity River, at Parker Bluff. The wheel is a 

"pitch back," or three-fourths breast, 23 feet in diameter, with 76 

buckets or troughs, giving an effectual head of 22 feet. This wheel 

runs a 56-inch saw, a cotton gin, and a gristmill. The cotton press is 

run by water power by a shaft that connects with a 12-foot wheel, and 

the press rotdes, instead of the usual practice. The flow of the stream 

as measured was 5 second-feet. 

BOGGY CREEK. 

Boggy Creek rises in the western part of Leon County, Tex., anp 

flows ~ast to its junction with the Trinity. There are several good 

mill sites on this creek. Formerly water-power plants existed at 

the present steam plant of Cox & Babb, 1 mile south of Middleton; 

at the Elisha Oden place, 8 miles south of Centerville; and at the 

Hayden site, 9 miles southwest of Centerville. The mill of J. D. 

Douthit is 11 miles south of Jewett, on the headwaters of Boggy 
86 WATER POWERS OF TEXAS. [NO. 105. 

Creek. It consists of a grist mill and a 45-saw gin, which are operated by an overshot wheel 24 feet in diameter. The mill was built 

in 1860 and, while of small capacity, is still a factor in the milling 

work of its section. A dirt dam 20 feet high deflects the water into a 

race 1,200 feet long, 3 feet wide, and of varying depth. 

NECHES RIVER. 

Neches River rises in Van Zandt County and flows through the 

heavily wooded section of east Texas and finally enters Habii1e Lake 

south of Beaumont. Its total drainage area above Beaumont is 10,200 

square miles. Its largest tributary is the Angelina, but it receives 

many smaller streams in its course, and on account of its flowing 

through a heavily timbered section the flow of these tributaries, 

although small, is fairly constant, and many of them support small 

water-power plants. These are located in Van Zandt, Henderson, 

Angelina, San Augustine, Houston, Tyler, Polk, and tTasper counties. 

On September 10, 1902, about 100 yards below the crossing of the 

International and Great Northern Railroad, the Neches had a flow of 

26 second-feet. At the time of measurement the water was clear of 

all sediment, but it had the organic tinge-the leaf-stain color--and 

white paper held beneath the surface a few inches assumed a decidedly 

yellow color. The people at Neches said that on the date of measurement the river was about as low as it ever got. The following is a 

list of the water-power plants in the watershed of Neches River: 

TVate1·-power plants in Neches watershed. 

Owner. Material of dam. I ro.~offioe. I IIea<l. 

--------------~------------- 1--------1 

I 

Horse- ' Kind of wheel. power. 

I 

Feet. 

Roher_ ____________ 'Valton__________ 20 Dirt_ ______ 22 Overshot. 

C. C. Chaffin _____ -~ Grapeland .. ____ . 

Ferguson & Weisin- ____ .do _____ . ___ . 

ger. 

A. Tubbe. ____ . _. __ Nacogdoches. ___ _ 

C. A. Gamble ______ Ironosa _________ _ 

J. W. Langford & _____ do----------

Son. 

Jeff Bland_____ _ _ _ San Augustine . _ 

Do___________ _ __ .do ________ _ 

J. Fonville------- ____ do---------

Horton Sheffie1d. _ . __ .(lo .. _______ _ 

D. T. )1eigs. _ ... __ . Brookeland .. __ .. 

\Vood & McCall, _____ do----------

Mgrs. 

L. E. Jones ________ ------------------

18 Earth-----------~ Pitch back. 

14 _____ do---· 4 I Overshot. 

11 _____ do___ 4 Turbine. 

10 ____ .do ___ . 6 

6 Brush and 21 Turbines. 

I ~"<tone. 

7 I Earth . _ _ _ _ 15 Turbine. 

18l _____ do ---- 26 Turbine and 

overshot. 

8 Timber ___ . 80 Turbine. 

6 Timber ___ . 

8 _____ do ____ 

5 Earth _____ 

15 

18 

10 

Do. 

Do. 

Do. 
TAYLOR.] NECHES RIVER. 87 

lYater-power plants in Neches watershed-Continued. 

Owner. Post-office. Head. I M•J;:;!:':' ol 

Feet. I 

Horse- I power.

1 

Kind of wheel. 

-~--~--

W. J. B. Adams ___ Jasper _____ . _____ _ 10 Timber ___ 4 

R. L. Pickle ____________ do _________ _ 8 Earth ____ 15 Turbine. 

K. J. Smith------- _____ do---------· 8 _____ do --- 24 Do. 

Farrow (T. J.) & Pace Ferry . ___ .. : 

FerguElon. I' 

L. P. Lewis ________ Chester .......... 1 

8 20 Do. _____ do ---

7 Earth and 

plank. 

12 Pressure. 

E. P. Wallace_. __ .. Colmesneil .. _ .. _! 9 Earth ____ 15 Turbine. 

P. H. Fondreu .... l .... do __________ i 9 Earth and 

plank. 

7 Do. 

J. C. Harrelson ......... do--------- 6 Timber ____ 8 Do. 

J. M. ·wigley _ _ _ _ _ _ Emilee ________ _ 8 Plank----- 16 Do. 

Ed. ·wheat._______ Mobile ____ . ___ _ 9 Earth _____ 32 Pressure and 

Bevil & Bullock __ ._ Woodville ______ _ 10 ____ .do ___ _ 

j scroll. 

20 Eclipse. 

Nugent & Tompkins~· Juno __________ _ 

A. E. Pope _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Hillister. _______ -, 

J. N. Young _______ l Kiam ___________ ! 

MarionDavis ______ Charity---------

B. F. Collins.______ Dallardsville. ___ _ 

8 Wood. 7 _ _ _ _ do ____ , 

7 ...•. do ___ _ 

8 ---·.do ___ _ 

9 ____ .do ___ _ 

5 I_ .. _ .do . _. _ 

12 Turbine. 

15 Do. 

12 Buckhorn. 

6 \Vood. 

\V. \V. McKinnis __ Spurger ---·-----I-----·-- ..... do ____ ------ Homemade. 

J. 0. Smith ________ Jasper__________ 6 ..... do____ 6 Turbine. 

D. R. Dehart __________ .do ___ . _____ . 5 ____ .do _. _ _ 4 Small wood. 

E. H. Hopson ______ Smit~ Ferry ____ ·] 8 

H. R. Cassels _ . _ . __ Chanty - .. -- - - - -i 5 

8. D. Johnston. ____ I Knight __ ... ___ . -I 5 

I 

_____ do -.. -- _ ___ .do __ . _ 

____ .do ... -.. -

7 

3 

8 

\V ood turbine. 

Paddle. 

Do. 

A gaging station was established on the Neches at Fords Blufl' (Evadale), .Jasper County, .T uly 1, 1904. The river at this point has good 

banks, the water is deep and rather sluggish, and the banks are heavily 

wooded. Measurements are made from the bridge of the Gulf, Colorado and Santa Fe Railroad. 

MILL BRANCH. 

Roher's mill is located in the southern part of Van Zandt County, 

on :Mill Branch, a tributary of the Neches. The head is reported as 

about 20 feet, the wheel an overshot, 23 feet in diameter. An earth 

dam deflects the water into a race about 125 feet long. The dam has 

proved reasonably permanent. The waterisfurnished bylocalsprings. 
88 WATER POWERS OF TEXAS. [NO. 105. 

PEDRO CREEK. 

Four miles north of Grapeland, Houston County, the mill of C. C. 

Chaffin receives its power from Pedro Creek, a tributary of Neches 

River. A race 1,500 feet long conveys the water to the 18-foot ''pitch 

back," or three-fourths breast wheel, which gives an effective head of 

17 feet. The mill consists of a 50-saw gin and a gristmill. 

One and a half miles east of Grapeland, on Pedro Creek, is the mill 

of Ferguson & Weisinger. The dam is made of dirt and is 250 feet 

in length and 14 feet high. The power is generated by an overshot 

wheel under a head of 14 feet. The capacity of th8 plant is 6 bales of 

cotton a day. The stream is formed of three good short branches, 

the longest of which is 2!- miles. The mill pond covers 7 acres, and 

the water can be stored and utilized during working hours. 

DOVE CREEK. 

The Dove Creek mill, operated by A. Tubbe, is on Dove Creek in 

Nacogdoches County. The dam iB made of 400 feet of earth and a 36-

foot section of timber, and was built in 1871. The head varies from 

lOt to 12 feet, with an average of 11 feet. The power is generated 

by one 26-inch Leffel turbine, which is generally run at half its limit. 

The mill is run eleven hours a day, and can develop 40 horsepower. 

Three and one-half miles above the Tubbe mill is an excellent site for 

a mill, where a dam 12 feet high could be constructed. 

BIG IRONOSA CREEK. 

The Gamble mill is located on the Big lronosa, about 5 miles above 

the Langford. It is owned and operated by C. A. Gamble~ and used 

to run a 55-saw Pratt gin. The power is at present generated by a 

homemade 32-inch tub wheel, with a two-third gate opening, and its 

power is quoted as 6 horsepower. It is intended to add a new Leffel 

turbine. It is the second mill from the mouth of the stream and is 

northwest of San Augustine, in San Augustine County. The eiective 

head varies from 6 to ll feet, the average being estimated at 10 feet. 

The dam is built of dirt and rocks, is about 300 feet long, and was 

built in 1898. The mill pond covers about 50 acres above the dam. 

The flow of the stream is estimated at 6 second-feet. 

On Big Ironosa Creek about 16 miles northwest of San Augustine, 

in San Augustine County, is the small gin and gristmill of W. J. 

Langford & Son. The gin is a 50-saw Pratt, and ordinarily gins 

about 175 bales of cotton a season. The gristmill runs two days 

each week. The power is generated by two old-fashioned homemade 

wheels. The larger is 4 feet in diameter and operates the gin, while 

the smaller, 30 inches in diameter, operates the gristmill. An addi-
TAYLOR.) NEOHES RIVER BASIN. 89 

tional wheel, a DeLoach 30-inch turbine, has been added. The stream 

has a flow of about 15 second-feet, and the effective head varies from 

5 to 8 feet, with an average of about 6. The dam is built of brush, 

mud, and stones, and has a length of about 30 feet. It was built abo~ut 

1880. lt has been badly damaged several times by floods, but has 

never been washed entirely away. 

A YISH BAYOU. 

The Jeff Bland mill, the third from the mouth, is located on the 

west branch of Ayish Bayou, in San Augustine County, about 5 miles 

north of San Augustine, on the line of the new railroad from Center 

to San Augustine. The power is used in running a small gin and 

gristmill. Formerly a sawmill was attached to the plant, but a 30-

horsepower steam engine has been added to operate the saw. The 

flow of the stream is about 4 second-feet, and the head varies from 

5 to 10 feet. The power is generat~d by a 20-inch Leffel-Sampson 

turbine, and the estimated capacity is 15 horsepower. The dam was 

built in 1895. Its length is 270 feet, and the mill pond covers about 

20 acres. The mill is operated by Wade Arnold .. 

Jeff Bland's second mill is on the east branch of the Ayish Bayou, 

and is about 5 miles northeast of San Augustine. The flow of the 

stream is 3 second-feet. The power is generated by a breast wheel 20 

feet in diameter, and is estimated to have a capacity of 26 horsepower. 

A Waddell overshot wheel 13 feet in diameter and a 23-inch Leffel 

standard turbine have been used at different times. The dam was built 

of dirt about sixteen years ago, is 300 feet long, and backs the water 

over 10 acres. The power is used in operating a gin and gristmill. 

Horton Sheffield's mill is about 2t miles north of San Augustine, on 

Ayisb Bayou; below the junction of the east and west branches, on 

which are situated the Bland mills. The dam was in poor repair when 

seen in January, 1903. The water is used to run the gristmill, w bile 

a 15-horsepower steam engine is used to operate the gin. The flow of 

the stream is 8.5 second-feet at the ford, one-half mile above the dam. 

The mill site is on the new railroad from San Augustine to Center. 

The mill of Jerry Fonville is about 5 miles south of San Augustine, 

on Ayish Bayou, and is the first from its mouth. The power is used 

in ginning cotton and grinding corn and in running a sawmill. The 

gin is a 60-saw, and generally puts up 275 bales a season. A measurement of the stream in January, 1903, gave a discharge of 17 secondfeet. The power is generated by a 40-inch Leffel-Sampson turbine 

under a head of 8 feet. The dam is built of wood, is 50 feet long, and 

is located on the site of an old Spanish mill on Ayish Bayou. 
90 WATER POWERS OF TEXAS. (N0.105. 

MILL CREEK (SABINE COUNTY). 

Meig's mill is 1 mile above Bell's, on Mill Creek, and is near the town 

of Brookeland. The timber dam was constructed in 1879. It is 30 

feet long and 8 feet high. The head varies from 4 to 8 feet, and the 

power is used in operating a sawmill, a gristmill, and a gin. A 23-inch 

Leffel-Sampson turbine generates the power. The flow of the stream 

is 10 second-feet. 

Bell's sawmill is on Mill Creek, 1 mile from Brookeland, Sabine 

County, about 6 miles from the Sabine and San Augustine county line 

and about 18 miles southeast of Hemphill. It is the first dam above 

the mouth of the stream and is 1 mile above the junction of Mill Creek 

with Bear Creek. The plant is managed by Wood & McCall, and 

consists of a sawmill, a gristmill, and a 70-saw cotton gin. The dam 

was built in 1896 and is20 feet long. The power is generated by a 

20-inch Leffel turbine, under a full head of 9 feet, and is estimated at 

12 horsepower. The flow of the stream was found to be 1C.5 secondfeet. 

