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The Water Power of Texas. 
9 
The wells were then checked and in about' one day the water in the head 
lake was at its former level. Then again the artesian wells were by sur- 
vey connected in a system of levels. An excavation was made on the land 
of the observer below the water line. It was possible by observing the 
height of water in this hole to obtain the height of water in any artesian 
well in the city. 
GUADALUPE RIVER. 
The Guadalupe rises in Kerr county in three forks, known as South 
Fork, North Fork, and Johnson Fork. The South fork rises in a spring 
about twenty-two iniles west of Kerrville. After flowing- three miles the 
river sinks, rising again one and one-half miles further down. The mini- 
mum flow above its junction with the Comal north of New Braunfels, 
has been found to be forty second-feet. Just east of New Braunfels, the 
reliable Comal enters, adding a steady and minimum flow of 320 second- 
feet. 
Above New Braunfels there are five dams on the Guadalupe that 
develop power, namely, the Sherman dam, at Ingram; the Schreiner 
dam, at Kerrville; the dam of the Kerrville Roller Mills; the Witt dam, 
at Center Point; and the Flach dam, at Comfort. 
Three miles above Ingram is located the first dam on the Guadalupe. 
The power plant belongs to John Sherman, and is used for grinding, 
sawing, and ginning. The dam is seven feet high and is constructed of 
cedar and cypress, and weighted with stone. The foundation is a natural 
fall of two feet, upon the crest of which the dam is located, giving it a 
fall in all of nine feet. The power is developed by a 42-inch Leffel tur- 
bine and is usually operated with gate one-third open. The dam is 300 
feet long and was originally built in 1892. At Ingram there is another 
excellent site for a power plant that has never been utilized. 
Two miles above Kerrville, Chas. Schreiner, in 1900, erected a wooden 
dam across the Guadalupe. The length of the dam is about one hundred 
feet and its maximum height is three feet. It is constructd of cedar and 
cypress plank. The foundation upon which it rests consists of rock bot- 
tom. The effective head is ten feet and the power is developed by one 
30-inch Victor turbine, and it is usually run with the gates opening at 
one-fourth. The vent is 300 square inches, and it is estimated that fifty 
horse powers can be developed. This would require a discharge of fifty 
five second-feet. The dam deflects the water into a race on the north side 
of the river about 300 feet long. The banks of the river on the south side 
are low, while those on the north immediately adjacent to the river are 
low and flat to a distance of 150 feet from the river bank. Next the 
bluff there is a low swag through which the race was carried. The bluff 
constituted one side of the race and the south side had to be built out of 
frame work, consisting of vertical cedar posts to which stout cypress 
planks were spiked, constituting a water-tight fence. 
