Continued seepage from the city's impounding reservoir on Cedar river, which caused the disaster to Edgewick about a month ago, has brought another serious situation and may do further damage, according to information reaching the city hall Friday.

Rattlesnake lake, a mile and a half from the impounding basin, is overflowing and the water is being carried away in the ditch built by the Chicago, Milwuakee & St. Paul Railroad Co. several years ago, at the rate of fifty-seven cubic feet per second. City officials believe that the filling of the lake is due to seepage from the impounding basin at Cedar river which the city has been atttempting to seal. The water level in the basin has been steadily lowering for three weeks, standing now at an altitude of 1,520 feet, which is thirtysix feet below the level of the water a month ago. In the meantime Rattlesnake lake has been rising rapidly, the average daily rise being about two inches.

City officials will not attempt to predict what may happen in the event a flood following a chinook should cause the impounding basin to fill rapidly and the seepage through the moraine to Rattlesnakelake be suddenly and greatly increased. It is believed that the ditch built by the Milwuakee railroad will be able to take care of the overlow, but city officials admit that there is danger of a large section of the bank of Rattlesnake lake being washed out.

There was talk among city officials late Friday of blowing out the hole in the masonry dam, in this way allowing the remaining water to escape from the impounding basin and stopping further seepage. This action was contemplated before the break a month ago, but was not taken after a conference of city officials called by Mayor Hanson advised against it.

At the time of the break in the north bank a month ago about ninety-six acres of land in the impounding basin were submerged and the seepage was about 1.77 second feet. At the present time about eighty-six acres of the basin is submerged and the seepage is about nine-tenths second feet. The water has been lowered to such an extent that the city is getting its power from the old dam, the change from the new dam having been made January 8. City officials claim that the lowering of the water is not due entirely to seepage, as a large amount of water has been taken from the reservoir for power purposes and owing to the fact the freezing weather has stopped the flow of water into Cedar river, the reservoir has not refilled.

Rattlesnake lake, according to reports received Friday evening, is a foot higher than has ever before been known. Several years ago the lake overflowed and the town of Cedar Falls was destroyed. Immediately after that disaster the Milwaukee Railroad Company built a ditch from the lake to a draw through which the overflow from the lake was to be carried to the Snoqualmie river. Until the present situation developed, this ditch has never carried water. The land upon which the town of Cedar Falls stood was condemned and bought by the city so that little damage to property could result if there should be another break in the north bank.