INDIAN CREEK. 

The mill of L. E. Jones is 7 miles wes~ of Jasper on Indian Creek. 

A dirt dam 22 feet long and 5 feet maximum height is used. A 

23-inch Leffel turbine, under a head of 4t feet, runs a 50-saw gin and 

the gristmill. The gin during the season is run ten hours a day. 

R. L. Pickle's mill is 9 miles west of Jasper, on Indian Creek. One 

20-inch Sampson turbine, under an average head of 7t feet, runs 

the 60-saw gin and a gristmill. A curved dirt dam 250 feet long and 

6 feet high backs the water over 15 acres. One hundred feet of the 

dam is covered with plank to serve as a wasteway. 

SANDY CREEK (JASPER COUNTY). 

The mill of 'V. ~J. B. Adams is on Sandy Creek 2 miles east of 

Jasper, and is managed by .J. H. Singletary. It is the second from 

the mouth of this stream. The dam is 100 feet long and is made of 

timber and dirt. The head on the wheels is at present 4 feet, and the 

power is developed by an old 36-inch wheel. It is estimated that 4 

horsepower is generated for two hours each day. Both the dam and 

the mill are in bad eondition and are liable to give way at any moment. 

The flow of the stream is 13 second-feet, and a head of 10 feet could 

readily be obtained, which would generate 30 horsepower for eight 

hours a day provided the flow of the stream is conserved. 

The mill of K. ~T. Smith is 10 miles south of Jasper, on Sandy Creek, 

which flows into Neches River. A dam 125 feet long and 10 feet 

high impounds the water. The power is developed by one 30-inch 

Leffel turbine and one 30-inch homemade pressure wheel under a 

head of 8 feet. Together these wheels can develop 24 horsepower, 

which is used in operating a 70-saw gin and a gristmill. 
TAYLOR.) NECHES RIVER BASIN. 91 

FRONT CREEK. 

The plant of Farrow & Ferguson is on Front Creek, in Jasper 

County, and is equipped with two Leffel turbines, 30 and 35 inches in 

diameter, which run under an average head of 8 feet. The dam is 

made of earth, is 40 feet long, and has been washed away many 

times in the last thirty years. 

RUSSELL CREEK. 

The mill of L. P. Lewis is on Russell Creek, in Tyler County. The 

earth-plank dam is 30 feet long and 9 feet high. The power for the 

gin and gristmill is generated by a homemade wheel, which generates 

10 horsepower. An auxiliary steam engine of 20 horsepower is used. 

The dam was first constructed in 1856 and has been washed away twice 

since that time, the last time in 1902. 

BILLUM CREEK. 

The mill of E. P. \Vallace is located on Billum Creek~ Tyler County. 

The dam is 50 feet long, 5 feet high~ and was constructed of dirt in 

1889. The power is generated by one Leffel 17-inch turbine, under 

an average head of 9 feet, which develops 15 horsepower, which is 

used in running a cotton gin, a gristmill, and a small sawmill. 

SPRING CREEK. 

Three miles west of Colmesneil, Tyler County, on Spring Creek, 

about 2 miles from its head, is the gin and gristmill of P. H. Fondren. 

The creek at this point flows in a northwest direction, and the curved 

dam is made of dirt and provided with a 40-foot timber wasteway. 

The mill house is placed on the part of the dam that is transverse to 

the stream, the main dam being extended in wings on each side of the 

banks up the stream, and complete forms three sides of a rectangle in 

plan, its full length being 500 feet. A 27-inch Leffel turbine, under 

a head that varies from 8 to 11 feet, is used. It works under an average head of 9 feet and runs a 50-saw gin and a gristmill. During the 

season the gin is run ten hours a day. 

WOLF CREEK. 

Two miles east of Colmesneil, on Wolf Creek, is the mill of J. C. 

Harrelson. The dam is 35 feet long and 10 feet high, and is made of 

plank. Two Leffel turbines, 27 and 48 inches in diameter, generate 

the power, under a head of 6 feet. The stream has an abundant flow, 

as water runs over the dam when both wheels are at work. 

The mill of tT. M. Wigley is about 1 mile north of Emilee, Tyler 

County, and it gins, saws, and grinds. The power is generated by a 

30-inch Leffel turbine, which is run under an average head of 8 feet 

and at a three-fourth opening generates 16 (estimated) horsepower. 
92 WATER POWERS OF TEXAS. (NO. 105. 

COWPEN CREEK. 

Near Mobile, Tyler County, on Cowpen Creek, is located the mill of 

Ed. Wheat. A dam 200 feet long and 14 feet high raises the water to 

furnish an average head of 9 feet. One 30-inch pressure wheel and 

one 30-inch scroll wheel are used to furnish power. The stream is 

supported by lasting spring.3. 

MILL CREEK (TYLER COUNTY). 

The mill of Bevil & Bullock is near Woodville, Tyler County, on 

Mill Creek. An earth-and-wood dam 180 feet long and 10 feet high is 

used to raise the water to an average head of 10 feet. The power is 

generated by two 40-inch wheels. 

The mill of M. N. Nugent and B. Q. Tompkins is on Mill Creek, in 

Tyler County, and the power is developed by a homemade wooden 

wheel, which under a head of 8 feet generates 4 horsepower. The 

dam, 300 feet long and 3 feet high, was constructed of dirt and brush 

in 1845. The water is led to the wheel by a race 120 feet long, 12 

feet wide, and 3 feet deep. 

THONEVIN CREEK. 

The mill of A. E. Pope and his son, Randal Pope, is 10 miles southeast of Woodville, on Thonevin Creek, Tyler County. The earth-plank 

dam was built in 1871, is 60 feet long, 10 feet high, and produces a 

head from 4 to 8 feet, with an average of 6t feet. The power is developed by one 36-inch DeLoach turbine, run at three-fourths opening, 

with 200square inches vent, which furnishes 10 (estimated) horsepower. 

The plant includes a 40·saw gin, a gristmill, and a sawmill. 

MILL CREEK (POLK COUNTY). 

J. N. Young's sawmill and gristmill is located on Mill Creek, in Polk 

County, and the power is generated by a Leffel turbine under an 

average head of 8 feet. The stream runs the year round and furnishes, 

by estimation, 10 horsepower. During the cotton season three days 

a week are spent in ginning and two in grinding. 

DOUBLE BRANCH CREEK. 

Marion Davis's mill is located in Polk County, on Double Branch 

Creek, near Charity post-office. An earth dam 225 feet in length by 

12 feet in height creates an effective average head of 8t feet. The· 

stream runs throughout the year, but the mill is operated only a part of 

the time. 

KIMBALL CREEK. 

On Kimball Creek, in Polk County, the mill of B. F. Collins generates 

its power by a wooden wheel 36 inches in diameter. This is known as 

the old Griffin mill, and was built in 1865. The dum is 300 feet long 
TAYLOR.) NECHES RIVER BASIN. 93 

and was constructed of dirt. The power is used to run a cotton gin 

and gristmill. 

The mill now owned by W. W. McKinnis was formerly owned by 

Tom Shefield, and is sometimes known as the "Shefield mill." It is 

located 12 miles south of Spurg-er, in Tyler County, near Neches 

River. One 3n-inch homemade wheel with 12 buckets was used to 

develop the power. It consists of a cotton gin and gristmill. 

BIG CREEK. 

J. 0. Smith's mill is located on Big Creek, in Jasper County, and 

consists of a gristmill and cotton gin. A dam 200 feet long and 7 

feet high was constructed of dirt in 1868. A race 200 feet long, 5 

feet wide, and 5 feet deep conveys the water to the penstocks, where 

two 36-inch turbines generate the power under an average head of 6 

feet. The gTistmill is run two and one-half hours each day, while 

the gin is run eight hours from October to February. 

The mill of D. R. Dehart is located on a small nameless stream in 

Jasper County, where a dam 200 feet long and 6 feet high raises the 

water so that an average head of 4t feet is obtained. The power is 

generated by a small 30-inch wooden wheel. The dam washes away 

nearly every year. 

MARSHALL CREEK. 

E. H. Hopson operates a mill on Marshall Creek, in Tyler County, 

to run a gristmill and cotton gin. The dam is 50 feet long, 8 feet 

high, and is made of dirt. One Cowart wooden 32-ineh wheel 

develops 7 horsepower under an average head of 7t feet. 

SANDY CREEK (POLK COUNTY). 

On the West Fork of Sandy Creek, a tributary of the Neches, near 

Charity post-office, H. R. Cassels runs a small mill by water power. 

A dirt dam 60 feet long and 5t feet high was built in 1900. The dam 

gives a head of 5 feet. A homemade paddle wheel, 4 feet in diameter, 

develops 3 horsepower, and the mill is ordinarily run three hours 

a day. 

EDWARDS CREEK. 

Near Knight post-office, in Polk County, S. P. Johnston operates a 

water-power plant on Edwards (or Waterhole) Creek, where a head 

that varies from 2 to 8 feet is obtained, with an average of 5 feet. A 

dam 30 feet long and 8 feet high was constructed out of corn sacks 

filled with sand. The wheel is of special construction, 3 feet in diamter, and generates 8 to 10 horsepower, and as the stream flows the 

year round, the mill can be operated from two to twelve hours 

a day. 
94 WATER POWERS OF TEXAS. [NO.l05. 

SABINE RIVER. 

Sabine River has its headwaters in Collin County and flows in a 

southeasterly direction to the State line. It then flows south, forming 

the boundary between Louisiana and Texas, to the Gulf of Mexico. The 

small tributaries in east Texas support many small mills, and the Sabine 

itself is navigable for several hundred miles. The drainage area of the 

Sabine in Texas above Orange is 7,500 square miles, and its total drainage area above Orange in Louisiana and Texas is 10,400 square miles. 

A gaging station was established on the Sabine at the International 

and Great Northern Railroad bridge, near Longview, in December, 

1903; observations commenced tTanuary 1, 1904. The river at this 

point has a constant flow. A measurement on December 22, 1903, 

gave a discharge of 254 second-feet. 

The following is a list of the water-power plants in the watershed of 

the Sabine in Texas: 

Water-power plants in watershed of Sabine River. 

Owner. Post-office. 

I 

Horse- Head. power. 

~----------1-------- --------

Wheel. 

Feet. 

E. Shamburger .... ___ ... _ . _ Hawkins . . . . . . . . . . . ... _ ... 

H. A. Seago ..... __ .... _ ... _ Big Sandy......... 8 

J. A. Shields. ___ .... ____ ._. Peach ....... _ . . . . . 16 

0. H. P. ·wood ____________ _ Woodtown -------- 12 

J. A. Stinson ............... Speer............. 31 

J. W. Bailey ............... Neuville........... 25 

-- Hancock ......................................... . 

W. T. Pulliam . . . . . . . . . . . . . Newton ....... __ . . 8 

J. T. Dickerson ............. Farrsville.......... 7 

T. P. Dickerson ......... _ ........ do ........... . 

J. R. Mattox ....... _ .... ___ Burkeville ........ . 

L. J. Miller .. ___ ................ do ........... . 

Lamb & Hall. ______________ ..... do----------·-

7 

7 

6 

6 

7 Turbine. 

90 Do. 

12 Do. 

12 Do. 

40 Do. 

Overshot. 

6 Turbine. 

8 Homemade. 

12 Do. 

15 Turbine. 

10 Do. 

10 Homemade. 

6 Do. 

Gunter Brothers ............•.... do ................ _ ........ . 

G. W. Smith .................... do------------ 5 8 Do. 

Westbrook Brothers . . . . . . . . Beech Grove....... 7 16 Turbine. 

Homemade. a 

Do. a 

D. E. Renfro _______________ Jasper_____________ 5 16 

\V. Bishop ...................... do------·····- 8 10 

McGree & Griner ........ _ .....•. do ........... . 

J. S. Griggs---·-·---··----- Newton-----------

T. J. Kelly .........•............ do------------

J. R. Lee ........ _ . . . . . . . . . Lees Mill ...... _ .. . 

W. E. Gray ... _............ Kirbyville ___ ..... . 

J. T. WilleL ............... Newton----------· 

T. J. Gandy_............... Rogansville. _ ..... . 

N. B. Jones---------------- ..... do--------·-·· 

a Three wheels. 

5 

7 

5 

5 

6 

6 

5 

6 

4 Reaction. 

8 Turbine. 

6 Homemade. 

20 

10 

30 Do.b 

4 Do. 

8 Turbint-. 

i 

f> Two wheels. 
TAYLOR.) SABINE RIVER BASIN. 95 

LITTLE SANDY CREEK. 

Three miles northeast of Hawkins, Wood County, on Little Sandy 

Creek, is the mill of Edwin Shamburger. A rock dam 300 feet long 

and 7 feet high was constructed in 1880. A 5 by 6 foot mill race 40 

feet long conveys the water to the penstocks, where a 24-inch Burnham turbine develops about 7t horsepower. The creek runs all the 

year round, and the power is used to run a gristmill and cotton gin. 

BIG SANDY CREEK. 

The mill of H. A. Seago is on the Big Sandy, 3 miles northeast of 

the town of Big Sandy. It was built in 1903 and is substantial and 

modern in its equipment. The dam is 3 feet thick on top and 10 feet 

at the bottom and is constructed of rubble masonry laid in cement. lt 

is located just below and parallel to the highway bridge and develops 

a head of 8 feet. The power is generated by one 45-inch Davis turbine, which gives 90 horsepower. The water is admitted to the penstocks through a mill race 60 feet long, 9.4 feet wide, and 5 feet deep. 

In December, 1903, the discharge in the mill race was 97 second-feet. 

