Douglas daily dispatch., 1928-03-14


tee to explain their silence of more
than four years regarding the effort
of viii Hays, party. chief in 1920,
to dispose OF securities paid into the
republican treasury by Harry T.,
Sinclair.
Two of the witnesses, Secretary
Mellon OF the treasury department,
and William M. Butler, present ma
~~--~@-~-~---~~-~--------
In addition to completely wrecking
the costly new dam, the unleashed
waters played havoc with homes,
ranches, railroad lines. telegraph and
telephone systems, light and power
wires, gas mains, roads and bridges.
Computation OF the damage to
hundreds OF homes probably will tax"
weeks and even those familiar with
the district would not hazard an
accurate guess.
Ventura county authorities estim-
ated the property loss in the Santa
Clara valley at around $3,O00O00,
while the Los Angeles county figure
will exceed that total Aggregate
estimates or damage range from
$10,O00,O00 to $30,000,000.
kilograms to render every possible
assistance today poured into Red
Cross offices at Los Angeles.
one message came to Mayor Cryer
at Los Angeles from Mayor T, M.
Hoynes, OF Savannah, Ga, extending
sympathy to those who have suffered
and offering any assistance possible.
Owing to the small number OF in
jured no pressing need has been
found for medical supplies but cloth
ing is at a premium in NeWhall.
MANY Of the survivors escaped almost
destitute.
Searchers for the dead, tonight
splashed through the slime, OF San
FrancisdtiitO canyon, the peaceful
valley that was turned into grave
yard today when st. Francis dam
broke and engulfed it.
From Oxnard, Saticoy, Moore Park,
Santa Paula, Saugus and a dozen
or so smaller communities which
fringed the flood that devastated, San
Francisquito came reports OF more
bodies found to add to the death
toll.
When the 1856 foot dam barely two
years old, gave way in the darkness
of the early morning under the
pressure OF $4,000 acre feet OF water
behind it, it did so without warming
and loosed on the ranches and camps
in the canyon below it a 75 foot
high avalanche OF liquid deatt1.
Two great flashes as the flooo
snapped the power line were the only
notes OF warning that catastrophe
was hurtling down the canyon.
Homes were crumpled under the
great wave, families were pitched into
the maelstrom and torn apart.
Mrs. Anna HolZcloth seized her
babv as the water crushed her home,
but a swirling billow tore the infant
from her grasp and it was swept TO
death. An older child already had
been carried away.
C. H. Hunick, so years old, sleeping
in his home a mile and a hall below
the dam, felt the walls shattered
about him and found himself strug-
Cling in the torrent. He caught
bit of wreckage and held on, tnen
grew weaker and was on the verge
of collapse when a voice shouted 10
him in the darkness ana Stong
hand drew him to suhStantlal
plank. It was one of his sons, and
the pair were saved. Two otner'
sons were lost,
Out of the disaster rose nero,
who paid with his life for his courage.
He was E. ocke, Waterman at the
Southern California Edison power
switching" station.
Survivors from the camp told OF
locke running from cabin to cabin,
from tent to tent, warning the work
ers to flee. Scores OF these were
able to save themselves, but Locke
died.
Red Gross stations were opened at
Newnall and other points to care
for refugees while hundreds OF ponce
and deputy sheriffs we're rusned from
Los Angeles to aid in the search Tor
bodies kand in policing the stricken
region.
Far beneath an airplane, IN Wh1ch
an Associated Press staff correspond
ent viewed the ruin, the broken Dam
looked like child's toy.
Looking down through the Wlsps
of clouds it was easy to imagine tIlat
a caprice of the gods had tufnplea
the huge thing of concrete and steel
into a mass Of disintegrated slaps
and boulders-and laid waste a sWath'
of fertile soil score OF miles III
length.
Already thousands Of men and
automobiles, trucks and ambulances
were scurrying about the edges OF the
huge mangled thing OF concrete, ike
ants who scamper crazily about when
one kicks over their carefully oullt
hills.
Black cleaning beetles OF au'omo"
biles. their arrogance and sell
importance apparent were dasnlng
about on the few roads that re-
mained open.
Where a Jew hours ago were mil
lions cf gallons OF water was now
a muddy bottomed empty canyon.
Where once was dam, proud IN lts
resisting strength, now gawked a lew
pillars OF concrete.
A region where once were scores
of carefully built homes, representing
the work and savings OF little 1ah-
lilies Tor years, was now terrain OF
family cleaning saffron slush slime
and mud. AS the fliers looked at
the gaming hole where the dam stood,