Warren sheaf. [volume] (Warren, Marshall County, Minn.) 1880-current, 1900-04-12
DAM IS SWEPT AW AY
Colorado River Flood Wrecks Res
ervoir at Austin, Tex.
POWER PLANT FALLS INTO THE RIVER
seventeen Lives Are known to Have
been Lost-Many Persons Missing
Loss to Crops and Prop
crty Enormous. ls tf@

,Austln Gam 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 here
on the river. Seventeen persons are
known to have persisted, while score
or more are unaccounted for. The dam
and power house just below, both of
which are wrecked, were constructed
seven years ago at cost of 81 400, 900.
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 a violent rise of the river,
the flood bringing with it vast guam
tlty OF Wreckage. This mass bore too
heavily on the dam, breaking it, and let
ting loose reservoir of water 80 miles
long, half mile wide, and 60 feet deep.
Eight workmen in the light and power
plant, just below the dam, were the
first to be drowned.
The breaking of the dam caused wild
excitement in the city. The telegraph
companies at once wired to places be-
low here to look out for the wave and
runners were dispatched on horses to
notify those living in the valleys below
the city. The telegraphic messages
served as a timely warning to many,
but the floods outstripped the horse
men and many houses were swept away
before the occupants could be warned.
Within short time all the valleys to
the south and west of Austin were
filled to overlooking 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 were
saved by boatmen.
Many Missing.
Thirty or more white people who
were living just below the dam in tents
were seen at their ha bita lions Just be-
fore the dam broke, and are as vet 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
with his horse and buggy, went down
with the torrent. A family of six ne
groes living in the valley south of the
city are known to have been drowned.
1t 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
mails, all of which testify to the destruc-
ton in the mountain region above Aus
tin.
Railroad Train Wrecked.
The international & Great Northern
railroad and the Austin & Northwest
ern railroad have suffered severely.
The south-bound cannon ball train
from st. Louis on the International g.
Great Northern was wrecked at Nc
Neil, nine miles above here, as result
of washout. The engine and cars
plunged into a culvert, demolishing the
engine, the mail and baggage car, two
day coaches and one sleeper. The cars
left the track and rolled over on their
sides in four feet of water. No lives
were lost, nor were any of the few pas
sengers badly hurt, as the train was
running slowly at the time. The mail
clerk was seriously bruised, while the
engineer and fireman were slightly in
-jured.
Dimensions of the Dam.
The dam which was wrecked was be-
gun in 1890 and finished in 1898 at
cost, with the power-house, of 81 .40O.-
900. It was built to take IS feet of wa
ter over it's crest, and the fall occas-
stoned by it has been called ''The Sec
ond Niagara" In the construction Tex
as granite was used for both faces of
the dam, and the core was made from
limestone found 200 feet from the river
banks. The dam formed lake rs 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 27O feet. The height
of the dam from foundation to crest
was 6S 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 in the head
gate masonry to convey the water to
the wheels. -Four of these penstocks
were used by the city for it's electric
light plant and waterworks, while the
others were used by private manufac-
turers.
Into the River.
Austin, Tex, April 9.-The increased
volume of water which came down the
river Saturday night undermined the
powerhouse at the dam at 1:30 Sunday
morning and it fell into the river, car
rying with it 100000 worth of ma
chinery.
Fully 10000 people gathered at the
dam and powerhouse to witness the.
ruins of the plant which cost this city
1875, 900 few years ago. The waters
of the Colorado river were still plung-
ing and foaming around the wreck, eat
ing away the big pile of granite which
once formed the dam as though it was
nothing more than chalkrock. So fierce
was the current that great powders
Sol lo1E n IL 4, \