Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1900-04-18
DAM CARRIED AWAY.
GREAT STRUCTURE AT AUSTIN,
TEXAS, DESTROYED.
Flood ia Colorado River Deals Death
and Ruin Forty-eight Persons Are
Drowned and $s,ooo,0oo Worth of
Property Destroyed.

The great dam across the Colorado
river at Austin, Texas, which was con
structed seven years ago at a cost OF ST.
100000, was swept away Saturday morn
ing by an unprecedented flood in that
river. The break occurred at, l1:l5
o'clock, causing an instant rise of fully
fifty feet in the river below the dam.
This torrent OF water swept down upon
the broad valley below in all of its force,
leaving death and destr Tion in its wake.
Ferty-efght persons ar known 10 have
been drowned, aud the losses at that
point including the destruction of the inn
mense electric light and power plant,
will reach s., 100000.
Last Wednesday night il began to rain
very hard, the storm extending north
along the water sheds Of the Colorado
river. The precipitation continueti until
Saturday morning. All this vast q anti
~ of water along the water sheds Of the
Colorado river rapidly swelied the cur
rent, and at s o'clock Saturday morning
the river had risen forty feet within ten
hours. Small frame houses, trees and
debris Of every description in varying
quantities descended the river and mass
ed against the upper face Of the dam
This weight was augmented every mo
ment until by 10 o'clos < there was 8
mass of debris lodged against the dam
which threatened the safcsy of the struc-
ture. In addition, millions Of gallons OF
water, muddy from its long journey, was
whirling snd pluaging to the sixty-fcot
fall, and it WAS evident that no wall could
withstand the immense pressure.
The crisis came shortly after II O'Clock,
when, with a report like the roar of the
ocean, the great wedge twenty-five feet
high, i've hundred feet wide and about
eight feet thick rolled out of the center
section of the dam, down the face of the
60-foot depth into the river below. This
left yawning gap III the very middle of
the dam through which the debris aud
water fercely poured. while the flood, al
ready raging, was threatening everything
in its path, this sudden breaking Of the
dam bur serving to add to the horror OF
the catastrophe. The released water
poured into the power house, catching
eight employees at work there, drowni
all OF them instantly.
The breaking of the dam caused wild
excitement in the city. The telegraph
companies at once wired to places below
there to look out for the great wave, and
runners we're dispatched on horses to no.
tify those living in the valleys below the
city Within a short time all the valleys
to the south and west of Austin were ill
ed to overhowing 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 We're saved By
boatmen.
1t is below Austin for distance of 20C
miles that the greatest havoc has beer
wrought. Reports received show that the
wall of water came down upon the homes
of hundreds of families without warn
ing. Almost every wagon road bridge
across the river between Austin and Go
lumbus, distance of probably 100 miles
was destroyed. This accumulation o.
drift added to the destructive force o.
the food. and few residences and othe
buildings that were in its path are nov
standing.
Many reports of loss of life have beer
received by telephone and messenge
from points below AusLin. A few mile
downstream there is narrow bend il
the river, and there was situated quit
settlement, known as Hornsby's Bend
The food struck that place in all its un
restrained fury and destroyed severa
houses. Thomas Kelsey, a farm hand
and Joe Burns. lsgro, were drowned.
The brick walls of the municipal waite
works. electric light and power plant jus
below the dam collapsed early Sunda!
morning. The expensive pumping ma
chinery and dynamos fell into the rive
and they will probably be total loss
The destroyed plant was erected by tn
city at a cost of S6,000.00o, exclusive o
the dam, which cast another $1,0O0.000
The Colorado river is not the only ives
Texas stream that is on rampage. Tn
Contho. the Guadalupe, the San Marcos
the T.lano. the Nueees and the Honr
rivers are out Of their banks and ar
flooding hundreds OF thousands Of acre
Of cultivated lands.