The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1895-03-14
"a LONE STAR IN THE GALAXY
OF SOUTHERN RESORTS"
THIS is
WHAT DIR. M'KAY MOST JUSTLY
" CALLS US.
His Most Admirable Write-Up of
- Austin's Climate and General Adj
yantages as Health Resort and
Perfect City, as Found in His
January Journal of Gil
matology.


Austin given by DR.. A. f. Mckay in
his Chicago journal. The article was
profusely illustrated with Is excellent
cuts OF our fine buildings and beautiful
scenery 'e"u'iiu'
Rome was built upon seven hills and
n was the capital of the greatest empire of
modern times. Austin is built upon
seven times seven hills and is the capi-
TAI OF the greatest state of modern times
greatest net only in extent of territory
out destined to become the greatest in
productions which will attract and main
tam an immense population.
AUSTIN is situated just on the border
between the great broad plain of agricul-
t'tural land running through the center of
tne state from north to south, and the
hlgher grazing and mineral lands which
gradually rise from the Colorado river
toward the western part of the state.
Along the Colorado, which runs through
the city from northwest to southeast,
for some miles the Typography has as
sumed the more broken aspect of the cedar
y spd live oak covered hills, and immed-
ately above the city it enters the canyon
region where the hills rise to the height
OF 6OO feet or more with many intersect-
ing valleys. 1t is here at the entrance
to the canyon that the pride Of Austin,
the great water power dam, is located.
This dam is one of the wonders of the
world, over 400 Feet in length, 70 feet
in height and 60 feet in thickness at the
base, gracefully curving backward TO
the crest where the water fiews over in
crystal sheet the entire length of the
dam, forming one of the prettiest sights
of the kind to be seen anywhere. The
dam is built OF solid graEite masonry
laid in cement and is as firm as the
granite mountain 70 miles away from
which the immense blocks of which it
is composed were brought. The work
completed, with power house for water
works and electric light Plant, has cost
in round numbers $1,50O,0OO. The lake
formed by the dam is the largest arti-
tcial Lake in the world, being nearly 80
miles in length and averaging over 1000
in width, with depth of 60 feet at the
dam and sufficient to Gerry steamer
capable of carrying 1000 people its en-
tire length. This lake with its magnificent
facilities for boating and pleasure re-
sorts is destined to be one of the great
est resorts of the South. The water is
as pure as crystal, protected from gales,
and most of the time like q sea of glass,
while its winding serpeHtine course and
yvnnIn1
mile and ever changing scene of beauty.
AS has been stated, the city is built upon
almost innumerable hills and mounds
The principal street gradually rising from
the river to the capitol, which occupies
commanding eminence almost in the cen
ter of the city. To the right and left
the cross streets ascend to other heights,
upon which stand churches schools or
residences, almost every block being a
hill by itself. The view from the CAPT
t0l dome on a bright, clear morning is
4 well worth the eXertion required to as
cend the 275 steps from the fourth floor
to which one can be elevated without
exertiGa. To the east and north extend
the great prairie agricultural lands of the
state, with patches of evergreen trees in
the foreground; while to the south, the
somewhat abrupt banks of the river and
the outlines Of Fairview Park confne
your vision to narrower limits; and to the
west loom up the low and gradually ris-
ing hills which shade off into the high
pateaus Of the region beyond, all making
4 a landscape view but rarely equalled, es-
i pecally in the South.
CLIMATE.
The CLIMATE ia Austin lie in most re-
poets essentially the same as San An
tonic and other places in southwest Texas,
though modified somewhat perhaps by
local influences due to q different tOpog-
raphy. A summary of seven year rec
Ords kept by the United States volunteer
observer at Austin, furnishes the follow
i ing data: -
TEMPERATURE
The mean annual temperature is 6S
degrees, ranging through the months of
1 the wear as follows: January, so degrees; |
February, 81 degrees; March, So degrees; |
l April, II degrees; May, IS degrees; June, |
81 degrees; July, So degrees; August, 80 |
degrees; September, Is degrees; October
cember, Sc degrees. The highest tempera' |
ture recorded is 104, July 2, 1894; the
lowest, g degrees, January 10, 1888. TAX |
+ ing out the months of June, July, August |
land September with q mean temperature
81 degrees, we have a mean of 81 de- |
ees for the other eight months, showing
a most favorable mean for the invalid |
eISnL uOllIho VI tHe year.
PRECIPITATION.
The mean total precipitation for the |
year is 1906 inches, divided by months as |
follows: January, 3.19 inches; February, |
2S9; March, 1.67; April 1856; May, 40; |
June, 3.47; July, 1.2S; August, 2.71
4 September, $40; October, 2.35; Novem-
Der, PTS; December, 1.79. July is the |
month with the least rain. May is the |
month of the greatest precipitation. The
rainfall is sufficient to insure good crops |
without Irrigation on average years.
RELATIVE HUMIDITY.
u While there are no local records Of this
feature of the climate, it can be readily |
approximated. The altitude, mean tenn
perature and precipitation are almost
Identical with those three features of
San Antonio, which has a relative humid
ny of 6S per cent, and it will be fair
assume that as the proper figure for
WIND.
While there is no official record of the |
movement of wind, its prevailing direction |
y from the south and southeast from the
%ult OF Mexico. The velocity would
erage about seven or eight miles per