The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1897-01-11
STOW LAKE is
NOW A BIG HOLE
The Water Was Emptied
Into the Sand Last
Week.
Seventy.Five Men Engaged in
Cleaning the Bottom of
Debris and Weeds.
Large Quantities of Trout Found in
the Shallow Pools and Tenn.
porarily Preserved.

The crowds that went to Stow Lake in
Golden Gate Park yesterday were aston
ished to find the lake gone. All they saw
was the hole. No fish, no boats, no water
in evidence, but instead a great deal of
ooze and water weeds and disgruntled
ducks and swans. The hole was not much
to look at. still it seemed to afford consid-
cradle amusement and was the cause of
much curiosity.
Ali through the past week the park had
received little "syphon" in its sand, and
that effected the surprising change yester-
day.
1t was big undertaking that Superin-
tendent McLaren faced a week ago to-day
when he put his men at work on the lake.
The supply of water running into the res
ervoir was shut off, and then three exhaust
pipes, each having a diameter of eisht
inches, were opened. Their discharge of
water from the lake was subdivlded and
distributed over the sandy hollow west of
Strawberry Hill. The water rushed through
with great force, but owing to its distribu-
ton it scattered harmlessly over the sand.
To assist these pipes In emptying the
large body of water which has formed the
beautiful lake encirciing Strawberry Hill
=
they discharged one into the valley known
as the '49 camp and another one on the
north side. The current from the syphons
tore up deep rut of 100 feet long in the
fine sand, but at no time did pool form ;
the water sank almost instantly, as if the
ground were q sponge with an Unsuitable
thirst.
Day and night for week these pipes
discharged and lowered the level of the
lake. By Friday at noon only a little
water was left, and that in the lower level
on the east side, which is foot deeper
than at the other end.
On the dry portion several men were
started with scrapers and shovels. 1t was
their duty TO scrape and gather the mud
and weeds. Saturday saw seventy five
workmen in the bed of the lake. They
worked in groups. and as fast as the soft
slusn that discolored the water could be
gathered it was hauled away in wagons.
The bottom of the lake was found to be
hard and solid as the day it was laid, and
carts passed over it without cutting the
beaten clay. This was an agreeable sur
prise for the SUPERINTENDENT, for the lake
is perhaps the first one successfully con-
structed on made ground. Another
week will be given to cleaning it and then
the water will be pumped in till the lake
is full again.
When the water was very shallow in the
lowest spot a remarkable quantity of trout
was found there. The fish were from all
sizes from ''that length" down to little
bait, and there was more of them than
water to swim in. With large net the
speckled trout were raised and moved to
the pool at the base of the waterfall.
There they will remain until the lake is
full, but they are having a rather con-
strained time of it with barely elbow
room for their fins. They all appeared to
be healthy and to have done well in their
artificial home.
1t will take at least from seven to ten
days to fill the lake and about February
/ newly vanished and painted boats will
be ready to sail over its placid face and
the rebellious fowls can have their Gus
tomary aquatic sport.