St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1893-07-23
AT A TERRIFIC RATE
THE WATER IN LAKE MiNRETORKA rs
LEAKING AW4Y
ANXIETY ABOUT THE MATTER
Being Manifested by People Along
the Shore-The Trouble Orig
mated With the Broken Mia
netonka Dam-Senator Jones
again interviewed.

The level of Lake Minneto1ka has
ever since the spring rains been going
down at rapid rate, and it has been
currently believed that the precious
waters were going to waste through the
broken Minnetonka dam,. although
it was reported that the break
made this spring had been repaired.
There was SO much water in the lake,
this spring that the gradual fall was not
particularly noticed, and has not been
noticed until now. Nevertheless,
the fall of the lake level has been
steadily going on, and it is evident
that unless the leakage is stopped
MinnetOnka will be short of water again
before the season is over.
1.-The trouble is" said prominent
lake-dweller, people don't notice the
fall of the water until it is all gone.
Then they come to their senses and
complain of low water when it is too
late. The old adage about locking the
stable door after the horse is stolen fits
here admirably"
And, indeed, anxiety about the lake
Lowell may we'll be felt, for the water has
been running away over the dam at
terrific rate. Ii there is no water in the
lake after while people will have only
themselves to blame for not having re-
paired the dam earlier. The old dam
was almost absolutely worthless. The
water, pouring over it like a miniature
Niagara, could be heard throughout the
village. The dam was about twenty
one feet long, and the water going
over it measured two feet deep. The
speed of the current in The creek shows
how rapidly the volume of water has
been daShing over.
Last year the dam was put to a fair
test. The water had been at it's lowest
stage when the dam was put in and
when last fall the rains had brought the
lake up to its normal level, the dam held
back the waters and performed its func-
tiOnS admirably. As result cottagers
and lake jewellers had a full lake, and
everything was satisfactory.
The dam at this time was found to be
about the right height, for when the
water just reached the top of the dam,
1t was, according to men who have been
around Minnetonka for years, up to its
proper level in the lake. But this
oplIuS GHe IWO upper DldHhS VI Tic
dam, each plank foot high, were either
taken or washed away, and as aresult
the dam is this year just two feet lower
than last, and what that means for Lake
Minnetonka, when the water has de-
creased to the level Of the dam, as it
rapidly is doing, is not hard to perceive.
Had the dam been repaired Temporal
rily it would have been saved much
water that has now gone to waste. But
what was everybOdy'S business was no
body'S business and nothing was dOne.y
However, the county commissioners
have now taken hold of the matter, and
wOrk Oh the new dam is progressing.
The ricketY old structure which used to-
do service as dam is now torn out and
has passed into history. 30
There seems to be no better site any,
where along the creek from the lake to-
the mills for dam, than the present
one. A place not far above the mills,
called the narrowS. is the only other
feasible place. and this is not so ad-
vantageOuS as the OLD site, besides Civ
ing rise to possible complications re-
garding the mill company's water privi-
legeS.
The narrows has, however, been sug-
geSted as the site OF the new dam. Had
the structure been placed there, how
ever, howl would have been heard
from the property holders of Mime
tonka mills, who regard the creek above,
the dam as being as good as lake
front.
The Frolic in making the trip, never
struck bottom once, although her Keel
scraped boulder or two.