Hydroelectric generators at Power House no. 2, 1.5 miles downstream from the location of the failed Saint Francis Dam, San Francisquito Canyon (Calif.), 1928
Access to this collection is generously supported by Arcadia funds. Title from newspaper photo page: Officials Start Investigation to Determine Cause of Dam Disaster [Los Angeles Times, 15 March 1928:12] The St. Francis Dam was a 200-foot high concrete gravity-arch dam built between 1924 and 1926 in St. Francisquito Canyon (near present-day Castaic and Santa Clarita). The dam collapsed on March 12, 1928 at two and a half minutes before midnight. The resulting flood killed more than 600 residents plus an unknown number of itinerant farm workers camped in San Francisquito Canyon, making it the 2nd greatest loss of life in California after the 1906 San Francisco earthquake. It is considered the worst American civil engineering failure in the 20th century. View of 2 hydroelectric generators, formerly inside Power House No. 2, surrounded by flood debris. The generators are still attached to the concrete foundation of the power house; the power house was washed away in the flood. Two men are on the far right. Text from negative sleeve: Saint Francis Dam Text from newspaper caption: Turbine Housings Are All That's Left of Power House No.2 (Times photo.) [Los Angeles Times, 15 March 1928:12]
Type
image
Format
b&w nitrate negative
Identifier
uclamss_1429_1854 ark:/21198/zz002dcqwk
Language
No linguistic content
Subject
Saint Francis Dam Failure, Calif., 1928 Hydroelectric generators--California--San Francisquito Canyon Power plants--California--San Francisquito Canyon Flood damage--California--San Francisquito Canyon
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