BATTLING FOR LIFE

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXI, 12 April 1928, Page 6

BATTLING FOR LIFE

CALIFORNIAN DISASTER

Hi-ItOISjVI Si’S ILQ(U)i.J) Al(IiA

iX.OU.ittSHIWG iWINS. ewaU^FKD

VISIT TO SCEXK OF HAVOC

LOS ANGELES. 21st Maivii

A 65-mile slash through the very heart of a most beautiful valley—two newspaper men followed that still-bleed ing wound from the spot where tile torrent spewed its brownish flood to sully the white surf of the Pacific Ocean. Thence, to where the water giant hurst from its narrow canyon lair, exulting in its first- gulp of human lives. They twice staggered and stumbled through the rushing waters of the little Santa Clara river, red with mud and rainbow-tinted with its oil coaling, 'I hey rode the highway patches, walked and van tluough the heavy mm 1. They stalked through the slippery slime. All for a prize more precious than a pot- of gold. For they found that men could chuckle at- their own deeds of valour and women could carry on dry-eyed, although hearts were breaking. They heard the sagas of a dozen heroes. And greatest of these was lid Locke in this great disaster of the engulfing of a dozen flourishing Californian towns by the breaking of the reservoir dam at St. Francis, some 45 miles north of l.os Angeles, releasing some 62.000 acres of water in a wall 75ft. high. which dashed in the early hours of the morniiio and swamped the sleeping inhabitants by- the hundred. cat vying everything before the nvainuchc of water. Guard -of the .Southern California Edison Company Construction Camp at Blue Bend, Ed Locke saved the lives of at least 47 men and died with his hoots on and his boil and gun about his waist. “Scotty” Gordon. a grey-bearded Scotch littie rancher and a hero in Ins own light, chuckled and laughed as lie told of the deed of Ed Locke. "We found Ed Locke with his gun and belt on where lie fell,” lie said, "and—- Ini. ha. ha—a jug of wine at his side. Someone had lint it there.” ESCAPES IN CAR

“Ami mighty good wink it did this day,” said H. A. Nowell, special agent of the Edison camp and one of those who escaped, as lie clung to the running board of “Scotty's ' little flivver coupe in which the rancher all day taxied men over his own little stretch of highwav with never a word of tlit* fare. “One hundred and thirty-eight I counted at the dinner table lasi night. So far as 1 know, only 49 of us live. Ed Locke ran up and down the row ol tents without a thought of his _ own skin. 1 was one v»t them that tound his bodv.”

At Santa l'anla. approximately 20 miles from the destroyed dam. the south end of the town, comprising the Mexican quarter, was carried away. .1 his section ordinarily housed between GOO and IGOO persons. Ihe undertaking parlours were filled* with bodies. In Fillmore, Santa Paula and Moor Pane more than 90 bodies oi flood victims were recovered on tile day following the avalanche of water from the reservoir. OFFICER. TERN'S “ REVERE"

A motor cycle officer had limit- [< I’mil Revere through the river district to warn the sleeping inhabitants of the waters which arrived at 2.15 o dock. In a school yard the American Red Cross fed the survivors. At the river crossing at Fillmore rescue parties poked anti prodded at an Btl. wall oi hrudiwcod —the tangled shreds ot thousands of acre? of orchards reaped hy the scythe of the flood. “Clifford Corwin was the lucky one. ’ said one of the band of workers —electricians replacing power lines, pipe fitters mending the broken oil pipe lines arid telephone system employees splashing through the muddy waters. ihe bridge had been washed out with some of the huge concrete blocks* carried a mile down stream. "He was riding with George Basuia on the highway when the wall of water. 30tt high came down. He grabbed the last tree ot the last row oi orange trees that remained standing. ’ Basola. not. so lucky, lost

his lift*. , . , Another told how a Iriend climbed to the roof of his home, how the house popped up in the flood waters, tossing its human rider into a high eucalyptus tree. Several houses on the riverside oi Fillmore were carried away, while orchards almost halt a mile wide were cleaned awav. leaving scarcely a twig. “And that little Pete Lahara." laughed ‘‘Scotty/’ "he hollered to his folks to run, but they said the noise was just the wind. Pete. 16 years old lie is, grabbed his 10-year-old sister with one hand and hi? 12-year-old sister with the other anti ran to the hills, lie stayed there all night without a stitch of clothing on, hut saved the two kids. Pete, the old man. and his wife are gone, and good neighbours they were, to". It had "to he dragged from “Scotty’’ Gordon that he himself had braved the waters when lie answered the call with other hill neighbours that morning and brought- ashore eight bodies. PATHETIC SCENES And the women—rows of them sitting at the doorways of improvised morgues. Some of them with steps of children at their sides; others with—oh. so pitifully emptv arms! There were not mcnlolk in those groups, and no one wondered why. for the men were absent from the morgue watch joining in the search lot relatives and friends, while other men were Inst in the relentless Hood. OR CHAP i>S WIPED OCT

