The Greatest Engineering Failure of the 20th Century
William Mulholland (L) and Havery Van Norman (R) viewing the aftermath of the St. Francis Dam collapse. The “tombstone,” the only piece of the dam left standing after the collapse, appears behind them. Image via waterandpower.org.
William Mulholland was an almost legendary figure in American engineering, with a career spanning 40-plus years. He was responsible for bringing water to the thirsty young metropolis of Los Angeles.
When he built his second concrete gravity dam, however, he overstepped his own knowledge. The collapse of the St. Francis Dam killed at least 411 people, with many still unidentified to this day. When the dam burst, nearly 12.5 billion gallons of water raced from the mountains above present-day Santa Clarita over 50 miles to the Pacific Ocean, destroying everything - and everyone - in the way.
Interesting Information
The Coroner’s Inquest - Click here to open
Ann Stansell’s Updated List of St. Francis Dam Disaster Victims - Click here to open
Archaeology Graduate Ann C. Stansell’s Thesis - Memorialization and memory of Southern California’s St. Francis Dam Disaster of 1928
Images
All images from SCVHistory.com or waterandpower.org
Sources
SCVHistory.com - Online Archives & Repository of the SCV Historical Society, City of Santa Clarita, Friends of Mentryville, Old Town Newhall, More
Mapping the St. Francis Dam Outburst Flood with Geographic Information Systems - J. David Rogers, Kevin James
The Flood: St. Francis Dam Disaster, William Mulholland, and the Casualties of L.A. Imperialism - KCET
St. Francis Dam Disaster - Water and Power Associates
Lesson Learned: Concrete gravity dams should be evaluated to accommodate full uplift - damfailures.org
Privilege and responsibility: William Mulholland and the St. Francis Dam disaster - Donald C. Jackson, Norris Hundley Jr.