The county record. [volume] (Kingstree, S.C.) 1885-1975, 1900-04-12
A BIG DAM BREAKS.
Austin, Texas, Swept by a Raging
Flood.
SIMILAR TO JOlNSTOWN HORROR.
Electric Light and Power Plant With
Operatives Go Down-Fuli Damage
Hard to Estimate.

Austin, Tex, Special-This city is in
pitch darkness with a raging river one
miie wide and swollen far beyond its
natural banks roaring and surging
through all the lower portions of the
town, having spread destruction and
death in its wake. In addition to the
vast loss 20 property interests, it is cal
culated that between 50 and 40 lives
have been sacrificed, and the reports
coming in from the tributary country
DO not tend to improve matters. The
GoCd is not unlike the disastrous Pohn-
stown tiood. some years ago, in that
laging river. already swollen far be-
yond its capacity, bore too heavily
upon an immense dam spanning the
river here, breaking it and letting loose
a reservoir Of water 80 miles long, half
a mile wide and sixty feet deep, to all
in carrying destruction down tne val
leEs of the Colorado river. The great
dam in the Colorado river gave way
from the eIorm Gus pressure Of water
and debris and with a rear and crash
swept the valleys below the city, wreck
ing the immense light and power plant,
and drowning eight workmen. Follow
ing is list of the known dead, includ
ing those killed in the power house:
Frank Pincet. Frank Kinney, Waiter
Flower, Walter Johnson, Alfred john
son, Frank Fitzgerald. Walter Bios
som, Joseph Newman. Dick Morris
(colorcD: John Proes, Chas. Burchard.
Six negroes.
Last Wednesday night it began to
rain very hard at this place, the storm
extending north Of here along the wat
er sheds Of the Colorado river. The
precipitation continued until the down
fall aggreg2ting six inches. All this
vast quantity Of water along the water
sheds OF the Colorado river rapidly
swalled the current until the river,
which had been rising steadily was
raging torrent having risen 40 feet
within ten hours.
After daylight it became evident thai
The situation was serious. The river
began to rise so rapidly that it was
evident that the immense dam and all
the power houses and contents. cost
ing 81 500. 900, were in imminent dan
ger. To add to the terror Of the situa-
ton, small frame houses, \ trees and
debris of every description in varying
quantities began descending the river
and piling up against the upper face
Of the dam.
This weight was augmented every
moment until by 10 o'clock there was
a mass OF debris lodged against the
dam which threatened the safety Of
the structure. In addition, millions Of
gallons of water, muddled from its
long Journey. was whirling and plung-
ing to ne sixty foot fall, and it was
evident that no wall could withstand
the immense pressure. The crisis came
shortly after II O'Clock, when sudden
ly with a report like the roar OF the
ocean. the dam but served to add to
the horror Of rolled out of the centre
section OF the dam down the face OF
the so foot depth into the river below.
This left yawning gap in the very
middle OF the dam through which the
debris and water fiercely poured while
the food, already raging, was threat
ening everything in its path. This sud-
den breaking OF the dam, but served
20 add to the horror Of the catastro-
phe.
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 runers were
dispatched on horses to notify those
living IN the valleys below the city.
The telegraphic messages served as
timely warning TO many, but the rush
ing waters outstripped the horsemen
and many houses were picked up and
swept away before the occupants could
get together their valuables.
Within a short time all the valleys
to the south and west Of Austin were
filled to overfowing with water and
the southern part of the city tribu-
tary 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 so, living just below the dam, in
tents. were seen At their habitatiors
lust before the dam broke and have not
been ccounted for since. 1t is gener-
ally believed that all Of them were
swept away.