New Britain herald., 1928-03-16
MORE BODIES ARE NOW BEING SOUGHT
Death Toll in California Disaster
 Probably Will Grow

Santa Paula, Cal. March lS t.P- With the known death toll standing at 2o6. several sets of investigate ors dug deeper into the available evil dence today in an effort to unearth the cause of the St, Francis dam disaster,
 Although two coroners iuries found yesterday that the victims came to their death by drowning due to the breaking of the dam, they did not attempt to fix the blame. From two official investigat- ing sources. however, came reports that the foundation upon which the great structure was built was faul- ty.
 The report Of State Engineer Ed ward Hyatt. Jr.. that had the dam had a sufficiently strong foundation this great tragedy never would have happened" was echoed in a report by Ventura County Engineer Charles Petit.
 Governor Statement
 And on the heels of these re- ports. Governor c. C. Young tele- phoned B. E. Meek, head of the de partment of public works at Sacra- mento 10 select q group Of competent engineers to examine the dam
 The action. the governor said. was not taken in q spirit of hostility toward anyone" He added that there were three parties al inter- est-those afflicted by the disaster. the people Of Los Angeles and the California public at large"
 X federal sian, was given to an- other investigation of the disaster when ElWood Mead. director 0: the United States reclamation service. agreed 10 head a board of engineers to be selected from the membership Of the American Society of Civil 
 Forces of iron and steel-steam shoyels and tractors--today came to the aid of men in searching the path of ths runaway waters for the bodies of it's victims.
 The call for the machines came yesterday from the weary work CTS who declared they believed all of the bodies on the surface of the flood area had been found.
 The last report showed the bodies Of 206 of the dead recovered and the number Of missing persons as !s6, a total Of 4o2 as the possible death toll.
 Sfill Hunting Bodies
 searchers today also were ordered to sharpen their watch along the beach. This was due to the belief that bodies carried to sea would rise on the third day and be brought to the beach by the tides. Four bodies found at the mouth Of the Santa Clara river yesterday strengthens the belief that many were carried out 10 sea. A boat took up the patrol of the waters at the mouth of the river which runs into the Pacific,
 Leaders Of the rescua work be- |ieve many more bodies will be found when huge piles of debris in the lower valley are torn apart This is the job for the steam shovcls md tractors. One of the tangled n asses of brush. lumber and up- rooted trees covers 50 acres at an average depth of twenty feet.
 Machinery for the rescue work was rushed from Los Angeles and 1ejghboring cities. tractors and small power shovels being placed on .rucks to speed them 10 the valley.
 1nquests into the death of the 1ood victims in Ventura. county brought the same verdict-that the rictims came 10 their death by drowning as result of the break ns of the dam. The coroner's uries were instructed that there as 'et was insufficient evidence upon which 10 inquire into the causes ot he disaster
 Ventura County Engineer Petit ssued his statement on conditions i, 1t the St Francis dam after he listed 1t yesterday. accompanied by he county supervisors.
 ''1t is my opinion that a. dam lever should have been constructed 1t this point he said. ''The rock { III seems to he largely of decom- posed or altered granite which ] ,rumloles when subjected 10 water ]