The Farmington times. [volume] (Farmington, Mo.) 1874-1902, 1900-04-12
TERRIBLE TEXAS FLOODS.
Thousands Gather az Austin to View
the Devastation Wrought by
the Ruthless Waters.
THE CITY PRACTICALLY IN DARKNESS.
The Great Power House THAT Supplied
Electric Light and Power q Mass Of
kuias as the Hssait OF the BrSakInG
OF the Hia Dam Msay rsopio We're
DFoUued.


Austin. Tex, April S.--Fully thirty
thousand people gathered at The pow
erhouse stationed north of this city 20
witness the ruins OF the plant which
cost this city ono and three-guarter
millions OF dollars q few years ago.
The waters Of the Colorado river were
still plunging and foaming around the
wreck, eating away the big pile OF
granite which once Termed the dam,
as though II was nothing more than
chalk rock. So fierce was the currcns
that great buulders wcrc carried half
n mile from the dam, being rolled over
and over by the turbulent tide. The
powcrhouEr, which suCcumhrd tu the
terrific wash Of the water az two
O'Clock this morning, lies mass Of
wrcckage on the edge Of the river, all
the valuable machinery either having
been thrown into the river or badly
damaged by the falling timbcrs of the
powerhousc. The wreck Of the plant
is complete.
The situation Most srriuua,
The situation in the city tonight IL
most serious. The wreckagr Of the
plant means that IL will take several
weeks to secure even temporary wa
ter and light system. il Il can be made
possible even then. In the meantime
the city will hc In bad sanitary con
iitiou. Al the hotels. private resi-.
lcncrs, stores and the like are with
out water. and there is no fire protec-
ton Churches were unable 10 hold
services tonight for want Of light, and
all public meetings were abandoned.
The daily papers are handicapped in
their publications, being deprived Of
their electric power. The river is fall
ing tonight.
ENcryth thInE IL tndcr water.
Reports from the ncighboring Cuun.
try are to the effect that everything
il under water In Williamson county.
north Of here, railroad bridges and
truckagc have been laid waste, and all
trains have stopped running. Hun
ircds uf head Of cattle have been
drowned aud miles of fencing torn
down and washed away. In Bastrop
county aud In the southern portion uf
this county similar conditions prevail.
everything being under water and
much loss OF property in reported.
Lose VIII E>ccrd Thrr~ wiIiiens.
The country tributary TO the Colo
RADIO river all the way down its course
Is bcing inundated, and while II Is be
lic,cd the worst Is over, the loss, as
estimated tonight. will exceed some
three million dollars, counting Austin
~ the largest loser. Fortunately the
list Of drowned, according to reports
M 10 tonight. Is limited to those re-
ported in the press dispatches last
night. ns II seems the only drowuinRs
reported were here when the dam
broke and caught the victims un-
awares,
There were no trains operated on
the Inland Great Northern, as much
of it's track and quite number Of
bridges were smashed awny during
last night. The Missouri, Kansas x
Texas railroad is also a heavy sufferer
from a like cause.
Large Acreage Under Water.
Reports from several sections of cen
trni Texas are to the effect that largc
acrcngc is under water, aud much
damage has been suffered in property
and live stock.