GREENSTREAM CREEK. 

In the eastern part of Wood County J. A. Shields operates a small 

mill on Greenstream Creek, where a dirt dam 150 feet long and 10 

feet high is constructed. A race 600 feet long, 3 feet deep, and 12 

feet wide leads the water from the mill pond to the mill, where a head 

of 16 feet is obtained. The power is generated by a 12-inch Burnham 

turbine and is used in running a corn mill and cotton gin. 

BENTON CREEK. 

On the head of Benton Creek, in Harrison County, 0. P. H. Wood 

runs an 18-inch gristmill and a 50-saw gin. These are run by one 

18-inch DeLoach turbine, which generates its power under a head of 

12 feet. A dam of sand and clay 300 feet long and 20 feet high was 

built in 1891. A mill race 150 feet long, 4 feet deep, and 4 feet wide 

conveys the water to the penstocks. The mill is run four hours a 

day, and the capacity is estimated at 12 horsepower. 

NEAL CREEK. 

The mill of J. A. Stinson is on Neal Creek, a tributary of the Big 

Sandy, in Wood County. Two Burnham turbines 16 and 13 inches in 

diameter develop the power under an average head of 31 t feet, the 

greatest head being 32 and the lowest 31 feet. An earth dam 195 feet 

long and 8 feet high is located three-fourths of a mile above the mill. 

The water is conveyed to the mill by a race 1,500 yards long, 9 feet 

wide, and 2! feet deep. The power is used to run a cotton gin for 

eleven hours a day during the season. 
96 WATER POWERS OF TEXAS. [NO.l05. 

SANDY BAYOU. 

A mill is located on Sandy Bayou, in Shelby County. A wooden 

dam 30 feet long, which develops an average head of 10 feet, was built 

in 1896. One 18-inch DeLoach turbine is used and when running full 

develops 6 horsepower. There are 6 other mill sites on the stream 

which could be utilized for power purposes and which would give 

heads of from 12 to 15 feet. 

TENEHA CREEK. 

The mill formerly owned by E. H. Hearne is now owned and operated by ,J. \V. Bailey. It is situated on Teneha Creek near Neuville, 

in the southern part of Shelby County, and was built in 1900. The 

power is generated by an overshot wheel 27 feet in diameter, with an 

effective head of 25 feet. A dirt dam 200 feet long, with a maximum 

height of 7 feet, deflects the water into a mill race one-half mile long 

and 3 feet wide. The power is used to run a gristmill, a 60-saw cotton 

gin, and a shingle mill. 

CLEAR CREEK. 

The mill of W. T. Pulliam is on Clear Creek, Sabine County, and is 

operated by two homemade 26-inch wheels, which work under an 

average head of 8 feet. The dam is 40 feet long and 8 feet high and 

is constructed of timber framework. 

HUNTER CREEK. 

In the northwestern part of Newton County, on Hunter Creek, 12 

miles east of Jasper, 13 miles southeast of Brookeland, and 5 miles 

northwest of Farrsville, is the mill of J. T. Dickerson. The plant 

consists of a sawmill, gin, and gristmill. The dirt dam was built in 

1900, is 400 feet long, and backs the water over 14 acres of land. The 

head varies from 4 to 9 feet, the average being 7 feet. The 36-inch 

wheel is an old-fashioned tub wheel, built by the owner, and the 

capacity is estimated at 12 horsepower. A smaller wheel of the same 

pattern has also been used. It is the intention to add an auxiliary 

steam plant of 12 horsepower. 

BIG COW CREEK. 

The mill ofT. P. Dickerson is on Big Cow Creek, at Farrsville, in 

the northern part of Newton County, 11 miles north of Newton. The 

mill is used for ginning, sawing, and grinding. The dam is the first 

from the mouth of the stream and is built of dirt. It is 75 feet long, 

8 feet high, and backs the water over 25 acres. The head varies from 

5! to 7 feet. The power is generated by a 36-inch Leffel-Sampson turbine. The flow of the stream when measured was 23 second-feet. 
TAYLOR.] SABINE RIVER BASIN. 97 

LITTLE COW CREEK. 

Little Cow Creek is about 5 miles northeast of Farrsville. At the 

ford, about 1 mile from the Mattox mill, the discharge of the stream 

was 12 second-feet. 

About 7 miles north of Burkeville and 6 miles northeast of Fan·sville~ on Deer Creek, a small tributary of Little Cow Creek, with a flow 

of 4t second-feet, is the plant of J. H. J.Ylattox, consisting of sawmill, 

gin (with a capacity of 200 bales a season), and a gristmill. The 

head varies from 5 to_7 feet, with an average of 6 feet. Two wheels 

generate the power; one, an old 32-ineh turbine, operates the gristmill, while the other, a 33-inch Davis turbine, runs the rest of the 

machinery. The dam is 300 feet long, was constructed prior to 18HO, 

and backs the water over 10 acres. Each wheel can generate 10 horsepower while in usc with a full head. The mill is run six hours a 

day'. Five miles below the }lattox mill there once existed an old mill 

called the Davis mill, below the junction of Deer Creek and Little Cow 

Creek. It had plenty of water and was an excellent power site. 

The mill of L. J. }filler is located 4 miles northeast of Burkeville-, 

Newton County, on l\1cGraw Creek, a tributary of Little Cow Creek. 

This stream is a clear spring bed creek, 6 to S feet wide and 2 feet 

deep in the center. The dam is 15 feet long, 'vith maximum depth of 6 

feet, and was construeted of dirt in 1900. The power is generated by 

a 52-inch wheel under a head of () feet. 

The mill of Lamb & Hall is 1 mile ca:-;t of Burkeville, on McGraw 

Creek. The head varies from 4 to B feet, with an average of 7t feet. 

The dam is 140 feet long, was built long ago, and backs the water over 

10 acres. Three homemade wheels generate the power to operate the 

gin and the cotton press and to dri,·e an emery wheel. The flow is about 

20 second-feet, and while running six to seven hours a day each 

wheel can generate 12 horsepower. The gin and gristmill of L. J. 

Miller is 5 miles above that of Lamh & Hall. 

Little Cow Creek about ~ miles south of BurkeYille had a flow, 

when meal':lured in December, lHO~, of ~-! second-feet. The stream 

was wide and the water very elear. Little Cow and :McGraw creek~ 

unite 2~ miles ~outhea~t of Burkeville, forming Cow Creek, which, 4! 

miles below, receive~ the water of Yellow Cow Creek and joins Sabine 

River 13 miles southeast of Burkeville. 

LYONS CREEK. 

Seven miles northwest of Newton, on Lyons Creek, a tributary of 

Sandy Creek, is the gristmill and gin of \Vest brook Brothers. The 

flow of the stream is about 4 second-feet. The dirt dam is 300 feet 

long and G feet high. The mill race is 150 feet long, 20 feet wide, and 

IRR 105-04-7 
98 WATER POWERS OF TEXAS. [NO. 105. 

6 feet deep. The power is developed by one 30-inch Leffel turbine 

and one wooden wheel. 

MILLUM CREEK. 

On Mil1um Creek 8 miles west of Newton is the gin and gristmill of McGree & Griner, which is run by a 36-inch wheel under an 

average head of 6 feet. The plank dam is 40 feet long and 11 feet in 

total height. It was built in 1891 and has never washed away. A 

40-saw cotton g·in and a gristmill are operated. 

The Bishop mill is on Millum Creek 2 miles above the Renfro mill 

and 7 miles east of Jasper. At present the mill is managed by N. 

Hays, and the power is used mainly in sawing and ginning. The 

dam is 600 feet long, the main part constructed of dirt, while the 

waterway and the part across the main channel, about 60 feet in 

length, are made of timber. The mill pond covers 30 acres. The 

head varies from± to 5 feet; the \Vheel is± feet in diameter, and when 

running with full head 10 horsepower is developed. 

One and one-fourth miles above the mill of l\icGree & Griner, on 

Milium Creek, is the Renfro mill, about 9 miles east of Jasper. It is 

the second mill from the mouth of the stream, being located midway 

between the mill of McGree & Griner and that of Bishop. Eight 

horsepower is generated by two wheels, one a 36-inch Davis turbine, 

running the 50-saw gin, while the other is an old-fashioned homemade 

pressure wheel, ± feet in diameter. The dam is 500 feet in length, 

was constructed partly of dirt and partly of timber, and backs the 

water over 15 acres. 

MILL CREEK. 

The mill of ~Joe S. Griggs is in Newton County, on Mill Creek. A 

dam 300, feet long and 8 feet high was constructed of dirt in 1858. 

The head varies from 5t to 7t feet, averaging 7 feet. Eight horsepower is developed by an 1~-inch Leffel turbine. The mill is located 

at the dam, and no mill race is needed. 

CANEY CREEK. 

The mill ofT .• J. Kelly is in the town of Newton, southwest of the 

court-house, on Caney Creek. The dam is about 50 feet long, 9 feet 

high, and is cow.,tructed of timber. One 30-inch homemade bucket 

wheel develop:-; the power (estimated at 6 horsepower) to run a 50-saw 

gin and a gristmill. The head varies from ± to 6 feet and averages 

5 feet. The stream flows the year round, and during the ginning 

season the plant is operated ten hours a day. 

The water-power plant -of J. R. Lee, at Lees Mill, Newton County, 

is on Caney Creek about 9 miles southeast of tbe town of Newton. A 

dam of timber and dirt, 40 feet long and 7 feet high, was constructed 

in 1891 aud serves to obtain a head that varies from 3 to 6 and aver-
TAYLOR.) SABINE RIVER BASIN. 99 

ages 5 feet. Twenty horsepower is developed by one Davis wheel, 48 

inches in,diameter, which is used to run a gristmill, a cotton gin, and 

a sawmill. 

THICKETY CREEK. 

This plant, formerly owned hy \V. E. Gray, is in .Newton County, 

near Kirbyville, and is located on Thickety Creek. Full data could 

not be obtained, but it is :-;aid that an average head of 6 feet lVas 

obtained. 

WHITEOAK CREEK. 

On \Vhiteoak Creek, Newton Count~~, the sawmill and gristmill of 

J. T. \Villett is operated by two wheels, a Crowner and a tub, umkr 

a head which varies from 3 to 6 feet. A dirt dam 550 feet long and 

3 to 7 fe~t high impounds the water. The stream has a perpetual flow 

and the mill is run :-;even hours a day. The estimated capacity is 30 

horsepower. 

EVERETT CREEK. 

The mill of T .• T. Gandy i,.., locatPd in .Jasper County, on Everett 

Creek, a tributary of 8abinc. A dam 300 feet long produces a head 

of 4t feet. A homemade wheel :3:! ineht's in diameter is nscd to 

de,~elop the power tiutt operates the 50-saw gin and gristmill. 

Fourteen mile? east of .Jasper, on E,-erett Creek, is the gristmill 

and cotton gin of N. B. ~Jones. The power is generated by one ~26-inch 

standard Leffel turbine, which runs under an average head of 5t feet. 

The stream runs throughout the year, and the pmver it-1 estimated at 6 

horsepower. The dam i8 150 feet long and i:-; constructed of dirt. 

SMITH CREEK. 

G. W. Smith's gin and gristmill is on Smith Creek, in Newton 

County. The mill i~ built right over the stream, and the dam is 40 

feet long, with a maximum height of 6 feet. The power is developed 

by a 24-inch vertical shaft homemade wheel, which runs under a head 

of 5 feet. 

RED HIVEH. 

The watershed of B.ed River of Texas ha8 an area of 8iUl70 

square miles, and extends into New ~lexieo. Palo Duro and Terra 

Blanca creeks unite 3miles east of Canyon City, in Hamlall County, and 

form the Palo Duro Canyon, known also as the Prairie Dog Fork of 

Red Hiver (old Indian name, Ke-che-ah-qui-ho-no). Palo Duro Creek 

runs continually from a point 20 miles 'vPst of Canyon City to its 

junction with the Terra Blanca. The latter has a continuout-J flovf at 

Hereford and from there to its junction with the Palo Duro. The upper 

part of Reel River, in Handall and Armstrong counties, is universally 
100 WATER POWERS OF TEXAS. [NO. 105. 

referred to as Palo Duro Canyon, while the part near the crossing 

of the Fort \Yorth and Denver Railroad is referred to as Red River. 

There i8 no definite point where one ceases to apply and the other 

begins. At best it can be said that the upper part of the Prairie 

Dog Fork is known as Palo Duro Canyon. In the canyon section the 

flow of the stream is reliable and continuous, but when the stream 

strikes the sand the \Vater sinks. Several small streams flow into the 

. river, hnt their water flow:::; for a short distance only after reaching 

the bed of the river, and then sinks in the sand. The formation is 

irregular, and holes of clear water and shoals alternate in succession. 

At the crossing of the Fort \Vorth and Denver Railroad the ri\'er 

bed is a wide \nu;te of white sand, across which the railroad carries its 

track on a trestle. The river flows here about six months of the year. 

Heavy rains on the table-land or plains rush off to the canyons and 

the resulting floods have produced great trouble with the railroad 

bridge. Near the one hundredth meridian the river stops flowing only 

in extremely dry years. 

The North Fork of Red River, while much shorter in length, has a 

much larger flow than the South Fork, or Prairie Dog Fork, and the 

amount of water indicates that, contrary to legal decisions, it is the 

main fork of the river. The two main forks unite ncar the ninetyninth meridian. Legally, it has been decided by the courts that the 

South Fork is the Red River. 

The drainage area of the Salt Fork of Red H,i,·er extends into Carson 

and Armstrong countie:::; in the Panhandle, but water is rarely found 

in its bed. The \Yaten:; of thiR stream are impregnated with salt'' gyp" 

and other alkaline ingredients. 

