New Britain herald., 1928-03-13

srupage through an abutting hill had caused one ot the supporting ends Of the structure 10 give way. under it's tremendous load of nearly a bil- lion and half gallons Of water.
 Ru, Brief Warning
 With only the Hash of d short cir cuited high power line to serve as a warning O the hundreds who lived ill cabins and ranch homes the length of The valley. great un- shachIed Wave estimated 10 have iseen 75 feet high rushed furiously coward tn, r,a Nothing stood be- fnrc il.
 Mountain cabins. ranch homes, q city power plant. and | is believed, t tented elty inhabited by 75 or more southern California Edlson Co. Workm.u, Werr carried away, Ten bodies lay in an improviscd guorgue at Saugus, near here this morning Thas, dead, however. rep resented in the opinion of William Bright, chief ot the county shvrin's i.scue squad. only q small per g,utaga Of those that died in the ire mendous gouge of the loosed flood. William Bright, in charge of the Sh,ritts squad assigned 10 police and rescue work estimated that be tween 200 and 900 persons lost their lives when the dam went out.
 Bright, after a hurried survey Of ,he situation, declared his belief that few. if any Of the ranChcrs. power Workmen and power subs,ation en- ployes in san Francisquito Canyon. the site Of the dam, had escaped. The total number of persons living ID the upper canyon he placed al 800.
 At s:30 a. m.. three bodies, all unidentified, had been recovered.
 ShcrtTs Recruited
 Bright recruited between 500 and 500 deputy sheriifs who Were rushed into the district early to preserve or der and aid ln rescue work
 Bright told Red Cross workers he believed there would be little use for Blankets and other comforts, as he felt certain that practically all ln- habitants of San t'ranCisquito Can Von had perished.
 Advicos from Saugus, Tn the vicln- ity Of the break said that 12 year old girl and baby, members Of the Holschau family, living in the can- yon, had been swept away to death. Immediately below the dam was Camp of the Southern California Edl- son company, headquarters for '5 Workrnen, and fears were expressed that these had been engulfed.
 Scattered along the upper canyon in the path of inc water were ap- proximately 25 families. The sher- ifs office at Newhall believed that some or all of these might have been caught in their sleep by the flood and carried away.
 The first report of the disaster Which came from linemen of ths southern California Telephone com, pany, working below San Francis quito canyon, attributed the daI1 break to an earthquake.
 No TembiOrs Reported no" tN f1 llo l'ii''h0Ao "Ni' ANf d from any other localities ana l was thought that the dam had glVel way under the pressure of approx inately 1,344.0o0,ooo gallons 0 water behind it.
 Aside from the loss of life, th' collapse of the St. Francis dan crippled an important link in the clt, Of Los Angeles water system and re leased big unit of stored water ac cumulated through the winter iol summer use.
 One power house dependent on th' dam went out Of commission, traEo Along the scenic ridge route througi southern California was m"naced bridges of the Southern Paciiic rall road were washed out and heavy los was expected in the citrus grove and small farms of the district.
 Harry CAreya ranch. popularize' nv the film actor-owner as q rode' center, was reported completely sub merged and it was feared thirty In dians living on it may have perish ed. 4 branch line of the Souther' Pacific was washed out but tn main line held intact.
 At a. m., the water has passe' Fillmore and was rapidly nearin. fIe town ot santa Paula, headquar ters of a big lemon belt The flood however, was keeping 10 the bed 0 thn Santa Paula river.
 Continuing farther down, t va f.ared that the released water iron fine dam would travel what is know ae Ventura avenue and cause dam ags to the oil fields Of Ventura.
 First reports said only five person had been rescued out of a possibl total Of 500 living in the upper patti Of the NooI where the danger wa greatest.
 These were Q ranchor. B. W. Hu nick. his father Charles; a ranche named Holsehau and his wife an, Gather.
 The Tolsctaus lived mile au oao-h8lf auoya Saueue and all wer asleep in their home when inc wal af water cam" roaring down th nyon
 They o.re3 hands and floatea !
 hank but h~ra the human char #as broken and a 12 year ol' laughter and baby Were sri3 to hay Uesn swept away.
 Hunick reported that his uncl and sister. who's. names wer" nr given, yer. IT ..slug-
 Aavices from n&amI declare