New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-08-25


THE DAM.
to-day anywhere on this continent. except at Nj
agara The project came to be known as Dis
hobby from his nsistent advocacy OF 1t In and out
OF season. but 1t was until 1880 that ne had
the entire community with him. BY that time
Austin had already outgrown the Holly water sys-
tenn with which she was provided and II was very
evident In view OF the city's steady and rap'c
Increase In population, that an Infinitely moro
efficient service would be necessary In the near
future.
on May g. 1890 at a special election. the tax
payers almost unanimously voted to authorize tho
issue by the city of $4,000 OF per cent ponds
10 provide funds for building the great DAM erect
ing a huge power-house and establishing adequate
water and electric lighting systems throughout tho
city The financial and engineering preimnaries
to the actual work were pushed forward with great
"a pidity and In exactly year 10 day from
that election the first stone OF the dam was placed
in the enormous trench deep In the river bed TO
hold It's foundations.
THE COLORADO WATERSHED.
Tho Colorado River drains a watershed OF 10000
SQUARE miles in extent, in a mountainous coun-
try where violent rains and, rushing rapidly
through the rocky beds of subsidiary streams,
cause great floods in the river. 1t has been known
to rise at Austin as much forty five feet above
normal low-water mark and since the dam mas
been constructed the volume OF one 1ood was sucn
that the flow the crest or the structure hoe'
withstanding the open sluice-pipes. was six feet
and eleven inches in depth. Evidently dam capa-
HE of restraining such stream this must be
OF extraordinary strength. Larger dams than the
one at--Austiu sthese-.are In NUMBER OF places
Three In France respectively loio. i''o9 ana
sos feet long. and the one in Wales, winch stores
the water supply OF Liverpool. Is 1,55O feet In
length while the Austin dam is only 100. And
there are at least dams higher than ths'
which Is only 60 feet from foundation TO crest
But none of those dams on great river, as this
is and little or no water flows over them. whi.e
the flow over the Austin dam in times OF floods
amounts to from 100000 to $500" cubic feet per
second
Above Austin the Colorado River flows through
a deep canyon worn In the limestone rock the walls
of which often $50 feet above the ped OF inc
stream The width OF this canyon varies greatly
the narrowest place being that at which the dam
Is built There were no consideraoie "eauo"s
or bottom lands anywhere along II. so. although tho
construction OF the dam mace lake naVsaois
for steamboats, TO a length OF twenty-five miles,
there was very little damage TO private properly
and an exceptional freedom from pollution OF the
water supply. Though at Austin the COLORADO
River loses its character OF a mountain stream
Incoming thcnceforth a river OF the palm II SIN
has descent Of 400 feet TO make TO the sea- WHICH
Is sufficient to give 1t strong cleansing current.
The great dam above low-water marx ~ %
feet thick at the base and IS feet on top
u
clear across the river bed and carried some as
lance into the solid rock walls at each end us
core is OF hard limestone. botn races are vi re"
granite blocks dressed and closely htteo ana every
stone has been laid. with conscientious care IN
the best quality Of Portland cement. The greatest
depth OF water Is 81 feet, which Is Just ABOVE
the dam and the total contents or the lake
are roughly estimated at 2SOV0.Vo cupc leet'
sufficient volume OF water Is supplied by the river
at all seasons keep the flow over the ores, OF INC
dam its entire length at from three TO SIX inehes
in depth even in the driest after supplying
tho citv with all the water required for every use
70 which II has thus far been applied. The upper
portion Of the exterior surface OF the structure
has been soped in order to project ,ne ta HaaS
water ro , tss resultant effect Of the great
sysry water falling IL o6a like when cataract the river
rises fifteen twenty feet which Il does nSt IA
cent and It's roar may be heard long distance OH.
CAPACITY OF THE PUMPS.
The pumps at present operated by power from
the dam. are capable OF raising 100000 gallons
daily IL run to their full capacity. which would
give about three hundred and twenty gallons .
day TO each inhabi,ant OF Austin The electric
plant comprises dynamos OF 800 horsepower zf0
two thousand candle power arc lights TOT street.
illumination by the elevated tower system: l5ooo
s,xteen-can dle-power incandescent lamps. and an
electric railway the centre OF the city TO the
DAM a distance OF about three and one-haif miles,
which has now been in operation only about fort
night The power-house is so arranged that i's ca.
pacity can be doubled at any time.
In addition to giving the 5000 citizens OF Austin
all the water they want TO use. the dam affords
400 horsepower OF energy to be applied IN any way
wheels IN the ctys power-house only utilize
small part OF that power for pumping water up 70
the storage and settling reservoir ana Tor the gen.
Grafton OF electricity. They have capacity OF ZtV
horsepower but are not called upon to develop Il.
Engineers estimate that for several years 70 come
the municipal utilization VIII not exceed SoOo horse.
manufacturing enterprises. And should this, In
time be found inadequate. the capacity OF the dam
may be doubled by raising II fifteen feet. which II
will very we'll bear.
IL Is the policy OF the city to regard its surplus
water-power not as source OF direct income. but
as a means for promoting the general prosperity
charges for water supply as little as is COM
patble with providing proper proportion OF the
interest and sinking fund; the tariff electric
completed for supply to private consumers. will
be In like manner made very low and the rate
OF rental for water-power will be small to
OF factories at this point.
Reformers. particularly the advocates OF mu-
ncipa and governmental control OF interests ordi.
narily conhded to private corporations. will no
doubt watch with sympathetic concern the de-
yelopment OF this most important experiment in
that direction yet inausTsated In this country.
connections with the dam. the water mains and
electric plant absorb the rest OF the N,400v00
The imagination staggers in attempting to guess
how many millions In stock private corpo-
ration would be likely TO Issue that basis. and
what enormous revenues might be drawn from Il
when full employment should be provided for III
power.
The pumps In the Austin power-house we're hrst
started on March 7, the electrc-light machines on
May and the electric-power generators on July
Al OF the Qrsaent yss%