The following table shows the power plants in the Red River watershed in Texas: 

Trater-pmcer plants in Red Riua -watershed. 

Owner. Post-ofiiee. 

J. B. Cotton _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Pittsburg __ 

L. B. Branan-------- Purley ___ _ 

J. M. Lockett. _______ Lanier ___ _ 

Moore & Maxey ______ , Yiola ____ _ 

A. G. Strickland __ ._·I Sardis. ___ .

1 

Head. 

Peel. 

-1 

2tl 

26 

12 

10 

Horse- r, Wheel. 

I 

power. Stream. 

- ~-------

1 

1..., ') C' ypress ' _________ I T b' 

1 

ur 1ne. 

18 Mountain Cr~ek. _ Do. 

7 Springs_ ... _ . ____ 1 

Overshot. 

15 i Clear Creek. __ ._ ·j Turbine. 

12 [ Black Cypress _ . -~ Do. a 

a Fifteen horsepower ><team. 

PEASE RIVER. 

Pease River rises in Briscoe County and .flows south 80° east to its 

junetion with Red River. vVhile its drainage area is 3,280 square 

miles, it is only a wet-weather stream; but long after it ceases to flow 
TAYLOR.) RED RIVER BASIN. 101 

water stands in holes at many places in its course. But little reliance 

is placed on its water, and as a water-bearing stream it is not a factor 

in the development of the country. 

WI CHIT A RIVER. 

\Vichita River flows in a general direction N. 75° E. and unites 

with Hed River in the northern part of Clay County. It has a 

drainage area of 3, 750 square miles. At \Vichita Falls the river rarely 

if ever ceases to flow. On February 10, 1904, its flow at the ]1..,ort 

Worth and Denver Railroad bridge was only 3 second-feet. This is 

unusually low, as no rain had fallen at its headwaters for nearly a year. 

An impounding reselToir ha:.; been constructed across Holliday Creek, 

a tributary of \Vichita River, near \Vichita Falls: for irrigation purposes, the lake thu:.; formed being called "'Lake \Vichita." The dam 

is 1 J miles long and the lake has an area of 3,000 acres. The water is 

intended to irrigate 3,000 acres east of the tmvn of Wichita Falls. 

CYPRESS AND SULPHUR RIVERS. 

The two most significant tributaries of Red River in Texas are the 

Cypres:.; and the Sulphur. The Hulphur has its head,vaters in Fannin 

County, flows southeasterly. forming the southern boundary of Lamar, 

Red River, and Bowie co,mtics, and enter:-; Hed Hiver about 7 miles 

north of the Louisiana line. The diseharg·e of this river is not constant, as the stream often ceases to flow. For this reason there arc 

few power plants on the Sulphur. Its drainage area in Texas is 3,400 

square miles. The Cypn~ss (often called the Big Cypress) rises in 

Franklin County and flows southeasterly for about 90 miles and enters 

Cypress Bayou at Jefferson, which in turn empties into Red River. 

Like the Sulphur, the Cypress often ceases to flow in dry summers 

and it is little used as a power stream. 

The mill of J. B. Cotton is on the Cypress 7 miles northwest of 

Pittsburg. The clam, 200 feet long, was constructed of earth and plank 

in 1880. The head yaries from 2 to 5 feet, and the power is g·cneratcd 

by a 30-inch Leffel turbine with full opening~ and is used in operating 

a gristmill. It is usually run only three hours a day. 

The mill of L. B. Branan is on :Mountain Creek, in Franklin County. 

The head was_ 28 feet, and the power was g·enerated by a 16-inch-Leffel 

turbine. The estimated capacity was 18 horsepower. A dam 600 feet 

long, with a maximum height of 12 feet, impounded the water. It 

was conducted to the mill by a race 1,800 feet long, 4 feet wide, and 3 

to 5 feet deep. The dam was washed a\vay in 1902. 

In Cass County, on Clear Creek, the mill of :Moore & Maxey is situated. This plant includes a cotton gin and gristmill. The power is 

developed by a 20-inch turbine under a head of 12 feet and is estimated 
102 WATER POWERS OF TEXAS. (NO. 105. 

at 15 horsepower. The dirt dam is 600 feet long and 15 feet high, and 

the water is led to the mill by a race 300 yards long, 8 to 12 feet wide, 

and 2 to 3 feet deep. The mill is generally run nine hours a day. 

~T. M. Lockett's plant in Cass County, 6 miles :..;outh of Linden, consists of a gin and gristmill. The power is developed by a 26-foot 

overshot wheel, and the effective head is slightly less. The dam is 300 

feet long, 15 feet high, and was built in 1881. The water is led from 

the mill pond to the mill by a race one-fourth of a mile long, 2 feet 

wide on bottom, and from3 to± feet deep. The mill is run during the 

ginning season all day for five days in the week. The power is estimated at from± to 10 horsepmver. 

The gristmill of A. G. Strickland is on the Black Cypress in Cass 

County, ncar the Sardis post-office. The dam is 400 feet long and was 

constructed of dirt in 1852. The head varies from 8 to 12 feet, the 

average being 10 feet. One 24-inch Ridgeway turbine develops 8 

horsepower. An auxiliary steam plant of 15 horsepower is used. The 

plant is operated eight hours a day. 

CANADIAN RIVER. 

Canadian Hiver crosses the Panhandle of Texas in an easterly direction. Its watershed extends into New :Mexico, but as a stream it 

praetically rises in Texas. In extrenwly dry years no part of the 

river in Texas has a continuous flow. At Tascosa the river flows 

about six months in the ordinary year and at highest stage is one-third 

of a mile wide by 3 feet maximum depth. Lower down the river this 

period is increased, until at the one hundredth meridian it flows, on 

an average, ten months in the year. The river bed is composed of a 

wide, sandy waste, and except for a short period after a rain the flow 

is confined to a narrow streamlet, which courses its ribbon-like way 

sluggishly over the sandy tract. 

PROGRESS IN IIYDRAl;-T.,JC PO)VER DEVET .... OP:l\IENT.a 

By J. T. FAXNING. 

The first great water-po'\ver deyelopment was made in New England. Hydraulic 

mechani:-,:ms in small units, such as are termed "current wheels," were familiar to the 

Chinese on the Yellow River and the Hamites on the Nile and Euphrates fully three 

thousand years ago. The crude undershot wheel, so long used, maintained its prominence until the genius of John Smeaton touched it, about 1759, when he showed 

that the wheel, as then used, gave but 30 to 35 per cent of the theoretical power of 

the water, and, further, that if the bucket ·was resolYed into the overshot form the 

useful efficiency might be increased to 60 rer cent, and, later, that if changed into the 

high-breast form the useful efficiency might be increased to about 70 per cent. The 

po-\Yer that turned these. long-armed current '\Vheels was usually a rapid in a river, 

though sometimes it ·was the rush of tidal water into or out of an estuary. The old 

a From Engineering Record, January 3, 190<>. 
FANNING.) IiYDRAULIC POWER DEVELOPMENT. 103 

tidal mill on Mill Creek, in Boston, in 1681, was among the earliest mills of the 

American colonists. 

Parallel with the development of water powers of any marked magnitude came 

also the development of that embodiment of skill and inventiveness known as ''millwright," who ·was usually possessed of mechanical skill and adaptive ingenuity, and 

could accomplish practical results, such as the needs of the early times demande(l. 

The millwright sa\v that the bucket wheels on horizontal shafts were well a(lapted 

to operate vertical saw:;, for they could give to the saw frames their vertical motions 

when connected by pit~nans to cranks on the horizontal wheel shafts. Thus war,; 

evolved the typical American sawmill that has been universally adopted, an(l evPn 

now not wholly displaced hy the band-saw mill. Millstones that ground the corn 

operated best when run horizontally on a vertical shaft. A bevel gear at first changed 

the revolving motion of the horizontal to that of the vertical shaft. The ingenious 

colonial millwright then conceived that if he made his bucket wheel short he could 

set its shaft on end vertically, and com;truct the water chutes so that the water would 

impinge on the buckets or paddles at one side. The running stone was then attached 

to the upper part of this vertical Hhaft and a f:'imple and useful corn mill '.vas the 

result. 

This was a pronounced step forward in the millwrigh!,'s vocation and produced 

the typical New England gristmill. Many modifications of this water wht>el then followed, in which the paddles, at first radial, were successively inclined from the radial 

line, or curved, or made spoon shaped. Then a small are of the circumference of 

the wheel was inclosed to confine the water closer to the ra(lial bucket:,;, and vanef-l 

were placed to guide the water against a greater nmnher of buckets. These radial 

buckets stood generally in vertical planes parallel with tlw shaft. The fprtile brain 

of the millwright then coneeiwd the i(lea of inclining the paddles around the circumference of his water wheel, so that while still substantially ra(lial they were 

atan angle of about 40° from the vertical, and the water was made to impinge 

on the buckets from above and pass vertically through them instead of horizontally, 

as heretofore. Crude water wheels having characteristics similar to the aboye seem 

to have been previously devised by several peoples when they had made the 

advance toward permanent village domestication. 

As early as 1R04 buckets were fitted spi~ally within a wooden cylinder attached to 

a yertical shaft, and the flow of the water was downward through these cnrve(l 

buckets. This last wheel was a meritorious invention, and was a progenitor of parallel-flow turbines. Later, vanes were applied to this wheel to guide the water into 

Se\'eral buckets at the same time, and still later a square or cylindrical flume covered all these vanes and supplied the water to all the buckets at the same time. As 

early as 1819, on the Susquehanna Hiver, water wheels were in use having vertical 

shafts and horizontal wheels, each with a row of buckets on its circumference which 

discharged the water horizontally and outwardly, eonstituting reaction turbines. 

Around the shafts of these wheels and within the line of buckets was a cylindrical 

wooden flume that supplied the ·water to the wheel buckets through apertures in its 

circumference adjacent to the bottom of the cylinder. The shaft passed up through 

the central flume. 

After the passage of the first United States patent la'.Ys, in 1790, various turbine 

designs began to be filed in the public archives, showing occasionally a new fundamental idea, and then numerous improvements of detail based thereon; but new type 

inventions have been rare and are still few in number. The details of the best types of 

turbines have, however, been gradually brought to most excellent mechanical perfection. Previous to the year 1820 the millwrights of America were rarely well versed 

in mathematics and were rarely technical experts. Their new turbine-wheel designs 

were not based on detailed mathematical analyses and were not described uefore 
104 WATER POWERS OF TEXAS. [NO. 105. 

technical societies; hence the literature relating to them is scarce. The records of 

the Patent Office testify to the marked natural abilities of the early millwrights. 

Abroad Smeaton gave valuable mathematical analyses of the under and over shot 

wheels before the Royal Society; Fairbairn and Hennie made them in iron and 

improved them by introducing ventilated buckets; lVI. Morin and M. Poncelet tested 

~with dynamometers and analyzed the mechanics of the downward and outward flow 

water wheels, termed in France " Jon val " and " Fonrneyron" turbines, and presented the results to the Academy of Science at Paris; James Thomson analyzeQ. the 

in~ward flow or "vortex" turbines and described them before the British Association, 

and ~Whitelaw gave the arms of the reaction or "Barker-Mill" class their Archimedean eurve. ln America Elwood }forri:-, a cultured engineer, took up the technical examination of the elements of turbine water wheels, and then Uriah Boyden, 

at first a studious hlaeksmith and ingenious meehanic, and later also a railway and 

hydraulic engineer and scientist, improved the outward-flow turbine. Boyden, by 

means of his skillful design and skillful workmam;hip, produced the most efficient 

turbine then known, and by the year 1844 had given it standing as the leading type 

of turbine -..vatPr wheel. 

In the further technical and mechanical perfection of turbine ,,·heels and in their 

introduction for the driving of large cotton mills James B. Francis exerted an important influence. Parallel -..vith this improvement of outward-flow turbines went the 

improvement of inward-flow turbines, especially the scroll wheels, which for a time, 

up to 1860, ontranke(l all others in numbers for small water powers. In 1859 A. l\1. 

Swain introduced a combine<l inward and downward flow turbine whieh was remarkably efficient and which has influenced the dt•Hign: of most of the best turbines subsequently introduced. The primitiw watl•r wheels with vertical shaft that preceded 

the Boyden and improved scroll wheels were ~enerallyofwoo(len construetion. ·wing 

dams and short canals or flumes generally led the waters from the streams and gave 

the available fall of water upon the wheels. Such typical constructions indicate the 

state of practical hydraulics and millwrighting up to the war of 1812, when about 

1,000 small water powers were sawing the lumber and grinding the corn of the settlements along the Atlantic coast. From 1815 to 1820 was a period of severe commercial depression, following the war. 

In 1821 there came brighter prospects and an industrial revival. Until then the 

wives were spinning the wool and cotton yarns in their houses, but an experimental 

mill had been built on a Charles Rin~r water po,ver that successfully spun cotton 

into yarn and 'iVOYe the yarn into cloth. The textile industry was destined to expand 

rapidly and the water power of the streams was its supporting ally. Under this 

influence the first great water power was developed on the Merrimac River in 1822, 

where subsequently the city of Lowell became a great cotton manufacturing center. 

Near Lowell there was soon developed the equally prominent water powers on the 

Merrimac River at Manchester, in New Hampshire, and Lawrence, in Massachusetts. 

