Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1900-04-09
TIL FLOOD N TEXAS
Further Particulars Of the Damage
at Austin and Other Points on
Colorado River.
Breaking Of the Great Dam at Aus.
tin Similar to the Johns
town Disaster.
Loss Of Life Known to Be Heavy
Many Houses Are Swept
Away.

-Many houses are swept
Away.
Austin, Tex, April 9-Further partic-
ulars of the flood. a brief account Of
which Was given in the dispatches Sat
urday, show ii to have been much che
same as the Johnstown flood. except
that the loss of life was not so great
denominations OF sixty hours of terrific
Irainfall in the headwaters eff the Colo
lsrado river swept away he huge dam in
this city and lei loose the contents of
La reservoir tislrty miles long, half a
nli.e widesanr sixty fee,5 deep. 1t is
Thought that nearly fifty .ivas have
been lost. The properly damage cam
mot Yet be estimated. even roughly.
loving to the breakins down Of tele-
lhene and ts.1egraph, COMMUNICATION
with many of he eetltei's of The flooded
I districts below here. aus the loss AT III S
point. including the ssrtsc;ioa OF tie
/ immense electric light .,nl powe:s plant.
HeNili reach S2,0oO.u0o
Following is a list of the known
dead. including those killed in the
power house:
Frank Rineet, Frank Kinney, Walter
Flower, Walter Johnson, 4Alfs I'd John
Son. Frank Fitzgerald. WALTZ. BLISS
Esman. Joseph Newman. Dick Morri::
John Proes, Charles Bur
chard. six negroes.
last Wednesday, night il began to
rain Very hard al this place, the storm
EiextenGing north of here along the Mater
l5sheds of the Colorado river The pre-
| cipitation continued until Saturday
nornins All this vast quantity OF
iwatei. along the water, sheds of the
Colorado river rapidly swelled the cur
rent and at $ O'Clock Saturday morn
| in ,sn hours. Small frame houses.
trees and debris of every description in
varying quantities descended the river
and nlassed asainsr the upper face of
the dam. This weight was augmented
every moment until by 10 so,clock there
was mass of debris lodged against
the dam that threatened the safety Of
Ethc structure.
In addition. millions Of gallons Of
water. muddy from its long journey
was wairling and rlunging to the siX-
ltyfoot fall and it was evident that no
wall could withstand the immense
pressure.
The crisis came shortly after IL
O'Clock, when. with report like the
i5roar OF the ocean. the great wedge
Twenty five feet high. 800 feet wide and
about eight feet thick rolled out of the
center section Of the dam, down the
4 face OF the sixty foot depth into the
3i.iyer below. This left a yawniflg gar
lin the Very middle of the dam thru
Which the debris and water tiercely
poured, While the food. already raging
l5was threatening everything in its path,
i this sudden breaking of the dam but
Serving to add to the horror OF the
cata strophe.
| The released water poured into the
power house. catching eight employees
lat work there, drowning all of them in
lstantly.
The breaking of the dam caused wild
excitement in the city. The telegraph
icompanies at once wired places below
here to look out for the great wave.
and runners We're dispatched on horses
4 to notify those living in the valleys be-
lslow the city. The Geographic messages
served as a timely warning to many
4 but the rushing waters outstripped the
3shersemen and many houses were picked
1Eup and swept away before the oecu-
/ f,a11ts could get together their valii-
/ abies.
Within short time ali the valleys t.
4 the south and west of Austin were
s|tilled to Overlooking With water#and tbs
4 ss0uthern portion of the city tributary
Ito the river was inundated. Large
i 5crowds collected on the river banks
4 and several persons were swept into ths
4 river when the dam broke, but all were
d rescued by boatmen.
4 A crowd of white people NUMBERING
4 about thirty, living Just below the. dan
4 in tents We've seen at their l1abitation!
4 just before the dam broke and have no
been accounted for since. 1T Is gener
4 ally believed that al of them .wer,
Il swept away.
One man, attempting To cross thu
roadway leading 10 the bridge across
the river just as the big wave rolled
aown, was caught ana ne ana ms nors,
i and buggy went down with the torren
So
a \ family Of six negroes living in tn,
valley south Of the city are known t,
have been drowned.
Ii is estimated that more than 1O
Il houses have been destroyed in Austin
The breaking of the dam engulfed TIL,
old water connpanys plant below TIL,
city and il is lying fifteen feet unde
water, While the city is in darkness.
and Without water for use for fire pro
Il lection.
4 Reports from points ha,,,sv 5EAre are t,
). IN effect that the flood has been MOS
!. disastrous and the breaking OF the dan
has coca stoned many thousands < dol
!. lars worth Of loss TO prperty.
The surface of the river has beer
!. dotted by small houses or fra sments o
u houses and drowned animals. a!on;
with trees and debris. all of Which bea
.iatestimony tosthe ravases ~ the Hood i.
! 'ie mountainous region above Austin.
UNITED STATES TO Buy LAND