A speeding motor ear was met l»V the two wayfarers in quest of news. " I here eoes C. C. Ellon.’’ said the driver. "Just lost week lit paid 102,CC0 dollars tor his ranch. The Mood just about wiped the orchard? out." The little hillside main e.tieet town r,f I’iru. lirst reported to ],ave caught the full liiast of the (loud, was skirted entirely by the grasping waters. Its orchards in the lower pa-rt of this narrowed valley weie turned to

MHII' held .nl ...I 1111 v ..ill. ill'lll I'll U 111' 1 111- tragic valley was a desolate wast.e eit s'.ual it in I It 1)1 ont i'i |. nia ll;;leil sliaile I lees. I lie nrelianls wliieii iberkerhoarded tin- lower \alie\ in ils mile v.nllli Ikkl ' I Isa | i|iea lei I. (In an aiie sized iiii'iuiil at a bend mi the river below a ,-leeji hillside was the remains i’i Ibe IMimiii ('niapaiix enn.-i rnef inn camp. No!. a ienled eamp i emainch, but niste«d a v. is in iota wee;■l«(*r'f; 1.an.l oi Ca I i 1 1> in i, i 'a: 11) 11 11 1 of (be Wo. Id War a, I'.'iodors. ibe edue ■l l .• i■■i li i'. !• ii -j!\ I . i:■!, ? e.U’lh. a mild oveted sev.ne. loaeioi.o iiiere was left of a diV.en houses, liial sla, ■ I aeiuss llie diiohway from the power plan: a mile or so north of tsauyeis. Tlie bneo. weir .tone. Kverv--1!1111o' ilia! was in iliem was" lust. The plaee when- 11 ley well- was liolhllio ini! a broad, ejisteiiiiig expanse of mud — that scptelehoil and siii la d undeilooi to

:lir investigate) fur huilie--. li i>;iM he known tlitit I lii'i't' wi'iv houses tin'll', iu-rtinsi' lirn' mill tilin' tin' mini lifted in iri t-t!I:i r i •lilmiL'.". Im'lir\v --i |ii;i i r>. I'lnler those ))];ii'i-s were tin- i.iit line.-' of till- liiiirli'ti' fiilillililt nili.s ; tln i -i*s sill!) .IS i \|ili:ifts liml wlii'ii 11 it-v diy iiii mu i n; tllll!-. lln people will) I! \ ill 111 tliUM' houses. win. Ufii' asleep wl.i'ii tin' 111.-ij started liiiivn tin' va'h-v in till- dark. i'Si :i]ji'il—-iiuisl i.l t In-in— — wit 1 1 t In*:i- lives, iiinl nut iiinii 1111111'. TRACKDV ON TI.'.M HIDV l )> 111 tin- hills: Were 11 tin-! ili'inl horses. Inn m« siyn uf 1 111111 :ill ~. Si'.limi boclirs v.'i'ti' iliMiivi'iiil m tin' t’;i 111 ■ *ns taiirli uf Miirry I'tirey. tliw eitieiiia favi ill li 11*. Nu I'.ll' kiii'W what I i;ii I 1 1:111 iH'iii-W ti. 1 In* Kiitsiiti iiiin|i iii'iii 1 i tu tf.p ilmii. 'riii'ii' were 65 mi'ii 1111 ilii'ir. sunn' with t i)<‘ir families. Aml tln'ic was a htilt' seitooliioUse wlii'ii- ilie ti'iulnr livt'il. IltiiiHiiii's mnl 11-j )i.r: flew like mail. Mml spa tiered men i-iinit' riiliti't into tu tel! uf wlmt ii:iiipcm-il in this ni' that rmii li ur tiny sett lenient. ''Viru knew those .Mexirans un tlie Wi v lease? The water was riyhl tiji tu 1 lie iiiiui uf their Imiiie. Another hurt anil they wniilil have yeno." "Ves, I s.aw them takine hmliis out. iitiiteieil tip siaiiet lima- awful tine v. ere. t'lutlle.s slrippeil nil lliein. (mess the\ never will liml all uf them."