These deyelopments had eaeh capacities of from 10,000 to 12,000 horsepower, and 

each was chiefly devoted to the manufacture of cotton goods, as were the water powers of Cohoes (1828), in New York, and Lewiston (1849), in Maine. The Connecticut River water power at Holyoke (1848) was largely devoted to the manufacture of 

paper, as, later, were the Fox River powers in 'Visconsin. The water powers on the 

Genesee River at Rochester, N. Y. (1856), and on the Mississippi River at Minneapolis (1857), were largely devoted to the manufacture of flour. 

The pioneer large water power at Lowell was laid out with a system of canals with 

moderate fall from one to the other, and then to the river below the falls. The 

pmvers at Manchester and Holyoke had similar systems of parallel canals. These 

were typical examples of the early developments of powers for the cotton and paper 

industries. These powers were specially adapted to the use of the overshot or high-
FA~NING.] HYDRAULIC POWER DEVELOPMENT. 105 

breast water wheels, which, constructed largely of wood, were long and high and 

occupied much valuable room, but maintained their prestige for large po\vers until 

1841. 

The new Boyden turbine of 1844 showed, on test at the Appleton Company's cotton mill in Lowell, an efficiency exceeding 80 per cent. This result closed the era 

of overshot water wheels in America and fully opened the era of the turbine water 

wheel in iron construction and \vith rapid revolutions. This result dosed also the 

era of parallel canals, or subdivided head developments of water powers. A competitive trial in 1860, at the Fairmount \Vorks, by order of the council of the eity of 

Philadelphia, gave an impetus to the improvement of the design and workmanship 

of turbine water wheels; and the competitive tests at the Centennial Exposition in 

Philadelphia, in 18i6, further stimulated along the same line and at the same time 

retired into oblivion forms of wheels that were not in accordance with the true 

theories of design. 

The attachment of riveted metal draft tubes below the running wheels was a conspicuous improvement leading to the excellent modern water wheels. The dynamometer test of turbines at Lowell, and later the testing flume experiments at 

Holyoke, were powerful factors in placing the design of turbines on sound scientific 

bases. 

The evolution of the turbine that had led up to the iron bucket wheel in a watertight iron case and with an iron feeder pipe made possible the easy developments of 

water powers with high heads. The high water falls and canyons in limestone 

formations gave opportunities for a high heatl type of power. The Genesee Falls, 

at Rochester, N. Y., present an example whieh dates from 18f)i. These turbine 

wheels were operated under heads of !10 feet, and, in consequence of the large aggregate of power de,·elopecl then', Rochester beeame a noted flour manufacturing center 

before the ·wheat belt ha(l traveled westward into l\Iinnesota and Dakota. The olcl 

hydraulic canal power at Niagara village and one at :Montmorency, near Quebec, are 

other examples of this type, and many others might be cited. 

Another type of high-fall development is that of the Willamette Falls, near 

Portland, Oreg., where eaeh turbine and its electricai generators revolve horizontally on the same tall vertical shaft. The modern Niagara po\ver plants are of this 

type. The water power on the Mississippi Hiver at St. Anthony Falls presents 

another type of development. The heacl at the upper falls is about 48 feet. The 

bed of the river at the crest of the fall is a stratum of blue limestone about 12 feet 

thick. This limestone rests upon soft sandstone termed "St. Peter sand rock." The 

pO\ver had its first large development in 1857 for operating several large sawmills. 

The sawmills were founded on the limestone rock of the river bed upstream from the 

crest of the falls, and their turbines were sunk through holes in the lime rock to 

wheel pits in the sand rock at the lower water level. Tunnels extended horizontally from below the fall, through the sand rock, to the wheel pits, and discharged 

the tail waters from the turbines. This tunnel tailrace type of development was 

adopted also for the wheel pits of the flouring mills of Minneapolis, that now manufacture 80,000 barrels of flour per week. This tunnel tailrace system was later 

adopted by the Niagara Falls Power Company, the Canadian Niagara Power 

Company, and the Ontario Power Company. 

The diversion ~ype of water powers presents examples of considerable magnitude. 

The Penobscot River is, in part, diverted from its course at the head of a series of 

rapids and turned nearly at right angles into the Millinocket. The latter stream is 

a branch of the Penobscot, and near the confluence flows parallel with the main 

stream in a lower valley. A dam in the main stream diverts the water; from the 

bluff of the lower stream the water is eonveyed in flumes and penstocks to the turbine-wheel pit with a head of about 110 feet, and there gives power to operate a pulp 
106 WATER POWERS OF TEXAS. [No. 105. 

and paper mill with a capacity to produce daily 200 tons of newspaper. A second 

example is the diversion of the St. Lawrence River, in part, from the head of the 

Long Sault Rapid to the Grasse River near Massena, in New York State, with a head 

of 35 feet. This last diversion canal is large, giving possibility of a great water 

power. 

The special mechanical improvement that more than all others has opened the 

possibilities of the prominent recent water-power constructions has been the perfection of double wheels on horizontal shaft3 with a draft tube common to each pair of 

water wheels. The germ of this, but in crude form, is seen in the Parker Brothers' 

patent in 1829. Now one, t\vo, and three pairs of turbine wheels are placed on the 

same shaft in open flumes, as at the Minneapolis, on the Mississippi, or in a cylindrical 

steel flumfl for higher heads, as at the Helena plant, on the Missouri River; and their 

combined powers, aggregating 1,000 to 6,000 horsepower per shaft unit, are driving 

large electrical generators, which transmit the'power electrically to work 10, 50, and 

even more than 100 miles away from the 'vater-power source of energy. 

The pairs of horizontal turbines, in steel cases and having steel penstocks, make 

possible a further development of the high-head powers which are conspicuous in 

our mountain States, as in Ogden, Utah, where the mountain stream high up in the 

canyon is gathered in a flume and wood stave pipe of 6 feet diameter and contoured 

along the hillside to the canyon's outlet, and then is dropped in a steel penstock 

with 446 feet effective head to the turbines and electrical generators. Another 

example is the Bay Counties Power, in California, that has its waters similarly 

gathered from the melting snows and contoured along the rocky steeps to where 

they can be dropped 700 feet to turbines driving generators of large capacities. 

These are examples of water powers generated for long-distance electrical distribution, and in the second the electrical current is sent more than 200 miles down the 

Sacramento Yalley to San Francisco and other cities beyond, and nearly 100 miles 

up the valley. A form of impulse water wheel, known in type three centuries ago, 

has recently been improved to remarkable efficiency and adopted by several manufacturers for use in connection with jet streams from these high-head water powers 

for large power units. 

The increasing use and value of power is bringing into prominence that type of 

water-power development that includes the conservation of the flow of the stream in 

its relation to its whole watershed. An example on a moderate scale is the Massabesic 

Lake power, that pumps the water supply for the city of Manchester, N.H. In this 

case the dam was built on the stream a quarter of a mile below the natural outlet, 

and the dam was high enough to flow the lake and control nearly the entire flow ot 

its watershed. Another example is the Helena power, previously mentioned, where 

a high dam creates a natural lake of sufficient area to consen·e the twenty-four-hour 

summer flow of the :Missouri River so that the power of its entire daily flow may be 

converted into electrical current during ten hours of each day and transmitted to distant ore mining and smelting operations. 

The most conspicuous example of this class is the recent power development at Sault 

Ste. Marie, where a broad canal, nearly 2z miles long, leads the waters of Lake Superior from its natural outlet, parallel with the rapids, to a power house one-fourth 

mile in length. Controlling dams and sluices at the outlet of the lake have for their 

purpose the conservation of the water from the watershed of 82,552 ~quare miles area, 

and making Lake Superior, of 33,000 square miles area, a magnificent mill pond, with 

its terminal wheel pits constructed for the development of 48,000 net horsepower. 

In Lowell, the first great water-power industrial city, the 10,000 horsepower of the 

Merrimac River was necessarily used within the limited area to which the shafts and 

belts could transmit the energy from the turbines, and the power was necessarily subdivided among many power houses because of the limiting conditions of its use and 
FANNING.] HYDRAUI~IC POWER DEVELOPMEN'l'. 107 

its type of development. Through the evolution in power types leading up to the 

great modern developments, as of 100,000 horsepower connected with one tailrace at~ 

Niagara, it has now become possible to concentrate powers aggregating ten times that 

of either of the formerly famous Merrimac River powers, 'vhere the respective subdivided utilizations req~ired each a mile of eanal for their many small ~nits. 

The eom:picuons achievement along hydraulie lines of the present generation is 

the development and utilization of 40,000 to 100,000 horsepower in single-power 

stations, with 4,000 to 6,000 horsepower units, by which great aggregates of energy 

are first so concentrated that they may then be conveniently distributed oYer a Yery 

broad field to varied industries and may throughout the whole field perform practical works of great usefulness. 

.APPENDIX. 

On October 5_, 1904, the highest flood ever known on Pecos River 

near Pecos washed away the flume of the Bari"ltow Irrigation Company 

(shown in Pl. III), broke its main lateral in 38 plaees, and inundated 

much of the land under its ditch. A hasty estimate places the damage 

to the flume and laterals at $35,000. In this flood the river rose to 

within 2 inches of the bridge of the Texas and Pacific Railway and 

was 3 miles wide along its tracks. 

• 

INDEX. 

A. Page. 

Acton, Tex., dam and plant near____ 69 

Adams, W .. J. B., dam and plant oL 87, !Hl 

Allison, J. A., dam and plant oL ___ 69, 8:! 

Artesian wells at San Antonio, connection between __ ___ :!G 

Athens, Tex., dam and plant near __ 8!, 83 

Austin, Tex., discharge of Coloeado 

at ----------------- 47 power at, present cost oL _____ 61-(t~ 

Austin dam, account of_ ___________ 4:3-G2 

construction of ______________ 43-4G 

cost of --------------------- 43 

cross sections oL_____________ 44 

description of--------------- 4:3-44 

failure of ------------------- 4S 

cause of---------------- r;:{-:J:·\ 

investigation oL _________ _48, 3:{ 

J. P. Frizell cited and 

quoted on ___________ ~4-G3 

flood over, view oL___________ 48 

flow O\'el', Fanning's illustt·ation 

of ----------------- 56 gage heights at______________ 47 

material fol' _________________ 43 

powet· from__________________ 4S 

powet· house and penstocks of, 

plan of------------- 58 

vt·otile oL___________________ 44 

rebuilding of, Foster's snggested 

cross sertion fot·_____ Gl 

ruins of, plan oL_____________ G3 

view of----------------- 54 

saddle m;ed in construction of, 

view of_ 4;) 

site oL _________ ============ 46 

soundings at ruins of _____ 48, 53, Gl vie~~ of ____________________ 48,54 

warniLi,~ of impending failure 

of ----------------- 4~55 

v•atet· on crest of, depth of _____ 4G-47 

Avalon, Lake, divet·sion to__ 1G 

Ayish Bayou (Neches River) ~-d:~~~ · an~ plants on________ 8() 

n. 

Babb, C. C., stream measurements by ____________ 21, 22,3G, 36 

Ba1_1b, Cox &, steam plant oL ______ 94, !)6 

Batie;}·, .T. W., dam and plant oL ___ !)4, !)G 

-Baket·s, Tex., dam and plant aL ____ 41, GG 

Ball, Antonio, springs owned by___ 13 

Barstow, Tex., powet· plants near___ 15 

Barstow Irrigation Company, dam of 15 

flume of, destl'uction of_______ 107 

gaging station at________ 15 

view of----------------- 16 

Page. 

Bates, :\I. F., dam and plant oL ____ 6D, 82 

Baze irrigation ditch, plant on _____ G:.! 

Bear Creek (San Gabriel Riyer), dam 

and plant on _________ 81-82 

Bear Creek, Tex., flow of TL'inity 

lliver at____________ 84 

Belton, 'l'ex., dam and plant aL_ 69, 78-79 

Ben Ficklen, Tex., dam neat·------- 62 

Ben Ficklen l<'alls, view oL________ 64 

Benton Creek (Sabine River), dam 

and plant on____ 93 

Bevil (Geol'ge) & Bullock, dam and 

plant of ____________ 87, 92 

Big Cow Creek (Sabine lliver), dam 

and plant on________ 9G 

Big Creek (Neches River), dams and 

plants on ----------- · 93 

nig Elkhart Ct·eek (Trinity River), 

dam and plant on____ 85 

Big Ironosa Creek (Neches Rivet·), 

dams and plants on ___ 88-89 

flow of_____________________ 88 

Big Sandy, '.rex., dam and plant near 94, 95 

Big Sandy Ct·eek (SalJine River), 

dam and plant on____ 95 

I3illum Creek (Neches Rivet·), dam 

and plant on________ Dl 

Bishop, W., dam and plant of ______ 9-4, !)8 

Bismarck irrigation ditch, plant on_ 62 

Black Cypress Creek, dam and plant 

on ----------------- 102 

Bland, .Teff, dams and plants of ____ 86, 80 

Bluffton, 'l'ex., dam and plant at ___ -41, 42 

Blumllerl!, Koehler &, plant of __ 28-2D, 32 

Boggy Creek ('l'rinity River), dams 

and plants on ________ 85-86 

source, course, and character of_ 

B{•l1lat·, T. II., measurement of spring 

level by ____________ _ 

Booth, C. 1•'., dam and plant oL ___ _ 

Boyd, B. l\I., dam and plant of ____ _ 

I:eyden, lJriah, improvement of tln·-

bine by ____________ _ 

Boyden turbine, efficiencv of 

Brackett, Tex., flood aL~---======= spl'ing neal' ___________ _ 

Bt·adley Brothers, darn and pl~~t~f= dam and plant of, view of ____ _ 

Branan, L. B., dam and plant oL __ _ 

Brandon, Tex., dam and plant at_ __ 

Brazos River, bridges over_ _______ _ cbaractel' of ________________ _ 

cross section of _____________ _ 

drainage area of ____________ _ 

falls ou, view of 

flow of---------~~=~~~~------

source, course, and character oL 

109 

85 

14 

84,85 

(i\), 70 

104 

104 

21 

21 

6!),80 

72 

100 

84,85 

6!) 

