St. Francis Dam disaster

 A reader by the name of Kendall, wrote to us and asked if we had ever heard of the St. Francis dam disaster.

No, we had not, and told him so.

“You should look into it. I think you’ll find it interesting.”

We did, and learned he was right. It was not only interesting, but the details described a horrifying moment in history that occurred about an hour and a half’s drive west from Victorville.

About noon on March 12th, 1928, the Bureau of Water Works and Supply Superintendent, William Mulholland, along with his assistant, Harvey van Norman, was checking on the St. Francis Dam, located approximately forty miles north-east of the city of Los Angeles.  Mulholland had received a call from the dam keeper, Tony Harnichfeger, that there appeared to be seepage issues. Mulholland, along with van Norman, inspected the dam and concluded that the seepage was normal.

Twelve hours later, Harnichfeger, along with Leona Johnson, again inspected the dam. That was when the unthinkable happened. The entire northern side of the dam collapsed, spewing 12.5 billion gallons of water through the San Francisquito Canyon.

The initial waves from the collapse were nearly 120 feet high. Within minutes, the dam keeper’s house was destroyed and all his family were killed. Neither Harnichfeger nor his six-year-old son, Coder, have ever been found.

Within minutes, the waters struck Powerhouse #2, killing 64 workmen and their families living nearby.

The waters raced down the canyon at incredible speeds, reaching Castaic Junction with 55 foot waves. The small town was washed away.

Much more destruction and loss of life followed as the seemingly never-ending torrent of water struck the towns of Fillmore, Bardsale, and Santa Paula.

When the five-foot waves finally crashed into the Pacific Ocean, fifty miles south of Ventura, the loss of life was over 450 people. The exact number of humans lost will never be known. There were groups of iterant workers living in the canyon at the time as well as others looking for work camping out of doors in other areas where the waters tumbled.

Bodies of some victims were found days, weeks, and even months later, some as far away as the Mexican border. In fact, in 1992, the remains of a victim were found buried deep in the earth near Newhall. Many have never been found.

The St. Francis Dam disaster of 1928, is the second largest loss of life disaster in California history – only the 1906 San Francisco earthquake took more lives.

We researched the St. Francis dam disaster and knew a trip there was absolutely needed. So, we headed west on Highway 138, with our buddy Paul, past the towns of Littlerock, Pearblossom, and Palmdale.

The drive was beautiful. Once past Palmdale, the scenery turned idyllic with green rolling hills and large trees hugging the roadway. It was ironic to witness all the life swishing past the windows on the way to a canyon of such deep sadness.

We weren't sure what we would find at the site of the former dam. In 1929, the remaining sections of the dam which had remained standing were dynamited, bulldozed, and jackhammered to pieces. This was done to keep the curiosity seekers from spilling over the area for macabre souvenirs.

Large pieces of concrete from the dam litter the valley

Using a drone for aerial shots of the disaster scene

Upon arriving, the sun was bright and the birds were singing. It’s a pleasant place, this site of the St. Francis Dam disaster. There are trees and bushes alongside a small but steady gurgling stream, in the San Francisquito Canyon. A comfortable walk down an abandoned road leads to what remains of the dam.

Beautiful walk toward a past human disaster

The area is just beautiful and sad at the same time

The first observation is that it is just a canyon. Pretty, but just a canyon. Then atop a ridge, remains of concrete with steel cables can be seen. Nearby, are massive sections of concrete strewn across the canyon floor. One such block of cement can be seen about a quarter mile west of where the dam collapsed, it stands at 30 feet high, 54 feet wide, and 63 feet long – that is one big hunk of concrete, which explains the power of the water rushing out from the dam.

Just one large piece of concrete torn loose from the dam during the disaster

Further down the canyon, there are two crosses in memorial to those who perished back in 1928. On one it is written, May they find peace in this place of hoo doo.  A place that brings bad luck, that is all that needed to be said.

A touching memorial for the victims of the dam disaster

We met a young hiker, Chris Hertzberg, who knew the history of the dam. Chris happened to be an engineer, so he’s a pretty smart guy when it comes to building things.

“What was the reason for the dam collapsing?” I asked.

 “Lots of ideas were floated around, but I think the main one was that after the dam broke, and the investigation began, it was discovered that there had been an ancient landslide where a portion of the dam was built. They didn’t have the technology back then to know that,” he said.