’I lie )• iii■ 1 ii»lT Hashes’ el’ high piAler eieelric lines thrown In [lie ground ;mil pill out of ei lllllli issil 111 IIV till' Hill 1(1 i'I'IHII I lie Si. I'Yatu is duiil name as llie liist warning to people 111 tile valley lieluv.’ ilia! ".smiteilii l1 o had happened. " KY K-WITXKSS Ti’Ll.S llom-Jul: Bert Lewis, all employee at Wmill's enrage in Saugus. 1 1 -id the story of how the first word of the breaking of the dam mine. "I saw those Hashes' and knew that- something had happened, hut 1 didn’t know what n was." Lewis said. " Tim Hashes kept going on and oil Ini' about an hour, and then an employee of the Southern (.'nlifornin Ihnson came in and told me what had happened. He telephoned to l.e». Angeles ami then I went out with him and some others to do wiiat we limit!. I found the first two bodies. They were two young fellows. They didn’t have a stitch on either of lin-m. They looked just like they had been in bed when the water hit them and did not know what hit t item.

"Some farmers told ih that ii seemed like the water came in a wall about 75 feet 1 11 lcii when it came frutn the dam down the canyon. Tite canyon is pretty narrow below the dam. you know. .\nd it made a roaring .sound just iike a t hunderst min. Some of the fanners we found said thev thought an eai'tli(|Uake caused the dam to lit oak. l.!ut every hotly up here thought it was pretty weak before that. They said when they lirst built tiie dam it eraeked on them onto. 'Tlte whole valley below the dam was swept clean. I never saw the like of if in my life. Houses, trees, telephone poles, barns, haystacks, everything was swept away, and it looked like the bed of a big river when the water began to go down. It is stiil roaring over there, though. You can stiil hear it. and they tell me there are bridges washed out al! a long. SAYKD HY SOY AS KIX DIF.

(.'. H. lliinick, bO. related ;ii Xewhall in the emergency hospital how ho was rescued I>y one oi 1 1 is sons from .lit' swirling water* of the flood just as lie laid given up all hope of being saved. "Our raneli house." he said, "was located a mile and a half below the dam. When the water hit it the house erunipled us though it were built of cards. I eottld not see a thing .in the darkness, but found myself clinging

iuul' i•! mu iimi.se. Hiiwii. ilnwn Willi llii' till I rnl Wr Weni . I lu‘U iin ili'-'-j. i•r:11 fI \ . I kept Miyim; in my.-i-ll nnv -I'romi \\;is my ln l. I !.iu• w ilml I iihi ii i uni in- 1 i"ii ;. lam i ill I. .uni iny I IVlljil ll Was U.«‘iiiu, ta.-l. lull I llilllg i'll. Tin'll I must 11: i« ■ ■ 1 11 1 1 ri I I"! mill's- - t;iii I iln ■< I inv ;■ 11 1 1 111 i !ir il.'ill:iif : Is i.t yiiii, <iu<{l Knew I Siftt ii n;ik on- c»l iii) ion... lie [I.' j' me o,er lin' plank lit 1 w.i.s cm. i <• i■ Tt >»<?.* rut: h ctfUv t.li.il. I i\i! Kiev .eve.l iim I.\ ■' tCiis- liny- ’ Is! In.' I I'M Km •.!.J li. till' I.: ins ■ lim iw < | Ini'll I \ Ill'll si 111 1 Ill'll ] 111. .\|||"ll" lilt' III"-; Ul; I j 1 1 1 It .-Willi's "I till' lull l'"W'ili" t'\| ii*rii'iirt*- siill'■!*•'l iw tlm tli.mil v ieliius was tlm; tnlil in Xewhali 1 1 V Velma Hull, .'"i'll I'l. <1; 111 y: i 11• -1 i.t I. \. Ii.;!!. -f; 111 ii 11 , J 1; 1■ I Ct till' Wllth'lli (a Ii ["i'll in ii I'li lisi n i pif.vn [n'aiil in-ar Nt'wiuiM. Tim Halls' iiitiayr near Urn jii.Wi'i plant was i "liipleteiy wiivlmi! "Dadily was wan kins: at Urn jniwer sia l ;mi wimn inuilmr ami I were awaki'imil ski.tlv alii'i 1 1 11 1 i1 1 ia.! 1 1 hy what we llim.iaiil was a !rri ilii ■i* \ pit 'Si"l!." \ i -111 1 .; i "la; ml. '' \\ r Imlicvi'i I -"ini' "I ilm lllsn.s Inn! iiiti.’ n i til. ,\ mall ian | asi ■ .a. !n til sr ■iin'.ll ill j I" tl- tn l.sii 1" tlm liuh la ml a - min 1: i y ; ■ jmssinlt".Mmlit'i ami I "lit ml" tlm aill "im Ti If ami sl.i.liil hn llm lull-. V- tin ear was man c, ilirwn l lie in.nl iim vaiei ;,"t liiflmr aiit I li igliei'. We lei i l lie ea i ami slailtal mi tint' lowanl tin* ini!-. Tin* w.Her was alnive mil kiln's as waw iiilfil mi." luritlST.-s 1 1 K!11SH IX I'l.ool > K:s*lit autuiiiul'ilf t"iiiist‘ wlmsf naiin-s v.'eie m.t itiinwii. wi-ie swept in'." "I'liViiiii when tile Va'-.inie Juliet am m i '.lie st;ii imi ami alii; eaniii was winei! "ill. ae eiiiii iny ti • Ah' ami Alias Kenneth liaima. In'tl l "i wlmin e-iapnl.