7G 

72,76 

72,75 

72 

71-76 

68 
110 INDEX. 

Page. 

Brazos River, Clear Fork of. See 

Clear Fork of Brazos. 

Bridge, ·w. E., observations made by_ 62 

Briggs, George E., plant of-------- 15 

Briggs & Dyer, plant of___________ 15 

Brogado, Tex., springs near________ H 

Brookeland, 'J'ex., dams and plants near _______________ 86 

Brownwood, Tex., darn at, view of__ 42 

Bruce, :\fcDonald &, dam and plant 

of ----------------- 6~,81 Buche!, 0., dam of, description of_ __ 30-:U 

dam of, gaging station at______ :u 

irrigation from _____ _____ 31 

location of-------------- 30, 32 power plant at __________ 31 

view of----------------- 30 

Bullock, Bevil (George) &, dam and 

plant of _____________ 87,~2 

Bm·keville, Tex., dams and plants 

near !)4,!)7 

c. 

Canadian River, course, flow, and 

character of_ _______ _ 102 

Caney Creek (Sabine River), dams 

and plants on ________ ~8-~!) 

Cape, J. :\I., dam of_ ______________ 37, 40 

Carlsbad, N. 1\Iex., lake at_________ 1;:; 

Casa Blanca irrigation and mill 

ditch, construction of_ 22 

Cassels, H. R., dam and plant of_ ___ 87, !)3 

Casti·oville, dam at_______________ 26 

Centerpoint, Tex., dam and plant at_ 27, 

Centerville, Tex., former plants nem· _ 

Chadwick, Milam, dam and plant oL 

Chaffin, C. C., dam and plant of_ __ _ 

Chaffin, W. J., dam and plant of_ __ _ 

Ch:u·ity, 'l'ex., dams and plants at 

28,32 

85 

41, 42 

86,88 

84, 8i"i 

and near _________ 8~~~93 

Chet•okee, 'l'ex., dam and plant at___ 41 

Cherokee Creek (Llano River), dam 

and plant on _______ _ 68 

Chestet·, Tex., dam and plant neat• __ 87, !)1 

Clear Creek (Cypress ItivPr), dam 

and plant on ______ 101-102 

Clear Creek (~avasota River), dam 

and plant on _______ _ 

Clear Creek (Sabine River), darn and 

plant on ___________ _ 

Clear Creek (San Saba Rivet·), source 

and How of ___ ~------

Ciear Fork of Brazos, chamcter oL_ 

plant on ___________________ _ 

Cleat· .B'ork of Trinity River, darns 

and plttnts on ______ _ flo~· of _____________________ _ 

Clemens dam and plant, desct·iption 

(i.i 

70-77 

76 

84 

84 

of __________________ 33-34 

fall at --------------------- 35 

view of --------------------- 26 

Clifton, Tex., dam and plant at_ ___ 69, 77 

dam and plant at, view of_____ 66 

Coal, bituminous, comparison of Me· 

.Alester coal and______ 11 

Page. 

Coal, McAlester, comparison of bituminous coal and______ 11 

comparison of Beaumont oil and 10-11 

comparison of cost of '.rexas lignite and ____________ 10 

fuel value of_________________ 11 

Collins, B. F., dam and plant of_ 87, 92-93 

Colmesneil, Tex., dam and plants at _________________ 67,91 

Colorado River, character of_______ 12 

cross section of______________ 62 

discharge of, hydrographs oL __ 49-52 

drainage area of_____________ 41 

flow of------------ 43, 46-48, 49-52 

watet·shed of, mqp of pat·t of___ 41 

Columbus, Tex., cross section of Colorado at_____________ 62 

dam at, possible ______________ 62-63 

gaging station at_____________ 62 

power at ------------------- 63 

Coma! River, dam at head of_______ 35 

dams and plants on ____ 41-43, 62-63 

discharge of ----·------------ 35 

fall of ---------------------- 34 

flow of __________________ 26,32-33 

power possibilities of_________ 35 

source of ------------------- 32 

survey of ------------------- 34 

Comanche Ct·eek, power plants on__ 15 

source and How of____________ 15 

Comfort, Tex., dam and plant at_ 27, 28, 32 

flow of Guadalupe at_________ 27 

Comfort RolleL· :\fills, plant of______ 28 

Concho River, Tex., dams and plants on _________________ 63-64 

Conchos River, Mexico, stream measurements of Rio Grande 

below mouth of______ 13 

Concord, 'Tex., dam and plant at___ 84 

Connecticut River, Mass., dam act·oss, 

comparison of Austin 

dam and ------------ 54 

Corn mills, adaptation of water 

pcwer to____________ 103 

Cotton, .T. B., dam and plant of__ 100, 101 

Cotton mills, adaptation of water 

power to____________ 104 

Cotulla, Tex., irrigation at ________ 22-23 

view near___________________ 12 

Co111·and, Joseph, dam and powet· 

plant of _______ :_____ 26 

Cow house Creek (Leon River), dam 

and plant on________________ 78 

Cowpen Ct·eek (Neches River), dam 

::md plant on ________ 92 

Cox & Babb, steam plant of________ 85 

Creighton, R. T., concurrence of, in 

Foster's report on rebuilding Austin dam__ 61 

Cuero, Tex., dams and plants at and 

near _________ 26,30,31,32 

gaging station near---------- 31 

section of Guadalupe River near_ 31 

Cunningham dam, location of______ G2 

Cypress River, dam and plant on___ 101 

source, course, and fiow of-____ 101 
INDEX. 111 

D. Page. 

Dallardsville, Tex., dam and plant near ____________ B7, 92-93 

Dallas, Tex., tlow of Trinity at_____ 83 

gagi11g station at------------ 8:3 

Dayis, J\lario11, dam and plant oL __ 87, !):2 

Davis mill, location oL___________ !)7 

Davh! Mountain, springs near______ 1:3 

Deer Creek (Sabine Rivet·), dam and 

plant on ------------ 97 

Dehart, D. It., darn and plant of_ __ 87, 93 

Del ltio, dam at, yiew oL_________ :20 

springs near ________________ _ 20 

Denton .. J. E., quoted on fuel value 

of Beaumont oiL ____ _ 111 

Devils lliver, irrigation from________ :20 

som·ce, fiow, and character oL_ 19-:20 

stream measurements neat·____ 13 

union of l'ecos Hiver and _____ _ 

Dickerson, .T. '1'., dam and plant of __ 

Dickerson, 'l'. 1'., dam and plant of __ 

Dillard, J. D., measurements lJy ___ _ 

Dittmar, Adolf, dam and plant oL_ 

Dittmar, Ilerman, darn and plant oL 

Dixie Inigation Company, dam oL_ 

Donaldson, G. W., plant of_ ______ _ 

Donnell Brothers, dam and plant 

:20 

9-t,UG 

9-!,!)6 

1!) 

28,32 

28, 32 

19 

14 

of -------------- 69, 7G-77 

Donovan, "'· T. & Sons, dam an(l 

plant of _________ GD, 7!l-RO 

dam and plant of, view oL____ 78 

Double Branch Creel;: (Neches River), 

dam and plant on ___ _ !)'' 

Douthit, .T. D., dam and plant of_ __ 8.3-SG 

Dove Creek (Neches Hiver), dam and 

plant on ___________ _ 

dam site on ________________ _ 

Dyer, Briggs &, plant of_ ________ _ 

Eagle Pass, Tex., flow at_ ________ _ 

stream measurements at_ _____ . 

Edna, Tex., discharge of Lavaca 

River near _________ _ 

Edwards Creek (Neches River), dam 

88 

88 

15 

:.w 

13 

40 

and plant on________ 93 

Edwards Plateau, springs in_ 1:2, lD, 21, 32 

Efficiency of machines, definition oL !) 

Electricity, water power transmitted 

by ----------------- 106 

Eliasville. Tex., dam and plant aL_ G[), 76 

Emilee. Tex., dam and plant at ____ 87, !H 

Erskine Falls, power from_________ 29 

view of 

Ethridge, .T. -II~,-~t~·l~:~ted-f~~~1-~f== 

Evadale, '.rex .. gaging station at __ _ 

Everett Creek, dams and plants on _ 

F. 

Fairbairn, William, improvement of 

22 

87 

!)9 

"·a ter wheels bv _ 104 

Fanning, J. T., article on Pr;;t~e~~ 

in Hydraulic Development by ___________ 102-107 

quoted on failure of Austin 

dam ---------------- 55-56 

I' age. 

Fanning, .T. T., recommendation by, 

for Austin dam -!-! 

Farrow (T .. J.) & Ferguson, d;~-~~d 

plant of------------ 87, 91 

Farrsville, Tex., dam and plant 

near------------ 9-!,9~!)7 

Fentress, Tex., dam and plant at ___ 39, 40 

Ferguson, Farrow ('1'. J.) &, dam 

and plant oL ________ 87, 91 

Ferguson & Weisinger, dam and 

plant of------------ 8G, 88 

Finley, .J. K., dam and plant oL_ -!1, 6G-68 

Flach, E., dam and plant oL ______ :28, 3~ 

dam and plant of, location oL_ 27 

Fonville, .1., dam and plant oL ____ 86, 89 

Foot-pound, definition oL_ !) 

Fondren, I'. II., dam and pl;~t~f=== 87, 91 

Ford, F . .J. I'., dam and plant of____ 41 

l''ords Bluff, Tex., gaging station aL 57 

Fort Hancock, stream measureme-nts 

at_________________ 12 

Fort 1\lcKavett, Tex., springs near__ G-t 

Fort Stockton, springs near________ 15 

Foster, \Y. F., report on rebuilding 

Austin dam by _______ 58-61 

Francis, James B., improvements in 

turbines by__________ 104 

Freeman, \Y. H., report by, on water 

powet• at Columbus ___ 62-63 

Frizell, .J. I'., design of, for Austin 

dam---------------- 44 

warnings by, on Austin dam____ 46 

Front Creek (Neches River), dam and 

plant on ------------ Ul 

G. 

Gaging stations, existence oL ___ 12-13, 1[) 

Gamble, C. A., dam and plant oL ___ Sti. 88 

Gandy, T .• T., dam and plant oL ____ U-!. U9 

Genesee Falls, water power from____ lOG 

Geological Suney, L'. S., gaging sta- tion oL ____________ _ 15 

(;eorgetown, Tex_, dams and plants near _____________ 69,80-81 

Glenrose, Tex., former plant at_____ 77 

Gonzales, Tex., dam and plant nt ___ :29, 40 

Gmnd Falls, plant neat·----------- 18 

Grand l<'alls Irrigation Company, dam 

of------------------ lG-17 

Grapeland, Tex., dams and plants 

near __________ £4, 85,8ti, 88 

Gray, W. E., dam and plant of _____ !H, !)!) 

Great Falls, Tex., dams near_______ 16 

Green, \Y. E., dam and plant of____ 40 

Greenstream Creek (Sabine River), 

dam and plant on ____ Oi:i 

Griggs, J. S., dam and plant oL ____ 94, ·93 

Griner, 1\IcGree &, dam and plant 

of ------------------ 94, US 

Groves, --, cited on fissure in 

foundation for Austin 

dam---------------- 46 

Guadalupe River, character oL_____ 12 

dams and plants on ________ 12, 26-32 

discharge of ----------------- 31 
112 INDEX. 

Page. 

Guadalupe River, falls on, utilization of _____________ 28-2D 

flow of --------------------- 26-27 gaging station on_____________ 31 

section of, near Cuero_________ 31 

source and course of__________ 26 

water-power development on____ 12 

Guenthee's mills, water power at ___ 23-25 

Gunter Beothers, dam and plant oL_ !H 

H. 

Hackbeery Springs, location, size, 

character, and flow oL 

Hancock Spring, location and flow oL 

Hanna Spring, location and flow of_ 

Harrelson, J. C., dam and plant oL_ 

Harrington, J. R., dam and plant oL 

Hawkins, Tex., dam and plant nem· _ 

Hays, N., plant in charge of ______ _ 

Head, definition of ______________ _ 

Hearne mill, present owner oL ___ _ 

Heck Spring, location oL __________ _ 

.Highland canal, location of _______ _ 

Hillister, Tex., dam and plant near __ 

Hog Creek, use of----------------

Holliday Creek (Wichita Rivet·), res- eevoir OLL __________ _ 

Holyoke, l\lass., dam at, comparison 

of Austin dam and ___ _ 

watee-powet· development at_ __ 

Hopson, E. II., dam and plant of __ _ 

llorsepowet·, definition oL ________ _ 

rules for calculating _________ _ 

Hughes_, John, records by _________ _ 

Hunter Creek (Sabine River), dam 

and plant on ________ _ 

I. 

14-15 

79 

79 

87,!)1 

84, 83 

94,!)3 

98 

13 

9G 

68 

lU 

87,!)2 

23 

101 

54 

104 

87, u:l 

u 

U-10 

32 

96 

India, Tex., springs near__________ 14 

Indian Ct·eek (Neches River), dams 

and plants on________ DO 

Ingram, Tex., dam at_ ____________ 27, 32 

International and Great Northet·n 

Raiit·oad bridge, flow at 35:__~6 

International Boundary Commission, 

stream measurements 

by -------------- 12-13, 1D 

llronosa, Tex., dams and plants near_ 86, 88 

Irwin, T. J., dam and plant of_____ 82 

J. 

