The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1903-07-22
THE Toxaway Dam.

Colonel James L. Orr and his sons
have returned from the mountains
where they enjoyed camping for ten
days at Caesars Head, Buck Forest,
Sapphire. TOxaway and Cashiers VAL
ley.
Knowing the interest the citizens
near the valleys of keOwee and Sene-
ca Rivers felt in the big Toxaway dam,
reporter for the Greenville News
asked Colonel Orr what he thought of
He said, from an artistic point of
view. the Toxeway lake and dam were
beautiful. The water, being perfectly
clear and smooth, glistened like silver,
and reiiected the mountains surround
ing lt like French plate mirror, but
from an utilitarian point of yiew he
was differently impressed. He thought
engineers, who were competent toiudge
snculd make o careful examination Of
it. ''1 - =
Toxaway river, which runs from the
root or H0gback mountain, is about ae
large as Reedy River, and drains O
large extent of the smaller surround
ing mountains, and runs very swiftly.
ln1eed, just below the dam the river
falls probably 100 feet in zoo Yards.
The dam 10 about 480 feet long, % feet
nigh, $50 feet at bottom and 90 feet at
the top, and ie made exclusively of
loose stones and dirt, there not being
any masonry or cement used except on
Two little drains on top the dirt dam.
Inc dam is 10 feet higher than the
water and this space is set in grass and
the whole lower side of the dam has
peen sodded, the top being drive.
way.
The water overfows around the end
or Dam through q space 80 to 40 feet
wide, which has been blasted out of
reasonably sound stone.
Colonel Orr said: ssIf n continued
rain should fall it is doubtful il this
outlet would discharge tie water as
rapidly as it collects from the noun
tain sides and If the water ever rose
above the top of the dirt dam it would
tent OF the dam can hardly be appl.-
ciated as one cannot get q full view Is
| any one point, but it is said to be ,8
miles around, and from so to 20 feet
deep In many places. It took 4 months
and 10 days to fill up. Think OF that.
There is one thing about 1t that
alarmed me very much. and which was
not observed until q careful examina-
ton was made of the base of the dam.
considerable leaks, under and throuRh
rock, the probability Of their increasing
seems very great. With these leaks
the chances of muskrats burTowing
through the dirt and the possibility of
the overflow not carrying away the
surplus water, must confess that
feel considerable apprehension for The
people living in the valleys, their pro.
| perty, and the bridges over and dams
on the streams which wOnld receive
the waters il the dam should break.
The railroad from Eastatoe, on the
French Broad River, has been compie-
ted to, one and one half miles from the
dam, and the Toxaways hotel, on the
lake. with 400 rooms, will be open by
the first Of August. Mr. Hayes, the
general manager of the railroad and
fToxaway CO., has transformed those
wild and uninhabited mountains into q
paradise, and opened up the finest cli-
mate that I know Of in the world, to
the tourist. His energy, enterprise
and power Of development has been
phenomenal; let Is hope his Judgment
as TO the safety Of the dam ie' sound,
for ii it is not johaatown and Clifton
floods would be insignificant compared
with the loss OF. life and property,
which this would occasion. ."-G Green
vile News.