John talking with Chris Hertzberg

He pointed out the red earth and it seemed obvious to our modern eyes that yes, there had indeed been a landslide. But in 1928, they didn’t recognize such things. Modern dam-building has come a long way. And Mulholland was a self-taught engineer. There were things he didn’t know, and things he couldn’t know in that era, given the limitations of the time. And this was the sad result.

“Different engineers must to be involved in these things to ensure everything is correct. Research must be thorough and complete,” Hertzberg stated. “Can’t leave it up to one, self-taught engineer like Mulholland.”

In an effort to prevent such a disaster from happening again, in 1929, the California legislature enacted a new law, that any non-federal dams had to be inspected by the state. Prior to that, any municipality could build a dam with no input from the state.

The site is beautiful, sad and peaceful. The lives lost deserve to be remembered. Consider stopping by this historical site.

For directions:
https://scvhistory.com/scvhistory/st-francis-directions.htm

Taking a Leap

February 30th.

Wait...February 30th?

Yes, once upon a time. Well, twice upon a time to be precise, there really was a February 30th. I suppose we could call that a Double Leap Year.

But we're getting ahead of ourselves here. Let's start with this year. Why exactly do we have leap years and what are the traditions and superstitions surrounding them? (Then back to February 30th, of course, don't worry.)

Well, you've probably heard the old Irish legend, or who knows, maybe it's true, as some legends are at least loosely based on fact, and if you're Irish, and near a pub, (if you're truly Irish, you are definitely near a pub) legends and history frequently get a bit, shall we say, blurred....wait, where was I going with this? Oh, yes. You've probably heard that St. Brigid struck a deal with St Patrick to allow women to propose to men during leap year, as a way to kind of counterbalance the traditional roles of women in society, much as leap year balances the calendar. Clever the way that works out. Oh, never underestimate an Irish lass.

Well, in some European countries the leap day tradition became Bachelors' Day. -- and a man was expected to pay a penalty, by law, if he refused a marriage proposal. Ouch! This could be a gown or fee, or 12 pairs of gloves -- to hide the shame of not having a ring.

The Greeks were not feeling as romantic as the rest of their European cousins. They believed it was unlucky for couples to marry during a leap year and especially on leap day.

However, their Mediterranean neighbors in Italy believe that leap years favor the whales. And making whale babies. Now, who doesn't love whales?

And the Scots believe that Leap Day is as unlucky as Friday the 13th. It's not good for people or sheep. Sheep? Baaad. St. Oswald might agree. Leap Day is named St. Oswald's day, because the archbishop of York died on February 29.

And J and L? What are our feelings, superstitions, traditions about leap day? One more day to celebrate life with family. Living each day to its fullest.

So about February 30th.

It seems the Swedes made an error a number of years back and decided to add a few days in 1712 to correct the error - hence February 30th.

And, in what was once called the Soviet Union, February 30th happened twice: in 1930 and 1931, after the Soviets established the revolutionary calendar. Every week had five days, every month had 30 days and the remaining five or six 'monthless' days were holidays. Well, at least there were holidays. Who knew?

But generally, the date is generally sarcastically used to refer to something that is never going to happen, like winning the lottery. Which I expect to do on February 30th. But you never know...this could be my lucky year!

A Blog About the Blog

February 2011, we set out on a journey, not really sure where we were going or exactly what we wished to accomplish. Now, nine years later, our blog has evolved a clear vision and purpose. It has given birth to a Facebook page, led somewhat indirectly to a weekly travel column featured in a local newspaper, Beyer's Byways, and attracted a loyal following.  (And we thank you...)

J and L Research and Exploration has traveled to a handful of countries and we've taken you along for the ride. But more importantly, we've tried to help encourage you to adventure out and explore what's in your own backyard, just as we've shared what's around our local area as well.

Some of our posts have been more research based. We were essentially teachers after all.

Nine years ago, on the inaugural post,  John wrote: Civility is an art that is losing its luster but should be brought back in these times with much polish, and shining to illuminate the world.
Research and exploration is what separates the learned from the ignorant - we want to deal with the former and not the latter.

We still believe in our mission. It's been fun, and as long as you keep  reading, we'll keep writing. Happy anniversary to us, and to you!