Jacksonville, Tex., dam and plant near _________________ 84,85 

Jaspet·, Tex., dams and plants at and 

near _______ 87,D~01,93,94 

.Jewett, Tex., dam nnd plant neat• ___ 85-86 

Johnstone, S. D., dam and plant oL_ 87,93 

.Jonah, Tex., dam and plant at______ 69 

.Tones, .T. C., plant oL _____________ 37, 40 

.Jones, J. J., dam and plant of_ _____ 39, 40 

.Tones, L. E., dam and plant of_ ____ 86,90 

.Tones, ~I. B.,. dam and plant of_____ 99 

Jones, l'ayne &, dam and plant of __ 41, 64 

Junction City, Tex., plant at_______ 66 

Juno, Tex., dam and plant near ____ 87, 92 

K. Page. 

Kelley, T. J., dam and plant oL ____ D4, 98 

Kerrville, Tex., dams and plants aL 27-

waterworks dam at, view of_ __ 

Kerryville Holler ~!ills, dam oL ___ _ 

28,32 

26 

27 

I\Jam, Tex., dam and plant near ___ 87, 02 

Kickapoo Spring, Tex., view oL ____ _ 

Kilowatt, definition oL ___________ _ 

Kimball Creek (Neches Hiver), dams 

4~ 

10 

and plants on ________ D2-D:3 

Kingsland, Tex., dam and plant aL_ 41, --!:.! 

Kinney County, Tex., flood in______ :!1 

Kirbyville, Tex., dam and plant neat· D8-DD 

Kitchin ditch, location oL ________ _ G3 

Klein Falls, dam site at_ _________ _ 26 

Knickerbocker, Tex., plants at and near ______________ --!1,62-63 

Knight, Tex., dam and plant near__ 87, 9:3 

Koehler & Blumberg, plant oL __ 28-2U, 32 

L. 

Lamb & Hall, dam and plant oL ___ !)4, 97 

Lampasas, Tex., Bradley dam neal' 

" view of_____________ 72 

dam and rare at, view of______ 78 

dams and plants at_ ______ 60, 79-80 

Donovan dam near, view oL___ 78 

Lampasas Hiver, Sulphur Fork of. 

(Sec Sulphur Fork of 

Lampasas Hiver.) 

Lampasas l\'atel' Company's dam and 

plant at ____________ 6U, 79 

Landa, HatTy, mention oL________ 33 

Landa estate, plants oL___________ 33 

Landa's mill, waste weit· at, view oL :~2 

wheel pit at, view of-________ :32 

Langford, J. W., dam and plant oL_ 86, 88 

Langtry, Tex., stream measurements 

at__________________ 13 

Lanier, Tex., dam and plant near__ 100 

Las l\loras Creek ( llio Grande), flood 

on__________________ 21 

source and flow oL__________ 21 

Lavaca Hiver, sout·ce, flow, and 

COUL'SC of____________ --10 

Lee, J. H., dam and plant of_ ___ 94, flS-0!) 

Lees Mill, Tex., dam and plant at_ __ 94, US 

Leona Ri\'et·, flow oL-----------'--- 22 

Leona Hpl'ing-, histol'y oL__________ 22 

Leon River, dams and plants on __ · __ 78-7D 

som·ce and cout·se of__________ 77 

Lewis, L. P., dam and plant oL ____ 87, fl1 

Lignite, compal'ison of coal and oil 

and_________________ 10 

Linden, Tex., dam and plant neat·--

Little Cow Creek (Sabine River), 

dams and plants on __ _ flow of _____________________ _ 

Little Sandy Creek (Sabine Rivet·), 

dam and plant on ____ _ 

Llano, 'l'ex., dam at, view oL _____ _ 

dams and plants at and neat· __ 

102 

fl7 

97 

95 

GG 

41. 

66-67 

Llano :\filling Company, powet· for__ G7 -G8 

Llano Rivet·, dams and plants on ___ 66-68 

flow of --------------------- 66 
INDEX. llB 

Llnno TI'ateL' Company, dam and 

plant oL____________ 41 

Lockett, J. ~1., dam and plant oL_ 100, 10~ 

Lometa, Tex., dam and plant aL ___ 41, 42 

Lowell, ~lass., wati'L'-power development nL ______ 104, 106--107 

Lowery, Smith &, dam and plant oL 29, 40 

Lowman, Q . .T., dam and plant oL ___ R8, 40 

Luling, Tex., dams and plants near_ 39-40 

Lyons Creek (Sabine River), dam 

and plant on ________ 07-98 

:M. 

~IcCall, Wood &, plant managed uy _ 86-·!:lO 

l\IcCu !Iough Slough (Brazos River), 

locntion oL_________ 72 

McDaniel, .J. ~I., & Co., dam ;md 

plant of __________ ~-- 41, 42 

~IcDonald, Lake, level oL_________ ()8 

~lcDonald & Bruce, dam and plant of 69, 81 

McGee Irrigating Company dam of_ 63 

~lcGraw Creek (Sabine River), dams 

and vlants on _______ 97 

l\IcGree & Grine1·, dam and plant oL !:!4, l:J8 

McKinnis, W. W., dam and plant oL 87, U3 

McWharton, -, dam and plant oL_ 69, 70 

Machines, efficiency of------------ 9 

Manchester, .N.H., water power aL 104, 106 

::\Iarble Falls., Tex., dam and plant 

at-------------- 41,42-43 

flow of Colorado aL__________ 46 

inct·ease of power at____________ 43 

Marble I1'a!L;; 'Vater Company. dam 

and plant oL________ 41 

l\Iargueretta dam, measurements below -------------·--- 16 ~Ial'iin Falls, dam aL____________ n 

view oL ______ ---------------- 72 

~Iarquez, 'l'ex., uam and plant near_ 82 

::\larshall Ct·eek (~eches River),dam 

and plant on_________ 93 

::\lat·tindale, Tex., plants at and near_ 37-

38,40 

::\Iattox, J. R., dam and plant oL___ 97· 

::\laxey, :Moore &, dam and plant oL 100, 

101-102 

Measurements, stream, records of --· 13 

Medina River, source, flow, course, 

and use of__________ 26 

l\Ieigs, D. 'l'., dam :md plant oL ____ 86, 90 

l\Ienardville, 'l'ex., dam and plant nL 41 

ditch near___________________ 65 

spring neat· ----------------- 65 

::\Iuriman, ::\Iansfield, cited on mill 

power -------------- 9 

Middleton, Tex., steam plant near__ 85 

::\!ill Bt·anch (Neches River), rlam 

and plant on________ 87 

Mill Creek (Neches River, east 

branch), dams and 

plants on ___________ 90 

::\!ill Creek (~eches River, west 

branch), dams and 

plants on --·-·-------- 92 

IRR 105-04-8 

Page. 

::\Iill Creek (Sabine River), dam and 

plant on ____________ U8 

Mill Creek (San Saba RiveL·),dam and 

plant on ____________ 66 

source and flow of_ ___________ 65-66 

::\lill Creek ('l'rinity Uiven, dams and 

plants on___________ 85 

:Millet·, L .• J., dam and plant of_ _____ U4, 07 

:\lill power, definition oL_____ _____ __ !) 

l\Iills. See Cotton mill:>, ·woolen 

mills, Sawmills. 

:\Iillspaugh, J. L., dam and plant in 

chaL"g-e of ___________ 41. (i4 

~lillum Creek (Sabine River), dams 

and plants on________ !l8 

~Iillwright, the, evolution oL______ 103 

.Minneapolis, water powet· at______ 103 

:\lobile, 'l'ex., dam and plant neat· ___ 87, 92 

:\IooL"e & 1\laxey, dam and plant oL 100, 

101--102 

Moorhead, 'l'ex., canyon near, view of 18 

discharge aL________________ 19 

low-water level at____________ 10 

Morin, A. J., investigations of watet· 

wheels by___________ 104 

l\lorris, Elwood, invention by______ 104 

Mountain Creek (Cypress River), 

dam and plant on____ 101 

Mountains, western, water power in_ 106 

~Iulberry Spring, flow of__________ 22 

~Iulligan's Bend, Tex., flood at_____ 21 

N. 

Nacogdoches, 'l'ex., dam and plant 

near --------------- 86, 88 

'' Narrows," the, discharge of San 

Saba nt_____________ 65 

location oL_________________ 65 

~avasota River, dams and plants on_ 82 

som·ce and course oL________ 82 

Neal Creek (Sabine River),dam and 

plant on____________ G5 

Neches River, chamcter of________ 12 

dams and plants on _______ 12, 86-87 

gaging station on____________ 87 

source, course, flow, and drainage area oL_________ 86 

water-power development on___ 12 

Neuville, Tex., dam and plant near__ 94, 96 

~I:'W Braunfels, Clemens's dam at, 

view of_____________ 26 

dam site aL________________ 26 

dams and plants below ________ 28,32 

flow of Guadalupe at_ ________ 26-27 

Landa's mill at, views oL_____ 32 

map of_____________________ 33 

Newell, I<'. H., letter of transmittal 

by__________________ 7 

New England, development of watet· 

power in____________ 104 

Newton, Tex., dam and plant neat·-· 04, 

96,08-99 

Niagara F'alls, water power from_ 105, 107 
114 INDRX. 

Page. 

;\'orth Bosque River, character oL_ 77 

dam and plant on____________ 77 

Xorth Fork of Red River, ftow oL__ 100 

Xoyes, Gus, dam and plant oL ___ _ 

ditch of, location of __________ _ 

Nueces Hivel', character oL ______ _ 

il'l'igation from _____________ _ 

sources, course, and character of _______________________ _ 

view on --------------------

Nugent ( :u. l\1.) & Tompkins (B. 0.), 

41,6;) 

(l;) 

12 

21-22 

12 

dam and plant oL ___ 87, 92 

0. 

Oil, Beaumont, comparison of coal 

and _______________ 10-11 

Ottine, 'J'ex., dam and plant at_____ 40 

I'. 

Pace Perry, 'l'ex., dam and plant near __________________________ 87-91 

Paint Hock \Yatet· Company, dam 

and plant of_________ 64 

Palo Duro Canyon, location of_ ___ 99-100 

Palo Duro Ct·eek, course of________ 99 

Paluxy Itivet·, former plant on_____ 77 

Panther Canyon, spl'ing near mouth 

of _________________ 34 

Patterson, II. C., report on failure 

of Austin dam lJy ____ 61 

l'ayne & Jones, plant oL __________ 41, G4 

Peach, Tex., dam and plant near_ __ !14, !);J 

Pease Rivet·, source, coul'se, and 

charactel' of _______ 100-101 

I'ecan Bayou, dam on, view oL____ 42 

Pecan Springs, location oL________ 1!) 

Pecos, Tex., dam neat· ___________ 16, HI 

discharge at__________________ HI 

ftood at_____________________ 107 

Pecos ILTigation Company, dam oL_ 1G-18 

Pecos Uiver, canyon oL___________ 19 

canyon of, view oL__________ 18 

dams and plants on ____________ 15, 87 

discharge of_________________ 19 

hydrogl'aphs of__________ 1G-18 

ftood on_____________________ 107 

tlow of--------------------- 1G source and course of __________ Hi, 19 

Pedro Creek (Neches River), dams 

and plants on________ 88 

Penobscot Hive•·, watet· power ft·om 10::i-106 

Phantom Lal\e, location of________ 1:) 

Pickle, It. L., dam and plant of ____ 87, 90 

Pidcote, Tex., dam and plant at ____ 09, 78 

Pigeon Roost Creek(Navasota Rivet·), 

dam and plant on____________ 82 

Pittsburg, Tex., dam and plant near 100, 101 

Point Hock, Tex., dam and plant aL 41, 64 

l'(,ncelet, J. Y., investigations of 

watet· wheels lJy______ 104 

Pope, A. E., dam and plant oL _____ 87, 92 

Pope, Randal, dam and plant oL___ 9'> 

Prairie Dog Fork of Red River, origin of _____________ 99-100 

Prait·ic Lea, dam and plant at _____ 39, 40 

Page. 

l'residio, stream measurements above 

and near____________ 12-13 

Pulliam, \Y. T., dam and plant of_ __ 94, 90 

Purley, 'l'ex., dam and plant near___ 100 

Q. 

Quit0, Tex., dam and plant at_ ____ 69, 82 

Handa!, R. A., dam and plant oL__ 84 

Randol, Tex., dam and plant near__ 84 

Hatler, 'l'ex., dam and plant at_ ____ 41, 4:! 

l{ay, 'l'horuas L., irrigation by_____ 15 

lled Hiver, character oL__________ 100 

dams and plants on__________ 100 

flow of--------------------- 100 

watershed of________________ 99 

Hed Hiver, ::'\orth Fork of, flow of__ 100 

Hed Hiver, Prairie Dog Fork of, origin of ______________ 09-100 

Renfro, D. E., dam and plant of_ ___ 94, 98 

nennie, .John, improvement of watet· 

"·heels by ___________ 104 

Rice, experiment with ____________ 31 

Richmond, Tex., cross section of Brazos Hiver aL________ 76 

discharge of Brazos River at__ 75 

gaging station at_ ____________ 72-7G 

Rio Grande, ftow measurements oL_ 1:!-13 

gaging stations on __________ _ 

Temple Canyon in, view oL ___ _ 

Riverside, Tex., cross section of Trinity Hiver at ________ _ 

gaging station at ___________ _ 

Rochester, N. Y., water power at_ __ 

Roganville, Tex., dam and plant near 

Hogers, ~Irs. L. J., dam and plant of 

Roher's mill, character and location 

of ----------------- Rooney ditch, power plant on _____ _ 

Russell Creek (Neches River), dam 

and plant on --------

s. 

