OCR Text |
Show FIGHTING IMPENDING DELUGE FROM WATERS OF LAKE TAH0E Heav7 Rains Add to Danger of Truckee Being Flooded Gangs of Mdn Working to Strengthen Dam That Stands Between the City and -Disaster. TRUCKEE, Cal., March 10, A heavy rainstorm Ib raging today and It Is expected ex-pected that the waters of Lake Tahoo will rise with alarming rapidity. Last night it was thought that the danger point was reached, at least for a week, It being figured that It would take that long for tho water to Teach the top of the dam. Several expert dam builders began work this morning to strengthen the dam and prevent It undermining. If 1 deemed necessary stcamors and lighters can be used to gather rockn from the lake shoreB to build a new dam below tho old one. Snow on the ground prevents the procuring pro-curing of material by quarrying. Last night the electric lights In tho town were extinguished after 9 o'clock ' on account of tho high water In tho : 1 Truckea rlvr rendering tho turblno ' wheels of the plant powerless. The 1 fiood gates wore kept wide open nearly all day, but some wera closed early In tho evening, on account of the current washing away tho embankments and Increasing the danger. Manager Bliss at Tahoe sent word last night that thore was no present danger but a heavy storm broke this morning. Tho people of Reno are making ma-king constant lnqulrlos about the Condition Con-dition of tho dam. A tidal wave would do Immense damage here. Flvo miles of tho Southern Pacific track and bridges would bo destroyed and fourteen four-teen miles of the Lako Tahoo railroad would be carried away. Mr. Bliss states that the lake way higher once before tho dam waa constructed Uian now and that the carrying away of tho dam would not necessarily cause the lako to cease to rise because tho outlet la too small. The lake has' a circumference of more than 100 miles and It has a watershed of more than 400 sxiuarq miles, Tho prcaejit heavy rain and melting snow Is expected expect-ed to cause another phenomenal rise. The surface of tho water Is now seven Inches from the top of, the dam. It has ben raining steadily at Truokeo and Tahoe slnco midnight. The dam Is 125 feet long and tho lake 13 eight feet above low water mark. |