Evening star., 1928-03-16
DAM BREAK LAID
TO FAULTY BASE
Disaster That Took 206
Lives Blamed on Improper
Foundation. ...

| BY the Associated Press.
SANTA PAULA, Calf. March To-
| With the known death toll standing al
| 206, several sets of investigators dul
deeper into the available evidence to.
day in an effort to unearth the cause
of the st. Francis dam disaster.
Although two coroners' juries fount
yesterday that the victims came t.
their death by drowning as the result
of the breaking of the dam, they dit
| not attempt to fix the blame. From
two official investigating sources, how
ever came reports that the foundation
upon which the great structure wa;
built was faulty.
The report of State Engineer Edward
Hyatt, jr., that had the dam had q
sufficiently strong foundation this great
tragedy never would have happened
was echoed in a report by Ventura
County Engineer Charles Petit
And on the heels of these reports Gov
C. C. Young telephoned B. B. Meek
head OF the Department OF PUBLIC
Works at Sacramento. to select a group
dam.
Hostility Denied.
The action. the governor said, was
mot taken In spirit OF hostility
toward any one" He added that there
were three parties at interest--those
afflicted by the disaster. the people oi
Los Angeles and the California public
at large"
A Federal slant was given to another
investigation Of the disaster when Ell
wood Mead, director of the United
States Reclamation Service, agreed to
head board of engineers to be selected
from the membership of the American
Society of Civil Engineers.
Forces of iron and steel-steam SHOW
els and tractors-today came to the
aid Of men in searching the path OF
the runaway water for the bodies of Its
victims.
The call for the machines came yes
terday from the weary workers who de-
clared they believed all of the bodies
on the surface of the food area had
been found
The last report showed the bodies of
2O6 OF the dead recovered and the num-
Der OF missing persons at 1876. total
OF 402 as the possible death toll.
Beaches to BE Searched.
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 would be brought to the beach
by the tides. Four bodies found at the
mouth OF the Santa Clara River yester-
day strengthened the belief that many
were carried out to sea. A boat took up
the patrol Of the waters at the mouth
OF the river. which runs into the Pa
cif1c.
Leaders OF the rescue work believe
many more bodies will be found when
huge piles OF debris in the lower valley
are torn apart. This Is the Job for the
tangled masses OF brush, lumber and
uprooted trees covers so acres at an
average depth of 20 feet
Machinery for the rescue work was
rushed from Los Angeles and neighbor-
ing cities. tractors and small power
shovels being placed on trucks to speed
them TO the valley
Inquests into the deaths of the flood
victims In Ventura County brought the
same verdict~-that the victims came to
their death by drowning as a result Of
the breaking Of the dam. The coroners'
juries were instructed that there as vet
was insufficient evidence upon which
to inquire into the causes of the
disaster.
Scores Location OF Dam.
Ventura County Engineer Petit issued
his statement on conditions at the st.
Francis dam after he visited 1t yes
tefday. accompanied by the county
supervisors.
1T is my opinion that dam never
should have been constructed at this
point he said. THE rock all seems
70 be largely OF decomposed or altered
granite. which crumbles when subjected
TO water pressure. / doubt II a iirmer
bedrock would have been encountered
even at lower levels. even II 1t had been
sought."
A group OF biologists named by the
Los Angeles bureau of water and power
inspected the site of the broken dam,
but refused TO make public any state
ment of It's findings
Typhoid vaccination OF refugees and
workers In the food district was bt gun
here yesterday. and nearly 500 were
treated.
j. Arthur Jeifers. assistant national
director OF the Red Cross. who Is In
charge OF the Western division, an
nounced that an appeal for funds with
which TO rehabilitate the victims of the
flood would be made. The amount re-
quired. he estimated. would run into
several hundred thousand dollars.
500 Hit by Disaster.
"There are approximately 500 persons
In the valley whose homes have been
seriously damaged or entirely wiped
out" he said. ''The loss In homes alone
will run around $760,000. The number
OF survivors who will need assistance
probably will be 2.500."
Announcement was made by Adjt.
Gen. r.. IL, Mittelstaedt that the State
National Guard would not be called out
for patrol duty In the flood area unless
unexpected developments occur.
II have been In communication with
authorities in several cities In the food
zone and they all tell me that there
will apparently he no necessity for call
Ing out the militia" said Mitteistacdt.
RED CROSS GIVES AID.
~.~~~s~
Experienced Relief Workers Sent 10