!\ir u|i l!;' 1 .''.•in ! Vniini.-aoimUn canyon >ilul l!y ;if:i r liiiiliiiglit. when the dam Sneak uciiitivd. Hanna '•aid they oh salved I ii<■ fla.-iiiiiy; hI lijflils. caused w ’ifii ilia lui lent snapped I lit(a Vi i r lines Heal tiic dam. At tin- .••aim* linn- tiic.' heard distant rune. \\ c v.aii-ln d !In llasliin 1 liitiil l ; fur •c\i .;d m mill c-s." said I lamia. "Tin* ii'.ir jii-i-w 1 1 m«1 1- r and il was Ilka a ; fiTiln- wind. All. i 10 iiii ii i:: t-s what li.'ikcd like i'u«f ;i|i|ii-;;rnl a i i in-ulna Ida

< I ista lu r Hll 1 iif ea nymi. "As Wi ran lewaiil lii< fir!.l iiir r.l1■ mrw ■ >i-;i it-i 1 1 :ir \\ r ( ..lit iiiiir.l tewnr.l !Ii ui: Ltlnlliul. Till' ill; Jillsheil willl iiliiiosl 11 u; ii i limy 1 1 iv. 'jircil «! <>w 11 tin* iany..ii. ,\ 111;1 1 1 i;i ;i Ini* -I'.lan |iassui \ve iraehnl l In' |ii“|l\Vil V<i> I! I i 11U I'la nil liak.T-.tirU leua i’ll lam Aimelrs. ' Wr warm'd linn ha,!.. Im: t.r ' | >:i t'i‘ll ll\ <ii.l ii"l miller--! ain i. and headed iii.s I ;ir arms- I lie ii..-< v ui' I lie . anyi U. Hi.- lieai 11 i r ii!.- jiierre.l tile I ilai klie.--. :.n,I w r n ill.l M-r that what wr hail ihmrJ.l har was a L<t) nr /itill wall ..I' Water. hill'll W till .lelii'is. \\ r lil'alil I r..in lain later ; hat hr I a.I iim he ear al 77 mile- at; linin' m the diiertirm ui l 1,,l unlit hr rraeh.il a |m:ill wlir.e hr inlliil r.-t In llirfl ”11:1111.I. Hr In!,! US : 1 1:.l Hire, nr Inin marlnin-s |ia.-M-.| linn .Ii i \ in” 1 1 i I eel IV Hit., the lined. Hr hiinkiii al I hem. i ill i they .iml in lie:) mi. an.l hr In'lieN ',! tiny Hill:,t liaVr |iriish ,-.!. Wt r.mi.l h. ai' the surrams ui the jir.inir in t lie Ileuses just lieli W Us as tin- wa! ri sWi'ji! ~\ rr thrill.

\i llMce was 1 1 ! 11 11 • I cf till' seven fli< ii I i!« ~ i:c|l! liv .Me I lit VI i' a! I Ilf Service ktiitioii. Mill t;i tlii‘ e;M> "l lilt- tmmsts. X,, hiiilies were t'uim.l nf iht'se parties.