With
uncertain Southern California rainfall and an exploding population, the
creation of a series of reservoirs was also a way to assure Los Angeles a
steady source of water in case of accidental -- or intentional -- damage
to the Owens Valley-Los Angeles
Aqueduct. The St. Francis Dam, constructed in San Francisquito Canyon,
between two city-owned power plants, was built in an atmosphere of water resource uncertainty. It was
built quickly, with 20 feet added to its height to increase the capacity
of the reservoir without widening the base of the structure. As Duke
University professor Henry Petroksi points out, a
decision that contributed to the tragedy to come. Only hours after it was
filled to capacity, the dam collapsed.
RE-IMAGINING A NIGHTMARE
To tell the story of
the night the dam collapsed and the events that followed, we will rely on
new interviews and voice-over testimony spoken by actors and drawn from
actual reports. To illustrate this section, we will make use of
dramatic recreations.
It wasn't long after
the dam was comp-leted that watchman Tony Harnischfeger noted water leaking
through the stepped concrete face of the St. Francis Dam. He, his
girlfriend Leona Johnson and his six year-old son Coder, lived in a small cabin at the base of the
structure.
As the seepage continued, Tony called Los Angeles Water Department
headquarters, and was repeatedly reassured. But the leak seemed to get
worse. He kept calling.
During the dam's
construction there had been persistent rumors that the structure was poorly
anchored to its site and that inadequate concrete was being used. When
cracks continued to appear, the dam keeper was worried enough to cut steps up the
nearby hillside in case he needed to get out fast.
Finally, his anxious
calls got results. William Mulholland himself, "the Chief,"
came for a personal inspection. A rare photograph shows Mulholland, his
associate Harvey van Norman and Tony Harnischfeger walking along the top of
the dam. Such seepage, Mulholland declared, was normal. Despite
Harnischfeger's misgivings, the Chief felt he ought to know. He'd built 19
dams during his illustrious career, confident enough to plan the construction
of St. Francis with no outside consultation.
Mulholland and van
Norman returned to headquarters two hours later, apparently unconcerned.
The date was March 12, 1928. Only hours later, the St. Francis Dam
cracked open and collapsed. The mangled bodies of Tony Harnischfeger's
girlfriend and his young son were eventually recovered from a sea of mud.
The body of the dam keeper himself was never found.
Harnishfeger's story is only one of the dramatic incidents and intriguing
mysteries that make the St. Francis catastrophe so fascinating.
