The L'Anse sentinel. (L'Anse, L.S., Mich.) 18??-current, 1900-04-14
DISASTER IN TEXAS.
Flood in the Colorado River Is the
Cause of Much Havoc.
Many Lives Are Lost nnd the DAM
nge tn Crops and Property Is
Enormous-Dig Dam swept
Away at Austin.

Austin, Tex, April 0. - The grea
Austin dam gave away at noon Satur
day before the floods of the Colorado
river, spreading disaster in the low
lands of the city and points below her,
on the river. Forty or more persons are
known TO have persisted, while n score
or more are unaccounted for. The dam
and power house just below, both OF
which are wrecked, were constructed
seven years ago at a cost of 81, 100000.
Great damage has been done to crops
and property throughout the flooded
section, which extends practically from
Waco to San Antonio.
Heavy Rains Bring Floods.
The heavy rains of the last few days
had caused violent rise of the river,
the flood bringing with it vast guam
+. tity of wreckage. This mass bore too
heavily on the dam, breaking it, and let
+ ting loose reservoir of water 80 miles
! long. half a mile wide, and 60 feet deep.
! Eight workmen in the light and power
I plant, just below the dam, were the
( first to be drowned.
Many Missing.
Thirty or more white people who
/ were living Just below the dam in tents
were seen nj their habtations just be-
fore the dam broke. and are as yet unac-
counted for. One man. attempting to
cross the roadway leading to the bridge
across the river just as the big wave
rolled down. was caught and, together
Il. p, / 4
with the torrent. a family of six ne
groes living in the valley south of the
city are known to have been drowned.
II is estimated that more than 100
houses have been destroyed. The
surface of the river throughout the day
has been dotted by small houses or
fragments of houses and drowned ami
tion in the mountain region above Aus
tin.
Wall of water.
1t is below Austin for a distance of
200 miles that the greatest havoc has
been wrought by the Colorado river
flood. Reports received here show that
the wall of water came down upon the
homes of hundreds of families without
warning. Almost every wagon road
bridge across the riyH' between here
and Columbus, distance of probably
$50 miles. was destroyed. This accu-
mutation of drift added 10 the destruc-
tive force of the flood. and few resi-
dences and other buildings that were
in its path are now standing.
Many rnpnrtc ~ lose Of II Go Il ,.a baa,,
received by telephone and messenger
from points below here. \ few miles
downstream there is narrow bend in
the river. and there was situated quite
a settlement, known as Hornsby's
Bend. The flood struck that place in
all its unrestrained fury and destroyed
several houses. Thomas Kelsey, a
farmland. and Joe Burns. negro.
were drowned. Henry Hover and James
Farves. aged IA and years. respective
ly. are missing They were fishing in
the river when the flood came.
whole Families Drowned.
Many cabins inhabited by negroes,
both above and blow Bastrop. were
washed away and whole families ag-
Der are reported to have been drowned.
Most of these negro cabins were only
recently erected, the old ones having
been swept away by the flood of last
year. They were placed on higher
ground than those which were de
stroyed in the previous food. but that
precaution did not save them when this
overflow came.
At Lagrange and vicinity the flood
has caused great damage and some loss
of life among the negro plantation la
borers and their families is reported.
number Of deaths from drowning at
other points along the river occurred.
but the particulars are SO meagcr that
no account as to names and circum-
stances can he given at this time.
Dimensions of the Dam.
The dam which was wrecked was be-
gun in 1890 and finished in 1893 at a
cost, with the power-house, of 81, AGO.
900. 1t was built to take Is feet of wa
ter over its crest, and the fall occas-
stoned by it has been called THE Sec
ond Niagara" In the construction Tex
us pTdHllc was UScu lOr DOtn faces OF
the dam, and the core was made from
limestone found 200 feet from the river
banks. The dam formed lake 25 miles
long and covering an area of 1000
acres. The length of the spillway was
1000 feet. and the head gates and bulk
heads measured 270 feet. The height
of the dam from foundation to crest
was GS feet, thus raising the water 60
feet from low water mark. The power
plant was situated just below the head
gates on the east bank of the river. the
side on which the city of Austin is To-
Gated. Seven iron penstocks. each nine
feet in diameter, were set i'm the head
gate masonry to convey the water to
the wheels. Four of these penstocks
were used by the city for its electric
light plant and waterworks, while the
Others were used by private manufac-
turers.
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