Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-04-09
SAW THE DAM GIVE WAY
EYEWITNESS GRAPHIC DESCRJP
TION OF AUSTIN DISASTER.
Grandeur of Scene Only EcIfpsed by
the Great Waterfall at
Niagara.

SAN ANTONIO, Tex, April 9.-Jeff Nc
Lemore, who was an eyewitness to the
collapse OF the dam at Austin, thus de-
seribes the great catastrophe:
Il was gazing intently at the great body
OF water as it swept gracefully over the
crest Of the dam, carrying with it acres Of
drift that parted as it went down the falls
The water over the crest was more than
ten feet in depth and was rising at the
rate of eighteen inches an hour. The fall
of the water was about forty feet, and the
roaring and surgtng that it produced can
be better imagined than described. 1t was
grand and awe inspiring, and nothing, in
my opinion, could in any measure compare
with 1t except the falls of Niagara
While thus looking with awe on a sight
such as had never before witnessed / no.
tlced sudden commotion of the waters
near the center of the dam. For a moment
the water where the commotion occurred
seemed to recede, but it was only for a
moment. 1t then shot upward in a tre-
mendous spout to a height of perhaps fifty
feet, as II in gleeful fury, and / saw that
the dam was giving way. The commotfon
spread toward the east end of the dam,
and there was a trembling of the earth.
When the break occurred the distance
from the crest of the wave it rolled over
the dam to the water below was about
forty feet Imagine, then, IL you can a
body of water forty feet in height and of
great Wlutn ana length suddenly released
from confinement, and You will have
faint idea of the scene that I witnessed at
the dam across the Colorado river.
once released from its confinement the
water subsided rapidly, seeking a level with
that below the dam, and then it was seen
how the break had occurred The dam was
not toppled over many supposed it
would be, but instead a large section be-
ginning near the center and extending
toward the east bank, was moved bodily
down the stream, distance of at least
forty feet. Another section, extending to
within thirty feet of the head gate mason
ry on the east, was also moved down
stream distance of forty or fifty feet. Be-
tween these two displaced sections there
was gap Of about 100 feet, where the
dam had completely disappeared, and it
was not long before the section nearest the
center also crumbled and disappeared Had
the remaining displaced section also tum-
bled down the power house. which went
down a few hours later, probably would
have been saved. This section threw g.
heavy current against the power house,
which eventually undermined the west wall
of the building and caused 1t to collapse"
A dispatch from Austin says: The situa-
ton In the city Is most serious. The
wrecking of the plant means that it will
| take several weeks to secure even a tenn
porary water and light system. If it can be
made possible even then. In the meantime
| the city will be in bad sanitary condition.
All the hotels, private residences, stores
and the like are without water, and there
| to hold services for want of light, and all
| public meetings have been abandoned. The
daily newspapers are handicapped In their
publications, being deprived of their electric
power. The river is falling.
| Reports from the neighboring country are
| to the effect that everything is under wa
| ter. In Williamson county, north of here
| railroad bridges and trackage have been
| laid waste, and all trains have stopped run
| ming. Hundreds of head of cattle have been
| drowned, and miles of fencing torn down
| and washed away. In Bastrop county and
| in the southern portion of this county SIM
| liar conditions prevail, everything being un-
| der water and much loss of property is re-
| ported
| The country tributary to the Colorado
| river all the way down its course is being
| inundated, and while it is believed the worst
is over, the loss as estimated will exceed
| 100000, counting Austin as the largest
| loser.
| Reports from several sections of central
| and southern Texas are to the effect that a
| large acreage is under water, and much
| damage has been suffered in property and
| live stock.