1:2-13 

12 

83 

8:~ 

103 

94 

69,78 

86,87 

15 

91 

Sabine Lake, location oL_________ 86 

Sabine Uiver, character oL________ !2 

dams and plants on---------- 12, 94 

gaging station on____________ 94 

source, course, drainage area, and ftow of _________ _ 

St. Anthony Falls, watet· powet· from 

St. Lawrence Hiver, \Yate1· powet· 

from ______________ _ 

St. Solomon's Spl'ing, location oL __ 

Salado Rivet·, dams and plants on __ 

som·ce and chm·acter oL _____ _ 

Salado Springs, location oL ______ _ 

San Angelo, Tex., plants at and near 

San Antonio, canals and power 

94 

105 

106 

14 

6!), 80 

80 

80 

41,64 

plants at ____________ 23-:!5 

dam ·at, view oL_____________ 24 

gTotmd water level aL _____ 23-24, 25 

lake at, connection of artesian 

wells and ----------- 25 
INDEX. 115 

Page. 

San Antonio, map of San Antonio 

River basin neat·----- 2;) 

wells aL____________________ 23 

San Antonio and Aransas Pass Railroad bridge, gaging station at______________ 31 

San Antonio Tiiver, flow oL_______ 24 

map of basin of______________ 25 

i'Ower plants on ______________ 23-2;) 

source and use of ____________ 23-25 

San Augustine, dams and plants at 

and near ____________ 8~8!) 

Sandy Bayou (Sabine River), dam 

and plant on ________ !16 

sites on______________________ 9G 

Sandy Creek (Xeches River), dams 

and plants on ________ 90, D3 

San Felipe Creek (Rio Grande), dam on _________________ 20 

dam on, view oL_____________ 20 

power plant on__________________ 20 

source and flow oL___________ 20 

San Gabriel River, dams and plants on _________________ 81-82 

San .Jacinto Hiver, irrigation from __ 82-83 

source, cours~ character, and 

flow of_____________ 83 

San )Iarcos, Tex., dams and plants 

at and near ______ SG-37,40 

flood at_____________________ 37 

lake and plant at. view oL____ 3G 

rainfall at __________________ 3G-37 

Page. 

Scott, Levi, irrigation by---------- 1;) 

Seag·o, H. A., dam and plant oL ____ 94, 95 

Seguin, Tex., dams and plants aL 26, 29, 32 

Erskine Falls near, view oL___ 28 

irrigation at_________________ 29 

Seguin Milling and Power Company, 

plant of_____________ 29 

S,)guin "'aterworks Company, plant 

of__________________ 29 

Shamburger, Edwin, dam and plant 

Of-----~~----------- 94.93 

Sheffield, Horton, dam and plant oL 86, 89 

Sheffield mill, present owner of_____ 93 

Sheldon, Tex., irrigation near______ 83 

Sheldon Canal Company, pumping 

plant oL____________ 83 

Shelton, I. C., dam and plant of ____ 84, 85 

Sherman, .Tohn, dam and plant of_ __ 27, 32 

Shields, .J. A., dam and plant of ____ 94, l)i) 

Sieker ditch, location of___________ ti;) 

Singletary, .T. II., plant in charge oL 90 

Sloan Spring. location and flow of__ 65 

Sn::eaton, .John. investigations of 

water wheels by ____ 102. 10-! 

Smith, C. R., & Co., dam and plant of 39, 40 

Smith, G. W., dam and plant of ____ 97, 90 

Smith, .J. 0., dam and plant oL _____ 87. 93 

Smith. K . .r., dam and plant of _____ 87, 90 

Smith, W. S., dam and plant of__ :::17-m~. 40 

Smith & Lowery, plant of_ _________ 2fl, 40 

Smith Creek, dnm and plant on_____ 99 

Smithf'r, -,dam and plant oL_____ 6{) 

Smith Ferry, Tex., dam and plant near ________________ 87,93 San )larcos Electric Lig·l!t and 

Powet· Company, 

plant of------------

San )larcos Ice Company, plant oL_ 

San l\larcos Hiver, dams and plants 

36 Snow, Tex., dam and plant at ______ ti9. S:..! 

36 South Concho River, Ben Ficklen 

on _________________ 36-4U 

flow oL _____________________ :n-:w 

junction of Guadalupe and____ 2!1 

source of____________________ 3;) 

San )Iat·cos Water Company, dam 

and plant of _________ 3;-}-3() 

Falls on, view of_____ 64 

Southern Pacific Hailroad, crossing 

of Guadalupe by, plant at _________________ 28-29 

Speer, Tex., dam and plant near____ 94 

Spring Creek ( ~ eches River), dam 

:tnd plant on_________ 91 

San Pedro, source, flow, and course 

of --------------~-- San Saba, Tex .. dam and plant at __ spl'ings ncar ________________ _ 

Spurger, Tex., dam anrt plant near __ 87, !)3 

24 Staples, Tex., dam and pl:1nt nem· __ :38. 40 

41 i st:am plant. auxiliary. need of_____ 10 

6.3-6G Stmnett, --. dam and plant of ___ 60, 80 

San Saba Hivet·, canyon oL _______ _ 

dams and plants on __________ _ 

ditches from ________________ _ 

junction of Colorado and _____ _ 

63 

G-!-GG 

G.-; 

64 

power capabilities oL_________ G::i 

source and course oL _________ 64-65 

San Saba 'Vater Company, dam and 

plant of ____________ _ 41 

Stinson, .r. A., dam and plant oL ___ 94. 9;) 

Strange. D. A., flam and plant oL 6!), 80-81 

Straw. C. II .. d;un and plant of ____ 6!), 78 

Straws )!ill, Tex., dam and plant aL 6{), 78 

~tl'ickland, A.(~ .. dam and plant of 100-102 

Sulphur Fot·k of Lampasas River, 

dams and P!<mts on __ 70-80 

sources of __________________ _ 

Santa Lucia, 'l'ex., spring near ____ _ 1;) , Sulphur River, souree, course. drainSanta Rosa Spl'ings, source and flow 

of _________________ _ 

Saragossa, Tex., springs near _____ _ 

t-:laragossa ditch, flow oL _________ _ 

mill on ---------------------

Sardis, Tex., dam and plant near __ _ 

Sault Ste. )Iarie, water powet· at_ __ 

Sawmills, adaptation 6.f water powet· to _________________ _ 

lG 

14 

14 

100 

lOG 

103 

Schreiner, Charles, dam and plant oL 27. 32 

age area, and flow of __ 

Summers, --, dam and plant of __ _ 

Swain, A. ")I., improvement of turbine by---------------

Swenson, T. 0., dam and plant oL-__ 

dam and plant of, view of ____ _ 

'l'. 

101 

60,80 

104 

69, 77 

66 

Tanner Brothers, dam and plant oL 41, 42 

'l'ascosa, Tex., Canadian RiYer at___ 102 
116 INDEX. 

Taylor. T. W., flow measurements made by ___________ _ 

Teller, .J.. "\V., dam and plant of_ __ _ 

Temple Canyon, view oL _________ _ 

'l'eneha Creek (Sabine River), dam 

and plant on ________ _ 

Terra Blanca Creek (Red Hivet·), 

course and flow oL ___ _ 

'l'exas, eastern, streams in ________ _ 

Texas, western, streams in ________ _ 

Thickety Creek ( Sal;ine River), dam 

and plant on _______ _ 

Thomson. James, investigations of 

turbines by _________ _ 

Thompson. ---, plant oL _____ _ 

Thonevin Creek (Neches Hiver), dam 

and plant on _______ _ 

Tompkin_s (B. Q.), Nugent (N. :H.) 

&, dam and plant oL_ 

'l'owash, Tex., dam and plant at_ __ _ 

'l'ownes, .J. F., dam and plant oL __ _ 

Toyah, 'l'ex., springs near ________ _ 

Toyah Creek (Pecos River), power 

plants on __________ _ 

source of _______ ------------

Toyah Creek Irrigation Company, 

ditch of ___________ _ 

Toyah Lake, elevation of ________ _ 

extent and character of_ _____ _ 

springs near _______________ _ 

Toyah Springs, location, size, and 

Page. 

35,36 

38,40 

12 

96 

12 

9!) 

10-l 

37,40 

!)2 

87,92 

69 

6\1.80 

1~l 

14 

13 

13 

14 

14 

14 

discharge of_________ 13 

Trinity River, bridges over________ 84 

c1·oss section of______________ s:l 

dams and plants on ___________ H:~-8.,1 

source, 11ow, and character of __ 83--84 

Troell ( S.) & Sons, plant oL _______ 29, 32 

Tubhe. A., dam and plant of_ ______ 86, 88 

Turbines, evolution oL __________ 103-106 

lT. 

Uvalde; Tex., river junction near __ _ 21 

water supply of_ ____________ _ 

Y. 

\'an Raub, •rex., quarries at________ 30 

Yinson, 'rhomas, plant of_ ______ 41, 62-63 

Yiola, Tex .. dam and plant neat·____ 100 

\Vaco. Tex., cross section of Brazos 

ltiver at ____________ 7~ 

discharge of Brazos River at_ __ 73-7G 

hydrogr~phs of _______ 7~ 74, 75 

feasibility of dam at_ _________ 70-71 

gaging station at_ ____________ 70-71 

Walhalla, Tex., flow of Guadalupe 

River at____________ 27 

Wallace, E. P., dam and plant of ___ 87, 91 

"\Yallace, Walter, plant of_ _ _:_______ 66 

"'alton, 'l'ex., dam and plant at_____ 86 

\Vater, energy of ________________ _ 

weight of __________________ _ 

Water, underground, level of, at San 

Page. 

9 

!) 

Antonio _________ 23-24, 25 

Waterhole Creek (~eches Hiver), 

clam and plant on____ 93 

Water power, concentmtion of_____ 107 

use of ----------------------- 10 

'' ater-power development, history 

of --------------- 102-107 

"' t1 ter-power development in 'l'exas, 

condition of__________ 12 

\Yeatherford, Tex., dams and plants near _______________ 84 

"'eisinger, Ferguson &, dam and 

plant of _____________ 86, 88 

Werenskiold, N., quoted on failure 

of Austin dam_______ 55 

·westbrook Brothers, dam and plant 

of _______________ 94,97-98 

Westerfield ford of San ~Iarcos Hiver, 

flow at______________ 36 

\Vheat, Ed., dam and plant oL _____ 87. 92 

"'heels, current, use of____________ 102 

"'heels, overshot, use of___________ 102 

\Vheels, undershot, use oL_________ 102 

\Vheels, water, evolution oL _____ 102--103 

\Vhite, J. T., dam and plant oL ____ 41, 68 

Whitelaw,--, improvement of turlJines by_____________ 104 

Whiteoak Creek (Sabine River), 

dams and plants on___ 99 

Whitney. Tex .. dam and plant near__ 70 

"\Yichita, Lake," location oL_____ 101 

\Vichita River, course, drainag-P area, 

and character of_____ 101 

Wigley, J. )f., dam and plant of_ ___ 87. 91 

Wilkinson Sp1·ing, location cf_ _____ 64-G'l 

Willamette Falls, watPr power from_ 10:) 

Willett, .T. '1'., dam and plant oL___ 99 

Willis, .T. D., dam ancl plant of _____ 41, 42 

Wilt, "\Y. H., & Co., dam and plant of 27, 

28,32 

Wimberley, Tex., dam and plant 

at ------------------ 40 

Wolf Cl'eek (~eches !liver), dams 

and plants on _____ ___ 91 

Wood. 0. P. H., dam and plant of_ __ 94, 93 

Wood & ~IcCall. plant in charge oL_ 86. 90 

Woodtown, Tex.. dam and plant near _______________ 94 

Woodville, Tex., dam and plant near_ 87. 92 

\Voolen mills, adaptation of water 

power to____________ 104 

Wyatt, .l. .J., mill of-------------- 23 

Y. 

Young, .r. N., dam and plant of_ ____ 87, 92 

z. 

Zedler, F., dam and plant of------- 40 

0 
LIBRARY CATALOGUE SLIPS. 

[)Ionnt each slip upon a :"eparate card, placing the subject at the top of the 

second slip. The name of the series should not he repeated on the series 

care!, hut the additional numbers should be added, as received, to the first 

entry.] 

Taylor, Thomas U [Ivan] r8s8-

. . . The water powers of Texas, by Thon1as U. 

Taylor. vVashington, Gov't print. off., 1904. 

116 p., 11. illus., 11 pl., diagrs. 23cm. (C. S. GeologicalsurYey. 'Vatersupply and irrigation paper no. 105.) 

Subject series: :X, \Vater power, 7. 

"Progress in hydraulic power development, by J. T. Fanning": p. 102-107. 

1. Hydrography-Texas. 

Taylor, Thomas U [Ivan] r8s8-

... The water po-wers of Texas, by Thomas U. 

Taylor. \Vashington, Gov't print. off., 1904. 

116 p., 11. illns., 17 pl., (liagrs. 23cm. (U.S. Geological survey. Watersupply and irrigation paper no. 105.) 

Subject seriPs: K, Water power, 7. 

"Progress in hydraulic power development, by J. T. Fanning": p. 102-107. 

1. Hydrography-Texas. 

U. S. Geological survey. 

\Vater-suppl y and irrigation papers. 

no. 105. Taylor, T. U. The ·water powers of Texas. 

1904. 

U. S. Dept. of the Interior. 

see also 

U. S. Geological survey. 

J