The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1890-07-17
ENGINEERS REPORT.
at is MOST FAVORABLE, AND THE
DAM WILL BE A GREAT
SUCCESS.
Meeting of the Board of Public Works
Yesterday and Bond
Adopted.

session last afternoon, and after some
discussion adopted dam bond.
The bonds will run forty-fve years,
and bear 5 per cent interest, with the
privilege of rsdeeming certain num-
Der at the end of twenty years.
The action of the board will be SUBJ
mitted to the council Its next meet
ing, and an ordinance will pass au-
thorizing the issue of the bonds.
Engineer Bogart's report was SUBJ
united, and it is as follows:
AUSTIN, Tex, July 9, 1890.
Hon. John Mcdonald Mayor and President
OF Board of Public Works, Austin, Tex. :
Sir-In accordance with the request
OF the Board of Public Works l have
visited Austin and have considered
the questions connected with the pro-
posed development of the water power
OF the Colorado river, on whose banks
the city is located.
The city of Austin, has with its i'm
mediate suburbs, a population of about
2O,OOO. These suburbs are in fact
parts of the city, except as to munich
pal arrangements, and l understand
will in all probability soon become
actually within the city limits.
Austin is the capital city of this
State. 1t is the centre of and natural
market point for an extended country,
part of which is devoted to the pastur-
age of innumerable cattle and horses,
and part, many thousand of acres in
extent, now used for the cultivation of
cotton and grain. The area devoted to
cotton and grain could be at once in
creased to almost any extent should
there be a market for the product di-
rectly at home.
The city is high, we'll drained and
healthy. L am informed that, though
so near the gulf, the city has never had
an original CAGE of yellow fever. 1t is
now supplied with potable water from
the river by private company and
the expense to the city and to indi-
viduals for the use of this water is con-
siderably greater than is the case in
cities owning their own water works.
The city is pleasant place of resi-
dence, and has exceptional educational
advantages in the State University
and its other schools.
1t needs for its future prosperity
that manufacturing establishments
should if possible be brought to it.
Coal has to be carried long distance
and consequently is so high in price
that manufactures to be run by steam
power are not 10 be economically con-
sidered.
The Colorado river, flowing at the
side of the city, has summer low
water flow of about 1000 cubic feet
per second. This is probably nearly
the minimum flow. 1t is of course
much greater at times, but with a
good storage pond this amount of
1000 cubic feet per second can be de-
pended upon as constant and perma-
nent.
A short distance above the city the
river runs between high banks of
rock and there are several points
where dams could be located with aG
vantage.
The point that has been selected as
on the whole the most advantageous,
by the engineer whom you have con-
suited, Mr.. Joseph P. Frizell, M. Am.
Soc. C. E., is Two miles above the city.
After considerable study l am of the
opinion that this is the best place for
the location of the dam. 1t is the
nearest favorable point. The contour
of the valley is the best adapted to
the construction of a water power
canal and the erection of manufac-
tories on the city bank OF the river,
and the rock is so near the surface of
the bottom as to present particularly
good opportunity for economically
building a perfectly safe and tight
dam.
This dam is to be built so that its
crest will be at an elevation of sixty
feet above low water in the river.
This height of crest has been deter
mined upon with reference to the
construction of canal on the city
side of the river, which will be located
upon natural bench on the river
bank at that elevation. This canal
will take the water from the pond
formed by the dam and convey it to
the city water works pumps and to
the various manufacturing estab-
lishments which may be located
along the river bank below the dam.
These works will have the water
supplied to their turbines from this
hydraulic canal, and the discharge
will be directly into the
lower level OF the river. thus dispens-
ing with any necessi tyfor extended
tail races.
The dam, having as mentioned, its
crest sixty feet above low water, will
he founded throughout upon solid rock
which has been found by careful
sounding to be at no point more than
eight feet below the l;ne OF low water.
The dam therefor will be from its
crest to solid rock, sixty-eight feet IN
height, or in case some two feet OF
rock may havc to re excavated to Sc
cure thoroughly good foundation, it
NAV in parts of its length be seventy
feet in height. The length OF the dam