The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1893-03-02
IT IS GROWING FAST.
THE BIG GRANITE DAM REACHING IFS
FINAL PROPORTIONS.
1t Ia Now Completed From FounGa'lon "
Ores. at the West Bank and the Gap
Stones Being Pushed Toward the
East-Work on this Power House

rt1E STATESMAN has had little TO say
of the work at the dam it must not Ior
an instant be supposed that Contrac'
tors Corrigan and Waterston have not
been awaiting themselves OF the oeau'
tiful, clear weather to push the WORK
forward as rapidly as men
and material could do 1t
to its grand complexion
In no sense have they allowed the
grass to grow under their feet but
from the early morning hours to sun
down have workmen been kept Duslly
engaged in placing in position stone
after stone, granite block after granile
block, the units which are making the
whole, the grandest illustration OF
Southern pluck and enterprise OF the
age. . obao
AS the dam now stands it is abso-
lutely completed from the west bank
to a point about 90 feet from the gap
through which the water is now pass
ing. Auditing the solid bluff on the
far bank of the river and extending
out on the dam about fifteen feet Is
wall about eight feet higher
than the crest. The ele-
waited projection ls lntenoeu
to answer two-told purpose. In the
first place in case OF floods the water
will pour over the crest with great
force and wearing power. Its action
on the limestone bluff would in course
of time be plainly visible, and the
granite projection is placed there TO
keep the water from coming in con-
tact with the bluff and wearing 1t. In
the second place the three 36'lnch iron
gluice pipes which pierce the wall at
that point are closed and opened by
means of powerful valves. To ore-
rate these valves man-hole runs
from the crest of the dam straight
down to the top of the pipes where
the screws are placed.
The wall referred TO extends out be-
yond the man hole thus protecting 1t
from the flood water and making II
possible for the valves to be operated
at any and all times.
All three of the pipes are now open
and are carrying off the greater part
of the water that is passing the dam,
the balance OF it going through the
gap in the center.
One big derrick is now in place at
the west end of the center gap raising
the wall at that point to its ma
height, q distance of only about nifty
feet remaining to be com pleted. An
other smaller derrick is at the east
end of the gap and from that point al
a starter the work will be pushed east
ward until completed. With good
weather and favorable conditions the
dam will be finished in April.
THE POWER HOUSE.
While the above statement of facts
shows what progress is being made OIL
the dam proper, it can we'll be said
that the progress on the power house
and headgate masonry has been equ'l
ly as rapid. Contractor Watersor
under the supervision OF Engineer
Werenskiold has indeed been making
hay while the sun shines and the
work is there to speak tor itself A
porti III ofthe wall for the power house,
that which abuts against the south
face of the dam is up on level
with the top of the bluff while on the
river side the foundation wall of gran
lite has been laid for the entire length
of the proposed building. About all
The earth excavation that will be nee.
essary has already been done and
from now on the excavation will con-
sist in blasting off the solid face of
the rock cliff. The greater portion OF
this rock will make splendid building
stone and will be used in the walls,
thus greatly lessening the
cost of material and making
an almost entire saving of the item
of transportation which would other.
wise be quite large one.
On yesterday and the proceeding
day the interest OF visitors conferred
around the head gate masonry where
the big penstocks or pipes through
which the water will flow in its pas
sage from the lake to the power house
were being placed in position, OF
these penstocks there will be eight,
four OF them being intended for imme-
date use. They are made of iron
about 5-S of an inch in thickness
and have been shipped from
the foundry in sections with all the
necessary holes punched, and all that
now remains to be done is to rivet
them together. To the visitor this ia
work of absorbing interest.
Yesterday afternoon there were
eight men engaged in it,
divided into two gangs Of four
each. The sections when placed to-
together form a circular pipe or tube
nine feet in diameter. Inside OF this
tube scaffold is rugged on which
stand two men. On the outer
side is boy with heavy
steel weight attached to the
penstock in such manner as to make
its manipulation by the boy matter
of little effort. Nearby stands the
fourth man operating small hand
bellows and furnace. All being ready
the man at the furnace places headed
wrought iron rivet about an inch and
quarter in length and a quarter of
an inch in diameter in the fire where
he allows it to remain until it has as
sumed red heat. Then he seizes it
with small pair of pincers,
runs to the penstock and
quickly inserts the red hot metal in
one of the holes already punched.
The boy on the OUTSIDE then has an
opportunity to get in his work, and
witho 1t loss of time he raises the
heavy weight and drops it on the
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