Douglas daily dispatch., 1928-03-17

diamond engagement ring, wedding
ring and wrist watch. Her body was
picked up below the Santa Paula
bridge.
Biologists, engineers and technical
experts, headed by deputy District At
torney Ed j. DenniSon, of Los Ange-
les county, arrived at the ruins OF
st. Francis dam today to start
thorough investigation under instruc-
tions from District Attorney Asa
Keyes. -
orders from Keyes are to make as
complete a probe as possible and to
return a secret report to him cover
ing all phases of the findings Keyes
has declared that he will institute
criminal proceedings if any person OF
persons are found responsible for the
catastrophe.
Dennison will question surviving
ranchers who lived below the dam IN
San FrailcisQuito canyon and others
in the Santa Clara river valley to
determine the truth or falsity OF
reports that the dam was leaking, or
seeping, prior to its collapse last Tues
day morning and that there was rea-
son to believe it would give way.
Besides Dennison, the KeyeS inves-
tigating party included Col: Charles
t. Leeds, former U. S. army engineer,
row in charge of the Long Beach
breakwater for the federal govern
ment: Walter Gordon Clark, New
York consulting engineer; Edmund L.
Mayberry, consulting engineer; L. q.
johnson, nationally known geologlst;
Professor Allen E. Sedgwick of the
geology department, university OF
Southern California; and two investi-
gators from the district attorneys
office.
/ DR.. j. L. Pcmeroy, health officer ot
Los Angeles county, today issued
warming to all residents of the affect
ed region against the indiscriminate
use of water from wells and other
rces of supply. Analysis OF aal
water sources is going ahead.
Strict prohibition against drinking
any surface water was ordered by
health authorities at Sal\ Paula to
prevent possible epidemic.
/ The death list late today stood at
203, with 81 known to be missing and
a number of others reported unac-
counted for.
/ Ventura county official figures show
ed 273 homes destroyed in the Santa
Clara river valley area alone, OF
which 1873 were entirely swept away;
81 damaged and untenable; and 81
flooded.
A total of 135 families, 1853 persons,
are without food, clothing or shelter
in Ventura county other than that
supplied by relief organizations, ac-
cording to sheriff's deputies.
Responsibility for the restoration OF
the stricken valley was accepted fol
Los Angeles today by Mayor George
Cryer who called city council and other
officials together for conference.
1--WE cannot restore the lives thai
have been lost" Cryer, declared, "but
we can and will make amends for the
property damage that has beer
wrought"
While the city officials were con-
ferring, two representatives of the Lo!
Angeles chamber of commerce visited
Santa Paula and Santa Clara valley
in quasi-official survey of the dam
age which they set at $1,000,000.
Tomorrow, chamber of commerce Of
ficials said, their representatives woulc
appeal before the city council witt
these proposals:
That Los Angeles make Immediately
available a fund of $1,000,000 for fe-
Mobilization of the flood region.
That a commission Of Los Angelo!
business men be named TO carry thu
project to completion.
That the work be divided into three
classes-restoration of the orchard anC
farm regions; rebuilding of business
industrial and residence property, anC
relief of flood sufferers, under the ad
ministration of the Red Cross
The work of restoration, official
said, could be started by next Sunday
The city officials at their confefenc
turned down q proposal of the Rex
Cross for national appeal for relic
funds. They said Los Angeles wa
capable of handling the situation.