San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1897-06-13
THEY FOUND CRACKS.
STORY OF THE GALVESTON DIV
Err IN AUSTIN.
Several Ant Holes Unnoticed May Be
Undermining Austin's Famous
Big River Water Checker.
Special Wire to Sunday Light.

Austin, Tex, June 12.-There has
been considerable speculation in AUS
tin Of late as to what the condition of
affairs were out at the power house
at the dam. Wild rumors have been
going the rounds that the power house
was about to be undermined by the
spring that had been running under it
ever since the power house was built.
1t has been known that professional
diver has been at work here trying to
find the cause of the increased flow of
water under the power house and all
this has given. rise to the rumors as to
the safety of the dam. There has been
some slight increase in the flow of the
water from the spring under the power
house of late showing that the source
of which the water came was being in
creased and might possibly do some
damage to the power house If not stop
ped. With view of ascertaining
where this water came from and If it
could be stopped the professional diver
was brought up from Galveston sever
al weeks ago and put to work to locate
the cause of the trouble. After care
full investigation of the lake, both on
the surface and the bottom he found
that the water was evidently finding
ats way to the power house from the
surface and not the bottom of the lake.
He looked carefully up and down the
lake on this side Of the river following
the bed of the river along the bank and
out in mid stream. He only found two
cracks in the bed of the river that
could possibly be the means of letting
water flow under the power house. One
of these cracks was located at the Nc
Donald boat house and was several in
ches wide and several feet long. He
found that there was a slight suction
which would indicate that the water
was running through. Some GO feet
further out in the lake at tEfs point
he found another crack which also
gave some slight indications of hav-
ing suction. Both of these cracks
are several hundred feet abovdthe dam
and were noticed at the tiYe OF its
construction and were said TT be moth
ing more than ant holes. frhese two
places, however, are the only signs of
any leakage that could be- found.
The diver gave it as his opinion af-
ter examining the lake and the power
house foundation that the latter was
perfectly safe and was in no immedi-
ate danger from the increasing flow
of water that would indicate that some
additional current of water has been of
late turned into the spring under the
power house. Search as he would he
could not find any place in the lake
that would indicate that the water
was rushing into any sink that might
direct it under and into the power
house foundation.
With reference to this discovery of
the two cracks in the bottom of the
lake it is well to state on Mayor
Hancock's authority that a colored
fluid has been carefully placed in them
to see as to whether they were fur
nishing the extra flow of water under
the power house. In neither case was
the water under the power house col
ored in the slightest which goes to
prove that the water that is coming
under and into the power house is not
from these two sources. Prof. North
rups, of the University, has kindly
volunteered to assist in locating this
leak if it can be found in the lake, and
to that end he is making the tests
himself with carefully prepared fluids
that will be capable of tests in any
water. He tried both the cracks loca-
ted by the diver and made an analy-
sis of the water under the power house
to see if the fluids run through but in
neither case could he locate any of the
fluid in the water under the power
house. He has kindly consented to con-
tinue the test however, and will test
every cross yard of the lake bottom
from the dam to Mount Bonnell, if nee
essary to locate the siepage that is
threatening the power house at pres
ent. While the power house shows
no signs of being any worse for the
increased flow of water under 1t some
fear that it might possibly be under
Hlneu II the now is Hol StOPPeu eii0 "
that end Mayor Hancock and the
Board of Public Works will work from
now on.
Mayor Hancock says that II the
leak cannot be stopped any other way
that he will have the lake drawn or
down to the Pen stocks to see as to
whether or not the leak can be loca-
ted in this manner and If not then he
will drain it to the bottom but what
h 1,-ill End th.. Innl- ard stnr. II