The Elbert County tribune., 1900-04-12
A RUSH OF WATERS.
breaking of Dam Mt Austin, Texas,
Causes Loss of Life md Great Damage
to PROPERLY.

70 tToPtFtgs
Austin, Tex, April S.-This city rs to-
night in pitch darkness, with raging
river, one mile wide and swollen fur be-
yond Its natural banks, roaring and
surging through all the lower portion
of the town, having spread destruction
and death in its wake. In addition to
the vast loss to property interests, II is
calculated that between thirty and for
fy lives have been sacrificed, ana tie
reports coming In from the tributary
country tonight do not tend to improve
matters. A train on the international
& Great Northern road was wrecked
to-day, but nobody was seriously In
jured.
Austin, Tex, April THE flood is
not unlike the disastrous Johnstown
flood some years ago. in that raging
river, already swollen far beyond Its
capacity, bore too heavily upon an i'm
nense dam spanning the river here.
breaking II and letting a reservoir of
water, thirty miles long, half mile
wide and sixty feet deep. to aid in car
rylng destruction down the valleys OF
the Colorado river.
The great dam In the Colorado river
gave way Mt noon to-day from the enor-
nous pressure OF water and debris, and
Win II rOar huu CRUSH swept tnt var
lcys below the city. wrecklng the i'm
mense light and power plant and
drowning eight workmen.
The released water poured into the
power house, catching eight employees
at work there, drowning all of them
Instantly. The breaking of the dam
caused wild excitement In the city.
The telegraph companies at once
wired to places below here to look out
for the great wave and runners were
dispatched on horses to notify those
living In the valleys below the city. The
telegraphic messages served as time
ly warning to many. hut the rushing
waters outstripped the horsemen, and
many houses were picked up and swept
away before the occupants could get
together their valuables.
Within short time all the valleys 10
the south and west Of Austin were Hood.
ed TO overfiowing with water and the
southern portion of the city tributary
to the river was inundated. Large
crowds collected on the river banks
and several persons Were swept into
the river when the dam broke. but all
were saved by boatmen.
A crowd of white people. numbering
about thirty. living just below the dam
In tents, We're seen at their hahitation
Just before the dam broke and have not
been accounted for since. 1t is gen.
orally believed that all OF them were
swept away.
Austin. Tex, April S.-The Increased
volume Of water which came down the
river last night undermined the power.
house at the dam at ] 30 o'clock a. M,
and Il fell into the river, carrying with
II 100000 worth of machinery
Fully 10000 people gathered at the
dam and power house stationed north
of this city TO witness the ruins of the
plant which cost the city one and three
quarters millions of dollars few years
ngo. The waters of the Colorado river
were still plunging and foamlng around
the wreck, eating away the big pile OF
granite which once formed the dam, ms
though II was nothing more than chalk.
rock. So fierce was the current that
great powders We're carried half mile
from the dam, being rolled over and
over by the turbulent tide.
The country tributary to the Colo
rado river. all the way down Its course
is being inundated, and while II is be
licved the worst Is over. the loss AS cs-
timnted tonight viii exceed $4,000, 600
counting Austin ms the largest loser
Fortunately the list of drowned, accord
Ing to reports up TO tonight. is limited
to those reported in the Associated
Press dispatches last night. MS II seems
the only drownings reported were when
the dam broke and caught the victims
unawares.
A mass meeting OF citizens has been
called for tomorrow. in order that
some steps may be taken TO relieve the
situation.