Evening star., 1928-03-14
24S FLOOD DEATHS
] LISTED IN RECHECK
From 800 to 600 Residents
Still Missing in
California.
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Continued from First Page.)
the same way. Thirty TO forty house:
were smashed at Fillmore. and Is al
eiru. Q miles south Of there on the SAINTS
Clara River.
AS the torrent receded mountainous
blocks of concrete from the dam were
discovered half a mile or more from thc
dam site. @
II was undcrtakers not doctors. as
one Red Cross worker put IT., that were
needed. 4 county health officer re-
marked upon the few injured persons
Those caught i'll the maelstrom of
muddy waters either escaped unscathed
or were killed He said most of the
victims did not drown: they were
crushed by bowl6ers and hurtling tim
bers from their own sllelterin homes.
Heroic Tales Recounted.
Tales of heroes uncounted. Of bravery
IN which men lost their own lives TO
warn and save others: Of grim Stoicism
when virtually every member Of some
families were counted among the miss
ing. were revealed.
Ed Locke. a guard of the Southern
California Edison Co. construction camp
at Blue Bend. saved the lives OF at least
~ nlen-and himself died with his boots
on and gun belted TO his waist. His
surviving fellows told Of the dead hero
running up and down the row of tents
without thought of his own skin "
He was found where he fell after warn
ing his fellow men Of the oncoming
peril.
Scotty Gordon. wizened and erav-
bearded rancfer. chuckled triumphantly
at the valor Of his fellow men But it
had 10 be dragged out Of him that he
was a hero himself. He had braved
the rushing waters with other hill
neighbors TO recover eight bodies.
Women Watch Over Bodies.
The improvised morgues, where the
cead were gathered at central points.
brought around their doors dry-eyed.
Saddened clusters of women. Rows of
them sat before the bodies Of those
who had been torn from them. mothers
with groups Of children huddled close.
looking in vain for fathers or brothers
who were buried in the debris.
One frantic rancher. father Of three
children, wildly searched the muddy
debris. He had piled his family into
his small automobile when he heard
the warning rush OF waters. For one
fatal minute he stopped TO warn a
neienboring family, rousing them to flee
with him. When he; turned back to the
road. his machine, family and all. had
gone, caught in the swirl of waters
which tossed him onto bank.
Fate that snufed out lives in the
dark also worked miracles in saving a
few n the path Of destruction. Out
OF the swin. 1t lifted some survivors to
place them on adjacent hills, where
Girl Saved by Board.
One 15-year-old girl, thrown from
her bed into raging waters, caught a
Ete-saylng plank and breasted the tor
rent. Her scanty clothing torn from
her, shiver!ng in the nights chill. she
cug into mud bank, covering herself
with the pasty mess left BY the torrent,
Three rescuers found her, but she re-
fused TO emerge until one man pulled
OIL his shirt 70 clothe her.
For IS miles along the Santa Clara
Valley the torrent from the broken St
FRANCIS Dam cut a new channel nearly
mile wide and 20 feet deep. One
<eSut was that every bridge over the
river. except that at Saticoy, was
demolished or damaged.
Coast highway traffic was detoured
al Il Rio 70 Saticoy. the coast route
being open frorn tileS-to Ventura and
thus out OF the Hood area.
Main Line Service DELAYED.
The Southern Pacific Railways main
line service was stopped for 10 hours.
while repairs we're made TO It's Montalyo
Bridge and a portion Of undermined
track Four coast passenger trains
which were held up az the point. pro-
ceeded late yesterday.
A railroad bridge and 200 feet of
track we're carried away west OF Saug,,s
On this branch another bridge, $50 feet
Q: steel, vas carried away between
CaSiaic and Pardee A half-mile OF
track vas tossed aside here. and 900
torn down
Wrecked highway bridges and under
mined pavement near CaStaic vii! pre-
vent the opening Of the ridge route.
:niano highway 10 Bakersfield, and
Northern points, for several weeks.
officials fep0rted- state highway tngl-
neers ocay continued surveys Of the
Loss Estimate Reduced.
c. z. Wheeler. superintendent Of con-
structlon for the Southern California
kcIeon Co, TODAY said the loss Of life
zt the Ecisofl camp. which vas located
near st. Francts Dam. probably would
prove II be much less than al INST
appeared
After thorough check We have
definitely located a. least 100 Of our
men" Wheeler said %The sslperin-
tehcent al the camp reports that he
Eac 4 smaller force than a. first be-
stfskA..and hss estimates Laat tfe loss
fcf TIE will not be more than 30 or IS
8nen
4 "Mtny of the workers were la!d Of
HSaiunday ard some LETT camp. The
8otal In the camp was less than $50,
j ''Frolp at ACCOUNTS the boys heard
rE1e ts,qd coming down the canyon and
pan ~ the steep mountain sides for
Asfety|'
z FreYio4s estimates ot the loss of life
9n The poger camps ran aS high as i<J
+ PRESIDENT OFFERS AID.
tfessage to California Governor Follows
FyHKn