He Swore This Dam Was Safe. Hours Later, It Wiped Out an Entire Valley.
[!NOTE] Historical File: He Swore This Dam Was Safe. Hours Later, It Wiped Out an Entire Valley. Location: USA | Era: Archival History | Format: Documentary & Narrative Record
The Untold Story
A legendary engineer swore his massive concrete dam was completely safe. Built in California to supply Los Angeles, the St. Francis Dam held twelve billion gallons of water.
Chief engineer William Mulholland had built the city’s aqueducts and was celebrated as an engineering genius.
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When muddy leaks appeared on the dam face, Mulholland inspected them personally and insisted there was no danger.
Less than twelve hours later, the dam collapsed, unleashing a terrifying one-hundred-forty-foot wall of water.
The raging flood swept away entire towns, hurling ten-thousand-ton concrete blocks miles down the canyon.
Over four hundred people perished from the dam he swore was safe, leaving Mulholland to envy the dead. Follow for more forgotten history.
Historical Discussion
💭 At the official inquest, William Mulholland testified: ‘The only ones I envy about this thing are the ones who are dead… Fasten it on me.’ Do you think modern engineering regulations did enough after this tragedy?
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