The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1893-01-05

low bn6 uhIu anu dDOul Oue-udll IudV
distance from the canal, and for
iron penstocks leading from the
canal 10 the power house for
conveying the water to the turbine
wheels.
Some of the members of the board
were OF the opinion that the power
could be better utilized by conveying
the water directly from the lake to the
wheels through iron penstocks, and
that 1t would be safer to locate the
power house on the rock ledge below
the dam where IL could not be dam
aged by high water.
In January Mr.. f.. Geyelin, n.y.
drauic engineer of Philadelphia, Pa
was reque- tectby the toard to give
his prolessionf opinion in the matter.
MIR. Geyelin Nlsited Austin in Fetru-
airy ana after examining all the plans
and the location OF the works for sew
eral days, reported in favor OF locating
the powtr hou on the solid rock
about one hundred feet below the east
end OF the dam, and the use OF iron
tubes or penstocks for conveying the
water from the lake above the dam
directly to the wheels, instead
of having canal as pro-
posed by Mr.. Frizell. He
also recommended that the water
main leading to the reservoir be laid
upon headers projecting from the up.
stream face of the dam about five and
one half feet from its top.
Mr.. Geyelin's report was adopted
by the board, but 1t was subsequently
attacked by Mr.. Frizell in another re-
port on the same subject, Mr.. FriZell
strongly adhering to his original plan
of having the water pass through a
canal and locating the power house
OH the alluvial soil on the bank OF the
river. He also recommended that the
water main to the reservoir be laid in
the bed of the river below the dam.
This great difference of opinion be.
tween two engineers rendered 1t i'm.
possible for the board to arrive at a
conclusion which plan was correct
without further advice on the subject,
and desiring to avoid any mistake in
such an important matter, secured
the services of Mr.. j. Il. Fan
ming OF Minneapolis, Minnesota,
one of the most celebrated hydraulic
engineers in America.
Mr.. flaming spent the whole of the
month of June in Austin carefully ex-
amlning everything connected with
the great work on hand, and on the
twenty-fourth OF that month, in an
elaborate report, he sustained Mr..
Geyelin's views in the main points
and recommended the location of the
power house on the solid rock close to
the east end of the dam instead of 100
feet below, also the use of iron tubes
or penstocks for conveying the water
directly to the wheels instead of using
the canal and locating the power
house as insisted upon by Mr.. Frizell.
Mr.. flaming also approved of the
plan ofcarrying the water main to
the reservoir on headers projecting
from the face of the dam, as recon-
mended by Mr.. Geyelin.
Another question, which had pre-.
viousy arisen betweel the board and
Chief Engineer Frizell, was what
should he the proper form of the
down stream part Of the top of
the dam. The work ng plan
shov ell the top OF the dam to he flat,
and some fears were expressed that
the foundation would be endangered
by the falling of heavy masses OF wa.
btT utJ uuu tit lOt VI Nlt udLl uuilhE
great floods in the river. This ques-
tion was also referred To Mr.. flaming,
aud I'm his report he recommended that
the form OF the crest of the dam he
changed 40 ms to have curve of TWEEN.
ty feet radius rs being better adapted
to pass the flood in gliding sheet
down the face of the dam and to de
liver it to the lower level without
direct blow.
Mr.. Fanuing's report was accompa-
MED by drawings and sketches Illus
trating his recommendations, and II
was adopted by the unanimous vote
of the board, which action was subse.
quently ratified by the city council,
Mr.. flaming was then retained as
consulting engineer and requested to
complete the plans for the works rec
commended in his report
@sMr. Frizell rendered his resignation
rs chief engineer to take effect ON
June 30th, 1892 and the same was ac-
pied by the board
The board assigned Mr.. H. w.
Groves to duty as engineer in charge
of the construction of the dauI and
Mr.. n. Werenskiold as engineer in
charge of the water distribution sys-
tenn, construction of reservoir, etc.
THE WATER DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM.
Mr.. flaming at the request of the
board, after careful surveys, also pre-
pared a plan for the water distribution
system embracing the entire city. IL
provides for q settling basin or reser-
v0ir with storage capacity of l0L,
100000 gallons, two pairs OF 1 900 00O
gallon pumps, ~ miles of cast-iron
pipes ranging in size from 6
inches to "a inches in diameter,
and 169 valves, aud $50 Of the best
quality and latest improved double
nozzle fire hydrants with double in
dependent cut offs, etc.
The connection with the pumping
station is such that the water supply
can be pumped directly from the
river or drawn from the reservoir as
may be desired.
The plans prepared by Mr.. Tanning
were adopted by the board and they