New Britain herald. [microfilm reel] (New Britain, Conn.) 1890-1976, 1927-05-28
Water SUPPLY FOR
Los ANGELES Once
again Threatened
Aqueduct Dynamitd Second
Time in "a Hours 800 Feet
Of Piping Destroyed
REPAIR GANGS BEING
RUSHED TO THE SCENE

REPAIR GhNGS BEING
RUSHED TO THE SCENE
Valley Landowners Are Accused
and City Council Is Asked to Offer
$4,000 Reward For Capture of
Dynamiters - Telephone Lines
Also Arc Cut, Supposedly BY
Same Parties.
Los Angeles, May 2SF>-A report
that the Los Angeles aqueduct has
been dynamited for the second time
in ~ hours and about 800 feet of
piping destroyed reached the city
water and power bureau headquar-
ters early today. A repair crew was
reported despatched to the scene
near Big Pine.
Officials took steps today to pro-
tect the city's principal water source
against the ire OF Owens valley resi-
dents because Of the dynamiting OF
the nine foot steel syphon across No
Name Canyon. 175 miles from here,
yesterday.
The big conduit was blasted along
q 435 foot section after ten armed
men overpowered two guards in the
vicinity, removed them to a distant
point and disappeared as the explos-
ion cut off the principal water supply
source of the city.
The Los Angeles water and power
commission, accusing the valley
landowners of the dynamiting. has
asked the city council to permit the
offering Of $4,000 reward for the
capture OF the dynamiters. Sheriff
Tom Hutchinson of Inyo county as
sured the city officials that he and
six deputies would make every eff
fort to identify the men who re-
moved the guards.
Phone Lines Cut
A move by the Los Angeles city
council to obtain federal investi-
CATION of the cutting of interstate
telephone lines near the scene of the
explosion brought statement from
United States District Attorney s.
w. McNabb that he knew OF no
statute under which such crime
could be prosecuted.
Tho Owens valley group, accord
ing to Los Angeles city water Off
Gals. for several months has limited
that violence would result if the city
failed TO buy property in Owens yal-
ley at a cost variously estimated at
from 100000 to s2O,o00,0O0. The
water involved represents by far the
greater lrt of the Los Angeles city
supply.
LNtle Danger Of Shortage
LITTLE danger of a city water
shortage Is anticipated despite the
estimate that it will take two
weeks to repair the AZ foot break
in the syphon. A supply sufficient
to last the city 100 days is stored
in reservoirs between the break
and Los Angeles.
A few hours after the dynamit-
ing was reported crew of $50
men. so trucks and IS tractors
were at work repairing the dam
age. estimated at from $4,000 to
$4,000.
The two aqueduct guards. Tom
Spratt and his nephew, Louis
Spratt, said they were overpowered
by four OF the ten men before they
could draw their guns. The other
six men. they said. waited in the
background while the watchmen
we're taken a mile up the canyon
and warned to remain there.
Shortly afterward the explosion
rocked the surrounding hills. The
telephone lines had been cut and
the water poured out Of the broken
pipes at the rate of 375 cubic feet
per second while the watchmen
walked five miles and motored 20
more to warn the reservoir to shut
of the supply.
The two previous dynamitings Of
the aqueduct caused little damage.
The chief clash between valley and
city was In November, 1924, when
men said to represent the ranch
ers took possession of the Alabama
control gates and held them open
for IS hours while the water
poured out upon the desert. The
men then were prevailed upon by
their leaders to close the gates and
abandon their positions. No prose-
cution ever resulted